-puts thumbs into gunbelt and leans back against the bar-
Well siree, looks like our job is done here folks! Time for us to mosey right along and ride off into the sunset.
-tilts brim of hat-
You all live happily ever after, hear?
-rides off towards the dusty horizon under bright blue skies-
'Zactly! Yaay Thelma!
I’m going to miss you… and you … and all of you …
<Clicks heels together>
There’s no place like home…there’s no place like home…
Yay Thelma indeed!
And I’m looking forward to the “ThelmaLou tries to leash the cats” thread.
Followed by the “Who knew cats could get into the fire escape stairwell” thread.
It’s great that there are interesting people there. That can make up for a multitude of sins – which it sounds like you don’t have a multitute of anyway!
I definitely need to start sinning more!
I’m sure you’ll be more comfortable with ‘Mary Lou’ in your home instead of strangers. I assume with the cats you vacuum more often than once a month so you could just tell them not to come, although there’s probably stuff neither you or ‘Mary Lou’ wants to do that would make it worth while.
Sounds like you and the cats are settling in well. I’m sure you’ve still got plenty of stuff to put away but sounds like it will time soon to sit down one quiet evening, order in food, open a bottle of something, and watch the recent past fade away in the rear view mirror of your mind.
If it’s at all a responsible place, that would not be allowed.
I’m glad you’re loving it!
ThelmaLou: that is Out-STAN-ding news!!!
I’m not sure what that is–maybe an articulated lamp? It’s certainly not a gooseneck lamp.
Here’s a gooseneck lamp.
The reason why it’s called that?
Because the necks of geese are flexible, and can curve. No goose in the history of the world has ever had a neck with joints that allow sharp, geometric changes of direction.
Whatever. 
No live goose, anyway.
Reading this whole thread after my recent upheavals. These words are so very true. I never completely unpacked in my condo because I didn’t have room for things. Some of it, I missed greatly. Some not at all. Goodwill and friends have benefited from my moves.
Now that I’ve downsized again into a senior apartment I am still working on sorting out stuff. Last week, 4 boxes went to Goodwill again. This weekend, I put lightly used shoes into my car to drop off at Schuler’s Shoes They refurbish them and send them on to those in need. I also have a box and a bag that are being filled with giveaways. And another bag of paperwork that I need to shred. I dumped my trash today and the bag was half full of crap that just needed to be binned without questioning if someone else can use it. Everything that goes away makes me feel lighter.
I have no children to pass stuff on to. One friend will get my racing paraphernalia and decide what to do with it, himself. I’m going to try to sell a few items that I think I can get money for. The rest can be trashed or given away when the time comes. And I am refusing to shop for gewgaws and plastic stuff that isn’t absolutely necessary. The word simply does not need more plastic.
it feels great.
@Thelma Lou, I still need to finish reading this thread but I just want to say “Brava!” to you for what you have accomplished. I am younger, but not in great health, and don’t have the money for your kind of setup. But that’s the setup my grandparents had and I think it’s a brilliant choice. Best of everything to you.
Now, to keep reading…
You’re singin’ my song.
Ditto.
Same to you! 
By all means, add more details about your process, if you want to.
P.S. I’m still loving it here. Eating lunch with people every weekday-- way more socializing than I’m used to. But all good. 
We joined the local senior center because they’re partnering with another group we’re in. We learned they have a variety of fitness classes and walking/biking groups, lots of social events, and a cheap lunch that works for me, though not my lovely wife. After joining, we walked over to the library for fresh cards.
I was by far the youngest in the joint.
UPDATE 
Well, friends, it’s been three months since I got the news from my landlord that I had to move out of the house I loved. And it’s been two months to the day since I moved into The Home (a nod to Johnny Carson).
The upshot: I still absolutely love it here! 
I expected to like it but I like it waaaay more than I thought I would.
For those just joining the thread: This is an independent living facility for people age 64 and older. Not to be confused with “assisted living,” which is a different animal. This is an apartment complex only, no caregiving or medical services provided. Currently there are about 70 people here, mostly women who are widowed, a few men likewise single, and a few couples. The biggest mental hurdle to get over was-- and is-- accepting that you’re old enough to actually qualify to live here.
