Getting there, getting there

Ok...so I woke up this morning at 3.30 am so that I could be on the road at 4.30 am to drive to Massachusetts for a 9 am inspection of my possible house-to-be. The good news is that the inspection showed some problems, but not unsurmountable problems. And the sellers seem willing to be flexible. So.......I handed over a deposit and we are now "under contract for the house". All I have to do is formally get the mortgage (already in the works) and pay a ton of money. I am bracing myself for what will be a huge sucking sound every time I open my wallet from now til at least January.

I am anxious, and a bit scared. I have never owned a home before. But I have had great advisors helping me along, a super realtor and fine friends. So despite the anxiety, the knotted up tummy, the feeling of being overwhelmed -- you know what?

I'm happy.

I took a close look at the front door today. It'll be perfect in red.

I drove back to NJ and ran into my landlady of the past 10 years, a dear woman who could not have been a better landlady. I told her I was buying a house and we both got teary and hugged each other. She is happy for me, but wishes me well and is flexible about my end date here as she knows I want to overlap for about a month while work is being done on the new place.

It's funny and ironic that the very same week that this home became available to me that my old house (the one in which I grew up) became available for sale. For a long time I had thought I might want to live there -- but this time when it was actually possible to do it -- I shook my head no and moved on.

I want MY house.

To ravage the familiar old lyrics:


My house is a very, very fine house
with a great pooch in the yard, life used to be so hard,
now everything is easy cause I'm home.

Well, almost home -- on the way home.

Thanks be to God.