Tonight we're putting down a substantial amount of earnest money on a house. It took me almost three weeks to get warmed up to the idea because it's, well, scary. It took me longer to get accustomed to the idea than it did to get accustomed to the idea of getting married.

It all just happened to fall together. We weren't planning to do this until next spring, but hubby got bored one day and went to a real estate web site. We found a house that we thought we'd just love and decided that if it was *it*, then we'd do it. We saw it and it wasn't *it*. But the realtor WAS it. He just so happened to have recently sold a lot to a builder that was planning to build a house that sounded very much like what we wanted.

We went home that night and looked at floor plans at an online site, and didn't see anything that really met all of our needs. Just bits from one and pieces from another. The realtor faxed the floor plan to us the next day, and wouldn't you know it... it had EVERYTHING that we wanted. It was bigger than we had planned, but at least now we'll have bedrooms for our guests to stay in since we're going to be out in the boondocks.

We chewed on it for a good two weeks before deciding that yes, we must do this. We will never find anything more perfect for us. Besides the house being perfect, the lot is perfect. Lots of land (i.e.; lots of privacy), but no upkeep to speak of. Very VERY little lawn. The road up to our house (driveway) will be paved. There will be a courtyard turnaround in front of the house (for fire trucks... it's code..), maybe lawn in the middle.. maybe just an English garden. According to the city code, we have to have lots of certain types of plants to go with the salmon stream that is in the nature reserve abutting our home. The plants must attract birds and butterflies. OK by me.. no upkeep, plus the whole nature thing going on... The back of the house will have a small lawn probably... only for parties, but mostly surrounded by natural greenery. I plan to put up bird houses and feeders in the back, and maybe a greenhouse.

I can absolutely visualize us in this house. I can visualize myself planting my gardens in the spring. I can visualize looking off the balcony to the nature reserve next to our house. I can even visualize making some new friends in the neighborhoods next to us. It so happens that the realtor and his wife (whom we've met and like very much) and the builder live in the neighborhood to the left of the house.

Here are the lot and plans, if you're interested.




So, tonight we sign up for our new life.

I was watching baseball (ok, I wasn't really watching, I really dislike sports...) and was reminded of a story about my youngest son. This happened when he was about 7 and playing in little league, which was 14 years ago.

I had taken him to the doctor for yet another infection of some sort. He'd been plagued with sinus, eye and lung infections from the time he was about two. He also had lots of headaches and HORRIBLE, NASTY breath. During this visit, the doctor was looking up his nose and said that he saw something up there. He got some tweezer-like instrument and started tugging on it. It wouldn't budge, plus it really was hurting my son, so he stopped and scheduled surgery for the next day.

I was not prepared for what the doctor would tell me after surgery. My son had a bic pen cap up his nose. Have you seen a bic pen cap? They're at least an inch long! Worse, it looked as if it'd been up his nose for YEARS. There I was, cradling my unconscious little 7 year old in my lap and I started laughing. I laughed so hard that tears were falling down my face. I'm sure the doctor thought I was a nutcase. But do you blame me? What kid has to go under general anesthesia to get a pen cap removed from his nose? MY KID, that's who!

His older brother then remembered the day that said pen cap went up the nose. They went to work with their dad and were messing around. My youngest was probably almost three. He shoved it up his nose so far that he couldn't get it out, and they were both afraid to tell their dad for fear of getting in trouble.

So, the thing worked its way up into his sinus cavity, causing all the infections and bad breath over those 5 years. FIVE YEARS! It took being beaned by a softball in his nose that brought the thing down far enough for the doctor to see it. Interestingly enough, all the infections (and bad breath) stopped immediately once the cap was removed.

The doctor kept that pen cap for his museum of things he's removed from people's orifices, and I kept the memory of the surprised look from my son's doctor as I was laughing hysterically in the recovery room.

This is a very public letter to my brother; the most recent addition to my blog viewers.

I've been thinking about why I was so prompted to call you on Tuesday evening. I told you the weird circumstances that lead up to it, and why sis and I thought *it* happened. I was glad to hear that you were all right. Well, physically anyway.

When you called me Wednesday after reading my blog for the first time, the reason for needing to call you seemed much more clear to me. You sounded so light hearted when we talked on Wednesday; vastly different than the brother I talked to on Tuesday. You told me that you were laughing out loud while reading some of my posts. Perhaps that prompting to call you wasn't any national emergency, but just the fact that I needed to send a little laughter your way.

You've shared with me before that I always know how to make you laugh. I'm so glad. You and "sis" are two people that I'd do anything for. You're my heart. You both are. If you ever feel alone, just know that you're very special to me. You and sis, my first loves,..... my family.

Now... back to my regularly scheduled blogging...

Move over hubby, I gots me a new lover..


This thing does EVERYTHING (ok, not *everything*, so hubby is safe for now)...

I'll freely admit I have an addiction to coffee. Some days, I'm a 12 shot girl. My average daily consumption is 8 shots. So, while this may seem to be a lot to pay for a "coffee maker", I consider it a good investment. I only buy one latte 2x a week now (well, except for those 12 shot days.) I never plead and whine with hubby anymore to make a quick stop at Starbucks on our way to wherever.

One day the hopper was jammed and I couldn't get my new lover to make my espresso. I broke out into a sweat and probably had that crazy look in my eyes at the idea of having to give up my lover to the repair shop. Thankfully, hubby recognized the enormity of the situation and came to my rescue.

All is well in my little caffeine haze world.

I know what my sister will be saying about this. She thinks I have some strange cravings, and she's right. Until now, my sister has been the only one privy to my weird food combinations and strange dinners.

When I was single, it was no big deal to eat weird stuff. My meals would be things like sauteed cabbage and onions with some chinese chili sauce (can you imagine how thrilled hubby would be if I ate that before going to bed with him?), or spinach and vinegar, or cheese melted in the microwave with chopped onions and tomatoes (trying to go without chips, I had to be creative.)

Tonight, hubby is with his investment club. They meet once a month for dinner, and that's my night to eat weird stuff. Tonight's meal of champions consisted of the following:

Sliced salame
Sliced cheese with ranch dressing on it
Tomatoes (eaten like an apple, with some pepper)
and, I think I'll go pop some popcorn for dessert.

The drink? Diet rootbeer.

Tomorrow, I'll resume to the Ozzie and Harriet meals I usually serve. All four food groups are represented, and I ensure that the meal includes a variety of color. Presentation is everything, you know. Just not tonight.