We have finally moved! After the last entry there had been more delays and we were letting go and wondering if we were ever actually going to move. We had heard stories of deals falling through up to the day before. So, 8:00 am Monday morning we took Colorado for her morning walk and thought about if we would move soon; by 9:00 am the move was on and it was happening the next day!!! So in short we have spent the last three days in a crazy hectic blur of activity!! And we have moved.
Our last day at the house was on Tuesday, and we did our very best to leave the house clean and welcoming. We performed a closing ritual and said goodbye to all the memories and energies there, and although sad it was fairly easy in the end to close the door and walk away. Andy spent one more moment in the hammock in the orchard under the prayer flags; a walk around the garden - such a mixed blessing! and we were gone (except Andy had to go back quitely a 6:00 am the next day to pick up the Native American axe head left by the moving van...).
The first night in the new place was an exhausted blur (Frances had dog-sat Colorado and made dinner for us); yesterday we got to set up the basic furniture and the internet and phone, and last night we had the skylights open in bed and could see the full moon shining down at us! A real surprise! Neighbors have been friendly and we have already established a routine of a short detour on Colorado's morning walk via the local coffee shop a few minutes away! Bit more our style.
We are enjoying the fire place, the big window (we still have a Mount Baker view), the balcony, the ice maker, the skylights, the garage, the fast internet connection and the stair lift...!!! That's right - we have a stair lift on the interior (garage entrance) stairs - quite fun - we'll never have to wlak up stairs again (though you have to have plenty of time to ride it- plan on an extra 20 minutes to get out of the house) - visitors will now be entertained with our own carnival ride.....
Time to unpack some more.....
.......
"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end" (Semisonic)
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Surrender
We are practicing surrendering to the process. Sometimes situations evolve to a point where we can best take power by recognizing we are not the ultimate authority on the matter.
This has been our theme during this moving process. Our closing date was again delayed because banks and FHA needed more tests and paperwork, and since we have done everything on our end, we have just been waiting and recognizing that everything unfolds as it should. It looks like we will close on Tuesday, and we hope we will. If we don't, though, that's ok too. We have a home, and that is more than many can say, so we are grateful.
In addition to waiting, we have been enjoying our time living out of boxes by eating out more and spending a lot of time doing new things. Since cooking is a challenge with most things packed, we have endulged in meals out more often. We have also spent every day off looking for new things to do like visitng Larrabee State Park. When we first moved here, we went to Larrabee but didn't want to pay to get in, but a few years ago, the courts decided that people shouldn't have to pay twice for park admission; since its funded by taxes, no more admission fees. Gorgeous new beach to have a Trader Joes picnic on... Lovely!
We are using this time to focus on transition. Specifically, we are contemplating the tarot cards for the hanged man and death- these two represent the stages we are in well. It is a time to grieve what we are saying goodbye to and to prepare for a new way of being. We kept that in mind and tried to hold an attitude of somber contemplation while completing the final walk through of what we hope will be our new condo last night.
Our dear friend, Frances, has been a great help by having us over frequently in the last week or two for a meal and good movie or tv show. We really enjoy this respite.
Our next blog may or may not be from our new condo; time and the will of the gods shall tell!!!
"Birth and death are not two different states, but they are different aspects of the same state" -Gandhi
This has been our theme during this moving process. Our closing date was again delayed because banks and FHA needed more tests and paperwork, and since we have done everything on our end, we have just been waiting and recognizing that everything unfolds as it should. It looks like we will close on Tuesday, and we hope we will. If we don't, though, that's ok too. We have a home, and that is more than many can say, so we are grateful.
In addition to waiting, we have been enjoying our time living out of boxes by eating out more and spending a lot of time doing new things. Since cooking is a challenge with most things packed, we have endulged in meals out more often. We have also spent every day off looking for new things to do like visitng Larrabee State Park. When we first moved here, we went to Larrabee but didn't want to pay to get in, but a few years ago, the courts decided that people shouldn't have to pay twice for park admission; since its funded by taxes, no more admission fees. Gorgeous new beach to have a Trader Joes picnic on... Lovely!
We are using this time to focus on transition. Specifically, we are contemplating the tarot cards for the hanged man and death- these two represent the stages we are in well. It is a time to grieve what we are saying goodbye to and to prepare for a new way of being. We kept that in mind and tried to hold an attitude of somber contemplation while completing the final walk through of what we hope will be our new condo last night.
