I have a new blog

My new blog is titled A California Girl Meets the Bootheel and can be found at

http://californiakickinit.blogspot.com

Taking A Break

I'm taking a break.  It's all about moving now.  I'm also setting up a new blog to reflect this huge change in my life. When it's ready, I'll post one last time here to point you, my friends, in the right direction.  This house is our new beginning.

Divine Mercy

Haiku My Heart

Musing on moving

I entered into this home selling adventure with high expectations.  The market was strong. Our house, though 38 years old, was well-maintained.  The price was below market value

Buying low and selling high is every home owner's dream.  Equity. That magic word that promises so much.  In our case, it promised a 20% down payment on our next home.  It ensured the payment of two credit card bills.  It promised seed money to get us started on our new adventure in living in Missouri.

Buy low, sell high is a big dream and for a moment, just a short moment, I thought it was ours.  Six weeks later, I am seeing things very differently.

For the last four weeks, I have been discouraged, depressed, frozen in place, and struggling to keep the faith that we are going in the right direction, that God has our back.  Then a few days ago, I found this:

I was immediately struck by a sense of lightness and comfort.  The weight of darkness, that had been bearing down on me, started to lift. The words were so honest and true.  I had absolutely no control over how quickly our home would sell.  I had absolutely no control over the "perfect world" scenario I had written that would have seen us moving by June 1st.  All the little details, that seemed so necessary for success, were suddenly only possibilities and options; they were choices, just choices.    I was being reminded very clearly that living in the here and now was the only way we would get through this big life change.  And when I let go of the hope, the desire, everything changed.

Yesterday we received an offer on our house.  It was low, far too low.  The offered was made by a house flipper so when we countered, we had no expectation of success.  And, we were unsuccessful, as expected.  A house flipper isn't looking for a home. He is looking for an investment. He has no vested interest in our house and unlimited choices available to him.  Strike one.

Today we have two possibilities; no offers yet but some definite interest.  One couple needs to sells their home.  The other couple simply appears to be very interested.  They live in the country and they are moving into town.  Maybe they are downsizing.  So perhaps tomorrow will present us with some happy news.  It would be a sweet moment of timing if it did because tomorrow is Matteo's 1st birthday.  Last year we received the gift of a second grandson.  This year perhaps we will receive the gift of a new future.

His time, not mine

When it comes to selling our house, I believe this is what we need to keep in mind.  We have been on the market for 5 weeks and nothing.  So stressful. I have St. Joseph on speed dial. I pray throughout the day. I know God hears my prayers but he is taking His time. He has a reason but it isn't known to me, not yet anyway.

It's a rollercoaster

Feeling prayerful and hopeful today. Selling a home is such an emotional rollercoaster. I never know how I will feel when I wake up in the morning.

Right place. Right time.

Yellow reflection.

Yellow car.

Yellow signage.

Oh happy Spring day,

timing is everything.

Reflections and Shadows

Even sitting in the light
Darkness come in many colors.
Stained colors spill
Offer me comfort as they
Lay waste to the shell
That encased me.

Musing on moving

Was feeling restless today. Waiting for the phone to ring is like a level of purgatory when you are selling your home.
You wait. You schedule a visit. You pray that this will be the ONE.

I couldn't stand it anymore and headed downtown to visit with friend, Dana, at her sweet design shop, @emporium228.  So much to love there. Her painted furniture gives grand new life to otherwise unloved furniture that in another time would be broken up for kindling. Anyway, distraction accomplished.

Tension

My half empty glass

Bright sunshine cannot enter

High anxiety

Haiku My Heart

Winter's stillness froze
Then melted into Springtime
Summer burnt, Fall shook

Leafy carpet spread
Protective covering rug
Cycle starts again

Moving Lesson

One of the lessons you learn when going through the process of moving is just how little you need in order to live comfortably. For a collector like me this can be a jarring lesson.  I find myself very comfortable living in our scaled down home. Collections are packed. Books are few, well, relatively few, that is. And, adding to my collections has come to an almost screeching halt. Notice. I did say almost.

Some things you just can't say no to and so it was that I found these charming cups that are future homes for succulents.  These thrift store finds cost less than $2. However . . .

On the other end of the cost spectrum are the milagros cross and milagros/Divine Mercy frame I found at Digs, my favorite treasure store in my soon to be former home of Turlock. Like I said, here are some things I just can't say no to.

I love Mexican motifs and growing up in Southern California, it's pretty hard to miss this imprint. Our near future home will be filled with splashes of Mexican art, Oaxacan birds, milagros, mid-century planters, and other folk art. All will have pride of place in our Missouri home.

We were at our usual Sunday evening watering hole last night and Don's weekly dessert treat came dressed with two cherries.  Since Don will never, ever share his ice cream sundae cherries, Grizzly Rock owner and friend, Gayle brought me two. I was so excited, I ate one immediately, so, only one made it into the appearance here.

Announcing . . .

There will be a lot of Tennessee in my future after June 1st so I just looked up Starbucks locations in that state. The only ones in TN are all in the Nashville area. How weird is that?  

I also just checked for the closest Starbucks to Caruthersville, MO - north in Cape Girardeau, MO it's 1 hr. 19 minutes away; south to Jonesboro, AR, it is 1 hr. 26 minutes away.  It looks like Starbucks is not going to be an everyday opportunity in my not too near future.  Oh, yes. Did I mention it?  We are moving. We are leaving California.  More about this soon.

Sunday morning, later on

Starbucks has two super cute cups to celebrate Spring. Green is for tall orders. The pretty blue, for Grande orders, is still to be collected.

I have a pile of 📚 for reading. Doesn't everyone?? Anyway, this little Halloween themed mystery finally made it to the top, in the Spring.  So, never one to shy away from an oddball match, I enjoyed the humor of a slashed Jack-o-lantern and a friendly springtime smile.

#valeriewolzien #halloweenmysteries #starbucks

Sunday Morning Musings

There are times when, like Delly, I wish I could curl up in a soft and comfortable place and just hide until the storm passes. Then I remember that I'm human and I have a better option. I can be strong and fearless and filled with faith that my needs will be supplied.  I do my work and God does His and all will be well.

#godhasaplan #havefaith #iamstrong

Haiku My ❤

Shadows darken truth
Something hidden. Damage done.
Truth will out, always

Haiku My Heart

Emptiness surrounds
Room by room all revealed
Shy hidden spaces

Haiku My Heart - What's Old Is New

Time bends on itself

What goes around comes around

Past repeats. Timeless.