Traveling Life Nearing an End

This is my last week of living the life of a Nomad. At least for the foreseeable future.

Tomorrow I sign papers at the escrow company and the house will officially be mine with possession next Monday. For the time being I will park the Mo in the extra parking area next to the house. I may try to find an electrician who can fix up a plug-in for it, and water would be easy, but sewer is much more challenging. But at least with electric service I can turn lights on and off and take my time cleaning it up. Then I will try much more diligently to sell it or somehow at least get out from under the payments.

It will be so very nice to have a house -- a home -- that is anchored to the ground again. I look forward to just letting Charlie out to play unfettered in the fenced back yard. I can’t wait to begin doing some gardening, and there are so many things I will want to do to make the house my own. Some of it will take time, most of it will take money. I have time; money is more of a challenge, at least while I am making dual payments on the Mo and the house.

I am thrilled to once again have a washer and dryer in my home, a dishwasher, a full-sized refrigerator, a garage and so many other little things that I previously took for granted. If I have learned nothing else on this side trip of my life (Oh, but I have learned so much!!) it is how easily we or at least I forget that the life we have here is an exquisite and much-sought-after luxury for so many people all over the world.

I have done all the little signups for utilities. I may end up getting a basic phone line for local calls, I may end up changing my internet service since the Verizon package I signed up for isn’t as strong or fast or reliable as I’d like it to be. Or I may just keep that for when I am away from home base with my computer. I need to do a forwarding address with the Post Office and let my regular senders (I don’t have very many of those, fortunately) know my new address.

I have a few things to furnish my new home with. Recently I ordered a mattress set from Overstock.com -- first time I’ve used them. It was a great bargain compared to other mattresses I’ve checked out locally. It may take awhile to arrive, though, so I may have to drag the Mo’s mattress into the house temporarily. I also purchased a very lovely wool and silk area rug for the living room. I splurged at a big warehouse sale the other day and bought a Kitchen Aid mixer, something I’ve wanted for a very long time.

I can get my sofa back from my brother, my piano and grandfather clock back from my son, and a few other things he has been storing for me. I think he has some of my pictures and possibly also some of my work clothes -- if he doesn’t, I’m not sure where they ended up! I will probably eventually buy my dining room table back from my brother in Yakima if I can figure out how to get it down here.

But I still need a bed frame and dresser or set of drawers. I need a desk and bookshelf. I must have some way to play my cd’s so I can have music; music is critical for me. I probably will also need to get a microwave -- I’m just too spoiled to not have one -- and a way to play my dvd’s and tapes. I will just bring my TV in from the Mo -- I just bought it in January and only got it hooked up in May. So once I have possession I will probably begin doing some garage or estate sales and see what I can come up with. I don’t want to get too much stuff -- that was part of the idea of winnowing down in the first place -- but I will need a few things, the basics to allow me to be somewhat organized and functional.

So life goes ever onward, the journey has many twists and turns and bends. One of the wonderful surprises I just discovered is that the Franciscan Spiritual Center is less than a mile from my new home. They will be offering a series of talks/retreats/workshops? on the Mystics this fall so I plan to attend as many of those as I can. They will be Friday mornings so I will have my Contemplative prayer at 7, Mass at 8, then from 10 to noon will be studying the Mystics. Life is good.

TravelinLady