How quickly things can change. In my last entry I was bummed because the scheduled showing of our condo had been canceled. But, since then, another showing was scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 19th. We were waiting anxiously to hear the 'feedback' from the realtor and low and behold the same realtor has scheduled a second viewing for tomorrow, Dec. 22nd! This could be good! We never would have dreamed that we would get any activity the week of Christmas!
Meanwhile, I don't believe I mentioned that we sold our '96 Lincoln about 3 weeks ago. We now have the Dodge truck as our only vehicle. So far, it hasn't been too inconvenient. Especially on the days I work at Iliff Square Library as it is only a couple miles from home. Dale just drops me at work on the days he might need the truck.
Our trailer is still in the shop awaiting parts to fix the awning. The new tires for it are in so we will be taking the trailer from Camping World directly to the tire shop. After that is done, Dale has a few more things to do while he still has the wood shop here in Heather Gardens available for use. Another step closer!
As Christmas approaches it seems odd for us to be all alone again. This will be the second time in the past few years that Dale and I will spend Christmas day alone. The past two years my sister Marie and her husband, Gerald flew us up to Worland to spend the holidays with them. Unfortunately, I have to work the day after Christmas and did not make plans soon enough to take the day off. :o( But, it could work out that we get to spend the day with some good friends who will find themselves all alone for the first time this year.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Can you spell disappointed? Aurora, CO
Have you ever heard the saying, "All dressed up and no place to go"? Well, that was our condo today. The first and only showing of our place so far was canceled! :o( We were bummed to say the least. Well, it was just not meant to be! It did serve as a kick in the pants to get back on track. We had both let up on sorting, selling and thinning things down to just what we will take in the 5th wheel with us. It'll all happen when we least expect it.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Sometimes you just have to get creative! Aurora, CO
Over this past year Dale and I have been trying to rid ourselves of unnecessary household items in anticipation of moving into our 5th wheel. Consequently, most all of our holiday decorations are gone. In October, when a friend came to visit he commented that all the other residents down our hallway had their fall decorations out by their door and all we had was "that pink thing". It is a large floral arrangement in various shades of pink. It makes me laugh when I think of it. Well, now the Christmas season is upon us and we still have that "pink thing" out by our front door! I have added our "Let is Snow!" wall decoration.
Yesterday, we got a call from the realtor that they have a showing booked for our place on Monday, Dec. 13th. We thought it would be nice to have a little something Christmasy in the house but the only thing I had saved was a shoe box full of ornaments.
We didn't really want to go and buy anything, but, low and behold, the Lord provided. The folks down the hall were getting rid of some things while cleaning out for a move. Guess what? One of items they were tossing out was a cute little 2 foot lighted Christmas tree, some small wooden ornaments and a little red sleigh! We added a few of our ornaments and some candy canes and all of a sudden "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!" Dale used the sleigh to spruce up the dining room table by cutting some pine boughs from the tree outside and added a few gold fruits I had saved from our dining room wreath. We added a couple red candles I still had around and our table looks festive, as well.
So, with a little cleaning and tidying up we are ready and anxious for the first showing of our place tomorrow!
At the Aurora Public Library where I work, we are busy getting ready to shut down the branch. The City of Aurora like a lot of cities around the nation are having financial problems. In November, an iniative was put before the voters that would have increased property taxes. That increase would have created a General Improvement Fund that would have allowed the libraries to remain open. Unfortunately, it failed to pass by a little over 3000 votes. As a result, 4 of our 7 branches will be closing at the end of the year.
I work at one of those branches. A lot of our materials will be distributed to the branches that will remain open but there is too much to be absorbed into the three remaining libraries. This week we began to sell books, VHS movies and audio books on tape for $1.00 each. What a deal for the public. The items are flying out the door!
About one half of the library staff will loose their jobs. Those not being laid off was decided by seniority and position. I am one of the fortunate ones that get to keep my job. In January 2010, I will begin working at the main branch. After working in the smaller libraries it will be a very different enviroment for me. But, I am looking forward to the challenge.
