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!

Our Great Quest

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, no doubt. But no truer words have ever been spoken: what a difference a couple of months can make!

When last I wrote, we had just flipped the calendar page over to 2017. We had several more showings of our house in January, but we had also had too much time to reflect on this huge step we were taking: selling our house in order to move closer to Missy M.

To refresh your memory, we had come to the conclusion last February that selling our house in High Point was the linchpin to making our "Retirement Transition Plan" work. To make that a reality, we worked to the point of exhaustion starting on Labor Day to prepare our "stuff" for a Downsizing Sale that was held by Blue Moon Estate Sales over the weekend of October 21-23 and to prep our house to go on the market the last Thursday in October (supposedly, the best day to list a house for sale is a Thursday...they have done studies that show it yields higher offers). And to show that we really are serious about selling this time, I buried St. Joseph* in my 'Herb Garden' container, along with sage, rosemary, thyme, and chives.

So, where are we in our great quest now, you ask? Well, we have been on some kind of real estate roller coaster ride since then. As our contract came up for renewal in late January, we decided we needed to take a step back from the tyranny of trying to keep the house ready to show at a moment's notice. Plus, we knew we would be dog-sitting for most of the month of February while Missy M traveled for 3 weeks, and having four dogs inside in Winter triples the effort required to ready a house for showing. So, let's take a break.

As luck would have it, we got not one but TWO full-price offers the day the contract expired. The first one was easy to say no to, since the lady insisted that we close in a few weeks...and if we couldn't close on that specific day, then there was no offer. We were supposed to be on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon (more on that in a mo) that exact day, so no...and she withdrew her offer.

The second offer was a little more difficult to reject. This couple had looked at our house back in December when we had our first Open House, and they had wanted to put in an offer, then and there. However, they had a house to sell...and they hadn't even put it on the market! So...it was easy to say "no." Wouldn't you know it? They got an agent, put their house on the market, and sold it in a week! Now, they were back...with a full-price offer...so, we had a more difficult time saying "no" this time. But we did...and thought that was The End of that.

Our (wonderful, marvelous, extra-special) realtor said she understood and worked the magic needed to get our listing out of MLS. And then we started thinking "maybe we can just stay here for 2-3 more years." We decided to replace the washer and dryer that had been sold in the Sale (because going to the laundromat was getting old)...and, in true Patricia-thinking logic: "before we install a new W/D, let's paint the laundry room a spectacular color...an aquamarine called 'Aloha!'"

Go ahead...roll your eyes. We certainly have since then.

Two days later, before the paint in the laundry was completely dry (and also in the pantry, which was on T's drawing board for a shelving unit redesign, too), our (wonderful, marvelous, extra-special) realtor texted to ask permission to say "no" yet again to the couple. What?!?

Apparently, they really, really, really wanted to buy our house. They were offering a "clean contract" (not asking for a thing...not even any repairs if their inspector found anything!) along with $10k more than the original listing price! And they had moved their closing date to the end of March from their original request for 3/14/17. 

Have you ever heard the British term "gobsmacked?" Means:  Flabbergasted, astounded, speechless. Yep, that pretty much describes how we felt. Somehow we had clear-enough heads to realize that we probably weren't going to get another offer like this any time soon (and maybe not in 2-3 years, even). So, instead of giving our (wonderful, marvelous, extra-special) realtor permission to say "no," we told her to say "yes!" 

And since that moment, we have been working nearly non-stop to reach the Finish Line of closing on 3/31/17. We postponed our trip to AZ (so, no standing on the South Rim in early March for us), and I cancelled my trip to W Homecoming (and no attending the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Rosettes, either 😥). We contracted with Two Men and a Truck to load and move our things to storage (more in a mo), and Mr. T and I got busy packing the rest of our belongings (the things that escaped being stored in the Pod or being sold at the Sale). Now, you might think "we couldn't be talking about too much stuff, could we?" Well, remarkably, yes we were! 

Then, we dug up and potted up masses of transplants that would make the trip from the Way Back with us to (?)...but in the meantime while we decide where their final destination (?) will be, we rented a 16' Budget truck to transport them (and a few other things) to Missy M's...which will be a temporary shelter for all of us (people, pups, and plants!) until...we are ready to make that next move. 

