Almost “Go Time”

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launch
There are only a few items left to be given away or picked up. The furniture we’ve chosen to keep; his China and glassware, and my art all go into a small climate controlled storage unit… in case we want a house again later.

We have an agreement that in 6 months we are going to take a day and revisit what’s in storage – especially seasonal clothes – and do more clearing. But, not now.

None of this letting-go has been as much of a challenge as turning-in my leased Mini Cooper tomorrow. This will leave me “without my own wheels” for the first time since I was 17. As a fiercely  independent woman, I’ve struggled with this… what does it mean for me, or about me, if it means anything at all? What do you think?

I have decided that, like so much in life, we GIVE meaning (for better or worse) to the events in our lives. It’s not like I’m stranded –  we’ve still got a truck and a motorcycle.
Being able to have this conversation more than once, and many others like it, are the reason I know we can make this move and enjoy it.

They say that the two happiest days of a boat-owner’s life are the day he buys a boat… and the day he sells it! That was how we felt about owning our house.

It’s taken us 24 months to be ready to move into a motor-home – which we will do on Tuesday, July 4th. This will be a memorable Independence Day for us. The movers come the next day to take our things to storage, as do the people from St. Vincent de Paul Society. Did you know that you can donate mattresses in good condition? Neither did we. They are  sanitized and then donated, or sold affordably.

We’ve bought ourselves a few house-warming presents; a spotted cowhide rug, an ottoman with storage inside, (necessary) and some very soft, very artsy pillows to replace my scratchy kilim pillows. And, of course, getting our bar properly set up for guests is of utmost importance. Sure, we could use plastic cups, but how sexy is that?

cocktails
I’ve found the perfect, sturdy, multi-purpose glasses that will serve wine, a salt-rimmed margarita, or a hearty Old Fashioned, fashionably.
Y’all are always welcome to come visit. There will be photos next time, and I hope you will be in one of them.

XO
Donna

Regarding packing

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Helpful Hint #1 –

Always pack your liquor, and your cocktail glasses last.
We did not. (…it would be more accurate to say that I did not.)

This way you will have them to fortify yourself as you pack everything.
And you will know right where they are when you arrive, bedraggled, at your new place and begin the unpacking.

 

Haiku 4

imageHolding on to things
That are not very useful
Purely ornament

We cling to beauty
When there’s more than enough
If we look outside

It’s a poverty
To feel attached in this way
Let go, pass it on

 

Thank you all for reading. I appreciate each and every one of you ~
XO Donna

 

 

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Slow down…

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For five months our house was on the market. We probably picked a bad time, putting it on right before all of the holidays: Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s, but it’s what we did. Finally, the thing we have waited for has happened.  We have an offer on our house, the inspection is tomorrow, and if we reach an agreement they want the house on May 2. Just five weeks from now.

A dear friend has been joking for months, “Hey, I love ya buddy, but you’re the only one of my friends I’d like to see become homeless!” He meant it as a wish for our house to sell, of course. Now, it feels as if we could become homeless;
the apartment we want isn’t available on the date we need to move.  We could always down-grade, of course. Or we could upgrade to a bigger and pricier unit. Or I could dig into my endless reserves of airy-fairy optimism and just…trust.

roadrunner keysAs I said last week, I haven’t ended up like Wile E. Coyote yet, so why would it happen now? I have always been able to create just exactly what I wanted/needed every other time in my life. And although there have been some sketchy moments (that’s a whole ‘nother post!) they always lead to something even better than I had imagined.

Call it God, Karma,  the Universe, call it “the field of infinite possibility”…I know from experience that when I ask for help, and demonstrate gratitude ahead of time trusting it will show up (and do my part, of course) it does.

I had a decadent lunch with my 90-year-old friend today. A statuesque, vivacious woman, she still works as a motivational public speaker and coach. Yes, at 90! She’s a font of wisdom, experience, and inspiration. When I told her how I was feeling, she reminded me that we often let fear get the best of us. We worry, and in doing so we sell ourselves short, down-grading our desires. Life is too short to play small, she said. Expect BIG!

So, Universe, you’re on notice! I expect everything to work out perfectly. In all of the “hurry-up” we will sell the furniture we need to sell, we will find new homes for the beautiful items we no longer need, and the right apartment will become available to us.

Beep! Beep!

XO Donna

Let go, dammit

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We have noticed that on sunny days people come to see our house. On cold dreary days they do not. So we let up a little bit on the zealous vacuuming and polishing (it’s been especially dreary for winter here in Austin) and wouldn’t you know, a realtor called during my sweetheart’s birthday party and arranged to show the house twice that same day!

We were both feeling excited, even though we try not to be. And we got really excited when the realtor called to show the house to the same client again – she wanted her kids to see it. I was already mentally packing our stuff, then I had a tiny, little, freak-out.

OWLI realized how much I have grown to love this house. Living in the leafy treetops. Looking at our azure pool while writing in the kitchen. Admiring the organic beauty of the chocolate-colored marble we picked for the bathroom vanity. Savoring warm evenings on our patio with friends, or by ourselves, the long white curtains blowing gently in the breeze.

And our owl. He’s been with us for years now. We still haven’t figured out what type of owl he is, although I’ve listened to beaucoup bird-calls trying to find out who says, “Whooo? Who! Who!”  His call is often volleyed from a neighbor’s yard, so we imagine he has a mate.

