Okay, as I said on facebook, I’ve been pathetic. I want to fill you all in and let you know what’s going on…and though I wonder if anyone still pops by, at least it’s here if they do.
At this point there is about a 90% chance that we’re moving. Florida or Texas are the main goal right now, but it’s looking more like Florida because the housing market is so reasonable. And, moreso, the job market is much better.
Things here in the Midwest aren’t doing so well. Unemployment is some of the highest in the country, stores sit empty, people are standing on streetcorners with signs willing to work for food, or, more likely, willing to take what you’ll give them because they look pathetic. (Don’t get me started, I don’t have much good to say about that kind of thing.)
Anyway, point being, I have been spending every spare moment getting this house ready to put on the market. I’ve always been a bit of an HGTV addict…and the people at Lowes know us by our names (which cracks me up!) so this is both exhausting and a whole lot of fun for me. It’s like I’m re-doing a whole other house for a client, and I get to live there!
The yard posed the biggest obstacle. Here in the “badlands” of Fort Wayne, they scraped every bit of top soil off to make our lovely little community. And they left us with nothing but clay. This, being the dryest part of the summer, has left everything embedded in a soil resembling concrete. Most of my beds have been reworked with topsoil and mulch, but out back, behind the fence, it’s just clay…dry clay. Pottery holding the plants. woohoo.
I shot this last week out my studio window. It's days like that that make me sad I'm leaving. Indiana has been home to me on and off many times over the years. It's beautiful in so many ways. Harvest time is coming, and the country side will be at it's most beautiful. It will make it even harder to leave, I'm sure.
Inside we’ve repainted most everything…if it hasn’t been done it will be. And I’m purging my world of clutter. That’s good right? Well most of the clutter comes from pieces of my life over the past 30 or so years. I still have drawings and photos that I did in college. I have books I bought for college…and every year since. My library is either going to love me or hate me when I show up with 10 or so boxes to donate.
That’s only my studio…I also have a 13 year old…and 13 years of saved memories…not to mention things I saved from my Grandmothers homes. It’s kind of funny really, when you do this, what you realize about yourself and what you find important. (I own about 6 pieces of jewelry but drawers and drawers full of antique bed and table linens…) Barry’s giving some kind of workshop this summer making art with this kind of stuff…I can’t even imagine how cool that must be!
But anyway, I’m rambling. It’s been so long since I’ve written that it feels pretty good. (All this alone time has been wonderful meditation really, I’ve come up with a couple of ideas for short stories…how funny is that!)
Okay, I’m done for now. You can always reach me through flickr or facebook if you need anything at all. I’ve been very absent, but now you know why. I hope you all are having an amazing summer, and that all those daydreams are coming true!!
smooches all around!!!
xoxoxo