Our dear friend, Frances, has been a great help by having us over frequently in the last week or two for a meal and good movie or tv show. We really enjoy this respite.
Our next blog may or may not be from our new condo; time and the will of the gods shall tell!!!
"Birth and death are not two different states, but they are different aspects of the same state" -Gandhi
Monday, October 4, 2010
Meeting a real life nomad (and other news)
Things have been pretty busy these last couple of weeks. We were meant to close on the house sale and purchase last week - this was delayed (with more paperwork) until this week - and at present we are waiting to here if we will close this Friday. Things got held up with our buyer delaying water quality tests and additional paperwork. That's all taken care of now, so we are waiing on the banks.
In the meantime, we have been packed and ready to move for a week or so, so we are living out of some boxes and just getting on with it. We have been donating many items and preparing to simplify some more so that our lives will be a lot easier when we move. While we will miss the house, we are looking forward to the ease of travelling and leaving the condo. With this in mind, we have started planning some trips and events...
We have decided to delay a little some of the plans - Evan is going to work on finishing his degree by the summer and it has become more important to Andy to be able to spend some more time in the UK before we hit Hawaii. We are looking at a few shorter trips over the next few months, with a view to getting moved and settled before we attempt some of our bigger ideas. More as these plans develop.
One of the highlights of the last couple of weeks was meeting Rita Golden Gelman - a self-professed nomad. Rita left a very comfortable life in LA to roam the world, living on a few thousand dollars a year, and travelling whereever she felt like, living with local people and learning customs and languages as she goes. She's been a nomad for approx. 25 years. Her book (Tales of a Female Nomad) is terrific. She came to talk about her new book at our local indie bookstore, where we got to listen to some more of her travel adventures, as well as meeting her, shaking hands and having her sign our copy of her book - quite inspiring considering she is in her late 60's (or older) - and still going strong.
we know it's time to get out there again when people start to ask where we are going next - so first off is a trip to Mexico City in the next month or so - currently in the planning process. We would also love to finally get to experience the Northern Lights - another trip in the planning stage.
More news in a couple of weeks - hopefully from our new home. Despite the slight delay, we are feeling very fortunate to have sold our house in the curent market.
.....
"I looked around and thought: There has to be more than one way to do life. There is." (Rita Golden Gelman)
In the meantime, we have been packed and ready to move for a week or so, so we are living out of some boxes and just getting on with it. We have been donating many items and preparing to simplify some more so that our lives will be a lot easier when we move. While we will miss the house, we are looking forward to the ease of travelling and leaving the condo. With this in mind, we have started planning some trips and events...
We have decided to delay a little some of the plans - Evan is going to work on finishing his degree by the summer and it has become more important to Andy to be able to spend some more time in the UK before we hit Hawaii. We are looking at a few shorter trips over the next few months, with a view to getting moved and settled before we attempt some of our bigger ideas. More as these plans develop.
One of the highlights of the last couple of weeks was meeting Rita Golden Gelman - a self-professed nomad. Rita left a very comfortable life in LA to roam the world, living on a few thousand dollars a year, and travelling whereever she felt like, living with local people and learning customs and languages as she goes. She's been a nomad for approx. 25 years. Her book (Tales of a Female Nomad) is terrific. She came to talk about her new book at our local indie bookstore, where we got to listen to some more of her travel adventures, as well as meeting her, shaking hands and having her sign our copy of her book - quite inspiring considering she is in her late 60's (or older) - and still going strong.
we know it's time to get out there again when people start to ask where we are going next - so first off is a trip to Mexico City in the next month or so - currently in the planning process. We would also love to finally get to experience the Northern Lights - another trip in the planning stage.
More news in a couple of weeks - hopefully from our new home. Despite the slight delay, we are feeling very fortunate to have sold our house in the curent market.
.....
"I looked around and thought: There has to be more than one way to do life. There is." (Rita Golden Gelman)
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Where the He** Have we Been?!!!
Well.... on returning from a truly lovely trip to the UK, we came back to an offer on our house. While terrific news, the last month has been crazy busy with jumping through the hoops of selling and also needing to find somewhere new to buy.
