Back From The Abyss

It's been a while...Let's catch up!

I spent December with family in Illinois.  In early January, Oldest Daughter and I went down to Mississippi to get the house Wild Bill and I bought last August ready to sell. 

Our house was located in the town of Southaven (northern Mississippi) just south of Memphis Tennessee.

On the night of January 11, 2020, there was a bad storm in the Memphis area. In Germantown TN (west side of Memphis) 20 to 30 houses were demolished by the storm.

The next day, Sunday the 12th, a couple standing in the middle of the lot that was her home the day before, made a call to a realtor friend. The couple had been planning to marry in the spring, then buy a new house together in the summer...

"We're going to need a house a lot sooner than we thought!" they told their realtor friend as they picked through the rubble of her home.

"I have the perfect house for you."  Realtor Friend replied.

I was packing boxes that Sunday (getting ready to have our realtor put the house on the market) when he called me asking if I would be willing to let a friend of his see the house right away. How could I refuse when I heard their situation? 

The next day, Monday Jan 13th, the couple came to see our house... packing boxes and all! 

All the home-selling advice you will ever get advises you against showing a house before it's cleaned up and ready -- but what the heck -- I had a feeling.

They came, they saw, they liked. But...they wanted to look at the competition, just in case. I knew they were "The One's" and didn't even bother to put the house on the market. 

A few weeks later, the couple returned with her 3 daughters to look one more time. 

On our back patio that day (with an engagement ring in his pocket) he got down on his knee and proposed to her and her girls. 

They got married a few weeks later and, as a brand new family, they moved into the house at the end of February. 

I left them most of the new furniture we had just bought and moved on. The house was never really our home, it's just a place we once lived. 

Wild Bill, 1996, I Would Love To Do It All Over Again

Thanks for dropping by!

It's Been A While

Hey Y'all!  It's been a while since I've caught up!

That's because we bought that house we were looking at in my last post, but there's no access to internet in our whole subdivision... and, actually, none even in our neck of the woods!

Are ya asking...

"How can that be in this day and age?"

Well, believe me, we have asked that over and over ourselves. We didn't find out about it until the day before we were to close, and we were so tired of living in Hampton Inn hotels in Mississippi that we bought the house anyway!

We're told 2 to 4 months is all we have to wait to join the 21st Century...

Meanwhile, Starbucks in my friend now! Wild Bill doesn't feel well enough to sit in Starbucks for long periods of time, so I've decided to go by myself when possible.

I've met some wonderful people in our new area. Call it what you will...God/the universe/the goodness of mankind...however you label it in your mind, that goodness is getting me through these days of change.

We're living south of Memphis, right between Olive Branch and Southaven Mississippi. Olive Branch looks like a scene from a 1920's early American town. 

I'm a sucker for small towns after all, and a town with a main road through it called "Pigeons Roost" is a town worth exploring in my book! 

I haven't had a chance to really get to know Olive Branch, but hope to in the future.

Wild Bill continues on with chemo treatment. Some weeks (like this one) his platelets are too low so he has to skip treatment. He did a CT scan last month and it showed the cancer is stable so we are hopeful. 

Bill likes the clinic and the people, and we're doing the best we can to keep life normal. They say God doesn't give you more than you can bear, but honestly sometimes I question that.

Hope to hear from y'all soon! I'm trying to make the rounds on all your blogs, but not having internet really makes it difficult. 

Please drop me a comment and let me know what you're up to if you can. I've missed you all so much.

Thanks For Dropping By!

Fall Is Coming Soon...I Need A Porch To Decorate!

We were so close to having a house to decorate for fall!

I saw some cute fall decor ideas over at 2 BEES IN A POD and really got excited! We were closing soon...

2 BEES IN A POD

Our closing was scheduled for tomorrow -- Thursday -- though we didn't have a time, which worried me a little.  

We also didn't have an exact $$ amount, which worried me even more! 

We had done everything on our part, and so had the realtors and the builder too...

These photos were taken when we first saw the house

On Monday, we did a walkthrough with the builder and realtors. The wood floors were shining and the protective paper was removed from the floor.

All four of us had blue painter's tape, which we tore off and marked the cosmetic problems as we went through the house. Wild Bill sat it out on the fireplace ledge, but he cheered us on.

I must confess...the builder tagged every little ding he found... I hardly did anything but admire the rooms as we went through and, of course, I was decorating it all in my head!

We're going gray this time!

Early Monday morning the lawyer from the title company had called and said she was doing last minute calculations for our part of the closing costs, etc., and she would email me a figure that afternoon to give to our bank so they could send the funds.

All the lights will be replaced once we move in

I called back Tuesday and got her secretary. She said she personally would call me with the info soon as all the lawyers in town were in a training conference that day.

Today, Wednesday, we called with our relator from his office..."still trying to put the numbers together...yada, yada, yada..."

Wild Bill, our realtor, and I discussed the pros and cons and decided to postpone the closing for a week. This gives the title company time to get it together and gives us time to take a short trip and breathe a little. 

We have learned to roll with the punches during our month of living in hotels and looking at houses. What can go wrong, will go wrong after all! 

Meanwhile, I've been visiting your blogs and looking for fall ideas to pin. I can't wait for the cool weather to arrive...can you?

Thanks for dropping by!

A Post From The Edge

I'm still here! Trying to knock off that dust and get back to normal.

Our life is quite topsy-turvy right now. We've ping-ponged our way from Texas -- to Illinois -- to the area around Memphis, back to Illinois and now headed back down to the Memphis area this weekend! 

