We’re 19 days into homeownership and here are some thoughts – in no particular order!
1. What a great neighborhood!

Everyone has been so welcoming and helpful. We’ve learned that if you want to take a serious walk, you either need to do it uber-early in the day or leave the neighborhood. Otherwise, there will be people to greet and conversations to be had and you will never get your walk in in your allotted time. It’s not just a great neighborhood but a sweet community too! We’ve already enjoyed game nights and a fried chicken/potluck meal in our community building!

2. Moving into a fully furnished house is amazing. And such a blessing! Not only is there furniture, but there are sheets and towels, shampoo and soap, laundry supplies, and every imaginable kitchen gadget. Last night Gary was looking for a new bar of soap – and found two unopened bars in one of the bathroom drawers. Oh, and a vacuum cleaner, steam floor cleaner, and even a ceiling fan cleaner. No excuses for a messy house for me!
3. Almost every day we make a new discovery – like yesterday when we realized that our front storm door has a screen component that you just roll down. It was like a miracle!
4. The house came with ROSES!!


5. We were a little overwhelmed with the shed.

Although it had been originally used as a sewing room/laundry room on one side with a wood shop on the other, the folks we purchased it from used it primarily for storage. And while Ed had already cleaned out a lot of ‘stuff’, there was still a lot left!


But with the help of friends,

and then another layer of sorting through bins, it now looks quite manageable.

We’ll be replacing the floor since there are some soft spots and repairing/painting the walls, but I’m getting excited about the new Sewing Studio that is soon to be! (Well, it won’t be until after we return in the fall, but I’m pretty sure it’s first on the ‘to-do’ list!)
6. Gary’s side is looking up too!

7. There are a couple of downsides to this homeownership, though like the addition of Homeowner’s Insurance. Thankfully that bill won’t hit the same time as the RV/Truck insurance that comes due in September. And then there is that Electric Bill. Our very modest HOA covers water, sewer, and trash, but we are still responsible for our electricity. We haven’t had to pay an electric bill for a very long time! There will also be taxes of course, but that won’t show up for several months. But show up it will. We’ll figure out the internet and TV once we’re back in the fall with Lizzie. Right now we’re making do with a tiny outdoor antenna (six channels!) and our phone and hotspot wifi.

8. Homes come with gutters. And gutters need to be cleaned.

You know Gary’s brain is already working on more effective gutter guards!
9. Still thankful for Google Photos which continues to help us identify unknowns…

10. For the first time in almost twenty years I can say that kids and grands are coming to MY HOUSE! So excited to welcome our Waco family to our little house in Lindale tomorrow!

It’s been an exciting and blessed nineteen days as we acclimate ourselves to living in something that doesn’t rock when you walk. Of course, we leave on Monday to head back to Lizzie for a summer in the Northeast! Now we have to learn about getting the house ready to be empty for six months! And so the adventure continues!

Thanks for stopping by and sharing in our adventure!

Follow