It seems we have been in limbo since we have sold so much of our belongings and put our place on the market. Since we do not have plans to go anywhere for Christmas we are just not into the holiday spirit. All that could change if the folks coming to look at our place like it and want to buy it! That would set us in a tail spin! :o)
Yesterday, we got a call from the realtor that they have a showing booked for our place on Monday, Dec. 13th. We thought it would be nice to have a little something Christmasy in the house but the only thing I had saved was a shoe box full of ornaments.
We didn't really want to go and buy anything, but, low and behold, the Lord provided. The folks down the hall were getting rid of some things while cleaning out for a move. Guess what? One of items they were tossing out was a cute little 2 foot lighted Christmas tree, some small wooden ornaments and a little red sleigh! We added a few of our ornaments and some candy canes and all of a sudden "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!" Dale used the sleigh to spruce up the dining room table by cutting some pine boughs from the tree outside and added a few gold fruits I had saved from our dining room wreath. We added a couple red candles I still had around and our table looks festive, as well.
So, with a little cleaning and tidying up we are ready and anxious for the first showing of our place tomorrow!
At the Aurora Public Library where I work, we are busy getting ready to shut down the branch. The City of Aurora like a lot of cities around the nation are having financial problems. In November, an iniative was put before the voters that would have increased property taxes. That increase would have created a General Improvement Fund that would have allowed the libraries to remain open. Unfortunately, it failed to pass by a little over 3000 votes. As a result, 4 of our 7 branches will be closing at the end of the year.
I work at one of those branches. A lot of our materials will be distributed to the branches that will remain open but there is too much to be absorbed into the three remaining libraries. This week we began to sell books, VHS movies and audio books on tape for $1.00 each. What a deal for the public. The items are flying out the door!
About one half of the library staff will loose their jobs. Those not being laid off was decided by seniority and position. I am one of the fortunate ones that get to keep my job. In January 2010, I will begin working at the main branch. After working in the smaller libraries it will be a very different enviroment for me. But, I am looking forward to the challenge.
It seems we have been in limbo since we have sold so much of our belongings and put our place on the market. Since we do not have plans to go anywhere for Christmas we are just not into the holiday spirit. All that could change if the folks coming to look at our place like it and want to buy it! That would set us in a tail spin! :o)
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Out of touch way too long!
SEPTEMBER
Life seems to be going in slow motion. Marj is recovering from the knee replacement surgery she had on Aug. 7th. Things seem to be going well.
This month we took a drive up to the Mountain States Children's Home in Longmont, CO to deliver 5 quilts that Marj, Dale, Ken and Donna collectively made in the past few months. This is the second delivery we have made to them. The four of us have made several quilts for the kids at the Home.
Photo: Marj, 2 ladies that work in the office and a new student to MSCH holding one of the quilts Marj made. This little gal is one of the younger students. Most children that come to live at MSCH are in their teens.
Mountain States takes in children in crisis. They have a 155 acre farm with several homes where house parents watch over and guide the students until they can return home to their families. While there at Mountain States, the kids not only experience stability but are taught the love of Jesus. When they come to the Home, most of the students are one to several years behind their peers in their education. But, with the help of the "one room school house / home school" enviroment many gain confidence, catch up quickly and are able to return to the public school system in the area.
A lot of times when the child arrives they have nothing but the clothes on their back. The Home likes to issue each child their own homemade quilt that is theirs to use and take with them when they leave. We contribute the lap quilts in hopes that it will be a warm and lasting memory of the time they spent among Christians at the Mountain States Children's Home.
With Marj "on the mend" we took the opportunity to take our 5th wheel out for our "maiden voyage" the last week before Marj had to return to work. Since it was our first time to actually camp in it and we were not sure if everything worked properly , we choose to go to Cherry Creek State Park, just a short distance from where we live. Not to mention, we have lived here 9 years and had never visited the park! We had a great time and fortunately did not run into too many unexpected problems. Dale was surprised to find a leak under the kitchen sink.