Wild Bill has an appointment with a doctor specializing in his type of cancer, and we are very hopeful the new clinic will be able to bring about a miracle...or maybe just better treatment...we'll take either.

Monday afternoon is his first appointment, so I'll be back next week to let you know how it goes. You've all been so wonderful with your prayers and hopes for us! We appreciate you all so much. 

There's a special angel, the blogger you know as NanaDiana, who has been my port in the storm so to speak. She's been a rock when I needed a breather, she's been a counselor when I faltered, but most of all she's been my "sister-friend" who has gone before me in this journey of hope for our husband's. Diana always has a kind word and experience to share. Thank you so much Diana!

Some people wonder why this dumb bear picture means so much to me. I gave away a lot of things that were dear to me, but not this old picture!

The bear is a reminder of an old saying: 

Sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you.

You might think me crazy to give away so much, but keep the dumb bear picture -- Well, remembering there's always a chance of succeeding gives me strength, even when it feels like the bear has us by the throat some days.

Thanks for dropping by!

Rivercrest Cottage sold on... 

Tuesday, July 9, 2019. 

We closed that chapter of our lives and wish the new cottage owners well. It was a solid built home and gave us many years of protection from the winter storms and hot Texas sun.


We gave away or sold most of our furniture and stored our favorite possessions in a couple of storage units in town while we explore treatment options with a "team" approach (in other states) for Wild Bill. 

"The Bear" Picture Is In Storage Waiting For Us

The "Rolling Coffee Table" I made was given to a friend.

Bill's Recliner Sold In 15 Mins On FB Marketplace

The prayers and advice we've received from so many of you have helped guide and sustain us while we traveled through the uncharted territory of change and transition. 

We've finally come out the other side ready to begin anew once we decide where we will end up!

Thank you for traveling along with us. Many of your comments helped me through some sad times, and I can't tell you how much your e-friendships have meant to me.

Was Going To Keep These Guys, But At Last Minute Sold

A Friend Is Storing Our Paintings

My Great-Grandmother's Childhood Dresser/Mirror Are Stored

Goodbye 3-year-old hydrangeas...

Goodbye fig tree grown from a hand-me-down cutting...

Goodbye flagstone patio...

The Patio Set Stayed With The House

Goodbye to the curvy walkway that replaced the ugly original block one...

Goodbye kitchen...

The Chalkboard And Stools Stayed With The House

Goodbye to Rivercrest Cottage! 

And goodbye to all the friends we've made in the 8 years we've shared this town with you. 

Thanks for dropping by!

A Match Made In Heaven?

Yesterday, June 6th, was the 1-year anniversary of Wild Bill's doctor telling us Bill had, at best, 8 to 12 months to live. 

Bill is doing really well with the new chemo treatment, and he has happily traded his full head of hair for what we're hoping is a much brighter future than the doctor predicted! Every day now is one more day we never thought we'd have.

And today, June 7th, is the 1-year anniversary of my mother-in-law Jessie's passing. If you were a reader last year, you may remember Jessie died the day after learning her only child had so little time to live! 

I still think Jessie is our angel up in Heaven watching over us and maybe pulling a few strings for us now and then! Read on and see what you think...

Last Saturday night I said a prayer for the house to find a buyer to love her and release us to move forward to a new future. 

Sunday afternoon our realtor brought us a good offer for our house contingent on the sale of the buyer's local farm. 

I knew the buyer was a "kindred soul" when the offer included a request that the four counter stools and the rolling center island be left as part of the contract! 

I was happy to do that as I'm ready to release the past and embrace the future.

 On Monday, the buyer's farm went up for sale. 

On Tuesday, they accepted an offer contingent upon the completion of a pending sale of their buyer's home...So we are lined up like Dominos!

We had the required inspections on Wednesday (termite inspection) and Thursday (home inspection), and now we are waiting for the "punch" list from the home inspector's report so we can get any items he noted completed.

Please wish us all luck -- and 3 speedy closings -- and then we'll all be on our way to a new life.

Thanks for dropping by!

Words Of Comfort - A Time To Heal And Rebuild For Us All

Over at Joey's Pad I was fortunate to read his words today. Although he was speaking primarily of the fire at Norte-Dame cathedral in Paris, I will carry his words in my heart for a long time to come.

Wikipedia

The thing about blogging is...you just never know where inspiration will come from or whose words you need to hear at the exact time you run across them.

If you have time, I recommend a quick stop to Joey's blog post HERE.

Thanks for dropping by!

The Mind Wanders...

I've been Missing In Action lately. Actually, I've been around to read your posts, but just couldn't find my speaking voice.

Expected more good news when Wild Bill got the results of his recent PET Scan last week, but it was not so good. Kind of took the wind out of our sails.

It wasn't for a lack of prayers! You've all been so kind with your hopes and prayers for us. We appreciate each and every one of you. Please keep praying -- we will be giving it a good fight and hope to find a better cancer treatment in the near future.

We have been preparing to put the house up for sale. After losing both Bill's parents this past year it feels like our tie to Texas is gone so we are planning to leave the state. 

Change has become harder as we grow older. It seemed staying put for 8 years was for his parents, but now I'm not so sure. Did we just become complacent? I think so!

Our number one goal use to be finding a small town that we both could enjoy. Now our goal is finding the best treatment for Bill. Nothing else seems to matter.

Thanks for dropping by!