diff --git a/app/controllers/merged/cards_controller.rb b/app/controllers/merged/cards_controller.rb
index 493e429..602aef2 100644
--- a/app/controllers/merged/cards_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/merged/cards_controller.rb
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ module Merged
     def destroy
       @card.destroy
       @card.section.save
-      redirect_to section_cards_url(@card.section.id) , notice: "Card #{@card.index + 1} removed"
+      redirect_to section_cards_url(@card.section.id) , notice: "Card #{@card.index} removed"
     end
 
     def update
diff --git a/app/controllers/merged/sections_controller.rb b/app/controllers/merged/sections_controller.rb
index 2f52437..792e8a2 100644
--- a/app/controllers/merged/sections_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/merged/sections_controller.rb
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ module Merged
     def destroy
       @section.destroy()
       @section.page.save
-      redirect_to page_sections_url(@section.page.name) , notice: "Section #{@section.index + 1} removed"
+      redirect_to page_sections_url(@section.page.name) , notice: "Section #{@section.index} removed"
     end
 
     def set_image
diff --git a/app/models/merged/card.rb b/app/models/merged/card.rb
index b3e723d..532e95f 100644
--- a/app/models/merged/card.rb
+++ b/app/models/merged/card.rb
@@ -28,10 +28,19 @@ module Merged
     end
 
     def move_up
-      @section.move_card_up(self)
+      swap_index_with(next_card)
     end
+
     def move_down
-      @section.move_card_down(self)
+      swap_index_with(previous_card)
+    end
+
+    def previous_card
+      section.cards.where(index: index - 1).first
+    end
+
+    def next_card
+      section.cards.where(index: index + 1).first
     end
 
     def save
diff --git a/app/models/merged/optioned.rb b/app/models/merged/optioned.rb
index 3b435f6..b7d0e25 100644
--- a/app/models/merged/optioned.rb
+++ b/app/models/merged/optioned.rb
@@ -24,5 +24,13 @@ module Merged
       options[option] = value
     end
 
+    #other may be nil
+    def swap_index_with(other)
+      return unless other
+      old_index = self.index
+      self.index = other.index
+      other.index = old_index
+    end
+
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/models/merged/page.rb b/app/models/merged/page.rb
index 0585703..d795165 100644
--- a/app/models/merged/page.rb
+++ b/app/models/merged/page.rb
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 module Merged
   class Page < ActiveYaml::Base
     set_root_path Rails.root #ouside engines not necessary
-    include ActiveHash::Associations
-    has_many :sections , class_name: "Merged::Section" ,  scope:  -> { order(index: :desc) }
+
     # could be config options
     def self.cms_root
       "cms"
@@ -12,6 +11,10 @@ module Merged
 
     alias :id  :name
 
+    def sections
+      Section.where(page_id: name).order(index: :asc)
+    end
+
     def self.check_name(name)
       return "only alphanumeric, not #{name}" if name.match(/\A[a-zA-Z0-9]*\z/).nil?
       nil
@@ -53,32 +56,6 @@ module Merged
       @content[0]["template"]
     end
 
-    def move_section_up(section)
-      return if sections.length == 1
-      return if section.index == 0
-      swap_sections( section , sections[section.index - 1])
-    end
-
-    def move_section_down(section)
-      return if sections.length == 1
-      return if section.index == sections.last.index
-      swap_sections( section , sections[section.index + 1])
-    end
-
-    def swap_sections( this_section , that_section)
-      # swap in the actual objects, index is cached in the objects
-      this_old_index = this_section.index
-      this_section.set_index( that_section.index )
-      that_section.set_index( this_old_index )
-
-      # swap in the sections cache
-      sections[ this_section.index ] = this_section
-      sections[ that_section.index ] = that_section
-      # swap in the yaml
-      content[this_section.index] = this_section.content
-      content[that_section.index] = that_section.content
-    end
-
     def save
       super
       data = Page.all.collect {|obj| obj.attributes}
diff --git a/app/models/merged/section.rb b/app/models/merged/section.rb
index 2566c6f..57b8aa4 100644
--- a/app/models/merged/section.rb
+++ b/app/models/merged/section.rb
@@ -4,14 +4,16 @@ module Merged
 
     include ActiveHash::Associations
     belongs_to :page , class_name: "Merged::Page"
-    has_many :cards , class_name: "Merged::Card" , scope:  -> { order(index: :desc) }
-
 
     include Optioned
 
     fields :name , :page_id , :index , :cards , :options
     fields :template , :card_template , :id , :text , :header, :image
 
+    def cards
+      Card.where(section_id: id).order(index: :asc)
+    end
+
     def set_template(new_template)
       self.template = new_template
       new_style = template_style
@@ -54,16 +56,13 @@ module Merged
       end
     end
 
-    def destroy
-      @page.remove_section(self)
-    end
 
     def move_up
-      @page.move_section_up(self)
+      swap_index_with(next_section)
     end
 
     def move_down
-      @page.move_section_down(self)
+      swap_index_with(previous_section)
     end
 
     def previous_section
@@ -74,33 +73,6 @@ module Merged
       page.sections.where(index: index + 1).first
     end
 
