Making the Most of a Month

Whew! Let me catch my breath. Hard to believe another month is almost history. Before we turn the page on the calendar, I should attempt a recap.

First, though, here’s a photo of the boyz to bring a smile to your face:


Ok, so we started the month of October off right by celebrating Missy M’s birthday.



I cannot tell you how much we are enjoying being close to her. We have brunch together almost every Sunday, although today’s meal was supper of M’s yummy potato soup...which was perfect on this first truly chilly day of Fall.

That same week, I got to attend my first Georgia Master Gardener Association’s annual conference in nearby Buford. Spent a great couple of days devoted to classes, workshops, and meeting new folks. Even had some good fortune with the Silent Auction items. Fun!

I think I told you that we have joined the Oscher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Georgia. I signed up for several classes this Fall, and we joined several of the Special Interest Groups (SIG) including the Lunch Bunch, the Supper Club, and the Lady Dogs Basketball group. While that last SIG won’t begin until basketball season, the other opportunities are keeping us busy.

I’ve been to two classes so far: Growing Blueberries and Figs in Georgia and World War I Military Training Camps in Georgia. The first one will help us as we plan our garden here (more on that in a sec); the second one gave me some insight into Papaw (Grandfather Keaton)’s boot camp experience at Camp Gordon as well as his service at Fort Oglethorpe (where he was a Quartermaster). 

We enjoyed two lunches at a couple of Athens restaurants (that we probably would never have tried) with the Lunch Bunch. And we met for a lovely dinner with the 6 other members of our Supper Club. Our hosts made a pork loin roast and asked that we bring sides with the theme of Autumn Harvest. I made an apple pie for dessert and baked yeast rolls as a special treat. 

We volunteered to host the November dinner...which will actually be a Sunday brunch instead. (More on that in my next post.) Now, you may be wondering whether I’ve gone ‘round the bend by asking people to come over to our house...you know, the house that is still being moved into? Actually, I thought that might give us just the nudge to get things wrapped up before the Holidays are upon us.

Soooo...we have finished the unpacking of boxes (for the most part)...and are beginning the hanging of pictures and curtains and shelves and what not. And you know what? Casa 303 is really starting to feel like our home. 

We did take a break this weekend to travel to NC to go to the Southeast Animal Fiber Fair (SAFF) and stay with Bro J in Asheville. I took a class on Beginning Spinning on a Takli, and Mr. T took a beginning wood carving class and made a Spirit Stick...cool! 

From the drive through the mountains to the Fair itself to the time we spent with J & J, it was a really great weekend! 

As we begin this last week of the month, I am staying the night at Missy M’s house with the dogs, since T will have to rise-and-shine to welcome the workers who are coming at 0-dark:30 to install our new garden shed tomorrow. It’s the same shed that he and I built from a kit in HPNC (the one with the purple doors), but we decided we had enough on our plates and could get a crew to do the heavy lifting (we’ll still have to seal, caulk, and paint, etc., ourselves). And after the shed is in place, we can get the garden going.

Oh yes. It truly is feeling like our home.

The First Day of the Rest of Our Lives

It's the first day of the month of April...no foolin'!  Also, it's the first day that we are no longer residents of North Carolina. 

And, as that 60's saying attributed to Charles Dederich goes: "Today is the first day of the rest of your life." Truth be told, I'm still in recovery mode from the last 365+ days of my life. 

After the marathon of moving activities that began in earnest a little over a year ago, yesterday's closing on our HPNC house seemed, well, almost anticlimactic. We had made a trip to GA at the beginning of the week, using the opportunity to take a carload of "stuff" (meaning some of the odds and ends that didn't make it onto the movers truck and into storage) to Missy M's. On our return to Casa 3917, we packed the rest of the "stuff" either in one of our cars or in the garbage cans.

And then we took a final walk around the yard and into the Way Back. The pink dogwood (pictured) is just beginning to bloom in front, and everything is looking green and lush after the recent rains. Of course, there is a long list of garden chores...getting longer as the days and nights lengthen...but we won't be doing them this year. Not in HPNC at least. 

