A house offer

Last Sunday I was in Asheville - & when I'm there, I love attending Science of Mind services. The service was uplifting and hope inducing - I always find it so. 

I was walking out the door to leave & felt I needed to go back inside & ask for a "treatment".  There were a few people available....one I had received  treatments from to finally make the decision to ultimately move to Asheville & then at another time, to find the right house in High Vista.  And so it came to pass.  She was in conversation with a woman standing next to her.   I chose to speak the other woman this time.

She asked my name & request.  The very  next thing she asked was if I was REALLY ready to release my house.  Wow! Powerful question.  She hit the nail on the head for sure.  A question that came up for me constantly. 

When I said I hoped so, but still wasn't really sure, I had the gnawing feeling that I was still holding on.  I told her I WANTED to release my house.  She treated for the release of my house, the sale of the house (for a price I liked) to people who will love & respect the house, people I would feel good about selling my house to, and the entire experience to be a win-win process for all involved.  Her prayers were powerful.  When we were finished, I was moved to ask for her card.  She was involved somehow in real estate.  When it was time to leave, I noticed that it was 12:30.

Randy & I were starving & went to Earth Fare where we sat with Jayson & Rena & were busily talking & eating.  My phone rang.  It was my realtor, Edna who announced that we got a very strong offer.  A couple that was crazy about my house.   They were pre-approved, had $200,000 as a down payment.  (I glanced at my watch....it was about 1:30).  I countered the offer, they re-countered.  We agreed. I cried. They arranged for an inspection the very next morning.

I was afraid of so much being wrong with the house.  Many told me to buy a new furnace & "abandon" the oil tank, which would have cost approx $8,000.  I was told I should convert to gas heat, etc - which would have cost even more.  Randy wanted to replace the system so we could spend a few months in Asheville.  I resisted.  I just felt that it wasn't the right thing for me to do.  All the above, plus more that I worried about passed the inspection. I met their request to pay only $1,000 towards repairs.  I feel so good about myself for not giving in.  It actually feels GREAT.  I never would have re-couped that money. I also did not have major roof work done as suggested. 

I'm really moving to Asheville.  More to come on the emotional part of this journey.

No Sale - but a good head start





Downstairs Bathroom



 







 The tease of the house sale fell through.  Strange, I was excited.  It was good to look forward to an actual time-line when I would move & be there.  The other side of it was still the bit of reluctance & holding back.  It happens when the house looks so nice - when all is set up for the open house.  Also happens when someone else starts raving about it.  They make it sound so good that I don't want to give it to them.

The positive side of the experience is that it kicked me into high gear.  I had a garage sale (in my basement) & sold a lot of stuff.  Before, during & after the sale we put piles & piles of stuff to the curb, donated 2 car loads to the thrift store, organized & re-arranged my attic, basement & garage, got re-involved in selling stuff on Craigs List & EBay which has become fun & rewarding.

God Bless Ben.  I would never, never, ever have been able to get anywhere near this point without his help.  Barrett & Randy helped with the garage sale, as did my friend, Kay.  Bless you all.

I feel more ready now.  I guess everything just has to take the time that it needs to take.  I feel like there is order.  I feel that what lies ahead is not insurrmountable.  I know what I have, know what I want to take, and know more or less how to prepare to do the actually sorting & packing. 

Photos were the most pressing.  For whatever reasons, I needed to do them first.  There were/are mountains of them - from 4 generations.  I feel more peaceful now that they are (almost) in order. 

I will stack & store my journals, etc next.  I've already bought the plastic carton thingy that I think will be the right size for them.  I have so many personal journals from so many years ago.  I have a diary or two from when I was 13 years old.  (I just tried to find them so I could photgraph them for this blog - not in the attic, not in the basement.....so much for order).

Our Family Home

I've also started moving ahead with my business connection in Asheville.  I have a consult set up for a wedding there.  That feels like a giant step towards my life there. 

1 of 12



Upstairs Hallway





Master Bedroom












Living Room





Dining Room (The Parlor)







My Bedroom





Kitchen



The Den (My Office)



Barrett's Bedroom (used to me mine)



    





 

























I believe I sold my house

Well, I've been wearing a Hebrew prayer bracelet that Edna gave me for Chanukah, I buried a statue of St Joseph head down in the earth in the front of my house before Thanksgiving, my friend Carla offered prayers in church last Sunday and I've been visualizing, meditating, dowsing, etc. since the beginning of June.  Perhaps one, more or all of the above have joined forces - I'm not sure - but I do believe I've sold my house.

A treasure at the bottom of the box

Hi Family: Joshua, Ben, Barrett, Stacey,

 

I found this treasure at the very bottom of the carton that Aunt Paul stored all those pictures & letters that I've been excavating.

 

From left to right:  Aunt Paul, My Mom, Bella, Ruth & Irving, Aunt Lilly, Aunt Esther.

 

So, this is obviously Ruth & Irving's wedding day.  Irving was the youngest of all the siblings.  He was so sweet & loving, as I feel all our family were.  Ruthie was known to be a bit...giggle-y.  She giggled at just about everything anyone said.

 

I believe I have memories of going shopping with my mother for the dress she was wearing in this photo.  Somehow, I thought it was for Phyllis' wedding?  Perhaps she wore it for both.  Ahhh, a fashion  no-no. I also remember that I was a flower-girl - again, prob for Phyllis'.  (I'm sure I'm not spelling Phyllis right).

