Making a Home of Our Own

After having been in a house, oh yeah, my house for over a month, it still seems like there is so much yet to be done. Not that other things have been going on at the same time as trying to unpack and figure out where things need to go . . . Summer is a very busy time of year, but this summer has been especially crazy with many different graduations and other obligations that to find time to actually spend in our new house we have to make plans to be home. How weird. In our apartment, we always managed to be home more often than we are now in our house. I think the comparison will be easier to make next year because we should be moved in by then. The hold-up is that there are things like painting that really need to be done before we can open up a room or determine where furniture might be better placed. I also need to finish part of the kitchen with the contact paper so we can get rid of those remaining boxes too. So much to do and so little time home . . .

It was quite funny, my husband and I finally met our other next door neighbors last week. In talking with them, they were happy to finally meet us and also mentioned that we seem to almost never be home. Funny they noticed this too. At least we finally met another neighbor. Only a couple more to go, but we are never home, funny that.

So needless to say there is much that still needs to be accomplished, but at least we have a house and can do what we would like to make the home ours. When you move in, there are so many changes that you want to make, but you know they all cannot be done immediately. Too bad, but at the same time it allows you to take your time and decide what you really want to do in the house rather than make a rash decision and decide later on that you wanted something to look a little different. Not that that would happen, these are just thoughts.

So we are having fun just trying to still get situated and organized with our new house. It can really be a full-time job. We are looking forward to where are least the normal day-to-day things are all that need to be done. We are also really looking forward to decorating, but there is definitely some needed painting, getting rid of some rugs, and even seeing what is under the cheesecloth carpet on the second floor that needs to be done first. Until we have these things done, it might be awhile until we can actually hang pictures and decide what might be needed in certain rooms. It will happen eventually. It will just take some more time. For now, at least we have a home of our own. It does not completely look like my husband and me just yet, but it is starting to feel like us at least. That’s probably the most important thing: to have your new place feel like you and to feel comfortable in the new layout. It took a long time to find, but we are so happy to have a place to call our own, a home to ourselves, a house of our own!

New Life Adventures

So, yet again, I have gone over a month to post. At least now the house ordeal is finally over. However, the house was not the ordeal, but the mortgage brokers were the cause of my stress and anxiety. At least we do not have to worry about dealing with them anymore. Thank goodness.

My husband and I are finally homeowners. Funny, it does not feel real yet even though we have been living in the house for almost two weeks. I think the reality will hit when we start to pay the mortgage. Then it should definitely be real. It will take a little while to make things seem normal, but at least now we have a place to call our own and figure out what needs to be done. We no longer need to wait for the landlord. What a relief! Now we can fix things when they need to be fixed and paint things the way we want them to be painted.

Finally, we do not have to worry about something happening that will cause a problem except with ourselves. It is fun to be able to do this. Once we have waded through the boxes and have finished figuring out where things should go, we can start decorating. I think we are realizing we might have more decorations than we need, but we can now clean things out that no longer work with our more adult surroundings.

Now that we can finally call ourselves homeowners, the world seems a lot different. Not that we have moved that far away from our apartment, in fact we moved about two streets over. The initial weirdness that I still have not really gotten used to is going straight through the stop sign instead of taking a right. I guess doing that for over four years makes it hard to adjust that quickly. In time, that will be in the past.

So at the end of June, boxes are piled, objects are cluttered everywhere, and my kitchen is not yet organized. Now that I have the contact paper to match the roll I already finished that can finally be completed. That’s a start for only being in the house two weeks this coming Saturday.

I am really excited to be moving forward in life instead of stuck in neutral at a point when we needed to get out of apartment living. Not that we did not like the apartment, in fact we cried when we were ready to leave for the last time, but it was time for us to move on. Now we have and we are looking ahead to the new adventures that await as we progress into the many mysteries of being homeowners.

Turning the Page

My husband and I are about to turn the page into a new chapter of our lives together. After four years, we are finally working on the final steps to purchasing our first house. What an experience! Besides dealing with all the other aspects of life, the house has seemed to become a monster of it’s own: a part of your every thought, at work, at home, while you are trying to clear your head to sleep for the night. What a whirlwind of things to consider and ponder. How much money will it end up being, how much do we need for the closing? All kinds of things going on at once definitely make your head spin. At least having family to help through these things makes it a little better and definitely a little more reassuring.