Even though we have taken divisions of almost every known plant we have (that constituted the majority of the load we took to M's in the 16' Budget Truck 2 weeks ago), I imagine it's no secret that this is the answer to the question: "so, what will you miss the most about High Point?"  The Way Back, hands down. Oh sure, we will miss many elements about the house (all the beautiful wood floors, crown molding and chair railing in every room; and the kitchen and morning room with the fireplace and windows on our Way Back world); we'll miss living side-by-side with Oak Hollow reservoir in the Sailing Point neighborhood, especially that drive into it which was so relaxing; we'll miss living in a 15-minute college town...you can get anywhere you need to be in 15 minutes or less, and you benefit from being in the orbit of a university; and I'll especially miss living in an Amtrak train stop town (see depot photo below) and all the friends I made through Master Gardening. But, the memories of our garden oasis that we created from a wasteland will leave us with the keenest sense of loss.

[Certainly, there are some things that we will happily say buh-bye to: the Skeet Club and North Main Street road construction headaches, along with the lack of much cultural identity for a city which has a heritage other than socks and sofas (see photo below)...made much worse by the overwhelming focus by the powers-that-be on the Furniture Market, which creates a void of vibrant and interesting shopping and dining opportunities in what can only be described as a generally boring and lackluster downtown...*yawn*...except twice a year. I can honestly say I shall not miss Market!]

Anyway...

I couldn't help but recall what it looked like when we moved into the house nearly 8 years ago (actually 7 years, 10 months...a record for us, by the way!). The original owners had both had debilitating health problems for over a year prior to their putting the house on the market and had moved to senior care facilities. The house and property were well maintained, but both were...sterile and...cold and...almost unloved-looking. I know that must sound silly, but that was my first impression, and it took me a long time to shake those feelings off. We have loved living at Casa 3917, and I wanted the new owners to have a different first impression of their new home.

When we were leaving the house for the last time on Thursday night just before the couple was to come over for their final walk through, I gathered the remaining Spring flowers (some paperwhites were still blooming) along with cuttings of rosemary ("rosemary is for remembrance") to make a bouquet in a Mason jar...which I left on the counter along with all the warranty booklets, the original house plans and lawn sprinkler layout, a Shutterfly book* of pictures of the property in bloom, and a couple notes of welcome to their new home. I moved two of the garden chairs that weren't going with us onto the screen porch, along with a small plant stand for a table, to create a quiet spot for them to relax during the hectic move-in period. I hoped that I could convey comfort and...warmth and...a sense that "you will love living here...we did!"

It must have worked because when we met the new owners on Friday morning, they were both smiling ear-to-ear, and the wife said "we loved your notes you left! Thank you!"

Ahhhh...my work here is done!

So, closing went off without a hitch and we headed our cars down I-85 to our temporary quarters with Missy M. Somewhere around Charlotte, we got the call from our realtor saying that the deed had been recorded electronically, which meant that it was officially a "done deal!" More importantly, it meant we could deposit the check we had received...and promised not to cash or deposit until we got the word it was official (it's a North Carolina thing...go ahead and roll your eyes...we certainly have...;-). To make it all official-official, I posted on Facebook that we were officially homeless...yippee! 

Next steps? Well, I had planned to sleep for a week...or at least until noon today...but, of course I did neither. Probably because I was too darn excited about it being the first day of the rest of my life!

We do need some R & R from the tyranny that "the move" had become, so we plan on restoring our equilibrium, so to speak, here with Missy M over the next few weeks. The garden here is calling out, and there is plenty to keep us busy and happy.  It's definitely going to take time, though, as I discovered last night: I found myself thinking "now, when we drive home to NC on Sunday..."  Umm, no. There will be no more of that. We are no longer residents of NC.

We already have a realtor here (just like we found our HPNC realtor, we are using the American Airlines Miles From Home program...which earns us airline miles when we use their services), so if we decide that "here" is where we want to be, we can find our next abode.

That is the Big Question we will be mulling: where exactly is our new "here?"

As always...stay tuned!

======================
* Here's a link to that Shutterfly book I mentioned. Fingers crossed it works when you click on it!

A New Month...a New Direction

What a difference a couple of months can make!

When last I wrote, we were concerned with managing expenses in retirement by becoming Cord Cutters [which worked out fairly well, thanks to our fiber-fast Internet service we still get from NorthState (our former cable and telephone company), an Internet-enabled device called a Roku, the Internet-streaming service called Sling, Netflix, and Over The Air (OTA) "local" channels that our attic-mounted ChannelMaster antenna brings in]. Looking back, that seems so mundane compared to how we've been spending our time lately. Now? It's a whole different ballgame, folks. And I'm not referring to the World Series. (Go Cubs!)

