Wow, time flies!

We have been in our home for 2 weeks plus a couple of days.  Two weeks in which hubby has not had to travel, his commute has been relatively painless, we have unpacked a lot but still have a way to go, and hubby has turned into Mark Stuart, a male counterpart of Martha Stewart.  Ok, not really.  But he decided that before perfecting the TV/stereo set-up, we should paint the family room.  I did not disagree... there were severe fading spots, shadows of picture frames past, all the way down the main downstairs hallway.  Rectangular ghosts, if you will.  We also decided the kitchen has too much going on in it and are painting it one color instead of the two mismatched colors.  The tile and granite have very distinct patterns, and the walls fight them for attention.  It's not working for us.  We're slowly finding fixtures that suit our style/taste, as the early 90's brass does not....  but also trying to be frugal and strategic in using coupons, etc... 

The neighbors seem friendly.  One of them is building safety gates for the top and bottom of the stairs on the deck.  The deck, as great as it is, is a safety hazard when you have a 2 year old who thinks himself to be Buzz Lightyear.  We almost didn't look at the house a 2nd time because of it, after little Lightyear's episode at the park in November.

We had a tornado warning last week.  The kids and I simply went to the basement, cranked up the radio, and played.  I opened the blinds to be able to watch the clouds and listen for sirens.  We have also discovered that earthworms seek shelter from the rain by creeping between the doors and onto the blue and white floor.  And if they aren't cleaned up prior to the wild stampede and little tikes basketball fun, they get smashed.  It took us a couple of days to figure out what that red mush was on the floor.

I have cleared some brush out of the flower beds and planted some bulbs... white hyacinths, purple tulips, and my beloved acidanthera.  I could go crazy with this yard.  The neighborhood is well established, but our yard has almost no trees, except for a birch that is so close to the house it will threaten the foundation if we don't remove it in the next couple of years.  I don't mind not having so many leaves to rake, the trees in the surrounding yard are very pretty, but a little vegetation would be nice.  I want a veggie patch, as veggies are expensive and not impressive at the grocery stores.  That may or may not happen this year. I have garden envy of a house down the street that has a 3 or 4 tier vegetable garden built into their hill.

The extreme amount of space we have been blessed with means that taking our time to unpack is easy... out of sight, out of mind, until you want something and have to dig to find the box and then open it up.  We tripped over everything and each other in the apartment for the past 18 months.

The previous owners took their fridge and washer and dryer, so not only did I get a new house for Valentine's Day, I got new appliances.  Unfortunately, Lowe's did not live up to their next day delivery advertising... we ordered them on closing day (Valentine's Day), asked for them to be delivered the following Saturday, and they did not arrive until Monday morning.  Thank God for hubby's parents good cooler!!!! They are working great so far.

Perhaps eventually I'll get back into the blogging groove.  I am thankful for those of you who stick around, or drop by every once in a while to see if I am still here. But for now, we're getting settled into our new place and loving it.

getting closer

And what am I doing instead of packing?  The usual, of course.  Either playing online or crocheting.
I am happy to report that the house should be ours in 2 weeks.  If all goes well, we should be moving in less than 3.
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Part of me is ecstatic.  And part of me is anxious.  Because that's how I roll.  The house... is huge.  Plenty of room for guests.  Lots of wood flowers that are pretty and I am scared of ruining. (Most of them are brand new).  Two staircases inside, one out, a deck, a basement for those tornado watches, plus a tile-floored room that will be great for the kiddos toys and art and craft projects.  So much potential, being almost 2 decades old it does still need some maintenance. 
HAve I mentioned the kitchen?  Thank you God, for a granite Island, stainless sink and brand new dishwasher.   It has a backyard that slopes down then levels out.... prefect for sledding, next winter, I hope.  (Winters are short down here.  I suppose we could get some snow after we move in.)


I've felt in limbo for so long that I don't know if it's possible for me to ever feel settled.

I am going to miss the friends I've begun to make here, Bear will miss her friends at PreK and the others we've gotten to know.  Please come visit.

The good news?  We have friends in East TN who we will get to reconnect with, including my Aunt and Uncle. We'll be closer to friends we left in middle TN, and conveniently  located not far off the interstate on the way East to Gatlinburg.  Who needs a rest area when you can stop at our house? 

If the dress could talk

There was a little something unexpected hanging in one of the closets in the home we've put an offer on.  A wedding dress.  My guess is 70's era, it is long sleeved but reminds me a little of my Mom's.  It's in a clear plastic covering, and angled almost as though it's a good luck charm, a superstition of sorts.

You see, most everything else in the house has been removed, besides some odds and ends.  It doesn't make sense that something so special would be left behind forever.  Unless, of course divorce was the culprit of the house sale, but we know that the family has relocated.

We also know that the sellers are the original owners.  They have taken care to prepare what was their home for eighteen years by updating the kitchen and laying hardwood floors throughout.  There are hints about their interests practically within the walls.  One bedroom has built in bookshelves, and flourescent lights, as though it was used as an office, or perhaps a craft or sewing room.  The basement is very utilitarian.  Industrial tiled floor and cabinets indicate somebody was a handyman.  Before you get to the former workshop, their are built in bookcases at the bottom of the steps into the basement.  There's a country-ish wallpapered bathroom down there as well.  Dated, perhaps, but in conjunction with the weathered bench out front and the rabbit figurines in the flowerbed, the fall themed flag hanging above the garage.... this was someone's home. For a long time.

I remember being offended at the first offer we received on our first home.  We countered and eventually closed the deal.  I remember saying goodbye that last time, to the place where I returned after my babies were born, the neighborhood where family, neighbors, and church family welcomed them and encouraged me while I faced the first few weeks of parenthood with my husband several hundred miles away.  I remember planting daffodil bulbs and rose bushes, digging my flowerbed around the mailbox.  My first neighborhood was filled with friends who saw us grow from being newlyweds to parents.  It saddens me to think that my daughter already only remembers bits and pieces about her first home and its surrounding community..

If that dress could talk, would it tell stories of the children whose feet grew from pitter patters to stomps as they went up and down the stairs and down the long upstairs hallway?  Would it recount conversations about plans to install those built in bookcases, arguments, perhaps, about what project to tackle next?  Tears as children were sent off to college somewhere?  Family holidays in the dining room and kitchen area with that big island.  Where did they play monopoly or cards?  Was there a piano in the living room where I hope to place my grandmother's piano? 

I know I should not get attached yet.  I know that it is entirely possible that we may go through all this negotiating and walk away empty handed.

How can you put a price on memories?  On a home that has experienced all the love and changes, on walls that have so many stories they could tell if they could even speak.  Just a house, to some.
They were surprised by our "low" offer, surely, I hope not insulted, though as I think about it I would not be surprised if they were.  We did our research and tried to be fair based on comps, etc... We have our budget, we have saved in hopes of finally purchasing a home that we can stay in for a long time, and we had to remain objective in the process of formulating an offer.

However, that aged wedding dress which has been hung with care reminds me that once upon a time a young family built their dream home, then stayed for a long while, unlike so many of us who have had to be more transient. I hope that negotiations will succeed, and we'll get the chance to make as many priceless memories there as surrounded that dress.