Caught Up In a Whirlwind...

Monday, May 24th, the decision to make an offer on the home in Georgetown was firm for Claude and me. We had the morning to work on cleaning and clearing out our home to show. Claude cut the grass on the top of the hill. The hill and the flat would have to wait for Tuesday. 

In the afternoon we headed to Georgetown. Our first stop was Central Bank to meet with Kim Marshall. Wendell, our realtor, set up this meeting with Kim. Once we sell our home we will have most of the money to pay for a new home. We will also have enough in savings to cover the difference. To get to closing though, we need a guarantee of a loan amount to qualify for buying the home. Kim would get that ball rolling for us. She is someone we know and trust ourselves. She suggested the best move for us in this regard and gave us the name of the girl who will handle processing the loan. The process to get us to closing will take about four weeks. The end result will be us in a new home and the mortgage on it paid off within that next month. Kim sent a letter of prequalification on Monday evening so that Wendell can confidently make the offer on the home in Georgetown on Wednesday. The realtor/owner of the Georgetown home will not look at any offers or make any decision on any offer until Wednesday. This gives us a couple more days to get the house in Sadieville set-to-show. 

After our Central Bank visit, we dropped a treat for Papa and filled the birdfeeder. We didn't walk this day because of my still very bad knee. We left things at the Goodwill again and some other errands. Got us some dinner and then back to Sadieville to work on cleaning and clearing our home.

Tuesday, May 25th, Wendell was out to Sadieville to meet with us at 9am. We would sign some papers needed to make an offer on the house in Georgetown and also to sell our home in Sadieville. 

After Wendell left, Claude went to work cutting grass on the hill and on the flat. He came in with a red welt on his lip. A branch hit him cutting the hill. This will soon be over for him. 

I took Papa for his Tuesday afternoon drive. I stopped first with a load for Goodwill, then on to the nursing home for Papa. We drove Ironworks Pike east to Hwy 57. We followed 57 across to Hwy 36 where we turned back west through Carlisle and picked up Hwy 68. At Paris we took Hwy 460 back to Georgetown. Took almost exactly two hours. So good to get Papa out and about a little bit. 

The evening was spent cleaning and clearing. 

Wednesday, May 26th, was a day of many blessings. Our Nissa had a concerning mammogram. They did further testing and determined she should have a biopsy. That was done on Wednesday. It went well and she was told she would probably have the results by Friday. 

We received a call from Wendell, our offer was accepted on the Georgetown home. Claude and I were over-the-moon happy. We really feel like we can make this home what we need for this next phase of our lives. We celebrated with a trip to Georgetown for dinner at Zaxby's, a Dairy Queen run for dessert and a drive back to our soon-to-be new home. I took these pictures of the front of the home and then a view of the Church from our front yard. Very close to the Church.

Back to Sadieville so I could spend my evening baking lots and lots of brownies. I volunteered to provide dessert for the Gathering Place, a men's shelter in Georgetown, that our congregation provides lunch for the last Friday of every month. Finished all the brownies by midnight. As I could, I returned to the basement to finish cleaning up for our house in Sadieville to hit the market.

Thursday, May 27th, we did a late breakfast drive to Hardee's. We sat on the front porch with our biscuits and sodas waiting for the arrival of our realtor. I enjoyed my first siting of cicadas this go round. We are to have a big cicada event across the country this year. So far, I have seen one but I think one hit the windshield of Claude's car later in the week. 

Wendell and his sweet wife, Vicky, came at about 11am to put the For Sale sign in the yard and take pictures of the inside and outside of our home for the listing. 

After they left, I went to the post office to mail two packages. I was amazed to find that a neighbor down the street just put their home on the market as well. They own the original farm house for the area that is now Eagle Bend. The neighbor across the street also has her home for sell. She is moving for a new job in another state. It gave me some concern. I also saw a neighbor outside and stopped to let her know our home just went on the market. She shared that the neighbors next to her were now separated and would put their home up for sell later in the summer. Goodness. What would this mean for Claude and I trying to sell our home? The farmhouse is priced a little higher than ours. I spoke with Wendell later who called to say we had a showing of our home at 5pm. He told me that it was a good thing as to have multiple homes for sale. It will bring more buyers to the neighborhood and that is a good thing. I assured Wendell we would be gone before 5pm and out for the rest of the evening.

Thursday evening, Oldham County High School's Spring Band Concert would be held in the gym. We were invited to watch Hayden perform. It was a welcome change of pace. We drove to Frankfort and got a burger. Then on the LaGrange. The concert was long but for very good reasons. The band program at OCMS and OCHS is superb. The kids learn to play high school level music in middle school in their first year or two. They always have top scores at the KMEA competition each year. This year, because of the pandemic, they did not hold the KMEA competition as usual. The kids in each of the types of bands and orchestras had no public performances all year. Add to that, Mr. Rogers, the high school band teacher for the past 35 years, retires this year. So, there was a lot of pent up need to perform by the students and a tender need by a loving band teacher to enjoy his last concert with the kids. This made the evening longer than our normal concerts. But it was fun to hear all the kids had to offer. Some unique things and some old favorites. 

