On the Market

March... 

No turning back now.

Our listing date is March 13, and we're definitely feeling the pressure. Besides the post-inspection repairs, we absolutely need new fencing on 2 sides. I really wish I had pictures of "fence weekend." A few days earlier, Greg tore down the ramshackle remains of the original structures. On Saturday, he, Chris, our grandson Alec and a neighbor from each adjoining yard dug holes, poured cement, set posts and got the main supports in place. All this in an ever-changing mix of sun, rain, wind, snow & sleet!! I warmed the crew at lunch with a hearty 2-meat chili. Sunday's team of 3 (Greg, Chris & neighbor Mike) managed to get all the vertical slats nailed in. A lot of sore muscles, but also a ton of satisfaction in a job very well done under considerably less-than-ideal conditions.

Most recent remodel.

Professional pics for the listing were also taken about this time. All our stuff (except what's gone to Goodwill) is still here, so staging is simply a matter of removing anything remotely extraneous and turning on every single light. (I drew the line at pushing the sheer curtains to the side - they provide critical ambience.) Amazingly, we managed to live in this minimalistic state of declutter for the rest of the month.)

East Coast Inspired Living Room

21st Century Farmhouse Kitchen

Dining Area with Art Shelf & Greg's Beautiful Buffet.

There were 4 open houses altogether, plus numerous private showings. I think we accumulated a couple dozen realtor cards on the kitchen island. Bids were reviewed a week later and closing set for April 13. (No one ever added a SOLD to our listing sign. though, and even after closing some folks would hesitantly ask if we'd had any offers.)

Despite the pristine appearance we offered the public, our work was far from over. Maybe half our household belongings were actually packed, much of the garage still required sorting and all of it needed to be boxed. Our buyer wasn't taking possession until May, and we were busy all through April. 

RandomTrivia... Since January I've slowly been piecing together Greg's 1000-pc wine bottle puzzle.  It's not an easy one, and I still had about 20% to go when the photographer came to take the listing pics. He considered trying to photo-shop it out, but later decided it just had to go. So I immortalized what had been done. 

Patio furniture and remnant pieces
of "steps" to the old treehouse, 
seen through very wet snow.

Forsythia 😃

P.S. Formatting this post has been THE MOST EXASPERATING experience EVER!! 

2018: The Work Begins

January-February…

Last week we celebrated our 30^th Christmas in this house. Christmas week usually generates extra trash & recycling items. January is a fresh start—out with the old and/or unused in order to make room for the new or improved. If you’re also preparing a house for sale, however, your perception of what is old/unused (and therefore unnecessary) becomes seriously skewed. Sentiment overrules common sense, and it’s frequently a double-edged sword – we hold on to useless scraps of memorabilia and “goodwill” (yes, it’s a verb now) perfectly good furniture because it’s suddenly too heavy or awkward.

...only 27 more drawers to go.

At first I just pack easy stuff (out of season bedding, “good" china, etc). Eventually I will have to winnow out the remaining treasures from my years at KJH. That will be tough. However, it certainly feels good each time I empty an area, dust/wipe it clean, and close the drawer or door. Meanwhile, Greg is working his way through the garage mahal (no fun, to be sure, but easier than what comes next – sorting & packing the gazillions of nuts, bolts, tools, auto parts & whatnot stashed in the real garage & its attic).

Then there’s the outside work. $10K got us a new roof without any hands-on labor, but there's still pressure washing, painting new soffits, dismantling the garage mahal, scraping & touching up exterior paint, cleaning out the crawl space so new ducts can be installed, digging dandelions after rain, and mowing the lawn at the first dry opportunity. And, of course, the official inspection (shortly after the new roof) provided a couple more small issues to rectify. There were certainly moments when we weren't working, but at no time was there nothing to do. 😃

BlogThought... Despite this photo, there have been occasional whispers of spring now and then. I try to remember my camera/phone when Lady & I take our morning walk. 

Love the contrasts!

First tangible signs of spring.