On that note, we are under contract on a condo which we are pretty pleased about: 2 bed, 2 bath, vaulted ceilings, private garage in a close knit complex which makes it pretty secure and easy to leave. So..... things are really moving forward in regards to the pursuit of our dream lifestyle.
The sale of our house was going to close a week from today, but all the B.S. surrounding a house sale has brought about a slight delay... not sure how long... hopefully only a day or two. Anyway, sooner rather than later we will be in our condo and making a big announcement about the OFFICIAL next step in our master plan!
Do stay tuned, and our apologies for not posting sooner.
On that note, we are under contract on a condo which we are pretty pleased about: 2 bed, 2 bath, vaulted ceilings, private garage in a close knit complex which makes it pretty secure and easy to leave. So..... things are really moving forward in regards to the pursuit of our dream lifestyle.
The sale of our house was going to close a week from today, but all the B.S. surrounding a house sale has brought about a slight delay... not sure how long... hopefully only a day or two. Anyway, sooner rather than later we will be in our condo and making a big announcement about the OFFICIAL next step in our master plan!
Do stay tuned, and our apologies for not posting sooner.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Part II: Cornwall
We are having a lovely time with Andy's mum and dad in Cornwall. Cornwall is the southwestern-most county in England, and it is absolutely stunning with green rolling countryside, steep cliffs dropping into the sea, and beautiful sandy beaches.
We are staying in the village of St. Agnes which is very nice and less touristy than many of the surrounding villages. This isn't to say there are no tourists, just that it is a bit quieter here than elsewhere.
We have seen the busy but historic and attractive town of St. Ives, the party town of Newquay, the legendary city of Penzance (there were actually never pirates here), and many, many surfer filled villages in between. We've seen (and climbed to) a castle, and we explored the amazing Eden project; this is a huge garden experiment of sorts with "biomes" (huge climate controlled domes)as well as outdoor gardens, cafes, and environmental education projects- a definite must if one is in Cornwall.
All the experiences are brilliant, but best of all is having some time away with Andy's parents to visit and catch up (and it certainly doesn't hurt to be able to do so over a Cornish cream tea).
Photos coming soon!
We are staying in the village of St. Agnes which is very nice and less touristy than many of the surrounding villages. This isn't to say there are no tourists, just that it is a bit quieter here than elsewhere.
We have seen the busy but historic and attractive town of St. Ives, the party town of Newquay, the legendary city of Penzance (there were actually never pirates here), and many, many surfer filled villages in between. We've seen (and climbed to) a castle, and we explored the amazing Eden project; this is a huge garden experiment of sorts with "biomes" (huge climate controlled domes)as well as outdoor gardens, cafes, and environmental education projects- a definite must if one is in Cornwall.
All the experiences are brilliant, but best of all is having some time away with Andy's parents to visit and catch up (and it certainly doesn't hurt to be able to do so over a Cornish cream tea).
Photos coming soon!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Finally .... Iceland and UK (part 1)
Well finally having some time and some internet access at the same time to make an entry. We are currently west of London in a small town/village called Twyford visiting Helen and Pete, catching up and sampling some cracking home made curries. All is well.
Quick update to this point - had a fabulous 3 days in Iceland. 24 hour sunlight was odd but also seemed to give us a bit more energy and get up and go. Arrived late first night; first day we went puffin spotting on a little boat (saw many!) and then took off in our very expensive rental car to the Blue Lagoon - a huge area of volcanic rock and heated mineral waters (a strange milky blue color) where we soaked and steamed and covered ourselves in white silica mud. Felt very good after that. Spent some time travelling the roads around Reyjavik; some gravel where our rental car got a bit cracked up (oops). Fines on return.... Next day, after smoked and pickled fish for breakfast, we were off to waterfalls, geysirs and to walk in between the American and European continental divide and see the site of the (reported) first parliament in the world (Viking). Our time in Iceland was over too quick, and we were back at the airport heading for the UK.