I’m not saying buying a house is a bad thing. It’s just that you are not really prepared for exactly what may be involved before you actually get to move in. We are still not at that point, but we are coming closer every day. It’s like a puzzle with a ton of different pieces that keep getting put into place. Every week, we seem to have some of those pieces properly placed.

We are almost there and with the actual closing seeming closer rather than farther away, it is wonderful to feel like a new page is turning in life. Our lives together are moving to the next level: home ownership. What an exciting idea, yet extremely scary and stressful too. It will be worth it once we have a place to actually call our own. Being able to make modifications and paint the walls whatever color we want them to be. Knowing we can have a quiet evening to relax at home without worrying about neighbors having people over at all hours of the night being loud. Not to say we will no longer have neighbors, but the situation will be much different: they will not longer be living above us.

So with some trepidation and nervousness, but with absolutely no doubts and complete happiness, we grow closer to this new stage of life. We will be in the house game and looking forward to it. Things will be tight, but they will get better with each passing month as we grow into the needs of the house. We are looking forward to this new experience and are running ourselves ragged. That is probably why we are both sick with a week or so to go before we have a home of our own. Amazing, how life if surging ahead, but your body can lag behind. No matter, with sniffling noses and very sore throats we will continue packing as much as we can and say goodbye to the first four years of our marriage as we look to the future years together. We will welcome the adventures that await around the next corner, while turning the pages of our books relaxing on the front porch!

Composing My Thoughts

Okay so it has been over a month since my last post, but sometimes life has a way of just taking over everything. Please forgive my lackadaisical nature.

Lately life has given way to a new birth, much like the bursting buds of this new spring season, so has my life seemed to move in a different or new direction. The problem arises that when too many things happen all at the same time it is hard to compose your thoughts. The insanity of life can sometimes make you want to crawl and hide, but the best would be to actually turn the world off for a few days to figure things out completely. Since that is not available, distractions are always a means around this type of predicament. Reading and other means of escape provide an outlet for frenzied thoughts and crazy life situations and emotional turmoil. Meditation is also good as well as a great deal of sleep. Having spent a week or two just continuing along the humdrum of everyday life trying to find some sense of myself in the turmoil of emotional sadness, I found it hard to allow myself to find these means of relaxation and actually have them work to take away some of the anxiety. It also felt like I was no longer myself. I didn’t remember the last time I had a really good laugh, which always makes me feel refreshed.

As time goes by, you actually find your familiar self returning slowly, but definitely returning. In thinking about the events since the beginning of April, things have been like an emotional roller coaster with trying to overcome a very emotional loss and a drastic, but very good life change. Finally now at the end of the month, it seems life is returning to normal somewhat. Things are definitely still out of control, but I feel them also bringing a new sense of familiarity and welcome knowledge that I can deal with the many things life tends to throw at you. As with the spring, I am beginning anew and finding I can handle what comes my way.

I’m looking forward to what the future holds, but I will never forget what has come before in my life. My past will always be there as a foundation and strength for my future endeavors and life experiences.

The Wonders of Long Hair?

I’m not really sure why I’m writing about it, but it struck me that my hair has almost magical properties. Perhaps it is one of my mutant abilities. My husband mentioned that there is a superhero called Medusa who uses her hair to fight crime. That’s pretty cool. Of course my hair is not that amazing. It’s just long, really, really long. Well, not so long that I trip on it of course.

Anyhoo, I have always had long hair. It would be bizarre if I ever cut it short. I actually do not anticipate every doing this anyway, so there. How boring am I? Oh well, I’m happy and comfortable with my long hair. I like what I can do with long hair. My sister always loved and still loves to play with and style it. It was quite nice having my own personal hairdresser when I was living at home. Now I don’t even bother doing anything except brush it after my shower every day. My sister, on the other hand, was always doing something different with her hair, cutting it short, letting it grow, cutting it short, etc. She has the guts to try different things, but I can never bring myself to do so. Whenever I get a haircut or trim really, I always just want about an inch cut to just even everything out a bit. I get upset if too much hair is cut off because I think my hair has gotten on the short side. Just call me weird because I know it is still long. The next time I go, I will probably have to go beyond an inch because it has been a little longer than normal since my last trim. We’ll see what happens.