-    def move_card_up(card)
-      return if cards.length == 1
-      return if card.index == 0
-      swap( card , cards[card.index - 1])
-    end
-
-    def move_card_down(card)
-      return if cards.length == 1
-      return if card.index == cards.last.index
-      swap( card , cards[card.index + 1])
-    end
-
-    def swap( this_card , that_card)
-      # swap in the actual objects, index is cached in the objects
-      this_old_index = this_card.index
-      this_card.set_index( that_card.index )
-      that_card.set_index( this_old_index )
-
-      # swap in the cards cache
-      cards[ this_card.index ] = this_card
-      cards[ that_card.index ] = that_card
-      # swap in the yaml
-      card_content = content["cards"]
-      card_content[this_card.index] = this_card.content
-      card_content[that_card.index] = that_card.content
-    end
-
     def update(key , value)
       raise "unsuported field #{key} for #{template}" unless allowed_fields.include?(key)
       if(! @content[key].nil? ) # first setting ok, types not (yet?) specified
diff --git a/app/views/merged/cards/index.haml b/app/views/merged/cards/index.haml
index 56fea8f..4999392 100644
--- a/app/views/merged/cards/index.haml
+++ b/app/views/merged/cards/index.haml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
   .flex.items-center.justify-center.flex-1
     %h3.text-xl.font-bold.tracking-tight.text-gray-900
       Cards for
-      = link_to "Section #{@section.index + 1}", section_url( @section.id) , class: "underline"
+      = link_to "Section #{@section.index}", section_url( @section.id) , class: "underline"
 
 
 .grid.grid-cols-4.gap-2.m-8
diff --git a/app/views/merged/sections/index.html.haml b/app/views/merged/sections/index.html.haml
index 4b778c6..9d70d26 100644
--- a/app/views/merged/sections/index.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/merged/sections/index.html.haml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 -@page.sections.each do |section |
   .grid.grid-cols-5.gap-2.m-8{class: (section.index%2)==1 ? 'bg-cyan-50' : 'bg-red-50' , id: "section_#{section.id}"}
     .relative.block.border.border-gray-100.p-4
-      %h3.mt-4.text-lg.font-bold Section #{section.index + 1} : #{section.header}
+      %h3.mt-4.text-lg.font-bold Section #{section.index} : #{section.header}
       = blue_button( "Up" , section_move_url(section.id , dir: :up) )
       = blue_button( "Down" , section_move_url(section.id , dir: :down) )
       = yellow_button("Edit" , section_path(section.id) )
diff --git a/app/views/merged/sections/select_template.haml b/app/views/merged/sections/select_template.haml
index ea84267..9b66022 100644
--- a/app/views/merged/sections/select_template.haml
+++ b/app/views/merged/sections/select_template.haml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
   .flex.items-center.justify-center.flex-1
     .max-w-xl.px-4.py-8.mx-auto.text-center
       %h1.text-3xl.font-bold.tracking-tight.text-gray-900
-        Select Template for Section #{@section.index + 1}
+        Select Template for Section #{@section.index}
 
 .grid.grid-cols-4.gap-2.m-8
   - @sections.each do |style|
diff --git a/app/views/merged/sections/show.html.haml b/app/views/merged/sections/show.html.haml
index 440f637..d0f170e 100644
--- a/app/views/merged/sections/show.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/merged/sections/show.html.haml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
         Page #{link_to @section.page.name, page_sections_url(@section.page.name), class: "underline"}
   .flex.items-center.justify-center.flex-1
     %h3.text-xl.font-bold.tracking-tight.text-gray-900
-      Section #{@section.index + 1} / #{@section.page.sections.length}
+      Section #{@section.index} / #{@section.page.sections.length}
       - if @section.previous_section
         =link_to "(prev)" , section_url(@section.previous_section.id)
       - if @section.next_section
diff --git a/spec/models/merged/card_spec.rb b/spec/models/merged/card_spec.rb
index c5e9b69..ed617fb 100644
--- a/spec/models/merged/card_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/merged/card_spec.rb
@@ -13,5 +13,14 @@ module Merged
     it "has index" do
       expect(first.index).to eq 1
     end
+
+    it "first has no previous" do
+      expect(first.index).to be 1
+      expect(first.previous_card).to be nil
+    end
+    it "first has next" do
+      expect(first.next_card.index).to be 2
+    end
+
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/models/merged/page_spec.rb b/spec/models/merged/page_spec.rb
index d73ed80..24f5439 100644
--- a/spec/models/merged/page_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/merged/page_spec.rb
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ module Merged
     end
     it "has section indexes" do
       index.sections.each_with_index do |section, index|
-        expect(section.index).to be index + 1
+        expect(section.index).to be index + 1 # because we have human index
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index 386e952..805247c 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 require 'capybara/rspec'
+
 # This file was generated by the `rails generate rspec:install` command. Conventionally, all
 # specs live under a `spec` directory, which RSpec adds to the `$LOAD_PATH`.
 # The generated `.rspec` file contains `--require spec_helper` which will cause
@@ -38,6 +39,12 @@ RSpec.configure do |config|
     mocks.verify_partial_doubles = true
   end
 
+  config.before(:each) do |example|
+    module Merged
+      [Page, Section, Card].each { |m| m.reload(true) }
+    end
+  end
+
   # This option will default to `:apply_to_host_groups` in RSpec 4 (and will
   # have no way to turn it off -- the option exists only for backwards
   # compatibility in RSpec 3). It causes shared context metadata to be