In the UK we've been busy too - exploring Southend and the coast (Andy's parent's new home), travelling to Hull (Andy's old home), visiting Aunt Shiela and Uncle Alf in Newcastle, visiting the old cities of Lincoln and Durham on the way, and stopping at Sherwood Forest on the trail of Robin Hood. One of the highlights was visiting a group of prehistoric caves (Creswell Scrags) where they hve recently discovered the first prehistoric (caveman) cave art in the UK - we were really lucky to get on a tour at the last minute to see it very upclose and personal. 15,000 year old cave art of bison, birds, and deer! Awesome. Another highlight was the open air concert Boogie Nights in the Park, a retro event of 80' and 90's acts in a park next to Ely Cathedral, which included a performance by none other than Bananarama (Andy was (as we say here) well chuffed).
Next we're off to Cornwall to spend a few days there with Andy's mum and dad, and some more time with friends and family. Before that (tomorrow) we're off to a Tudor festival! So getting a lot of culture too.
Having a good time and it is very nice to be back in the summer. All the work is getting finished up at the house while we're away and while we've had quite a bit of interest, no offers just yet. Missing Colorado of course - more so as Helen and Pete are dogsitting an energetic and sweet german shepherd at the moment.
More soon.
Quick update to this point - had a fabulous 3 days in Iceland. 24 hour sunlight was odd but also seemed to give us a bit more energy and get up and go. Arrived late first night; first day we went puffin spotting on a little boat (saw many!) and then took off in our very expensive rental car to the Blue Lagoon - a huge area of volcanic rock and heated mineral waters (a strange milky blue color) where we soaked and steamed and covered ourselves in white silica mud. Felt very good after that. Spent some time travelling the roads around Reyjavik; some gravel where our rental car got a bit cracked up (oops). Fines on return.... Next day, after smoked and pickled fish for breakfast, we were off to waterfalls, geysirs and to walk in between the American and European continental divide and see the site of the (reported) first parliament in the world (Viking). Our time in Iceland was over too quick, and we were back at the airport heading for the UK.
In the UK we've been busy too - exploring Southend and the coast (Andy's parent's new home), travelling to Hull (Andy's old home), visiting Aunt Shiela and Uncle Alf in Newcastle, visiting the old cities of Lincoln and Durham on the way, and stopping at Sherwood Forest on the trail of Robin Hood. One of the highlights was visiting a group of prehistoric caves (Creswell Scrags) where they hve recently discovered the first prehistoric (caveman) cave art in the UK - we were really lucky to get on a tour at the last minute to see it very upclose and personal. 15,000 year old cave art of bison, birds, and deer! Awesome. Another highlight was the open air concert Boogie Nights in the Park, a retro event of 80' and 90's acts in a park next to Ely Cathedral, which included a performance by none other than Bananarama (Andy was (as we say here) well chuffed).
Next we're off to Cornwall to spend a few days there with Andy's mum and dad, and some more time with friends and family. Before that (tomorrow) we're off to a Tudor festival! So getting a lot of culture too.
Having a good time and it is very nice to be back in the summer. All the work is getting finished up at the house while we're away and while we've had quite a bit of interest, no offers just yet. Missing Colorado of course - more so as Helen and Pete are dogsitting an energetic and sweet german shepherd at the moment.
More soon.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Boston, Reykjavik, and Beyond
Here we are in Boston after a brilliant time exploring the city! We are on our way to Reykjavik, Iceland before ending up back in England for a visit with family and friends there. Boston is lovely, and we are looking forward to exploring Reykjavik and surrounds.
Our plan continues as last posted. Our house is once again up for sale so that we can downsize to a condo and make our 'snowbird' life more manageable. We have both applied for (and Andy has recieved) our Hawaii licenses, so that will be a 'go' for later this year. The majority of our time has been spent preparing for this trip and, even more so, getting organized to move house and head for Hawaii... some home repairs and lots of upkeep so it is 'pristine' as advertised.
We will, of course, post news from our trip at some time in the not-to-far-away future, but, for now, we simply continue with what we believe to be a very exciting lifestyle change!
Our plan continues as last posted. Our house is once again up for sale so that we can downsize to a condo and make our 'snowbird' life more manageable. We have both applied for (and Andy has recieved) our Hawaii licenses, so that will be a 'go' for later this year. The majority of our time has been spent preparing for this trip and, even more so, getting organized to move house and head for Hawaii... some home repairs and lots of upkeep so it is 'pristine' as advertised.
We will, of course, post news from our trip at some time in the not-to-far-away future, but, for now, we simply continue with what we believe to be a very exciting lifestyle change!
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