So yeah, my hair can be magical sometimes. For starters, it sticks to everything. Where ever your go in our home, you will find my hair all over the place. Vacuuming is fun since I have to clean out, or actually cut out my hair with a scissors since it gets so dense and makes it almost impossible to vacuum. It’s crazy and absolutely amazing that so much hair came from my head. My hair is good for tickling, especially my husband when he’s sleeping and my hair gets close to his face or nose. I can also whip people with my hair. So be careful if you stand too close and I’m pulling my hair out of a shirt or something. Probably the weirdest thing my hair has ever done is made its way into my husband’s wallet. This I will never be able to explain. Apparently my hair likes to travel. So, if I ever visit your home you can always verify that I have been there if you can see the long blond hairs on your sofa or rug. I just think my hair has a mind of its own. It will probably take over eventually and it will tell me where to go. As long as it does not strangle me in the middle of the night that’s fine with me. Whatever happens, I will still like my long hair.

A Muse Sings?

Just a thought . . . what prompts people to write? What makes them decide to actually put pen to paper, or keyboard to computer for that matter? I know in my experience, most of the writing was done because it was required for every paper you had to write in school. English major anyone? You can imagine the amount of time spent writing papers on books, poems, short stories, etc. Some were better than others, of course, but those were not always that much fun to compose because it involved work and thinking more than usual, or so it seemed. I just was thinking about this in regard to actually coming up with topics on which to post for my blog. As you can probably see it has been a few weeks. There was no muse speaking to me on any ideas. Oh well, I eventually come up with something, whether it just happens to cross my mind or I start thinking about something.

Now that I have gone on a complete tangent, basically what makes authors, poets, playwrights, etc. write? Perhaps something significant happened in their lives? Love, death, special event, or world event, this is what makes them especially amazing in that they have something that completely strikes them as something they need to write about. They want the world to know something and gain some insight into a particular period in history or how their lives have been affected based on events that have happened to them. Others are simply wonderful story tellers that want people to enjoy the worlds and people they have met in their imaginations. These people are just as amazing since they are creating something that can be vastly different from the societal norm or a situation based on something that has happened in the real world but fictional characters are providing you with the experience. Ah, the joys of reading because there is so much from which to choose.

Then you have your regular everyday people who dabble at writing. I did my share of English papers that were really enjoyable and some were like pulling teeth (literally), but I also write poetry, when I have a mind to, or a muse about me. I think I even wrote a short story or two, but actually have not done any writing in quite some time. I guess the great thing about setting up a blog is that you can let your creative juices flow into something. I guess email can count for something, but that is really a form of conversation, especially when in touch with friends. You don’t really ponder what to say, it just comes out like they are right in front of you. Sometimes, looking back at things I wrote in high school and college I am utterly aghast at what I wrote since I am no longer in that particular frame of mind. It seems fantastic to me. How could I have written something so good? Of course the other side of the coin is what happened? Whatever the circumstances may be, it is nice to have a reminder of the writer I was once. Perhaps my muse is coming back to me? I just need a little nudge to get my mind to progress in the right direction. Since I am no longer a book editor, it certainly has gotten me back into reading and thinking about writing because I am not constantly reading day in and day out. I finally have an outlet that is not related to work. Anyway, bear with me along the way. I do post, eventually. Any one else have any ideas?

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine’s Day! Yes, it’s that one day of the year you need to show your significant other how much you love them. The funny thing is you should be showing them and telling them everyday. I know my husband and I do. We treat everyday as a special day since we get to share life together. We don’t need one day for an excuse to show our appreciation of the other. I know there are some people who do, which is kind of sad. Everyday is precious and should be treated as such. At least say “I Love You” once a day; a hug and a kiss, there’s nothing like them. If you love the person enough to be with them, why not show them you care. Just simple gestures show your affection and to have a day to remind people that they need to do these things is pretty silly.

It is also a very frustrating day for people who have no one. I remember those days all too well. How depressing Valentine’s Day can be and to see everyone around you getting flowers and chocolates . . . makes you not want to go out. Thank goodness for my Father who would always do something for me and my sister.

Valentine’s Day is a special day nevertheless, but if you plan on going out to dinner don’t expect great service. Even good restaurants try and scoot you out the door as soon as possible so they can squeeze more people in to make as much money as they can. There are exceptions, but for the most part most restaurants are like this. Why not just stay home and make a nice meal together since the day is all about being with the one you love. I can’t remember the last time my husband and I went out to dinner on Valentine’s Day. The rush and frustration of trying to get reservations for annoyingly bad service just kind of created a distaste in our mouths. Oh well, everyone has their own idea of how to spend this day. I’m sure there will be a time we go out for Valentine’s Day in the future, but you can certainly save a lot of money not going out. Restaurants love to jack up the prices for this insane dinner day. Oh well.

