Whirlwind here of packing, purging, yard sales, donating, etc. We were fortunate to spend 4 hours last Saturday evening with the current owners of our new house. They wanted to get together to talk about gardens and house information, give us the book with all the info on the maintenance and gardens, and ask us about a few things they thought we might like them to leave behind. Yes, of course I want the frame for the cage that covers the blueberries and keeps the birds away! They are the nicest people and have taken such great care of the property for the last 27 years. I only hope we can do the same.
Our youngest was happy she finally got to see inside the house and was able to walk the grounds. She loves the little bridge over the stream. I was hoping there was an area where I would be able to plant milkweed for a butterfly habitat; but I don't need to. The upper end of the stream has a nice stand of milkweed and other plants for butterflies! The soil in the current veggie garden is beautiful black loam. But I need to remove/move some raspberry bushes. I already have a barter arrangement to get some elderberries for some fall gold raspberries.
We met the neighbors across the street also. The wife was born in our new house before it was moved to its current location in 1939. She confirmed that the front room with the corner cupboard was the original cabin that was moved from down the road. She was 8 years old when it was moved so I am hoping she knows where it stood before the move. The neighbors built their house across the street from her parents. And when her parents died the house was sold to the current owners. We will only be the third owners since 1939.
The paperwork is progressing as well. Insurances have been confirmed, appointments made, and forms getting faxed and emailed. So much paperwork to buy a house. Things sure have changed in 29 years!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
36 days and counting
We've been waiting and waiting for word on the appraisal. With home prices falling the way they have been we were worried that the appraisal would come in lower than the sale price. But, thankfully, the appraisal came in $1000 higher than the sales price.
I think the bank has every piece of information on us, the new house, our old house, our jobs, our bank accounts, our homeowner's insurance, etc. I'm not sure there is anything left they don't know, well maybe the size of my underwear.
And the packing continues. The yard sale pile keeps growing. And the old house is starting to look emptier. I pulled my peas in the garden and I think I will just plant a cover crop. It's starting to feel like this may really happen!
I think the bank has every piece of information on us, the new house, our old house, our jobs, our bank accounts, our homeowner's insurance, etc. I'm not sure there is anything left they don't know, well maybe the size of my underwear.
And the packing continues. The yard sale pile keeps growing. And the old house is starting to look emptier. I pulled my peas in the garden and I think I will just plant a cover crop. It's starting to feel like this may really happen!
Monday, July 2, 2012
Purging and cleaning
Wow, how much stuff can one family of 6 accumulate in 29 years? TONS!!! I feel like I have been going through stuff for ages. We have already donated a bunch and taken a van load to our friends' barn, where we will be having a yard sale. And I have another pile of boxes and multiple chairs to take over as well, with more to go through. This month we'll be going to an 18th century event and I will be bringing along 10 boxes and 3 large bags of 18th c. clothing, asst fabric, books, magazines, etc of interest to the 18th c. crowd. I go through an area and box up a bunch of things to get rid of then go back again in a few days and whittle the remaining items down even further. I am starting to see some progress. Just don't come over and expect to see the living room floor.
We need to look for a realtor (anyone know a good one or have tips on how to find a good one?) so I need to get some order to this chaos. In the midst of going through all our stuff cleaning has taken a back seat, not that I cared that much about cleaning anyway ;) But I figure I should at least clean the bathrooms. The downstairs bathroom was disgusting! My husband and son are the only ones who use that bathroom and I think they are both shedding! There was hair everywhere! This bathroom has a tub/shower unit that I hate to clean. The floor has a rough finish that is impossible to keep clean. I have used many different products in an attempt to clean it all to no avail. But I've finally found something that works great. Vinegar and baking soda! I infused my white vinegar with orange peels so the smell is quite pleasant, not vinegary at all. A stiff scrub brush and I have removed scum and stains that have resisted my attempts for years. And everything is so white! And I don't need ventilation to clean the bathroom. I put my infused vinegar in a spray bottle and baking soda in an old parmesan cheese container. After the area to be cleaned is wet I sprinkle baking soda on it and go away for a few minutes. Then I spray the area with vinegar and scrub with the brush. It works especially well on the hard water deposits on my faucets. It even works in the toilet, if it's not too dirty. I wish I had known about this when my kids were little and they wanted to help clean, no harsh chemicals/fumes to harm them.
So now I keep my containers of baking soda and vinegar, along with an assortment of brushes in various sizes, in an old shower caddy and I'm ready to go.
We need to look for a realtor (anyone know a good one or have tips on how to find a good one?) so I need to get some order to this chaos. In the midst of going through all our stuff cleaning has taken a back seat, not that I cared that much about cleaning anyway ;) But I figure I should at least clean the bathrooms. The downstairs bathroom was disgusting! My husband and son are the only ones who use that bathroom and I think they are both shedding! There was hair everywhere! This bathroom has a tub/shower unit that I hate to clean. The floor has a rough finish that is impossible to keep clean. I have used many different products in an attempt to clean it all to no avail. But I've finally found something that works great. Vinegar and baking soda! I infused my white vinegar with orange peels so the smell is quite pleasant, not vinegary at all. A stiff scrub brush and I have removed scum and stains that have resisted my attempts for years. And everything is so white! And I don't need ventilation to clean the bathroom. I put my infused vinegar in a spray bottle and baking soda in an old parmesan cheese container. After the area to be cleaned is wet I sprinkle baking soda on it and go away for a few minutes. Then I spray the area with vinegar and scrub with the brush. It works especially well on the hard water deposits on my faucets. It even works in the toilet, if it's not too dirty. I wish I had known about this when my kids were little and they wanted to help clean, no harsh chemicals/fumes to harm them.
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