After a series of seemingly random events (more on that in an upcoming post), we came to the conclusion that it was time to put our Retirement Transition Plan into motion. Saying it like that is somewhat misleading...since it gives the impression that we actually had a Retirement Transition Plan, complete with some kind of timetable and well-defined set of steps to follow. We didn't then. We do now!

While we have known for many months that we needed to move closer to Missy M after we retired, we didn't get serious about making it happen until earlier this year, prompted by Thomas' earlier-than-planned retirement from Fuso. Then, we realized that we were trying to make it all happen too fast, and we pulled back in order to give ourselves some breathing room between "retirement" and "next steps." We had thought waiting at least a year before we made any major moves would work...but then the wind changed and we tacked yet again.

Regardless of the "when" or the final destination "where," we came to the conclusion that the "what" (sell our house in High Point) was the linchpin to making our Retirement Transition Plan work. Really long story shortened a bit: we have worked to the point of exhaustion since Labor Day to prepare our "stuff" for an Downsizing Sale (held by Blue Moon Estate Sales over the weekend October 21-23) and prep our house to go on the market (we signed the contract with our Realtor in early September, and it went into the Multiple Listing Service last Thursday). The sign is in the yard, and the lockbox is on the door! And to show that we really are serious about selling this time, I have buried St. Joseph in the back yard.*

Over the course of the past couple of months...and for the first time since 1988, which was our last non-corporate move...we have touched every single thing we own, in order to decide whether to: (1) keep it (the majority of which is now snugly packed in a Pod...see the picture), (2) sell it (that went into the Estate Sale), (3) donate it, or (4) throw it away. We still had many, many boxes of Nana/Momma/Edith's things, in addition to all of our own possessions...so this chore took several weeks and way more energy than anticipated.

At the same time, we tackled maintenance and repair-work required to get our property in tip-top shape to attract buyers. Gutters cleaned? Check! Nail-holes filled and touch-up painting done? Double-check!! House decluttered, rooms staged, dogs relocated to temporary quarters with Missy M? Triple-check!!! We know we must have all our i's dotted and t's crossed, since the real estate market for High Point is somewhat sluggish compared to say, Atlanta or Raleigh or Charlotte...for sure, the best product gets the contract!

So, where are we now? Well, we have already had several showings and a booking for another one tomorrow. We are encouraged at the amount of interest, even though it is "early days." 

We still have work to do to get the Way Back gussied up, since it has suffered from inattention while we were concentrating all our efforts and energy on the inside. We had hoped that frost would arrive on time (10/31 is the "average annual first-frost day" for High Point) and help us with some of the weed-killing...but no such luck this year. At least we are still able to have fresh-cut flowers for the kitchen table, even though the calendar is changing to November.

And even though the Estate Sale exceeded our expectations proceeds-wise, we still have to decide how to deal with the stuff that didn't sell. There is a mountain awaiting donation in the garage at the moment, and I have spied a few items that I want to "take back." Fortunately, we had enough left over to help us stage the house without any trouble.

All of this shared information probably begs the question: so, where exactly are you moving to? Stay tuned! Another post on that very subject will be coming along...hopefully sooner rather than later!

--------------------

*About "Burying St. Joseph": chuckle if you will, but many realtors swear by St. Joseph's ability to help sell your house. If I remember correctly, I first heard about this one when we lived in Ohio. A neighbor advised me to bury a statue of St. Joseph in the backyard (she specified "head down") in order to facilitate a sale on our house there. Hunh? Was she kidding me? Apparently not. If you Google "burying St. Joseph to sell your house," you'll get over 25 million hits. Amazing.

Here's a link to an article that does a good job of explaining this one (note that it is from a business-oriented site, Bank Rate.com):

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/real-estate/selling-your-house-bury-a-saint.aspx

Did make me wonder, though, if the Realtor shares commission with St. J? Just sayin'...:-)

A Red Letter Day

It's the last day of my 56th year...what's a girl to do?