Nature's Royal Fireworks

Last Vestiges of 2017

Late December…

(DISCLAIMER: I’m actually writing this on May 11, 2018. Needless to say, I’ve forgotten a lot since December. But I’ve decided the blog should continue – we’re making some big life changes that are worth documenting. So I’ll be playing catch-up for the last few months, then settling in with more detailed accounts (probably monthly). I also neglected to transfer phone photos to my computer and then lost everything (mid-Dec to Feb 22) in a toilet dump. STUPID on both counts. 😞

.

Donor

Not the usual pre-Christmas chaos. Chris & Shanice are in the house ‘til the end of the month, so Greg & I are staying in the MH until it's really ours again. Greg & Chris are spending every spare minute working on Chris's Jeep - HUGE job! Eventually the donor parts were transferred, the donor vehicle towed to metal salvage (where it actually garnered Chris some cash), and our garage emptied so the M3 has a home again.

Squishmallow Kitty

My gift-giving is mostly experiential: escape rooms, restaurant gift cards, etc. Very little shopping involved. Chris strung lights on the fake  tree from my office, and we did manage to get our Leavenworth wreath on the front door. Decor weak, spirit strong. Tradition did prevail on Christmas Day--hot cider & coffee cake ready when family arrived. Chris and Warren surprised me w/ tickets to the 5th Avenue Sound Of Music Singalong, which turned out to be even more fun than I expected. Chris was quite happy to receive an "official" Seahawks CrockPot. We also delivered gifts to Lisha's family (all the kids loved their Squishmallows!) and made a quick stop at Michael & Linda's to drop off gifts for Max & Oliver. 

The rest of the month was devoted to helping Chris sort, discard, pack & move. And somewhere in that week Greg & I celebrated our 27th anniversary (though neither of us can now remember what we actually did). 

BlogThoughts... WE DID IT! Fifty weeks on the road. Yes, the first week was a bit unnerving engine-wise, the temporary loss of AC in July frustrating, and there's one or two campgrounds we never want to see again. Overall, though, our trek was pretty darn successful. We're still happily married, we learned a great deal about the US (even after forgetting most of what we heard or read ),we experienced Cuba, and we met great folks wherever we went. 

Now we move on. The MH will be spiffed up, sold, and replaced w/ a smaller version for short jaunts. Our home will be spiffed up, sold, and replaced w/ one more suited to a slower pace of life. It's a bit daunting, but also exciting. We are both grateful for good health that allows us these opportunities.

Homeward Bound

Monday, Dec 11 – Wed, Dec 13

Coming or going, the SEA/SLC trek is about 900 miles (most of them boring) and 13 hours (if you push it). The “kids” drove home yesterday. Greg & I will take 3 days – one of the perks of being retired. Nothing super exciting about the journey, but I do have a few pictures.

Tremonton (UT)… Dozens of trips and I've never seen the town, just one gas station or another. It’s a significant stop on the way to SLC because it means you’re almost there. Heading home, it’s just a requisite fuel stop. Just north of here we turn onto I-84 and head northwest toward Idaho.

IDAHO: Lots of boring highway, though some of it follows the Snake River.

(Did I mention boring?)

Snake River 

  

OREGON gets more interesting as you approach Washington.

                                                                                                                          

Ontario, Oregon
(Besides the pilots, I noted
several other men scattered
around the restaurant.
By the end of the meal, I
realized I was the only
female customer.)

Ignore the foreground. The 12 gentlemen behind are all retired pilots
who meet here for breakfast once a week.

WASHINGTON, at last!

Freezing fog as we climb after leaving Yakima Wed morning.

One last time... "And they built a road through this!"

Icefalls (noun 😃) as we ascend Snoqualmie Pass.

Sunshine, blue skies, and the Cascades are magnificent.
It's been a great year, but there's no place like home.