No matter how you spend it, hope your day is special. Just remember Valentine’s Day is not a once a year event.

About Nothing

How are you doing? How is your day? How's the weather? These are just some of the questions people pose throughout the course of a regular everyday conversation. Everyone does it.

My husband, very insightfully, pointed out that why ask questions if you do not want to hear the answers to them? He recently broke the social mores and answered one of these questions in a conversation with some one. The individual simply didn't respond to the answer nor to the question that was posed to him. Why do people ask questions if they do not want to know the answers? These questions seem to be posed for polite conversation when you do not know what to say to a complete stranger or to avoid being rude, but they are literally just about nothing.

Perhaps you need something to start off a conversation so it does not go immediately into whatever the other person has to say or ask. I guess it provides some type of introduction before the actual conversation. It could be the underscore of the discourse so there is a slight pause to compose your thoughts before beginning to speak. Maybe that is why no one really answers the question because they are thinking of what to say or attempting to figure out what the other person wants so the question is never heard? Hmmm. . . . What is with this strange society?

Blame the media, blame the electronic advancements, the internet even, but our society is becoming very impatient. People are always in a rush to go somewhere or do something. There is no reason for people to take their time if things can be had instantaneously. Go figure. What is the sense and reason for doing this? People are always saying please, thank you, and the ever popular "have a nice day." But do they really mean it or is it just something to say? To be cliche, stop and smell the roses. Just stop and relax, breathe, and take the time to enjoy life along the way. Of course you want to know what is going on with the people in your own world so these questions are asked and usually listened to, but why not consider the other people around as well? Oh well. Don't mind me and my complaints. Just thought some one else might have an idea on this.

Have a nice day! Yes, I mean it!!

Groundhog Day

I understand the idea of the groundhog seeing his shadow and all, but technically speaking there are six more weeks until the start of Spring since that date is March 21 anyway, unless I'm missing something. Who started this funny day of the year anyway? I'm sure Punxsutawney Phil is not too happy coming out in the cold weather. Oh well, I guess the idea is to give some type of hope to the people who are not happy with the winter weather. I admit the groundhog is a really cute animal, but why bother the little guy, huh? I guess this is something else I need to look into for some more information. What is the history of Groundhog day anyway? Anyone know? To me, it's always just another day of the year, but apparently a groundhog pops out for a morning stroll. He probably runs back in because it is cold, not because of the shadow. I guess depending on how warm it is outside, he may stay out a little longer, perhaps ending up not seeing his shadow?

Funny, this day in February has created a few entertaining things. The great movie Groundhog Day takes place time and time again on this strange day of the year starring Bill Murray, which is hilarious. I guess that is something. There is also the Rankin Bass special Jack Frost that deals slightly with Groundhog day. Hey Buddy Hacket is the voice of Punxsutawney Phil. You can't beat that. If you happen to own a Nintendo GameCube and Animal Crossing, today is also celebrated in your animal town at the Wishing Well. Too cute! You can talk to Tortimer and Mr. Resetti pops out as the groundhog. Too funny!

Well enjoy this bizarre day of the year. Hope the outcome was okay with you. Me, I don't mind the six more weeks of winter, but I'm just strange to begin with. Go figure!

Unhappiest Day of the Year?

Okay, so I am a few days late, but Monday, January 24, 2005 was the unhappiest day of the year. Wow, not even the end of the first month of the new year, and already everyone is depressed? I know there are so many different things the media, doctors, psychologists, and the like keep track of throughout the world and our country. I have never heard that they actually keep track of the unhappiest day of the year. That is the strangest thing I have ever heard. How can you actually calculate something like this? It has to be absolute poppy-cock. If January 24 is the unhappiest day of the year, what is the happiest? Why make all the depressed people more depressed knowing that there is a day that actually sums up all of their misery? Just wondering? If anyone has any ideas, definitely let me know.

What I would like to know is why someone would even take the time to try and figure something out like this? Does anyone really care. I didn't see it marked on the calendar this year with all of the other world holidays, but hey, maybe I'm missing something? Oh well, rather than telling everyone how unhappy the day supposedly is, recommend to people that they get out and make it a happy day.

