On the Move

We have a signed offer on our house!  It's been in the works for three weeks now, and I'm finally ready to call it a mostly done deal.  We have one more hurdle to clear, but we should close in mid-November and be at my mom's for Thanksgiving.

There've been many twists and turns in the sale negotiations, but I'm confident that things are working out the way they're meant to.  The buyers are a couple we know from church.  They looked at the house and loved it when it was on the market ten years ago but couldn't afford it then.  It seems fitting that they now have a chance to make this their dream home, as it's been for us.

In addition to the house, we've been selling nearly everything that isn't nailed down.  We've placed ads on Cr*ig's List, in the local paper, in the weekly "shoppers," and on community bulletin boards.  We've sold a pickup truck, camper, boat, horse trailer, five donkeys, and three goats.  The emails, phone calls, and in-person visits have seemed endless, especially for a couple of introverts like Don and me.  Sarah, on the other hand, has become quite comfortable with drop-ins and eagerly shows them around.

We've sorted through nearly every space in the house, barn, and various outbuildings, with many things ending up in the "boat building" for this weekend's garage sale.  We've also filled a small dumpster three times.

It's felt good, for the most part, to purge and simplify our lives.  Small waves of melancholy sweep over me every now and then, however, as we deconstruct the beautiful home and hobby farm we lovingly created over the past 10 years.  Of course, some sense of loss is unavoidable and healthy with a change this big, even though I'm certain we're doing the right thing.  I'm trying to embrace it and appreciate the final weeks we have here, so that I'm ready for the next exciting chapter in our lives.

That chapter begins in a couple of weeks, when we fly east to look for our new home.  We've been searching online and found about 10 properties that look interesting, a few of which appear promising.  We're focusing on two areas -- one in western M*ss., within half an hour's drive of my mom, which would be preferable, and the other in southern New H*mpshire, which is about an hour away and more affordable.  I've had great fun creating a spreadsheet comparing the features of each listing, including thumbnail photos.  I'm such a nerd....

Which brings me to the question of the day:  what do New Engl*nders have against garages?  I'm from there, and I don't know.  My family never had one.  I never had one before my current house.  The only relatives I can remember having one were my Nana and Papa.  Only a handful of the homes we're looking at has them.  They seem to be regarded as a luxury.  I blame the Pur*tans.

But I digress....  If all goes well, we could celebrate Christmas in our new home.  What a gift that would be.  Then again, I'd rather not think about Christmas right now...too many other lists to check.