It has been an adjustment for me to live in a community. I’m a childless only child, widowed for 23 years, no family at all. I’ve never lived in a dorm, been in the military, or belonged to a religious order. But it has been great. You can be as social as you want, namely eat in the dining room every day, participate in activities/classes, or you can get your lunch to go and stay in your apartment all the time. Plenty of people choose both of those routes. There is no enforced socialization, but it’s good to know that if no one sees you for a while, someone will ask around and/or come looking. I used to wonder how long I would lie on the floor of my house before anyone noticed I was missing.
Best of all: I’ve bonded with a couple of women who moved in just about the time I did. You know how every now and then you meet someone and you just click? We have become an informal threesome-- yeah, just like in high school. 
We are psychic soulmates and one of the women lives right across the hall from me-- we both keep marveling at our good fortune!
The community is a total mixed bag of people from early 60s to late 80s. Everyone is ambulatory (or at least can get around) and compos mentis. A handful use walkers. One man is on the young-ish end of the age spectrum and uses a wheelchair because he had a stroke years ago. He does consulting work remotely for some gov’t agencies in D.C. One woman is a retired psychologist and is known (behind her back) as The Cranky Bitch from Hell-- absolutely the rudest person I’ve ever encountered. No matter who I sit with at lunch I can usually have a conversation with them (except the shrink-- I avoid her). Not necessarily a deep conversation, but the usual pets, weather, TV-- no politics. There might be some trumpers here-- not sure, don’t want to know.
Here’s something interesting: I was talking to someone at lunch one day and asked her what she did before she retired. She was the volunteer coordinator at a local museum. I said, “Oh you must have known my late husband-- he was a docent there.” She said that not only did she know him, she has one of his coffee mugs. She ran up to her apartment to get it. He took up pottery about five years before he died and got to be pretty good at it. I have lots of his pieces. She came back with the mug and handed it to me. I couldn’t believe it! I recognized the style and the color and there was his signature on the bottom! We were both speechless. 
He died 23 years ago, and here we both were with one of his cups.
So far I haven’t done any of the activities, but there is a group birthday function next week, and I’m a November birthday, so I guess I’ll go. The first birthday thing I went to right after I moved in in September was a bit of a shock (@Chefguy understood perfectly). Maybe it will be better now that I know just about everyone here. If not, I’ll take my piece of cake and slink away.
Downsides? 
My apartment doesn’t have any direct access to the outside. Some people have balconies or patios, I don’t. I only have three windows, as compared to 21 windows in my house. My apartment is 840 sq ft v. 1,100 in my house. Not a huge difference. Lots of people here have downsized from 3,000-4,000 sq ft houses-- that would be a challenge. We get breakfast and lunch five days a week (the food is excellent and ample), but frankly, having a break from lunch in the dining room on weekends is fine. I’m saving a BOATLOAD of money on groceries and eating out! I haven’t cooked anything in my apartment except toast, coffee, and popcorn since I moved in. Utilities and basic cable are covered here, too, so that’s more savings of several hundred $$ per month for me. The administrative staff is extremely responsive to concerns-- we have all their cell phone numbers. They’re not around on weekends, but we can still report maintenance emergencies on weekends. There are monthly “town meetings” with published minutes distributed afterward so everyone is aware of what is happening all over the campus. I can’t really think of any downsides…
That’s my updated report. More later…
I so appreciated the support when I was going through the move-- it was pretty traumatic. Y’all are the best! 
That is really incredibly heartening. I’m so glad it’s going so well, and so glad for the update.
That story about the mug … Wow. Just … touching.
My mother has a friend who’s a very curmudgeonly retired psychologist. To hear the lady tell the story, she was widowed, and the man she lost was The Best Husband To Have Ever Walked The Earth. I guess having lost such a man is the pat answer to her seemingly immutable dour temperament.
But my mother met somebody on an airport shuttle once. Conversation ensued. The retired psychologist was a mutual friend.
Assuming my mother knew this story, the bus-person/mutual friend of the psychologist was talking openly about how … the late Mr. Wonderful Husband For The Ages … had – for a couple of decades – been sleeping with her (the retired psychologist’s) best friend.
It was a couple that they had socialized and traveled with very frequently.
And the retired psychologist only found out shortly after her husband’s death.
My mother knew nothing of this until that chance encounter on a bus.
Sometimes … there’s a whole lotta’ story behind that bitterness. My mother views this woman through ‘different eyes’ nowadays.
I hope it just keeps getting better for you in your new home, TL!
Wonderful update! Going from such a state of stress to one of bliss in this short time is incredible. You’ve found new friends, found things to do, saving money… I’m starting to wish somebody would kick me out of my house 