Hayden first performed with the Tuba & Euphonium Ensemble. Because of social distancing, they did some very creative band things. The kids that play tuba and euphonium (Hayden plays euphonium) taped a performance with this small group sitting far apart and submitted it to KMEA. Thursday night, the Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble played three numbers. After their performance, a representative from KMEA gave them a plaque for first place in their submission. Way cool. Hayden was the best one on his row. Hayden is the young man with the orange shirt on.

There were a number of different groups that played from the jazz band to percussion groups. The end of the concert was all numbers with the Symphonic Bands. The music is top quality and very enjoyable to listen to. Again Hayden is in the orange shirt.

The band students and band supporters gave Mr. Rogers some gifts of appreciation for all his had done for the students and music at Oldham County High School over the past 35 years. They also gave Pat, Brad Rogers wife, a bouquet of flowers.

We drove back to Sadieville under an enormous blood moon arriving home about midnight. 

As we drove, Claude made this comment, "Our tiredness indicates the importance of making this move now." We really are at a point where simplifying our lives is a very good thing.

Friday, May 28th, Claude called for me to get my camera. I think it is really cute when he finds something he knows I would like to take a picture of and yells for me to get my camera. I did get my camera and we found a gaggle of geese on the lot next door.

Wendell was at our front door at 9am. He had contacted a handyman to fix the front door. It sticks. Always has. We have blamed it on the fact is faces west and gets the hottest afternoon sun. The handyman fixed the door so it won't stick. Claude paid him and got his information to help us after we have our home inspection for the buyers of our Sadieville home. 

Then we beat it like a bat out of hades for Lexington for a meeting with Strategic Wealth Design. It went well and pointed us in the direction of our next step in turning on the IRA's as we reach that age. 

We stopped at the Recycling Center in Georgetown. Then the Gathering Place to leave brownies for their lunch as well as some shirts and toiletries. Then to the nursing home to give Papa is treat and fill that birdfeeder. We noticed that Frank's donuts was open so we treated ourselves to donuts. 

During all of this driving, we heard from Nissa. Another great blessing. Her biopsy showed the concern with her breast was benign. Nissa does not have breast cancer. Hallelujah!!

We went back to Sadieville until time to meet the home inspector in Georgetown. As we entered Eagle Bend, the geese were out on the street again. However, I wanted to stop anyway to get a picture of the next phase on the new home being built in Eagle Bend. This is the main level they are putting on the home. It's looking good. 

Back to the Georgetown home at 4pm to meet with the home inspector. Wendell was there with him. The home inspector shared only a few items he suggested we ask be taken care of as well as a few we should watch when we are home owners. We stayed after he left to take measurements of some things in the house to allow us to plan where to place furniture, what furniture we can't bring, what size blinds we need to purchase, etc. It was good to see the inside of the house again.

While we were in Georgetown, there were two more showings of our Sadieville home. One at 5pm and one at 7pm. Wendell also got a call from a potential buyer leaving Arizona or New Mexico, can't remember which. This couple had a grandson that lives with them. They have seen pictures of our home, know what the market it like, believe they could make an apartment for their son in the basement and them live upstairs. They made a full price offer with a need to know by 8pm Friday before they left for Lexington. Wendell called us and explained the situation. We were sitting in the Lowe's parking lot about to go in to check on blinds for the Georgetown home. We agreed to sell to them. So, we had a buyer for our home that should go through easily. They will drive to Lexington and be here on Tuesday. We'll need to let them have the opportunity that day to go through the house. They want to close as early as possible. We may actually get to move from this home directly to the new home without having to store our belongings or rent some place for a while. 

Saturday, May 29th, we actually had a day at home all day long. It was a bit colder than normal. We stayed inside all day and tackled cleaning and clearing some more. 

Sunday, May 30th, has been a good day so far. We enjoyed Zoom Church, did our reading and studying. It was good to focus on something other than buying and selling homes for a bit. Claude is taking his nap. I am getting my Blog caught up and sending a few eMails. I am trying to clear out one more file drawer full of Papa's genealogy items. So much that can be cleared so we don't take things we can't use in the new home. Claude plans to make us pizza for dinner. Yum.

Yep, this has been one whirlwind week. Lots of emotions this week. It will be nice to get this process complete. We feel the hand of the Lord in helping us along through this adventure. We feel his blessings in so many ways. That keeps us going.