In the immortal words of Christopher Guest, “How can I leave all this behind?”

Suddenly I was having some doubts. Feeling some fear. Letting-go is a necessary step in order to get to our next adventure…even if we aren’t sure what, exactly, that adventure will look like. I remembered the saying: “When you step off into the unknown, TRUST that you will be given wings to fly, or that a safety net will appear.”

Since I am not splatted on the ground like Wile E. Coyote, I guess it’s been true so far!

The FoolThe realtor brought the buyer and her kids back to see our house, and they spent a long time there. We know because we sat across the street in our car with our lights off, waiting. I wished we had binoculars in the car so that I could spy on them. What was taking so long? Are they rifling through our stuff? Are they offended by our sexy artwork?  Did they get nosy and find ______(fill in the blank) and now they’re judging us? Turns out the kids didn’t like the house, so, no sale.

It’s all just part of the process when you are selling a home. It becomes a commodity, a house being sold, not your home anymore.

So you let go. And let go some more. And then, let go even more.

XO Donna

Countdown to Ecstacy

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imageI have earned my “just desserts” today, and have mixed myself a cocktail as I sit down to write this. I’m glad you’re here – I’ve looked forward to this moment all day!

I realized that the month is half gone, I know that’s a “glass half full” way to view it, but because of the nature of my business for the past 30+ years, I tend to count down at this time of year.

11 weeks till New Years Eve.  10 weeks till Christmas. 6 weeks till Thanksgiving. 2 weeks till my birthday. 1 week till Halloween. And 1 day till the house goes on the market. That’s….tomorrow!!!!

Excuse me while I freak out for a minute.

The day we have awaited for so long is here and I don’t feel the least bit ready. I remember feeling this way when I went in to labor. I couldn’t wait to have my baby. I was excited to meet him/her and and to quit feeling so heavy. Earthbound. But the moment the pain began, I wanted to put it off for  a while.

Speaking of putting things off – I have just finished painting my darling’s home office. Of course, the day before it goes on the market. Doing this, and  cleaning the garage were both put off until they became last-minute items. Before all was said and done, we were upset with each other. Why do we (humans) wait until the last damned minute to get things done? What is it about human nature that we put off doing things until (and pardon me here – I know this is a damned touchy issue) there is a gun pointed at our heads?

imageNow it’s finished, and beautiful. Whoever buys it will love it. But I feel a little resentful that I had to live in it while it was “ugly and cluttered”. ..the two wicked stepsisters…and I had to become a witch in order to get it done.  Oh well, Halloween is next week.

I used to procrastinate, until I learned (only a few years ago) to break things down into small, manageable goals, then maintain a steady pace with an end date in mind. Works like a charm. Also reduces the stress level like you wouldn’t believe! But this wisdom didn’t come about until recently. Trust me, it’s great to learn new things and put them into practice, and I intend to continue this way. I will never stop growing, accomplishing…and enjoying a delicious cocktail at the end of a hard day’s work!

I really do look forward to living in a nice apartment complex where we won’t have anything to maintain anything but our home. What will I do with myself?  Facials? Mani/pedis?  Lunch with friends?  Maybe I’ll finally write the Great American Novel!

I love y’all!

XO Donna

Decisions, decisions

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Lately, I have been beset with big decisions.  Life-changing decisions.  Do we sell the house and move closer to town?  Or stay here, in our home that we’ve worked on for ten years? If we move,  do we buy a condo, lease an apartment, or buy another, smaller house?   Can we retire?  Can I stay home and make a living writing full-time? Can we downsize drastically, and buy a motorhome (my sweetheart’s biggest dream) and spend time traveling? 

What do we do when we’re facing a big decision and we’re not sure which way to go? Fork in the road Read on, and I will share the solution for making the right decision when faced with a fork in the road.

You may be my age, you may be younger, but I’m sure you’ve realized that as we get older, time goes by faster.  It’s no illusion!  Life is short, so you must do the thing you’re dreaming of, and you have to do it now!  Marie Forleo (www.marieforleo.com) has the perfect solution: her 10 Year Test. Just ask yourself,  “Ten years from now, will I regret not doing this?”

Rather than focus on all of the reasons that you think you can’t do/be/have your desire, simply decide to follow your heart. Block out all of the other noise. What do you REALLY want?  I believe we have an innate wisdom as to what is right for ourselves.  To wit; I never wanted to be a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon.  I always wanted to be a writer and an artist. I believe we desire what we desire because it’s something we  are uniquely suited to accomplish! (although there were a few years when I wanted to grow up to be a cowboy or a horse…)

Follow your heartTrust your heart, trust the Universe, your Higher Power, your God. When making a big decision, know that the best decision for you…is ultimately the best decision for everyone else around you! You will be happy and fulfilled, and that will make you a better employee, parent, lover and friend.

As Marie Forleo said, and you can take this to the bank, “I have never, ever, ever met anyone who’s regretted following their heart!”

Whether you succeed or fail isn’t important when you are on the path of your heart’s desire. 

You can’t do it wrong…it’s all an opportunity to experience life. 

And, isn’t that what we came to this planet for in the first place?

XO Donna