We have had a week of watching our Abby in pain. The situation is resolving, thankfully. I was struck by the helplessness of only being able to watch someone deal with severe pain. I could make suggestions, offer the comfort of a hand to hold, get water or blankets; but fundamentally I could do nothing to help her. She was the only one who could decide what to do. She was the one who had to deal with it.
As parents, we all know there will be a time when the little feet are grown up. We expect to see some milestones to prove that they are making their own decisions now: temptations resisted (or not), wise habits developed (or not), new directions they take their lives in. But I never thought one of those growth milestones would be shown by pain. I hadn't realized that how Abby choose to deal with pain would show me her growing up. I would have preferred other ways than to see her in such pain!
Mar 30, 2009
Mar 23, 2009
Mar 20, 2009
We bagged a house
Well, now we have a successful conclusion to the house stalking: We have an accepted contract on a house. However, the home will not be available for closing until May 4th, so we get to hurry up and wait 6 weeks.
Meanwhile, the real estate storm, er, market, in our area is impacting us in another way: the property we are renting is up for sale. So now the frenzied buyers are showing up at OUR doorstep, papers in hand, with a certain recognizable glazed look in their eyes. May your stalking be successful. We're out of the market!!!
Meanwhile, the real estate storm, er, market, in our area is impacting us in another way: the property we are renting is up for sale. So now the frenzied buyers are showing up at OUR doorstep, papers in hand, with a certain recognizable glazed look in their eyes. May your stalking be successful. We're out of the market!!!
Mar 18, 2009
Stalking the Elusive House
I know most people refer to the process of buying a house as "house hunting". But lately that phrase has sounded far too tame to describe the process our family has been enduring to procure living quarters. "House hunting" conjures up sleepy late afternoons in a comfortable perch waiting for the desired mammal to walk by, as it surely shall. "Stalking" involves peering through dense grass, guns at the ready for yet to be determined prey that may decide on you as their main course.
We started this odessey on Christmas day, when some Internet browsing caught some really good house prices in our area. We contacted a realtor, who promptly set up several houses for us to see. She said that as everyone already knew, the market was in terrible shape, with nothing moving. Nothing except the houses we were to look at. Between our contact and the day we went out looking, one of the houses on our menu developed a contract. After our first viewing, another of the group developed a contract. We looked at some other houses, which all developed contracts within 24 hours of our visitation. We looked a another, and decided to bid--only to learn that it had developed a contract while we decided. We got pre-approved for a mortgage (just in case we needed to act quickly). We found another house to look at--only to learn that in the hour it had been listed it had developed at least one contract. We bid on a house--only to learn that it had "multiple contracts" and eventually we learned our bid was declined. We saw our current option on a Tuesday, signed the bid on Wednesday, learned Friday that we were competing in a bidding war with at least one other contract, redid our offer on Monday (offering a higher price), and are waiting the outcome now. Will our hunt finally be successful?
Mr. President is of the opinion that the housing market is slow. I wouldn't want it any faster!
The house we currently rent is due to be listed on the market Thursday. The Wednesday before the house was listed, a realtor asked to show the house. We said yes. Now, if the market continues the way it has been developing, how soon will it be until this house sells?
We started this odessey on Christmas day, when some Internet browsing caught some really good house prices in our area. We contacted a realtor, who promptly set up several houses for us to see. She said that as everyone already knew, the market was in terrible shape, with nothing moving. Nothing except the houses we were to look at. Between our contact and the day we went out looking, one of the houses on our menu developed a contract. After our first viewing, another of the group developed a contract. We looked at some other houses, which all developed contracts within 24 hours of our visitation. We looked a another, and decided to bid--only to learn that it had developed a contract while we decided. We got pre-approved for a mortgage (just in case we needed to act quickly). We found another house to look at--only to learn that in the hour it had been listed it had developed at least one contract. We bid on a house--only to learn that it had "multiple contracts" and eventually we learned our bid was declined. We saw our current option on a Tuesday, signed the bid on Wednesday, learned Friday that we were competing in a bidding war with at least one other contract, redid our offer on Monday (offering a higher price), and are waiting the outcome now. Will our hunt finally be successful?
Mr. President is of the opinion that the housing market is slow. I wouldn't want it any faster!
The house we currently rent is due to be listed on the market Thursday. The Wednesday before the house was listed, a realtor asked to show the house. We said yes. Now, if the market continues the way it has been developing, how soon will it be until this house sells?
Mar 17, 2009
In the beginning....
I just created my own blog! For some techno-savy individuals, that first may have occured long enough ago to generate boredom now. Not so for me: I am a very private individual. But one who likes to write, and comment or muse about what occurs around me, to me, and inside my head. This blog will be a place for sharing those comments, poems, stories or musings that choose to see light of day. I hope you enjoy them.
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