1. 1. First things first. I got my North Carolina driver's license and got registered to vote in the process. Woo-hoo! Although NC gives new residents 60 days to do this, my Missouri driver's license was expiring tomorrow (yikes!), so I had to tackle this sooner rather than later. After a few days of studying the online information, I drove to Kernersville, as their DMV office seems to be easier to access than the one here in High Point, taking with me a stack of identifying documents: passport (to prove my middle name is Lunn; NC no longer accepts just the initial); my social security card (to prove that I have a valid Social Security number...although I still remember being told that the SSN would NEVER be used as identification...unh-hunh); my MO driver's license (to prove I had a valid picture ID and current license); and my electric utility bill (to prove my NC address is valid). Gee-whiz. Then, I passed the eye test, the road signs test, and finally the knowledge ("25 questions on the book") test. At least I didn't have to take a road test. Well, truth be told, I've never taken the road test. You see, 40 years ago tomorrow, I went to the Lauderdale County Highway Patrol Station in Ripley, TN, to get my license on the day I turned 16...and the Highway Patrolman in charge said "oh heck, I know you can drive a car; I've seen you driving that green (VW) bug up and down the roads enough." Right. Of course, that wasn't the time to admit that my Papaw used to let me drive his white AMC Rambler to Whiteville with him when I was 10 or 11. Oh yeah, no worries, plenty of experience, officer.


2. After having spent more than a few restless hours worrying about getting my NC license, I thought I'd earned a special treat once I'd reached my goal. Turned my little blue car back toward High Point and the Palladium cinema. It's July 15th, for goodness sakes'...and that means that it's Day One for "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince!" Loved it, loved it, loved it. Can't wait to go again with Mr. T tomorrow, even!
   

Yep, that's a good way to spend a Birthday Eve, wouldn't you agree?

Welcome Back, Miz Edith

As I said in my last post, things are (slowly but surely) getting back to normal with our lives after our six months of moving from MO to NC via KY. Last night we were welcomed back to HP, NC by Miz Amelia...who has been just the greatest friend to Nana/Momma/Edith ever since they began playing bridge together at the Jamestown (NC) Library in '94. That was at the beginning of our last NC residency (94-97), and they have remained friends throughout all of our moves. Amelia has become a part of our extended family, and we are all grateful for her friendship and for her positive effect on N/M/E's spirits. As you see in the photo (left), they look happy, happy, happy to finally be together in the same city, once again.

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Steak Street, a favorite of both Amelia and daughter Claire (who joined us for dinner after work). I've written about this restaurant and their yummy food before...and it was just as good last night as it was on our introductory meal. I shared the Voo Doo Shrimp appetizer with N/M/E...and we brought the rest home for today...:) While the others went for the steak entrees, I chose the Shrimp and Grits...and my only disappointment was that I couldn't finish the entire dish. Wow! Added some of that to the take-home box, too. Of course, with such wonderful dinner companions, I guess they could have put cardboard on my plate, and I would have raved about it. Have I told you lately that I'm thrilled to be "back home?" Well, I just didn't want there to be any doubt...

Mr. T and I converged on Louisville last Thursday (he, from DC/MD; me, from NC) so that we'd have two vehicles to move N/M/E and her stuff home from Missy M's. She said that she'd never realized...or acknowledged...that her "temporary move to KY" would have lasted as long as it did. She thought she'd be there for 6 weeks, max. Hmmmm. Obviously, she must have been absent when we said "this move might take us a long time, given the state of the economy and having to sell a house, get a loan for the next house, etc." She'd packed for that imaginary 6 weeks' sojourn, so you will probably understand her desire to burn the few clothes that she had reserved from the moving van. She's sick of them, she says. Oh well...that's why God made Macy's, right?

Back here in NC, we've had gully-washer type rains for the past 3 days, but Mr. Weatherman is promising hot, dry weather for the weekend. Better be right on this one. We need some dry weather to get the fence posts set on Monday...so that we can get the fence built...so that the Drool Gang can complete the family over the Holiday weekend, when Missy M loads up the Explorer for the 8-hour trip...which, with all the stops she'll have to make with 4 dogs, could take 10 or more hours. Then, we will truly be back to normal around here. Ahhhh. Sounds lovely to me.

While we are waiting on that dry weather and the fence, I thought I'd post a few photos of the daylilies that are currently blooming in our yard. Any guesses as to the names of these beauties? The tall, double Yellow-Gold ones look like they could be Double Eagles...maybe. The creamy white ones are similar to the Dad's Best Whites that we had in MO, but these are much taller. The peachy pink ones are almost an apricot color when the sun (finally) hits them. Oh well...a daylily by any other name is still as beautiful...with apologies to Mr. Shakespeare...:)

Enjoy...

It's Been a Memorable Week

Now, where was I? Oh yes...moving into our new house. And other good stuff...