And last but certainly not least has been the cleaning. The dust has been banished, the fixtures are gleaming, and the floors are positively glowing! And neither of us can move without pain. How will we get where we are going if we can't move?!?

Remind us, where exactly are you moving to? Still don't have an answer to that. But I can reveal that there are at a minimum 4 possible solutions to that equation at present:

1) Somewhere in GA, near where Missy M currently lives (Lawrenceville). But, if she makes a job-related move (always a possibility...hey, she came by that tendency naturally!), that would mean...

2) Somewhere in (?), near where M goes next...if she goes anywhere.

3) Somewhere between GA and (?).

4) Somewhere near Tampa, FL, as T contemplates un-retirement (that will take a whole post in itself to explain!).

As we get closer to our closing date, and hopefully closer to knowing where we will be moving to, I am reminded of lines from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (I love that movie!):

Walter Donovan: As you can now see, Dr. Jones, we are on the verge of completing a quest that began almost two thousand years ago. We're just one step away. 

Indiana Jones: That's usually when the ground falls out from underneath your feet.

Continue to stay tuned! Another post will be coming along...hopefully sooner rather than later!

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*About "Burying St. Joseph": I've shared this before. An Ohio neighbor once 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. You doubt? 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/brm/news/real-estate/20040831a1.asp

Holidays are Here!

Yes, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...well, maybe not a normal Christmas in the Adsit household, but Christmas nonetheless! Even though we are in the throes of an impending move from NC  (to where? when?), we (OK, I...) still had to put the few decorations that escaped the Estate Sale as well as being packed in the Pod into service at Casa 3917 to bring us good cheer. Must keep as many of the family traditions as possible, even in the transition...

Our 2016 Christmas Tree...AKA the Foyer Coat Rack

Rudy and Rhonda Reindeer - wearing Missy M's Christmas-past PJ's

Stockings are hung by the Chimney!

Thanksgiving Cactus in full-bloom

Christmas Teddy Bear Parade in the "Playroom"

Christmas Memories of Loved Ones on the Mantle

And, let us not forget the tradition of our annual Adsit Adventure Christmas Newsletter whichI have been doing since 1976. While we are all discombobulated with the downsizing move (where is the laptop? where is the printer? where are the cables to connect the two? where is the cardstock to print the newsletter? where is the new color cartridge for the printer?), we (OK, I...) still had to do one. It's tradition, after all!

Here's what made it into the Christmas cards this year...Volume #41 of our Christmas Newsletter:

Hoping you and yours have had a happy, healthy, and prosperous year!

2016 was another "Adsit Adventure" for us, to say the least: Thomas retired from Mitsubishi Fuso in February, we took an Alaskan Cruise to celebrate our 40th anniversary in May, and we began the downsizing transition by packing up the boxes and putting our NC house on the market in October. The adventure continues with a trip to the 2016 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl in Nassau in December, courtesy of daughter Maredith (who was awarded her trip when she received one of the Popeyes corporate Purpose and Principle awards called "Coach and Develop")! Whew!

As 2016 comes to a close, we find ourselves betwixt and between...spending Christmas Eve on a foreign shore, with fingers crossed (toes, too!) for the sale of our NC house. So, Volume #41 of our annual newsletter, "The Adsit Adventure" was a bit briefer...and I bet you thought I couldn't do "brief!" True...it's a bit unusual; also true...it packed the same well-wishes for love, peace, and joy to you and yours!

We hope 2017 will be everything you are wishing for. Remember...keep up with us through my blog (http://adsit2.blogspot.com) and on Facebook.

Yes, you read that right. We are Bahamas-bound! I will try to post pictures of our Bahamas trip soon after we return to the States...depending on whether I can get my pictures to connect with whatever device I can find to post to my blog...sometimes my iPhone doesn't play nicely with my Google blog. You know, being constantly at 6's and 7's (as the Brits say) with this downsizing move, not knowing where my "stuff" is at the moment, is extracting a toll on what I can get done when (you should see me trying to fix a decent meal with one pot, one serving spoon, etc....everything else is either in the Pod or went in the Sale!). I once said that the most difficult move we ever made was when we moved across Gwinnett County (from Duluth to Dacula, GA). Well, I may have to revise that opinion...sooner rather than later.

