No Thursday tea for me either. We had a tornado! Southeastern Ohio, Wayne County - 8 houses down from me (about a mile) houses and property devastated! Ohio Agricultural Research and Developmental Center (OARDC) and it's arboretum nearly demolished! Sad, sad, sad. I just happened to turn on the TV news at 5pm Thursday, and they were putting out warnings of a coming tornado. The sky was ugly, but we had little rain or wind so far that day; they announced the path - coming right towards my road in 11min. Then the electric went off. Dummy me went outside on the porch and looked for it, couldn't see or hear a thing. Yes, the clouds were scary but I never saw a tornado before, didn't no what to look for. Saw a wide fuzzy grey thing hanging down from the wall cloud. Finally I went inside as a white wall of rain came across the field (as it's known to do) and I braced the front door from blowing open (as it's known to do). Rained hard for a minute or two and that was it. No hard wind at all. Afterwards the phone calls started, asking if I was ok! Sure, I was fine - why? Well, an hour later my neighbor stopped and told me it was pure devastation right down the road and she told me to get in the van and took me there. We and hundreds of other gawkers started out and went where we shouldn't have been. Getting in the way! We went around the bypass which takes you past the arboretum - TERRIBLE DAMAGE. I was shocked at all the trees down. I can't describe what it looks like closer to the city of Wooster near the OARDC and ATI agricultural university. Of course we can't get near even as of today. So many trees down and homes damaged. Anyhow, my electric has been off since 5:30pm.Thursday and just came back on an hour ago. I was at Mom's getting more water, came home to lights. I am sure luckier than those people right down the road. Now I know what a funnel cloud looks like, because there was a photo of it on the front page of the newspaper today - and that is what I saw from my front porch! I didn't even know it then. I saw no wind, heard no sound. Unbelievable. Good to be back - and safe.

First-aid kit with a medic-spray on top. Container of handwipes. Scissors. Insurance information. Your address book. Pen and paper notebook for notes [or for the kids to play with]. Books, magazines, and games for the kids. A roll of trash bags. A spray bottle of 50/50 alcohol/water for quick clean-ups. Terry hand towels, at least one for each sink. Put a case of bottled water in the car. If you drink coffee, put the coffeemaker, filter, a couple pre-measured bags of ground coffee along with the mugs, spoons, sugar, etc in a box to be brought in the car. A box of breakfast fixin's along with bowls and plasticware. If you possibly can, the crockpot filled and ready to cook a one-dish meal, for the first real meal. You can prepare the crockpot in advance and freeze it. Carried in a cooler, it will very slowly defrost during the trip, and will be ready to plug in upon your arrival. A new broom and dustpan. The vacuum [if you don't have whole-house]. Remember that it is not a waste of time to label each box, in detail. Be sure the movers put the boxes each in the assigned room. If it is at all possible, hire a babysitter to watch little kids while the actual moving is underway. Everyone has their own method, but I found it easiest to unpack in this order (assuming rugs and carpets are placed): Refrigerated and frozen foods. Beds set up and linens put on the bed. Bath towels hung [everyone can unpack their own toiletries]. Kitchen utensils; pans, plates, silverware. Pantry supplies. Help kids hang/drawer clothing. Hang/drawer adult clothing. Put away the rest of the bathroom supplies and linens. Once the basic living needs are in place, THEN one can unpack and place furniture for everywhere else. Don't remove the furniture's bubblewrap/quilting until it is in the place you want it. Keep handy a misting-spray bottle of water to counteract static as you remove the plastic-wraps. Vacuum everything [yes floors and walls too] after the furniture is unwrapped. After the furniture is placed, the accessories and books can be done, but allow yourself to take time with them. Let others help you. Young folks can stack the linens on the shelves and arrange the canned goods (you can always alphabetize later). Have a big folk do the unwrapping and final placement of furniture. Have another big folk wash windows and sweep the sidewalk and driveway. Have a sure-handed person unwrap delicate items. Have a strong person carry all the boxes of non-seasonal and holiday stuff to the attic [or where ever]. Put a kid in charge of wiping up fingerprints from the doors with the alcohol/water spray and a soft towel; same kid can wipe down the dressers, tables etc with a soft clean cloth. A kid can line the drawers and shelves. Put another kid in charge of [a copy of] the to-do list ~ pre-teens are great at this. Enjoy your new house.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! We had a small issue with the CO but went ahead with the move in. We received a phone call giving ok for CO and move in while the moving truck was backing into the new driveway! You will be fine. Exhausted for a few days but oh so glad to be done and in. Send pics when you can.

My porch is small. The flash made the colours all different, the wall colour is most like picture #2. 1) Looking into the porch from the hallway, closet is to the right: 2) Looking left, that door is to the garage: 3) Standing in the corner by the front door and closet, that's the garage door again: 4) Looking down the hallway from the front door, to the left is the living room, then dining room, kitchen and the family room is at the end: 5) Some of the things I have on the wall. I have a "Newfoundland" theme, and I just need a green or blue table for under the key rack (in front of the heater): -pics I took: -painted by my sister-in-law: -mounted print (the artists are Nicole from Ontario's sister and partner): -key rack, locally painted: 6) Outside, it is rainy today: