Signs of Spring, Signs of Hope

It was freezing on Friday when I got back to the UK but you can tell that spring is on the way. It is such a good feeling when at the end of the work day you aren’t going home in the dark! The B and B has been full of guests but I have been leaving early in the morning and coming home late due to a work project so I haven’t seen anyone.

The inspection of our St. Louis house went fine so H is busy fixing the requested fixes and selling our cars so they are ready to leave on the 9th of June. I am on to the school selection which I am absolutely dreading!

Finally

Wednesday night we got a low offer from a potential buyer. After a few counter offers, we had a contract by Thursday morning. The home inspection is next week so barring any major issues we will close on the 9th of June! We are so excited and actually the timing is great. It will give A a chance to finish out the school year.

I never say never, but this quick trip to St. Louis this week may be my last time in the foreseeable future that I am here.

Perfect Family, Please Move In

H told me last week we had what seemed like the perfect family for our house look, and they asked lots of questions. No offers yet, but I have this dream that we get one before I leave this continent.

Perfect Friday Night?

It’s funny what sometimes makes for a perfect Friday night as you age. L had told me over Friday breakfast that they were going out for dinner Friday night and she would leave me the key to the kitchen if I wanted to cook myself a meal while they were out. Knowing I could cook my own meal, take a bath, and watch the final two episodes of Heroes, Season One on DVD sounded like the perfect night.

After our nightly call, and H and I debating different scenarios with the house, my stomach hurt. We’ve had two people recently make appointments to come and look at it and then not show up, which is worse than no calls at all. It didn’t feel like such a perfect night after all.

With the sun rising Saturday morning, I was ready for a new day. A sunny Saturday morning with no have-to’s on the list is one of the best feelings in the world.

It's All Going to Hell in a Handbasket

Okay, I just wanted to say that. What exactly does that phrase mean???

Last night about 10:30pm I briefly turned on the telly, and boom there's a news report saying that the United States is in a recession and because of our financial issues, it is affecting the rest of the world. Thanks alot America! The first thing I thought of is who will buy my house? I guess I'm American that way. It's all about me, me, me. :)

The Tour

This Tuesday, fifteen realtors toured our house with our agent to try and drum up some business. Hopefully it will be like that shampoo commercial from the 70’s where they tell two friends and so on and so on…

Middle of the Night Ramblings

I sent a friend of mine a link to our STL house which is now on the market. She emailed me back and said, “How come it looks like you have already moved out?” I explained to her that H & A are living in the unfinished part of the basement which is not in the listing pictures and that H has been going through the process of giving away/throwing away/selling all of our belongings except a few pieces of furniture, clothes, and the two computers. She commented that she needs to plan to move overseas then because her husband is a pack rat and that would be the only way he would get rid of things. I have been here since mid August and I don’t miss any of the “stuff”. Besides food, shelter, and transportation/sightseeing costs, the only things that I have bought since I’ve been here are books, and a new purse that can hold my weekend travel necessities, which always include a paperback.

Years ago when I lived in the South my friend T took me to an estate sale, which I had never been to before. The house was owned by an elderly woman who had passed and instead of the company arranging the estate sale pulling everything out of the house for the sale, they just let people go through the cabinets in the kitchen, the closets in the bedrooms, and the bookshelves to find things to purchase. I have never forgotten this experience. I was standing in front of this woman’s bookshelf looking at her collection trying to figure out what kind of a person she was. Naturally I began to wonder what story my bookshelves would tell. This experience coupled with my friend J and I driving to Georgia to help our friend’s sister clean out her house after she had passed away has made me think differently about stuff. In her rebellion against breast cancer, our friend didn’t prepare anything, including putting her house in order. Her sister was overwhelmed by the task at hand and I never want someone to feel that way because of my junk.

I’m writing this in the middle of the night, and it probably sounds crazy, but it’s something that I think about. H tends to think that I am morbid for thinking about someone going through my things after I die, but I just find it an extension of my practical nature (and maybe a touch of OCD). To make light of my obsessive thoughts, I'll leave you with this clip of George Carlin's classic "stuff" monologue.

Are Homebuyers Really This Boring?

Our Agent came by yesterday to go over the items we need to fix/change before the house goes on the market. She told us to un-green our kitchen. Sigh.

Anticipation and Preparation

This is the first post documenting our move to England. As you can see from the pic, we are in the thick of selling away our American lives. It's been easier than expected to put a price tag on a belonging and sell it or give it to charity. I'm ready for a new start.

My two good friends B and T came up for the weekend and stood in our living room (nowhere to sit!). B took back some of our things to store like handmade quilts, pottery, and A's sewing machine. We had a great time sitting on our living room furniture in our driveway while total strangers perused through our things and haggled over the price.

I leave on Friday, August 10th while H. and A. continue to get the house ready for sale and A. gets ready to start the seventh grade on the 15th. They plan to stay until the house sells and this will give A. time to hang out with her buddies until she has to make that break. I tell her all the time when she gets sad about leaving that she has a best friend in England waiting for her that doesn't even know she's on her way yet. Change is coming.