 

Anyway, back to my mothers dress.  It was black & had beautiful multi-colored beadwork in the shape of a  fabulous bird across the front.  I can still see it in my minds eye.  I remember occasionally going to her closet to touch and admire it.  I thought it was the grandest - the fanciest, schmanciest of dresses. 

 

Weren't they all so very elegant?  I'm loving those long gloves.  I believe I have the very ones Aunt Paul was wearing among her belongings stored in my basement.  (I've just decided not to toss them.)

 

So, one memory of that shopping  day was of me running a bit wild & scooting in & out of the clothing racks, hiding under & behind the clothes.  I think Renee Chiswick was the other flower girl & she was my misbehaving cohort.  My mother was embarrassed & the sales women quite chagrinned.

 

So, my dears .... thanks for travelling down memory lane with me.  I am so glad to have you all in my life to share these beautiful Souls.  How blessed we are to have had them, their love & each other.

 

I deem this photo as frame-worthy.  copies, anyone?

 

I love you, Mom/Cousin Susan

My friend, BOB

The top photo is my favorite of Bob.  It was in our hey-day, when everyone was young & beautiful.  The bottom pics are of Bob dancing & Bob with Richie & Joe Butler.

BOB

I'm in Asheville now & got two messages that my oldest friend died yesterday.  Bob was 80 & he's been my friend since I was 12 years old.  What a chunk of my life.  He was my memory keeper.  He was there when I would sneak out the back door to get away from my father.  He was there when he, my mother & I would go to Dr. Monto, the diet pill pusher....we'd get weighed in, get our pills, then head to the donut shop to celebrate the lost pounds.

He was the only one brave enough to go on all the Coney Island rides with me....but discovered that we could only do so on a full stomach.  

He was so handsome.  People were always stopping us & asking who he was...Harry Belefonte?  They always assumed he was someone famous. 

Bob was there for my wedding, my parents funerals.  He took my brother Mike in when MIke was down & out & not too long after he was holding me up at Michael's funeral.  There were periods that we were not in touch, but then we were again.  He was a constant in my life.  We both knew we could call on each other at any time.  We had the same telephone numbers since the phones in Great Neck were dialed by operators and the number started with a name - ours was "Hunter".

I used to pick him up to go to the concerts at Steppingstone Park.  His favorite was always when Joe Butler, our friend, would come back to town to perform with "The Lovin' Spoonful".  A few seasons ago, Joe looked out at the audience, pointed to Bob & credited him as being the one who taught him to dance.  I guess he was the one who instilled the love of dance within me.  He was absolutely JOYFUL when there was music & the opportunity to dance.

I would also pick him up, stop at Howard Johnson's for food, then go to visit my Aunt Paul at her nursing home.  They absolutely loved to eat & talk & laugh together.  In fact, I'm almost positive that I've never had a conversation with Bob that did not eventually lead to a discussion about food.  Food that was presently being eaten, food that was already eaten and food that was dreamed of being eaten.....usually all the above.   He was sad, when in the last few years, his appetite was diminished.

Bob was also sad when I began to speak of moving.  He feared that he would never see me again although I promised I would return often & always come to see him.  He tried to convince me not to move by warning me of the danger of snakes in the mountains.  He could not stand the thought of snakes....could hardly say the word "snake".

May God Bless you, Bob. I will write more & post photos when I return home.

OMG, I'm moving!  I know - this is not news, but somehow this week it's visibly happening.  I actually just packed my first carton two days ago. 

I started with my books.  My books are like friends.  I know exactly which one to reach for to get what I need.  Their absence from the shelves makes me feel lonely.  I've had some books for a very long time.  One book, "The Prophet", I've had since I was 19.  I remember just how it was introduced to me.  I had just moved into the City.  My friend, Johnny Z... called and told me I had better sit down...'cause he was going to read something to me that would knock me on my butt if I wasn't already on it.  It did. Ahh, love at first listen.  "There are men to gentle to live among wolves" by James Kavanaugh was also an instant love.  I couldn't stop buying everything else he wrote. 

I have many books that I've loved for years.  Books, unlike people, are never jealous of each other.  They are secure and confident in their status.  Although there may be long periods that I am engaged with other literary loves, I will always return to them.

Eric Butterworth's book literally fell on my head when I was sitting on the library floor searching for answers in the Spirituality Section. I flipped through the pages and came to the chapter that told me my brother Mike didn't "come to stay, he came to pass". 

I just thought of how Susan H....& I  loved to read "Winnie the Pooh" to each other.  One of us would be in the bath, while the other would be reading.  We would get hysterical laughing....we were 19. Seems that 19 was a good year for new books.  

A few years later John bought a Pooh book for me.  He also bought me a stuffed Piglet, hand-made by Agnes Bush, then the other characters followed.  Years later, I read from the very same book to my children.  Joshua, Ben & Barret  would all gather on my bed after their baths to have  me read Pooh stories to them.  Timeless, fabulous humor...we would also crack up laughing.

There is consolation in knowing that when I finally do move to our new home, my old friends will be there waiting for me.  They will have brought my history, my memories, consolation, hopes, dreams, adventures and my escape routes to.....everywhere I have been and anywhere I may need to go.