There was a time when I could quickly decide. It was my sister who would hem and haw and waver. In the course of time, we've reversed (or at least that's the way I picture it). She efficiently picks and chooses; I waffle.
It was so bad my best friends were sure that when Doug proposed I would say, "Well, I don't know...."
There are those times, however, when the answer is glaringly obvious. I said "yes" without hesitation.
And then there was our house.
Held in limbo with a temporary job, we rented. But as details were cemented for our stay in town, it was time to look for a house. We narrowed down a general area; room to play outdoors was a must; and we had a budget.
The realtor pushed to show us house after house but we didn't want to waste his time. Either it was too far from work or the yard was more suitable to rappelling or the price was too high. We politely declined.
Then on a whim, I detoured through a neighborhood I had passed countless times on the way to the grocery store. And I knew.
I came home and declared to Doug that that was where I wanted to live. He agreed.
Nothing for sale was suitable, but we were in no hurry. The realtor was about to start knocking on doors to see if anyone planned on moving.
Andrew was just a few months old and we went to visit my parents for a long weekend. Doug would periodically drive through the neighborhood to see if anything new was for sale (days before Zillow), and on this particular Tuesday, a realtor had put up a sign.
He called me. He called the realtor. He was told it wasn't fit to be shown.
Two days passed and we were allowed inside. Thick nicotine covered all the surfaces; the carpet was old and dingy; the walls decorated with "period" paper. It was dated to say the least but had potential.
Two days passed while we dithered and discussed. It seemed like such a big step.
Then we got a call that someone else was interested and if we wanted to make an offer we had to do so immediately. Feeling like we needed an extra voice to offer advice, we phoned a friend who (unbeknownst to us) had a broken ankle. He hobbled through the house and gave us his blessing.
Offer was issued; offer was accepted; and a month later we closed.
It required a lot of work upfront. Changes have continued over the years. And there is more that could be done. But I have not for once regretted this decision.
We are close to everything we need: church, work, grocery stores.
We have wonderful neighbors with whom we've exchanged garden produce and collected mail; delivered pound cake to the bereaved and dinner to new parents. A month ago our neighbors cleared a fallen tree before we even realized it was down.
We have a collection of trees, a variety of birds, bees, and butterflies and a fantastic view of the mountain; plenty of room for busy explorers and just enough hint of danger to make it fun; ample space for gardening of all types, and large enough for a grass lover
We are home.
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