Sticks and Stones . . . But Mostly Sticks

I love my new house. It's the perfect size and is graced with two large trees, one in front and one in back. They provide shade, soothing sound effects when there's a breeze, and an acrobatic facility for the neighborhood squirrels.

And since it's spring in Texas, they are also providing a multitude of work. Good thing (work with me -- I'm making lemonade here!!) I'm unemployed at the moment and have time for all of this. The spring storms bring green grass, flowering plants, and a multitude of sticks and other debris from the trees.

I tackled this particular chore with logic and a deadline. Since I am a new homeowner, I have a plethora of boxes that need to be unpacked and it's all too easy to flit from one job to another and not accomplish much of anything. I am methodically taking one room at a time and arranging it to my satisfaction. True to my blog, the kitchen was the first room. I love it. It's smaller than my old one but compactly arranged so that I don't have to take more than one or two steps to move from task to task.

As for the do-it-yourself bonfire kit that the trees generously deposited in my front yard, backyard and -- just so it wouldn't feel neglected -- the pool, I allotted one hour for the front yard and one hour for the backyard and pool to see how much I could get done. (See results above.) That made the chore less onerous because I could count down until my time was up, and I accomplished a lot!

So far, after living in the house for one week and two days, we've had all sorts of home ownership type drama: no hot water (I set up an account with the gas company in advance of the move but used the wrong address); no functioning pool equipment (so far I've had to purchase a pool motor and a filter may be next); and no air conditioning (old, jammed-in filter caused the pipes to freeze). However, this is MY house and I'm loving every minute of it . . . well, maybe not the cold showers.

On the PLUS side, I love the neighborhood. It is older and graceful, with a nice mix of younger folk and retirees. I have beautiful green lizards in my yard, which remind me of my childhood in St. Croix. And the previous owners landscaped so that a new riot of flowers appears as spring meanders toward summer. It's beautiful -- scares me a little bit, though, because gardening is NOT my strong point, but perhaps I will develop an affinity for it.

Changes

King Whitney Jr. once said: "Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better."

That's okay -- I don't know who King Whitney Jr. is either . . . but it's a good quote.

In the space of seven days in March, my divorce was finalized (March 15), I closed on my new house (March 21) and I got laid off (March 22). The last was not totally unexpected but pretty horrible timing. I look on all of it as a chance for new adventures. Of course, I'm actively searching for a new job, and I have a few possibilities. I'm moving into the new house this coming weekend.

Since I'm unemployed, I have new challenges to face (besides paying the mortgage). Originally, I thought the old house would be sold by now and I'd have half of the profits to furnish my new house comfortably. Unfortunately, thanks to the economy, that hasn't happened, so in addition to unemployment and a new house, I still have my half of the bills for the old house to keep up with.

As I look around at what I will be moving to the new house, it's easy to think I'll need this or that or I MUST buy this, but I've started a new game with myself: my goal is to spend NOTHING on furnishing the new house but make do with what I have. I have a lot of my parents' things (pots & pans, miscellaneous side and kitchen tables) that have been stored in the garage. I have a double bed that was in the guest room and that I will use for myself until I can afford a queen size bed. I have an inflatable bed that can be put in the guest room. I can use a laundromat until I can afford a washer/dryer, or, if I can afford a washer, I can dry clothes the old-fashioned way -- on a clothesline. (They smell better that way, anyway.)

I may not be able to afford wine for a while, but my cooking is going to get creative and, hopefully, even healthier. So join me in my new adventure, and let's see where it leads!