I would feel really terrible if that was my birthday. It would be the happiest day of the year for me, reversing the whole study. Apparently, this date is based on the end of the holidays and the winter weather that so many people find depressing. However, do people in the South find the warm weather depressing too? Perhaps this study was only for northern states? I should probably do some more research into this to see what exactly the information would be, but if anyone knows, please don't hesitate to let me know. Perhaps I am all wrong. But in any case, I would not allow a label on a day to make it more happy or sad than another. Each day is fresh and new so make the best of each one.

Winter Tidings

I love the winter! The snow and cold weather are really great! The winter is a wonderful time of year where you can bundle up and keep warm and cozy. You can huddle under the blankets with a good book or snuggle up and watch a movie with some hot chocolate. I also like to bury myself in blankets and play some video games. All are great things to do. I was just thinking about these things because the weather is soooooooo cold today. As long as you bundle up properly and know how to work with the weather everything is quite alright. I know there are so many people out there who absolutely hate the cold, snow, freezing rain, and anything to do with winter. The funny thing is that they live in New England where the weather is comletely unpredictable and they choose to complain about it. Oh well, to each his or her own.

My question is why complain about the weather? Weather happens whether you complain or not. We have no control over the weather. Why not just appreciate the weather for what it is? I love the fact that I live in New England where we have four distinct seasons. Sometimes it seems like the lines get a little fuzzy, but for the most part is it easy to discern. Wonderful Spring with the pretty flowers and rain; Summer with sunny days and thunderstorms; Fall with cooler temperatures and beautiful leaves to view; Winter with cold days and magical snow. Everyday brings new things to do and events that go on. Why not let the weather do the same thing? I'm just weird and enjoy what each day brings. Oh well. Stay warm!

Happiness Anyone?

There are many things in life that can bring a person down and make them sad, but it is always best to let youself be happy, no matter how glum you are feeling (if you are even feeling glum). I, for one, always attempt to look at the positive end of the spectrum. Sometimes it is really difficult and is just impossible, but in the end happiness is definitely a wonderful thing to feel.

Take, for instance, just randomly dancing in the middle of the supermarket with someone. Not that I have done this in the last day or two, but my husband is a good one for suggesting the idea. Sometimes it is not even a suggestion. He just grabs me and he spins me or dips me in the middle of the eisle. It is so much fun. It is also incredibly spontaneous. The last time we started dancing in the eisle, there was a man there who really looked at us kind of funny. He probably did not understand what was going on. Perhaps no one had ever started dancing in the canned food section before; or he was just so intent on shopping that the idea never crossed his mind that other people might want to dance at Super Stop & Shop. How amusing. Hopefully, he ended up with a little chuckle anyway, not that my husband and I are out to make a difference in the world with random dance routines at the local food store. It is just fun and definitely makes both of us feel happy and extremely silly. I would definitely recommend trying it the next time you are out shopping with anyone. See what happens.

There are plenty of other ways to be happy. The dancing just happened to pop into my mind at the moment. Just taking a walk in a snow storm makes me feel like a little kid again. The world is so magical and absolutely beautiful in the snow. The white flakes seem to mask some of the everyday aspects of life. It is a wonderful break from the normal day-to-day setting. Nothing can really change the face of the world like snow. You can also add to the setting with snowmen. Tell me they don't make you happy. They are so much fun to build and then articulate! I just love snowmen! Every chance I get, I love to go out and build one. The only problem arises when the snow does not cooperate with you because it is not moist enough. Oh well. It's still quite enjoyable regardless. So go out and build those snowmen, animals, and any other snow thing! It will enliven your day. You then have a friend to greet you when you go outside. Smiles!

Just enjoy each day and try and find the happiness in it. It will definitely make you feel good, perhaps even make your days a little brighter and more worthwhile. If anything, perhaps it will put a smile on your face.

Hello to Everyone!

On this Friday afternoon in January, it's nice to start something fresh. Welcome to Stuff and Nonsense. I've never had anything like this before, but it's kind of neat to be able to maintain something personal. Do you know where I thought of the name: Stuff and Nonsense? Well, my husband and I have been watching the Anne of Green Gables movie series and Marilla Cuthbert would always say "stuff and nonsense." I loved the saying and immediately thought of that for a blog title. It kind of fits me and my sense of humor. Well, come visit this silly blog anytime you are looking for random thoughts and senseless information. Cheers!