We've had one heckuva week around here. Let's run the numbers: closed on the NC house on the 27th; celebrated our 33rd anniversary on the 29th; greeted the moving van and 5 movers on the 2nd; celebrated Gus' 6th Gotcha Day on the 3rd; and began the l-o-n-g unpacking process that may take us 6 more months to complete.


Never fear, it hasn't been "all work and no play," since...in the middle of all that's going on...we took a little side-trip to Durham and stayed for the night at the Washington Duke Inn on the campus of Duke University, to celebrate our anniversary in style and comfort. (This was before the movers arrived, so we'd been sleeping on the air-mattress at the house...and eating off paper plates with plastic forks, etc.) Ah...what a wonderful treat that was! We had champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries (photo to the right) in our lovely room overlooking the golf course. Our breakfast was served outdoors on the terrace. And, we truly felt like we were beginning our thirty-fourth year together...and this new chapter in our lives, in just the right way.


Back to the house...


Painted for three days before the movers arrived. I taped and painted Nana/Momma/Edith's room a beautiful plum color, similar to the one I had in my office in MO. I also did the dining room (in Caramel), and the entrance hall, the living room, and the breakfast area (which will serve as my office) in Autumn Wheat. Mr. T etched, primed, and painted the garage floor...and his workshop area...a manly Slate Grey.


Big Day...and the Big Atlas Truck and the movers...arrived on Tuesday. Took them all day to unload all of our stuff. We are the most fortunate people on Earth, for the sun shined all day...and nary a drop of rain fell from the sky.


That started on Wednesday, when we had a storm of biblical proportions. Wind...rain...hail...lightning...thunder. Check out that photo (left) of the water standing in our back yard. Wow! And, it has rained every day since then. You may have heard on the Weather Channel about the flash flooding in Guilford County and Greensboro? That's us! Anyway, I believe that the drought in NC just might be over.



Found the box with my printer, so was able to print out this photo (right) that Missy M took of Gus on his Gotcha Day. Since he is adopted, we don't know when his actual birthday is...but we can celebrate the day he came to live with us...June 3rd. Missy M, Duchess, and I drove from our (then-new) house in O'Fallon across the Mississippi to Illinois to his foster home...and we knew he was meant to be part of our family. Well, all except Duchess...who is still waiting for us to "take him back." Tee hee. The rest of us agree...he's one Cool Dude!

It's Official...We Are Now Tarheels!

I wasn't entirely certain that we'd make it to a pleasant end of this moving marathon, were you? Well, as of noon yesterday, we broke through the tape and crossed the finish line! We signed all of the documents and closed on our house in High Point. As Gus would say: "Woo-hoo!"

Mr. T and I are camping out in the house now, awaiting the arrival of the moving van next week. We've got an airbed, camp chairs, and a card table...what more do we need?

Actually, we have much of the stuff that we used to stage the MO house, after our furniture went to storage and while it was for sale. I opened a box that we'd packed after that house sold, and I found candlesticks/holders, baskets, and a silk plant arrangement. Perfect for decorating the mantle in the new house! Plus, I ordered patio furniture to be delivered from Home Depot, and it arrived today. Great! Before we know it, it'll start feeling like home around here.

We've had all manner of folks show up for work: the telephone guy came to install the DSL network (hence, I'm able to post again so quickly) and the phone lines; the locksmith was here to re-key all the locks; the landscaper was here to arrange to mow the knee-high growth in the back yard (result of the almost-daily rains); and the water department guy arrived to switch over the meters. Next up: cable guy...fence guy...and painter-woman (uh...that last one would be me...:).

I want to get a head-start on painting some of the rooms, especially before the furniture arrives. So much easier. And, Mr. T will tackle painting the garage floor. He did that in O'Fallon, and we really liked how it turned out...and held up for such a long time. And, that's definitely one job that MUST be finished before the movers begin to stack boxes in the garage...we may not see the floor again for several months!

We do plan to take a little break from work tomorrow and head to Durham for a stay at the Washington Duke Inn on the campus of Duke University. It will be a special way to celebrate a special day: our 33rd anniversary!

Another Sign of the Times

Now, this is the sign we are concentrating on these days..."Under Contract."