The previous owners had replaced the faucet and much to our dismay it needed a little fixing. So, the benefit of staying close to home, we made a run to Ace Hardware and were back to the park in no time. The weather cooperated with sunny days but our first night had us waking up to a very chilly morning. Fortunately, we found the heater works great! Since it was the end of the season we have not had the chance to go again but are looking forward to it as soon as the weather breaks. That is unless we sell our condo. Then we will move into the RV and head south!
NOVEMBER
Good news! After 1 year on the market, we have finally sold the one-bedroom apartment we bought several years ago as a rental. All things considered, we have been very fortunate to have some great tenants but with wanting to live in our 5th wheel and travel, we would like to be debt free. We signed the closing papers early in the month and are very glad to be one step closer to our goal of leaving Denver.
About the same time, we also listed the place we currently live in. Dale and Marj have always been "do it yourselfers" so listing with a realtor really goes against our nature. But, we live in a condo in a secure building with rules that make it very difficult sometimes. Like, not putting up any kind of signage. However, the "rules" are the very thing that make Heather Gardens a very desirable place to live. With the approaching holidays, timing was not on our side. It is a real challenge to keep every room neat and tidy and ready to show everyday. We really don't look for our place to sell before spring but we are leaving it up to God to send just the right buyer at just the right time.
November 19th we flew to Sacramento where we enjoyed a wonderful week with our youngest daughter, Amy and her family. Because Amy's house is quite full, there was no room for us to stay there. But Amy made arrangements for us to stay with their dear friend Cynthia. What a blessing to meet that lovely lady. She was so gracious and hospitable. Each day, we would go over to Amy's and spend time with the grandkids. It was so fun to see little Sammy take his first steps and to hear Grace read! Little Noraa was quite the helper when Grandpa did a couple little "fix-it jobs". And oh, how they love books! We loved all the hugs and snuggles we got while we read oh so many books over the course of the week.
We also drove the 40 miles down to Stockton a couple times to visit with Dale's mom and sister. Dale's niece, Heather, surprised us by joining us. She and her three children were there to share in the great lunch Lois fixed. We also shared some special time with just Mom catching up with her and exchanging stories of our aches and pains. :o)
Photo: Dale's mom, Jerry showing Marj her new knitting loom.
The day after our lovely Thanksgiving dinner at Amy's, we all went downtown to Old Sacramento along the river. You can see from the photo that the day started a bit chilly but soon the sun came out and it turned out to be a sunny California day!
Photo: Amy, Aaron, Noraa, Grace and Sammy.
We all walked around enjoying a step back in time. Old Sac has many restored buildings that have been turned into gift shops and food vendors. We loved seeing the boats, trains and horse drawn carriages. We had a great clam chowder lunch at Joe's Crab Shack at the riverside and had a treat watching the draw bridge go up to let a pirate ship go through. It docked right by the restauant to let its passengers out.
From there, we said our goodbyes and we returned to the airport to turn in our rental car and fly home to Denver. A good time was had by all. Thank you Amy and Aaron for a great stay!
DECEMBER 7TH
Meanwhile, Dale continues to get our "little rolling house" outfitted for the road. He has several routine maintenance jobs to do as well as purchase new tires. Because the tires are so important for safety, he has spent countless hours researching the kind we need. He has finally found a local tire shop that can order and install the tires for us. Currently, the 5er has been in the hands of an RV shop getting some "recall" work done. They are finally done and then we will be taking it to Camping World to completed the rest of his check list. :o)
Life seems to be going in slow motion. Marj is recovering from the knee replacement surgery she had on Aug. 7th. Things seem to be going well.
This month we took a drive up to the Mountain States Children's Home in Longmont, CO to deliver 5 quilts that Marj, Dale, Ken and Donna collectively made in the past few months. This is the second delivery we have made to them. The four of us have made several quilts for the kids at the Home.
Photo: Marj, 2 ladies that work in the office and a new student to MSCH holding one of the quilts Marj made. This little gal is one of the younger students. Most children that come to live at MSCH are in their teens.