Let's hope that 2017 brings us all the good tidings we are expecting!  And soon...you know, I still hate to wait!

Meanwhile...I'll leave you with a fabulous picture of Winston...waiting in the Way Back...in the snow...a couple of years ago. Through the magic of Google, there seem to be snow flakes falling!

Merry Christmas to all!

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If you arrived here looking for an update on our move, here's the CliffsNotes version: house still on the market...had multiple showings, at least 3 of which are repeat-viewers...but no offer as of 12/17/16. Weather has (finally) turned cold, so probably very few showings will happen between now and New Year...but as our Realtor keeps saying "you never know!" (which means we still have to keep the house ready for a showing at a moment's notice...not easy with two dogs!) We continue to divide our time between NC and GA. More in next post...

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!

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*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'...:-)

How Do You Spell Relief? S-O-L-D!

I have been waiting (and waiting and waiting...:) to post that photo, over there on the left, for what seems like an eternity. There was even a bit of apprehension in our family that I even allowed a SOLD sign to be added...might jinx the deal, don't you know?

Well, I am happy to report that Realtor Sue...a jewel if there ever was one...just called to say that the closing on our house in MO went through without a hitch (and thankfully, without either one of us in attendance) this morning, and that the funds will be wire-transferred to our account by COB today. Hooray! Have I said lately just how much I love technology (when it works, that is...:)?

The process to close in absentia was ripe for mistakes to be made: first, the Title Company emailed me the documents on Monday; then, I printed them out and signed them on Tuesday before a Notary here in KY, where I am; then, I overnighted them to Mr. T, who signed them before a Notary in SC, where he was this week, on Wednesday; then, he overnighted them back to MO to the Title Company, all to arrive in time for the scheduled Thursday morning closing...whew! What a production! And, it all worked...it actually worked! Will wonders never cease?

OK...so, that means we can direct all of our (dwindling) energies toward closing on the house in NC. I came to the (less-than-) brilliant conclusion yesterday (hey...sometimes it takes me a while to observe the obvious...:) that the reason this move has been so difficult for us is that we have been dealing with 2 houses at once...something we've never done in all of our many moves. In the past, we've taken it one house at a time...sell the old house, move stuff out to storage, move selves to temporary quarters while we find and buy the house that meets our family's needs at a price that is reasonable. Not so in this economy...we had to do it a little differently in order to reach the same goal ("buy the house"). Duh! No wonder we are all exhausted and having to tie knots in the ends of our ropes just to hang on!!

But, today, I feel as if a giant boulder has been removed from between my shoulder blades. A great sense of relief. I guess that's what a SOLD sign will do for you...that, and a closing that goes as planned.

Status: Pending

From the Houghton Mifflin online dictionary:

pend·ing

ADJECTIVE:

1. Not yet decided or settled; awaiting conclusion or confirmation.



2. Impending; imminent.

And, there we are. We got an offer on our MO house on Saturday; countered on Sunday; and ironed out the (very few) issues on Monday. The reason that it took so long was that we weren't in MO, and the buyer's real estate agent was apparently on the road as well...and everything had to be done by email and fax with cellphone follow-ups. Thank heaven for technology, right?

That means that instead of being in an ACTIVE status on MLS, our house is now in a PENDING (closing) status. I happen to prefer either the definition of "awaiting conclusion" or the one of "imminent," don't you? Sounds like it's really going to happen.

The closing date is set for May 7th...good Lord willin' and the inspectors don't find much of anything wrong when they come next week. Then, we can turn our eyes toward the East...to the Piedmont of North Carolina...to High Point. Can't come soon enough...

Mr. T and I were actually in NC when all of this took place, so we were able to set up our initial meeting with our Realtor there. We told him about the houses and subdivisions we are interested in and gave him an idea of what we need...and what we'd like to have...in our next home. He seems to be a calm person...and we figure we'll need that to balance, well, one of our personalities. No names, here.

