packing it up...

This past Friday, I turned 45 years old.  I celebrated by myself as I do every year with a little cake and ice cream.  I made my wishes (past, present and future) and blew out the candles.

Every room in my house looks like this.  Stacked with boxes and things being sorted and wrapped before being placed into boxes. 

Only 26 days until closing and moving.  I finally have a place to move.  Not quite two weeks ago, I found a place that had every thing I wanted.  It even has a nice sized patio/garden area that is basically a blank slate.  The owners were asking quite a bit more than the property was worth but I made an offer.  This past Saturday, after quite a bit of back and forth with offers and counter offers, they accepted my final offer.  After a trying and frustrating day it really brightened my spirits.

When I'd walked in and had a thorough look at the property, I turned to my realtor and said, "This is the one."  Because of the difficulty in coming to terms, we did spend a few days looking at other property as I needed to have someplace to move.  But I realized when I narrowed it down to two others, that just weren't quite right, that I needed to NOT settle for something that wasn't "the one."  

So back to bargaining we went, with a little added Work by me and my wishes clearly stated to the Universe and here we are.  Not just a place to live but a place I can really love.

Since I am surrounded by cardboard boxes and newspapers, I splurged just a bit at the farmers market yesterday.  Not only did I get fresh strawberries and peaches (oh how I love fresh peaches!), I bought a little nosegay from my flower friends.  She also gave me a separate slip of larkspur that had developed seed heads.  I'm drying those now so I'll have them to plant in my new little garden!  

Are you enjoying anything special this week?

blessings
~*~

ps...so, yeah, I gave up on the gluten free as I could tell not one bit of difference in my headaches and well, I really wanted cake!  and not one I'd have to make myself! more on that later...

THE invitation is here!!

An invitation just arrived to THE most Fun party of the year!  I do hope you will join us this year!  For details, head over to A Fanciful Twist.

blessings
~*~

a walk through the garden...

Things are so hectic right now, days full of wrapping, packing, sorting and culling.  Plus the hunt is still on for my new home.  I'd found one I just loved and am hopeful it will work out, but am still looking just in case.

I'm trying to stroll through the garden every day at least once, to have a bit of connection with nature, to see what is growing and to say goodbye.  It will take a little time to bid adieu to my little cottage and gardens.  But I'm looking forward to my next adventure.

 The honeysuckle is blooming madly and smells so divine in the evenings...

 Mulberries are ripening and the birds are crazy for them...

 The peonies are just starting to open...bliss...

The squash is blooming, the cucumbers and beans are growing, and the tomatoes getting bigger... I hope that perhaps I'll have a chance to harvest a few cucumbers and beans, maybe a squash or two before moving day.  Hopefully the new owner will like the veggies I planted.

The foxglove...oh, the foxglove!  I love these flowers so so much and it thrills me so to see them in bloom.  I'd actually forgotten they were there and when they started to come up was thrilled!  

I plan to take several flowers with me, the foxgloves and peony for certain, as well as the lily of the valley, hellebore, the dahlias (if I can find them in the jungle!) and hopefully at least 1 of my hydrangeas (they were all three gifts from my step-mother so I'd like to have at least one of them with me).  I also hope to try to take my joe pye weed or at least harvest some of it before I go.  We will see when the time comes I guess. 

I'm off to pack a little bit more.  The head has been quite unbearable the past several days and I lost Tuesday to resting.  So much to do, I'd best push on.

See you soon!
blessings
~*~

petal love

Found on my walk this morning...

blessings
~*~

Let's Move!

The first of the rose blossoms.

I have learned my lesson.  I really have.  What you put out to the Universe is what you get.  I really, truly believe that.  Well, I always have believed that, but I've never been very good at practicing it.  :-)

But...about two weeks ago, I really and truly made up my mind that I had to move.  The house has been on the market since October but with very little activity and also with me having a mindset of "I don't want to move".  So, a couple weeks ago, that mindset changed.  I can't remember what I was doing that really keyed it in for me but I realized that I was stuck and until I completely made up my mind to move and to let go of this place and the dream of it, I'd not make any progress.  

So, I contacted my realtor and told her I wanted to start actively looking at places to buy.  I've been making lists of what is most important in a place I want to live.  I've been scouring through online listings looking at pictures, checking maps and Google Earth to get an idea of the areas.  I started with over 60 properties that interested me.  I went through them all again and again, trying to find the right ones.  

A week ago this past Thursday started three days of showings on the house.  When I came back after the Thursday showing I had a very good feeling.  I can't say why I had that feeling, I just did.  Friday's was a good feeling too and Saturday I could tell as soon as I walked in that they didn't like it.

My realtor and I went out this past Tuesday and looked at 6 properties.  I have two left from that list that are still possibles.  Today we are going again.

This past Thursday, I got up, took my walk and was enjoying the cool and quiet on the back deck with a book when I received a text from my realtor to check my email.  I rushed in and looked and oh my!  I had an offer!

We talked about it a bit and made a counter offer and all day long I stewed and sat on pins and needles.  I'd felt really good about it (it was the same person from the previous Thursday) and finally...

I'm on deadline now.  Yesterday morning, I signed the contract on my house.  She accepted my counter offer and we are set to close on June 24th!

Oh my!  I am very overwhelmed but in a good way.  I have 38 days to pack everything I own, find a place to live, get the financing sorted, etc., etc.

So...just as I plan to come back here things get a bit crazy and I may not be here as much as I want.  But!  That will only be for a little while.  Because now I'm on a new adventure and I know I'll have lots to share.  

I'm off to see where we're going to look today.  And to start on my lists...I'll have lots of lists of things to do, plants I want to take from the yard, etc., etc...

happy weekend!!
blessings
~*~ 

stepping back in...

It feels like I haven't been here in years.  It feels like I haven't been anywhere really.  I haven't posted, I haven't visited.  I've mostly just been in my own little world.  And the world of books...I've lived so many lives in the books I've read over the past several months.

I'm just going to share a few images that have captured my eyes the past several months.  I'm hoping to post here more often. I'm starting to make the rounds again, seeing what everyone has been up to.  I hope everyone is well.

 (a visitor that I've seen around my house)

 (this was made by the most wonderful Nina Bagley of Ornamental)

 (the first rose)

 (one of the raised beds planted with blue lake beans, basil, cherry tomato, jalapeno and big boy tomato)

I'm off for a to watch a few season finales.  Be back soon...I hope!

blessings
~*~

Valentine's Day

Love is the beauty of the soul. ~ Saint Augustine

Happy Valentine's Day!

blessings

~*~