Potluck for Seventy and a Joyful Wedding

Family Time in Utah (Dec 6-10)

Left Duck Creek (and warm weather) Wednesday morning and drove a couple hours to the Elks Club in St. George (UT). Dinner in – leftover roast beef w/ mashed taters, gravy & peas. Good!  Thursday brought a long trek to SLC, where we’re “camped” with relatives until Monday. Friday I was busy with baking and other food prep for the family potluck that night. Amy’s temple wedding & reception were Saturday (after which we juggled tux bags, wedding & bridesmaid dresses, shoes, and table decorations – making sure all the rental goods got in the right car for return). Three family vehicles headed back to Seattle early Sunday morning. Hectic weekend, but wonderful to have so much family together. 

Some natural features defy human domination.

➤These cliffs border one side of the Elks RV area. (There’s a golf course on another side, so it’s really a pretty nice location.) The more I looked at them (and now at the pic), the more animal-like faces I see. How many can you find? (Try for at least 4.😊) 

Ignore the reflection... look at the scale of those mountains.
(OK, I know they're not the Alps or Himalayas, but still...)

➤STATHAM FAMILY POTLUCK - Jere estimated about 70 people, including 26 grandkids (and only 8 were mine). 

Jere provided brisket & a lovely home...

...with seating for all the adults!

Chris, happy in the kitchen.

Erica & George, happy
for everyone.

Me, happy w/ family

➤Family & close friends gathered at the Payson Temple for Amy & Jonathan’s wedding Saturday afternoon. Later we partied at Aspen Landing. 

Late afternoon sun...
everyone's a redhead but me.

All smiles leaving the temple.

Pretty... and tasty.

Truth or Lie? Learning more about the wedding party.

BlogThoughts... 1. Greg & I will be married 27 years the end of this month. Early on, he became an integral part of the "Statham family" (all the in-laws & cousins from my previous marriage). Throughout the 90s, we made several SEA-to-SLC drives for Statham family campouts and/or reunions. Some of the younger grandchildren don't quite get how we fit in, but all their parents love us. Ironically (and truly unfortunately), health issues kept Amy's Statham-Dad from making the trip down for this event.  
2. It seems that the one thing I've consistently passed on to my children is "3 marriages" - certainly not what I would have consciously chosen, but each of the final mates (and I'm including Linda, even though no formal proposal has been made) has indeed proven to be a perfect choice. (And, yes, I know lots of other factors also play a role.) Still, it is wonderful to see Amy, Warren & Erica so deeply committed and genuinely happy in their relationships. 


Parting Shots...  

Three-year-old Kazerie, who doesn't
care at all how I fit into the family,
is my new best friend.

Greg, Linda & Warren (We love Linda 😃)

And a peek inside the Payson Temple...

 Dedicated in 2015, Payson
is the 149th temple worldwide. (15 in Utah)

Kneeling across from each other, the bride and
groom see infinite images of themselves in
opposite mirrors. These represent our belief in
eternal marriage. 

Seahawks, Shopping, & One Last Stroll

Last of Duck Creek (Dec 3-5)

Nothing very exciting these few days.  A bit cooler, but sunny every morning, and I’m still managing 7 miles of steps a day. Life is good. We’ll be home in 10 days, and we’ve both been kind of excited about that even though we know we have a ton of work ahead. This week, though, we’re realizing how much freedom we’ve had this past year and just how big the change will be. For the first time, I finally see one advantage to being a full-timer.  

Small but significant high points…

Cameron Cat

➤Seahawks trouncing the Eagles.

➤Scoring 5 Squishmallow plush toys before Walgreens ran out. (Apparently they’re a hot item this year.)

➤Wrapping Amy & Jonathan's wedding gift, then finding the perfect card and affixing it to the gift. Done!

➤Taking another stroll through the Wetlands Park. (Lowlight: arriving too late at the local Bird Viewing Preserve and missing that opportunity. It closes at 2pm, but neither of us had noticed that little detail.)

Amber Waves

I think the burn remains are cool!
(They remind me of flamenco dancers.)

Peaceful Pond

Everything looks good
against a deep blue sky.

PartingShot...

Last Flight