We are using an American Airline Advantage program partner called American Home Miles, to help us coordinate our realty services on both ends of this move...which means we will ultimately earn airline miles for both the sale and the purchase of our homes. Which means that I'm already planning where I'm going for vacation before I even get settled in our new abode. SOP. For me, at least.


Meanwhile, we wait. Just like Wilson (our Pot Person, pictured above, right...who will stay here in MO to guard all the flowers we planted, like the ones on the left called "Rip Van Winkle" daffodils), we wait. I hate to wait. Hate. To. Wait. But, waiting for the closing date to arrive is better than the in-limbo state of waiting for a buyer to make an offer. Infinitely better. Now, we have an end-date to the waiting. Thursday, 5/7/09.

So, to help with the tension, I've started another pair of socks (right), using a Red Heart sock yarn Missy M got me. This is a new kind of sock yarn, made with aloe vera, called "Heart and Sole," in colorway "Green Envy".

Lest you think I may have more UFO's than places to put them, please know that I finished that second Harry Potter sock...ta-da. And, I am almost half-way done with my Woven Scarf and maybe 1/4 of the way through the crocheted Prayer Shawl.

Alas, I found out the hard way that I need to have a simple knitting project on hand (say, socks) when watching the Tigers play in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Yeah! They made it to the Sweet Sixteen round and will play Missouri on Thursday. Too much excitement to pay attention to any detailed pattern changes, like the scarf has, or to doing something slowly (like I have to do with crocheting versus knitting). The scarf that I had to frog all the way back to the beginning, not once but twice, when I made a mistake due to inattention to detail. Twice. I must have something to do...and socks are the answer.

New Moon Wishes and Burying St. Joseph

As the owner of a house that's for sale in "the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression" (to quote the Wall Street Journal), I've been focused on the things we could do to make our property more marketable (read that: BUY THIS HOUSE, BUY THIS HOUSE, BUY THIS HOUSE). You know...things like fresh mulch on all the flowerbeds (check), fresh paint in neutral color (check), fix all known issues like leaks and broken tiles (check check), and update light fixtures in bathrooms and dining room (double-check). We even added new porcelain tile to the hall bath, using the extra tile from the kitchen project. Woo-hoo! Our Realtor assures us that the feedback has been positive for the most part...that our house "shows well" and is "priced right."

OK...add fresh flowers and freshly baked cookies and you'd think we'd be done with our "enhancements." You'd be wrong. There are still things to be done, like making my New Moon wish to sell the house...oh, and burying a statue of St. Joseph in the yard.

I noticed on the calendar that today (January 26th) is the New Moon. That got me to thinking about making a New Moon Wish as another step in selling our house. What's a New Moon Wish, you ask? More on that in a sec, but first some background.

I once worked with a young lady who had more than a passing acquaintance with astrology. I mean, she used the language of astrology...and it didn't necessarily sound bogus when she said things like "the new moon is in Aquarius." Me? I know that I'm a Cancer, that the Moon rules Cancer, and that the sign Cancer "rules intuition, feelings, emotions, moods, Moon, mothering, roots, home and family," according to the New Moon Journal blog. I can relate, but I remain a skeptic...and therefore a bit amused when I read or hear stuff like that.

Still, this co-worker introduced me to the idea of New Moon Wishing, which she took to great lengths. I've forgotten all the specifics that she told me about the process, but through the wonder of the Internet I was able to click through to the basics, which I found on the Red Lotus Letter ezine (I see that astrology and Feng Sui have mind-melded here):

"Astrologers have long known that endeavors begun on a new moon have a greater chance of success than at other cycles of the moon. They have also known that it is a good time for making your wishes known as the growing energy of the new moon will help bring your wishes to fruition. But for the greatest success, you should follow the technique below.

How to Make Your Wishes for the New Moon

1. Write your wishes down. You must write them down on paper. Use red ink, or write on red paper, or put your wishes in a red envelope.

2. Write no more than 10 wishes. No more than 10 wishes and be specific. Instead of writing “I want more money,” write “I wish for a $10,000 raise this year.” See the difference?

