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. 😞

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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.