Standing at the Trailhead of Winter

So the bead project didn't work out so great, mostly because I just pushed the beads to the side to concentrate on something else. That something else was this, my new home. My closing was yesterday, and for the last ten days, I was really worried it wasn't going to happen. The last three days, especially, I was nervous to the point of trying to find anything and everything to do to keep me busy. Yesterday, I didn't eat all day. When I was in my car heading back home after the closing, I realized just how hungry I was. I fixed myself a grilled cheese and bacon sandwich (yeah, eating two things I rarely eat -- bread and bacon), and I settled into my chair in front of the fireplace. That grilled cheese and bacon tasted wonderful. And it began to sink in that this is MY house. With the upheaval happening, I feel extremely blessed that everything stayed on course. While I was sitting in the conference room with my lender, I learned others who are in the process of gettin...

Angel Baby and I are tired. Exhausted is probably the better word. Between the two of us, we moved a desk that weighs as much as a two-ton truck (really, I know it does) and a china cabinet that's not much less than the two-ton truck. We did the bulk of the move on Tuesday, and every day since has been little stuff followed by cleaning. Today we have one more trip to make -- the unwanted things going to the ReStore and/or Goodwill. We also have the final cleaning. Then done! I've felt the ups and downs all week. Funny Delightful Son no longer comes through the door each afternoon, gives me a salute and says, "Greetings, Commander." My typical response has been, "At ease, Squaddie." I won't get the twenty-minute run-down of his day anymore, and I won't get the jokes and funny comments during dinner. And now that Lovely Beautiful Daughter is in her new place, I won't get my daily fix of hearing about her relationships with the residents where s...

I wondered the other day why gas prices have gone up. Today, I read an article examining the hike in prices, specifically throughout the Midwest. Several factors, a few of which involve Russia and Venezuela, are impacting gas prices. While I care about the increase, I'm not affected much since I barely drive anymore. Last week, I drove my car once -- to go out to the farm where I buy eggs. It's about twelve miles to the farm, and my plan for the next time I want eggs is to ride my bike out. Another plan I'm hatching is to be completely carfree by August 1. What's interesting is the dealership where I bought my car has been calling, texting, and sending me letters saying they want my car. It's a 2014 Jeep Patriot Latitude, with 33,000 miles. The Blue Book value if I sell it myself is between $13,700 and $15,800. The dealership has offered me $9300 trade-in, though the Blue Book value for trade-in has it between $10,000 and $11,500.  The dealership has also indicate...

I've begun moving into the new place. My method is to fill a laundry basket with things to take over, and since I've only done one full basket once a day for the last two days, the move is going to be slow. So far, I've taken over a few towels, some books, my favorite quilt, and a picture of Lovely Beautiful Daughter when she was three or four. Oh, and I also took an old oak dining chair I'd found on the curb a couple of years ago and spray painted black. It has a leather seat and is just kind of fun. I had decided I want sheer curtains for the windows in my bedroom. I've not had curtains at any windows for the last thirteen years. Shades, but no curtains. The desire to do something different spurred me to try and find some lovely panels to add a soft touch to the room. I went thrifting yesterday and found two pairs of lace panels. I couldn't believe my luck. When I'd been looking at panels online, I had resigned myself to paying upwards of $30 for a pair....

For the last, oh, I don't know, seven or eight years, I've been saying I want to move out to the country. I want a couple acres to have chickens and some sheep. I want to grow my own foods. I want to be able to see the sunrise and the sunset. I want. I want. I want. Because of my wants, I troll an online realty site, searching for properties that might match up with what I envision for my desired self-sustaining lifestyle. Not long ago, I came across what appeared to be "The One." "The One" is a small farmhouse on 3.35 acres. One picture shows a red barn. Another picture shows a garage/workshop "complete with concrete floor." The property has apple trees, cherry trees, and peach trees. The garden space is right behind the house, close to the little red barn. My entire being feels a pull towards "The One," and I regularly check in to see if it's still available. Today when I checked in, I saw the price had been lowered by $12,000. It...