3. Make wishes correspond with the moon’s energy. Each new moon is in a different astrological sign, such as Leo, Scorpio, etc. To make the most of the energy of each one, be sure to make wishes that have something to do with that sign, such as money or business when the moon is in Capricorn, real estate or social relationships when the moon is in Taurus, or the health concerns, such as back problems if the moon is in Capricorn.

4. Put wishes in your bed pillow for 30 days or place them outside where the new moon can cast its energy on your wishes. Sleeping with your wishes will keep you mindful and goal-oriented of what it is you want achieve. After the 30 days, put your
wishes into a “wish box” next to your bed. Don't like to sleep on them? Then put them next to where you sleep or in a special silver "wish box." *

5. Write your wishes at the right time. Timing is everything. So make sure you time your wish list correctly! If the new moon is at 3:00 a.m. or while you are sleeping, simply make your wishes before you go to bed. Try to make your new moon wishes as close to the new moon as possible and don't wait longer than 2-3 AFTER the new moon.

[NOTE: the article didn't say "2-3" what...hours? days? weeks? Bummer. --p.a.]

6. Is your birthday on the date of the new moon? New moon birthdays are extra potent! So, if your birthday falls on this day, consider yourself doubly lucky – and by all means, make extra certain to make a wish this day!
7. Sign and date your wishes. Always sign your name and put a date on your "wish list."

*(As I recall, my co-worker advised that your list be burned rather than slept upon, but I suppose there are different schools of thought on the issue.)

Anyway, lest there be any doubt...I wish for a full-price, no add-ons contract on our house in MO within the next 10 days. I also wish for a closing date of February 28 or earlier. I further wish that we get the house we want in NC without any problems.

(Hey, if I'm wishing about real estate, I thought I'd better be aggressive and throw in both houses...:)

Now, that only leaves St. Joseph. 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/brm/news/real-estate/20040831a1.asp



I guess I'd better get out the shovel! Actually, since we are supposed to get 7 or more inches of snow tonight in MO...and since I'm still in KY awaiting better traveling weather conditions...I'll have to hold off on my spade work.

I'm Ready for Phase 2, Please

It's Week Three of the Big Spruce-Up on Autumn Grove...and I'm so over it. I am sick...both OF the dust and BECAUSE of the dust. Still, I can now report some progress of note.

The painters got most of the painting done last week, so the main level looks all "brand new." The electrician came today to install the new chandelier in the dining room, along with new light fixtures in the main level bathrooms (see the photo on left of the Master Bath). He also did the math and got the mirrors installed (what's that old adage...measure 47 times, hang mirror in right place once?). The Stanley Steemer guys came this morning and did their thing with the carpet...which looks great, by the way...but the house is now so damp that the dehumidifier in the basement is registering 80% (the highest it will read, I think). The tile guy came to install the kitchen tile (replacement for the damage done recently by the leaking ice maker line)...more on that in a sec. And, last but certainly not least, our Realtor dropped by to put the sign in the yard and the lockbox on the porch. It must be official...our house is FOR SALE!

Still to go...the Realtor Tour is in the AM, as is the MLS listing photographer. Meanwhile, the repairs on the wall and the ceiling in the basement (some water damage) continue. Then, the Molly Maids arrive on Wednesday for a real good clean...hopefully to get rid of all this dust. Got to get everything all finished for the Open House scheduled for this weekend.

About the kitchen tile...wouldn't you know that the WRONG tile arrived after a two-week "special order?" Right size (18"), wrong color (taupe-ish instead of brick). I figured I had a choice at that moment...LOSE IT, royally, which is what I really felt like doing. Or, get the tile guy to help me figure something out. He was fantastic! He worked out a design, incorporating one of 3 extra "old" brick-colored tiles we had along with several of the copper accent tiles (like in the breakfast area, which is what we were trying to make match) to help "bridge" the transition. Custom tile, indeed. And, it looks great. I would never, ever have thought to mix and match the tiles like this, but so what? He'll get the grout done tomorrow, and we can call that a wrap!

Oh yes, I think you could say I'm ready to move on...literally and figuratively. Until then, you can check out some photos I posted to the Flickr Slideshow (left column) of the mess...er, progress with the Big Spruce Up activities.