Mr. T took this shot (left) last week when he was in High Point for the home inspection of our next house. The really good news is that the inspection went well, and the sellers had their contractor and his team in the house yesterday to fix all of the issues we had on our list...and, thankfully, there weren't that many, nor were there any that the inspector deemed "major." Biggest problem? The compressor on the upstairs AC system wasn't working properly...and since Mr. T's office will be upstairs, he deemed that one "major" in his book. Fix it! I was more concerned with the kitchen sink's faucet not functioning properly and why that neat double-sided gas fireplace wouldn't light. Fix 'em! [Funny what will one will call "major," eh?]

What remains to be done? Well, it's all about the paperwork at present. I've been able to get all the documents requested for final approval of our loan to Quicken via scanning and emailing, as I don't have access to a fax. No worries...they're on board with the technology. I've whittled my "to provide" list down to one final document (the actual final closing document from MO...the one with the County seals affixed to it), and it should arrive here in KY any day now. You'll probably hear me shout "hooray" the moment I receive the message with "Final Approval - No Further Documentation Required."


I am so eager to get started on the yard and garden at our new house that I signed up for a Do It Herself workshop, on Yard and Garden Maintainance, offered here in Louisville at the Home Depot. One of the assignments was to bring photos of the current yard, so I asked Mr. T to go by the High Point house and snap a few more exterior shots. He had taken some on his initial trip, when he captured the beautiful pink dogwood at the front door in full bloom (left). When he went back, the blooms were all spent and replaced by a mass of green leaves (right).,.plus, you can see the azaleas in bloom, along with several hearty clumps of daylilies coming out of their Winter dormancy. How exciting! I can't wait to see what happens next!

As Cousin Ann says: "I'll bet you are fit to be tied for the next 2 weeks. Your mind must be racing but you can't do anything to get ready." And, as I responded to her: "You are so right about not being able to do much between now and when we actually move in...but, that hasn't stopped me from arranging and rearranging all the furniture, pictures, etc., IN MY HEAD. I've painted every room...at least a couple of times. I've planted daylilies, irises, daffodils...and then, moved 'em to a different place in the yard...in my mind. I even dug the fish pond and set up the waterfall! Whew...I'm exhausted!"

So, the sign may say "Under Contract," but what it really means is "You'll Have to Wait a Little Bit Longer to Settle In." And, we all know how much I love to wait...

We Have a Contract...Finally!

Here's an appropriate quote for today's post:

"The work was like peeling an onion. The outer skin came off with difficulty ... but in...time [you're] down to its innards, tears streaming from your eyes as more and more beautiful reductions became possible."

-- Edward Blishen in Donkey Work, (1983).

Behold a photo (right) of our new home in High Point, NC. As I said in my previous post, we found it listed on Realtor.com, after we had to give up on finding a new home that would meet our family's specific needs and began to look at resales; we shared it with Realtor Bob, asking if he was familiar with the subdivision, Sailing Point.

On paper/online, it sounded perfect for us in that it had both the master bed and bath AND another large bed and bath (necessary for N/M/E) on the main level. He thought it would be a good one for us to include on "our list," and it went to the Number 1 Spot as soon as Mr. T toured it a couple of weeks ago. I flew to NC this past weekend, and as soon as I drove up to it, I just knew..."this is it." Although I looked at all the others on the short list that Realtor Bob and Mr. T had narrowed down for me (because I don't do very well with too many options...:), I kept referring to this one as "our house." As they say, the rest is history.

Of course, the in-between story was that it was a long and exhausting negotiation process, but we'll forget that in a short time. We'll be too busy enjoying our screened porch overlooking our treed backyard, where we'll have our 13 bird feeders stragically placed for optimal viewing. (The sellers are leaving the birdbath that is already set up amongst the azaleas and daylilies.) Closing is set for May 27th. Can't wait...but I'll have to, won't I?

Meanwhile, all's going well with the progress toward closing on the MO house next Thursday. Biggest problem there: the grass keeps growing and growing and growing, due to the warm weather and an abundance of Spring rain. We've hired out the mowing chore, as we don't intend to be back there...if we can help it. Realtor Sue is a jewel, who keeps an eye on the property for us, so we are comfortable with being 2 states (or more) away.

Almost forgot...FO/UFO Report. I finished that pair of Heart & Sole socks in "Green Envy" colorway on the plane to/from NC...and during my extra-long lay-over in Baltimore (er, I missed my connecting flight to Raleigh on the way last Friday). Thank goodness for knitting! Grafted the toes as we were descending into the Louisville airport on Monday. Couldn't wait to get started on my next pair of socks...which are a gift for a very special young lady...in a very special sock yarn...using a very special pattern. I got them on the needles...2 Socks on 2 Circs...yesterday. Question is...will I really be able to keep this pair a secret until I finish them? Odds are against it...but you never know.

