By Bonnie Brown
Columnist

According to the thermometer, and the thermostat, spring has sprung into summer.

I used to not notice when the temps spiked into the 90-degree plus range. But I certainly do now. My senior self is well aware of the weather, be it cold or hot. I’m not sure when this heightened awareness happened. Perhaps it was on one of those milestone birthdays.

I do remember when we moved into our condo almost five years ago in June that it seemed like Mother Nature had decided to pump up the humidity and the temps all at once. Both Tom and I were going at top speed and putting lots of effort into the mechanics of the move.

“Energy and persistence conquer all things,” a quote by Benjamin Franklin was our mode of operation. Did Benjamin Franklin ever move from one residence to another in Mississippi summer heat?  I think perhaps that he did, given his ability to come up with the referenced quote.

We had planned each phase of the move carefully and felt that we were indeed prepared. We had downsized. Which really means we got rid of things that would not fit or were no longer essential.

Our condo had been refreshed and updated with new paint, new light fixtures, faucets, etc.  Our newly purchased area rugs were in place. We had enlisted a terrific group of movers with a big truck to do the heavy lifting.

The movers arrived on schedule, and the lead mover approached me and in a calm and reassuring voice told me that they would take good care of our furnishings and us. He seemed more like a psychologist than a mover. He told me that he would be checking in with me to make sure I was comfortable throughout the day. And true to his word, he did.

He made note of the fact that our thoughtful neighbors, Mike and Jamye Waters, provided lunch for us. He asked me several times how I was doing.  It’s like he intuitively knew that I would be the grouchy one if things didn’t go well.

Those guys moved a heavy tool chest and all the other big items. Last to come off the truck was the refrigerator. When they measured the back door, the fridge was too big.  Then they measured the front door, and it was going to be a tight fit.

They removed the doors at which point, I retreated to another part of the house and prayed to St. Joseph, patron saint of housing and homes to help the movers get the refrigerator into the house –  and I’m not even Catholic.

He heard my plea, and the refrigerator found its way to its rightful place in the kitchen, thanks to St. Joseph and our psychologist/moving man and crew.

Shortly after the refrigerator drama, I was out in the garage gathering up packing materials and our new neighbors across the way shouted out a welcome greeting. I looked at this stunning couple, Bob and Laurie Williams, in lovely business attire and not sweating.  I returned the greeting and told them that I didn’t always look this disheveled – sometimes I looked worse.

They laughed and probably thought I was joking. I was not. So that ended the moving day blues, and we went to bed tired and happy. We also left the garage door up and the back door unlocked.  Oh well!

Write to Bonnie Brown at bbrown@olemiss.edu.