A lot of times when the child arrives they have nothing but the clothes on their back. The Home likes to issue each child their own homemade quilt that is theirs to use and take with them when they leave. We contribute the lap quilts in hopes that it will be a warm and lasting memory of the time they spent among Christians at the Mountain States Children's Home.
With Marj "on the mend" we took the opportunity to take our 5th wheel out for our "maiden voyage" the last week before Marj had to return to work. Since it was our first time to actually camp in it and we were not sure if everything worked properly , we choose to go to Cherry Creek State Park, just a short distance from where we live. Not to mention, we have lived here 9 years and had never visited the park! We had a great time and fortunately did not run into too many unexpected problems. Dale was surprised to find a leak under the kitchen sink.
The previous owners had replaced the faucet and much to our dismay it needed a little fixing. So, the benefit of staying close to home, we made a run to Ace Hardware and were back to the park in no time. The weather cooperated with sunny days but our first night had us waking up to a very chilly morning. Fortunately, we found the heater works great! Since it was the end of the season we have not had the chance to go again but are looking forward to it as soon as the weather breaks. That is unless we sell our condo. Then we will move into the RV and head south!OCTOBER
We received notice this month that Dale's Social Security Disability was approved. Now, that does not lessen the pain or make it go away but it is a relief that we no longer need to worry about having some sort of income. It has been over 3 1/2 years since the surgery so we were very relieved that he was approved.
NOVEMBER
Good news! After 1 year on the market, we have finally sold the one-bedroom apartment we bought several years ago as a rental. All things considered, we have been very fortunate to have some great tenants but with wanting to live in our 5th wheel and travel, we would like to be debt free. We signed the closing papers early in the month and are very glad to be one step closer to our goal of leaving Denver.
About the same time, we also listed the place we currently live in. Dale and Marj have always been "do it yourselfers" so listing with a realtor really goes against our nature. But, we live in a condo in a secure building with rules that make it very difficult sometimes. Like, not putting up any kind of signage. However, the "rules" are the very thing that make Heather Gardens a very desirable place to live. With the approaching holidays, timing was not on our side. It is a real challenge to keep every room neat and tidy and ready to show everyday. We really don't look for our place to sell before spring but we are leaving it up to God to send just the right buyer at just the right time.
November 19th we flew to Sacramento where we enjoyed a wonderful week with our youngest daughter, Amy and her family. Because Amy's house is quite full, there was no room for us to stay there. But Amy made arrangements for us to stay with their dear friend Cynthia. What a blessing to meet that lovely lady. She was so gracious and hospitable. Each day, we would go over to Amy's and spend time with the grandkids. It was so fun to see little Sammy take his first steps and to hear Grace read! Little Noraa was quite the helper when Grandpa did a couple little "fix-it jobs". And oh, how they love books! We loved all the hugs and snuggles we got while we read oh so many books over the course of the week.
Photo: Dale's mom, Jerry showing Marj her new knitting loom.
The day after our lovely Thanksgiving dinner at Amy's, we all went downtown to Old Sacramento along the river. You can see from the photo that the day started a bit chilly but soon the sun came out and it turned out to be a sunny California day!
Photo: Amy, Aaron, Noraa, Grace and Sammy.
We all walked around enjoying a step back in time. Old Sac has many restored buildings that have been turned into gift shops and food vendors. We loved seeing the boats, trains and horse drawn carriages. We had a great clam chowder lunch at Joe's Crab Shack at the riverside and had a treat watching the draw bridge go up to let a pirate ship go through. It docked right by the restauant to let its passengers out.
From there, we said our goodbyes and we returned to the airport to turn in our rental car and fly home to Denver. A good time was had by all. Thank you Amy and Aaron for a great stay!
DECEMBER 7TH
Meanwhile, Dale continues to get our "little rolling house" outfitted for the road. He has several routine maintenance jobs to do as well as purchase new tires. Because the tires are so important for safety, he has spent countless hours researching the kind we need. He has finally found a local tire shop that can order and install the tires for us. Currently, the 5er has been in the hands of an RV shop getting some "recall" work done. They are finally done and then we will be taking it to Camping World to completed the rest of his check list. :o)
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