Stay tuned...

Slow as Molasses in January

Have you ever noticed that the more you want something to happen the longer it takes to happen? I feel like I've been running a marathon in sand. Will this waiting ever end?

Here's the latest update on the move from MO to NC...

I made my last trip (I hope) back to MO to clean out the house there in anticipation of the upcoming closing...good Lord willing and the crick don't rise...on May 7. As our buyer stopped by our house last Sunday to meet us (something that is apparently just NOT DONE in real estate transactions in Missouri...but something that seemed so natural to me...:); and as she has already had someone come over to measure for some new carpet she's installing; and as we received mail for her that was already being forwarded to our 833 address, I'm feeling pretty confident that this closing is gonna happen on schedule. The current plan is for us to close via FedEx from here, so hopefully, we won't have to hit I-64 ever again.

You should have seen my car on this trip! Lillie Pearl was absolutely loaded to the gills...if a PT Cruiser can be said to have gills, that is. The beauty of a PTC is that you can remove the rear seats completely...and practically turn it into a small cargo van. Check...did that!

This trip was devoted mainly to plants that I'd dug up for transplanting into our next yard, and some things from the inside that wouldn't fit into the last two car-loads. The African Violets...which made the trip unscathed, wonder of all wonders, by riding in the floor-board of the front passenger seat, on each side of a Jackmanii Clematis (that's a photo of what its beautiful purple blooms will look like, above...on the left) that I hope will survive. The lemon tree I started from seed...and the pineapple plant I started from a top I cut off a fresh pineapple from the market. Oh yeah...I've can certainly use the nickname Garbage Gardener, can't I?

In more ways than one. I had been strongly urged to get the ("that thing was very expensive, Mom") composter into the car somehow, someway. It's this fabulous barrel-like tumbler, similar to the one on this link, that I'd received as a gift from my loved ones...ah, they know what I like! And, we really intended for it to go on the truck with our other things way back in December. But, for one reason or another, it didn't happen then. Well, it happened now! I was able to get it all cleaned out, and since it hasn't been doin' its thing all winter due to neglect by moi, it was not in the least, er, fragrant. Empty, it's really not that heavy...and since it is designed to be rolled, which is part of the tumbling action whenever it is loaded, I just rolled it from the back yard to the garage (via the faucet by the back door) and up into the hatchback! Voila! Piece o' cake.

So, today I'm back in KY, where I've set up shop in a corner of Missy M's basement, about 12 feet away from where Mr. T's temporary office is...over there on that card table. We're surrounded by boxes and bins, cartons and crates...and I know she will be thrilled when we finally pack all this stuff up and head East. "So, how's that house hunting going, Mom?"

I was just getting to that...

We think...we hope...we have found a house in High Point. It looks like it was built just for us, actually. To run the numbers...it is an 8-year old, 1 1/2 story, 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, 4-sides brick traditional (as they say in real estate). It has hardwood floors throughout the main level (tile in the baths; carpet on the second floor), a nice front porch, a "cozy" screened porch, and a good-sized deck. Dining room with french doors. Great room and breakfast room that share a two-sided fireplace with gas logs. Cherry wood cabinets in the kitchen, the baths, and the utility room. Workshop already set up in the garage for Mr. T. The yard has an irrigation system and lots of trees (as does the whole neighborhood) for attracting birds, and there're even a couple of pink dogwoods in bloom right now.

Do I sound like I know what I'm talking about? Fooled you! Found it on the Internet, with the help of Bob Our Realtor. Fell in love with the pictures of the leaded glass front door and transom, and with the way the bay window in the breakfast room looked...isn't it funny what will attract you to one house over another? Mr. T has been the point person on our House Hunting, and this is the one he really likes. On his visit last weekend, he snapped loads of photos (even some of the attic and of the crawlspace...:), and I've stared at them so many times and at such length that I feel like I've been there already. And, this weekend I'll make that happen.

We didn't want to lose it, so we made an offer late yesterday, but haven't heard back yet. Which brings me back around to that waiting game. Back to where I started this post. And I still hate to wait.

Stay tuned...

