Day 20 - A Pebble In My Shoe

About a million years ago, the world's temperature dropped and the polar ice caps thickened. Millions of tons of ice built up on the original ice pack, and the weight of this build-up pushed the edges of the ice pack outward, towards the equator.

An enormous blanket of ice moved slowly southward over what is now New England, plowing up the soil and absorbing rock and dirt into itself by a slow-motion churning.

Huge boulders (known as glacial eccentrics) were picked up and carried by the advancing ice and dropped helter skelter as three or four glaciers advanced and retreated.

When that last glacier (the Laurentide Glacier) came and went between 10,000 and 20,000 years ago, it left a pile of boulders in what is now our yard, more specifically, our garage.

Most we've been able to move.

This one will require a little more persuasion.

Breaking Ground

We closed on our house on August 6, nine days earlier than we expected.

After packing, cleaning, purging, moving from a four-bedroom, three-bathroom house into a two-bedroom, one-bathroom, no-dishwasher-or-microwave apartment, Frank and I both needed a break.

We took off for Nova Scotia for six days and forgot about everything under the sun.

But now we're back.

It's showtime!

Day 0 - A Picnic and a Prayer

We closed early afternoon and then headed off to look at the land one last time before the Devirginization began.

Grinders, Chardonnay, and a deep breath!

Under Contract

We accepted an offer on our current home on June 30 after seventy-one days on the market.

We expect to close no later than the 15th of August and the contractors are aware.

So with a little luck and co-operative weather, we should have a great big hole in the ground by Labor Day.

Photos will follow.

We Appraised!

We appraised *exhale* and got the news last week.

We also got another bit of news with our Mortgage Commitment.

It appears that we need to sell our existing home BEFORE we can close on the construction loan. *inhale*

It took us a good twenty-four hours to get past the shock and anger, at which point, all we could do was laugh.

House went on the market that night and we've been scrambling to get it ready-to-show.

We also have to start looking for a place to live whilst our home is being built (yes... pack twice, move twice).

The surveyor delivered the Easement Deed and map and now CL&P gets to sit on that for who-knows-how-long before we can start on the driveway.

Supposedly, we should get the last two things we need from the architect today to bring to the Town so that we can get our Building Permit approved.

Our windows have gone on sale (20% off) so we need to go in and pay for those but first we need to go through the plans with a fine-toothed comb because Frank and I have added a few windows and removed a few others.

To boot, the real estate market has picked up substantially in our area so I'm busier than I was three months ago.

Our heads are reeling.

We think it's worth it, but some days we're just not sure.

The Appraisal

We met with the bank's appraiser today.

Keeping our fingers crossed!

Walk-in Closets

Everything I've seen to date looks rather cheap. A lot of laminate, veneer, and crappy hardware. I think Frank can build us a better closet with full-extension drawers (I refuse to have dressers in the bedrooms) and of solid hardwoods (cherry or maple).

A few things have to come to mind during this process which I don't understand.

Why do I need a "make-up table" in my closet.

I am out of the closet.

I put my make-up on (mascara and lipstick) in the light of day which I call the bathroom.

Why do we need seating in the closet?

That's right up with there with literature in the bathroom.

Do we not just take care of business and go on our merry way?

Who hangs out in closets and toilet rooms?

We have a 9 x 10 walk-in closet which will give us up to 40 feet of linear space to hang clothes from the 70's, 80's, and 90's. We've got room for the 20-pounds lighter collection, the 10-pounds lighter collection, and the love-me-as-I-am collection.

Well..... I do.

Frank has clothes from way back when and I am working on the purging, but it isn't easy.

Men who say that women are pack rats haven't met us.

Frank saves.

I purge.

The software program we used to design the closet doesn't allow for cut-and-paste, but when it's complete, I will shoot and show.

All of Frank's shirts will be crisply starched and pressed and not touching each other.

To get there, we must PURGE.

A walk-in closet.

Not as easy as it sounds.