Gee, Ma -- I Want to Go Home

I made my first house-hunting trip to NC last week, and I felt like I was going home again. (Sorry, Mr. Wolfe...I think you can go home again...at least, I intend to give it a try...:)

We stayed at the Homewood Suites, where we could enjoy plenty of room to stretch out and relax. Although they offer a breakfast buffet, they don't have a restaurant on the property. No worries, as we tried a new (to us) restaurant nearby called Fatz, and then later that evening, we walked across the parking lot to the Embassy Suites for a Valentine's Day toast in their cozy lounge.

We were treated to a lovely Sunday lunch with friends (thanks, AW!) at the Steak Street restaurant...another one of the many new places to eat since we left High Point in mid-1997. Hint: if you ever get there, try the Grilled Voo Doo Shrimp...it's an appetizer, but I had it with a loaded baked potato, as my entre...ooh, I sure wish I had some now...drool, drool. Great suggestion, CW!

A perfect long weekend. With beautiful weather to boot.

Still, we had work to do. We looked at houses and subdivisions from Clemmons (on the west side of Winston-Salem) to Kernersville to Oak Ridge (on the north side of Greensboro) to Mebane (on the east side of Burlington)...and of course, all over High Point. Mr. T said he still likes HP the best...and I think I agree with him, although I do have a soft spot for the Sedge Garden area of Kernersville, where we lived once before, too, and where we found a subdivision of lovely homes. Actually, we found at least 3 houses that were high possibilities...and we thought seriously about putting a contingency contract on one of them. But...we feel strongly about selling this house before we take on another one. Sigh.

So, I'm back in the land of below-freezing temperatures (20's today...snow predicted for Saturday), shampooing the carpets on the main level to get ready for another Open House. Our agent held it open last weekend, and she had one...possibly two...very interested couples, so we are still hopeful. We are all convinced that once the Spring weather arrives and the flowers begin to blossom that the depressing mood will lift...and people will begin to want to make a move. Let's hope that they will want to move here!

Speaking of Spring blooms, I couldn't resist taking a photo (above...taken with my phone) of the daffodils in bloom at the A. B. Seed store at the Piedmont Triad Farmer's Market on Sandy Ridge Road in Colfax...just north of High Point...one of my favorite places. We ate at the Moose Cafe on the property and strolled through the store and its grounds. There aren't any fresh vegetables to be had yet, but come late Spring and Summer, this place will be jumpin'! I hope, I hope, I hope I'll be there to enjoy it all!!

Third Time's The Charm

I want you all to be the first to know...we're moving! Again. Goodbye MO...hello North Carolina...which makes the third time to NC for us. The first time was in 1988...from TN to Kernersville. The second time was from OH to High Point in 1994. And, we are looking at HP again in early 2009. Looks like we'll arrive in time to help celebrate 150 years.

Happy, happy, happy!!! Oh yeah...:)

We have so much to do to get ready for a move, and (again) we'll be doing it in stages. N/M/E and the Drool Gang will probably head to Missy M's for a little bit, where they won't be bothered by all the de-cluttering and painting, etc. (Have you ever tried to keep a house you are showing to prospective buyers CLEAN with 3 dogs in residence? Two words: Night. Mare.) Mr. T will probably have to head East for work (where he's taking over a territory for Fuso with SC, NC, VA, MD, DC, and a portion of PA) before we sell the house here, so I may end up being the family member with the longest tenure in MO. Oh well. Whatever we have to do is definitely worth it. Definitely.

Did anyone catch that reference to Fuso for Mr. T? What's that line from the song..."everything that's old is new again"? Yep. Fuso. I'll try to make this brief, but it's easy to get lost following the bouncing ball: Mitsubishi Fuso Truck's majority interest was purchased by (then) Daimler-Chrysler 5-6 years ago; Fuso (where Mr. T has worked since 1997) was "folded" into another Daimler line called Sterling Truck earlier this year (February), when Mr. T became an employee of Daimler/Freightliner/Sterling (take your pick...); announcement was made in October that Daimler was discontinuing the Sterling Brand (YIKES!), with all employees receiving severance packages (Double YIKES!!); announcement was made in November that the Fuso brand WILL be continuing; Mr. T was asked to work for the revived Fuso organization that is being re-tooled and offered the opportunity to take over a new territory in the East; Mr. T said YES! He even gets to keep his seniority, which means that his 10+ years' service count...hip, hip, hooray!

I'll try to keep all posted on our progress, but if I slack off...I'm sure you will understand.