first site plan
Got the first site plan with a septic field on it – it’s size and location are correct, the house size and location will be subject to change in the next few weeks. We will be marking the wetland buffer edges and the general outline of the logged and graded home site. We meet with a builder and several excavation contractors for bids on the tree/dirt work, and fill out the four to five different WA State and Island County permits for next year.
Sweet, sweet snow day. I consider them to be gifts from Mother Nature. This one was unexpected and that makes it very sweet.
So, what to do with the gift? I left loads of work at school, so that’s out. I can plan for next quarter and later in the year. Have I mentioned that this school year is flying past at breakneck speed?
I think I will spend a good part of the day focusing on nooks and crannies that need attention. Open boxes (yes, there are still boxes), dig through cupboards, and toss and sort.
I made headway in my goal to discontinue buying body wash in plastic containers. I think about the plastic and how overwhelming it is in our world. I recycle as much as possible, but better yet to avoid the initial purchase when possible. So, it’s back to bar soap and may I say it’s not what it used to be. There are some delicious bar soaps out there. Peppermint, herbals, lavender, goat’s milk and more. I like that some of these soaps have no packaging at all. That’s where I’m headed. Less packaging. Less plastic. Less trash.
Outside the wind is howling and it is still dark. I have no clue how much snow has fallen. The dogs will be thrilled. Snow is fun! Fires will be lit. Warmth will permeate the air. Maybe banana breads need to be baked? Something aromatic and delicious. I have a good book to read, but I’ll save it for later in the day.
Such a gift.
The old girl finally found a new home. She was about to go to Habitat for Humanity and I decided to list her one last time. Her new owner had a machine just like this one and sold it. Regret set in. She saw my ad and that was that. I feel good about it.
The holidays are approaching and I think about some of the things I let go. I am afraid to open what is left of the holiday decor.
Another bag of stuff went to Goodwill. It is slow going at this point, until we get a better handle on when we’ll try to sell this house. Then, I expect we’ll be at breakneck speed.
A carload went to Durango, mostly filled with legos, blocks and an assortment of items. Can I count that, the Goodwill bag and the treadle machine as a truckload. The hatch marks are still on the kitchen whiteboard. Decisions, decisions.
I feel like my fingernails are dragging slowly down the chalk board. Let me explain. This year, I am more enthused than I have been for sometime. New, enthusiastic, young people will do that and I can only say thank you! However, it makes everything bittersweet. That’s okay. 
That’s good. But, wow, it’s a trip and a half.
I am not a Pollyanna, despite the assumptions of some. I try to keep a stiff upper lip and all that. I see the glass as half full. I look for the rainbows and the beauty that surrounds all of us. I get tired of negativity. I avoid it. I laugh often.
That being said, there are a few things I abhor. Listed in no order of importance.
1 – Taking the hanging baskets off the deck and storing them outside the barn. I feel like I am betraying those last few flowers. At this time of year, they look pathetic on the deck and then when they are placed outside the barn, they stand out like a sudden, wondrous spring. How could I abandon them? Solution – I collected as many seeds as possible and I will gaze out at the barn and smile.
2 – Indecision. That alone will be the toughest part of the next few months. Yes, it is an amazing opportunity to move forward into new territory, but I am getting antsy. We are looking closely at yet another builder. This should not be a quick decision and I get that. We are both feeling good about the latest permutation. Solution – walk more.
3 – Theft and destruction. Youngsters who sit in class and decide to break things make me crazy. That’s another story on a different blog…after retirement. Thieves who violate others leave me speechless, helpless and confused. It didn’t happen to us, but in a way it did. Solution – seating reassignment in class and the selling of the rental.
Undoubtedly, this list could go on and on. That is the problem with complaints – they never end. So, as my dear friend says, “It’s time to pull up your big girl panties and move on”. So, with elastic in hand, I reposition and jump into the fray!
…and we move on to another, new, different builder. Plans that could be awesome and scary and we just don’t know. These are powerful decisions. If we make mistakes…well, we could hang our heads and bawl like babies…..or forge ahead. I do not want to whine. I do want to be the squeaky wheel that gets things done. Breathe deep. Look around. Savor this moment.
Septic is being designed. A fall visit is planned. House plans are being pored over. Lottery tickets purchased on a regular basis. Lay-off details are wonderful. The year is flying by.
Yesterday, as I walked through the property in Colorado to gather kindling, I was reminded how extraordinary the years have been. This is a lovely place and we have enjoyed our time here. I ache to see Whidbey and remind myself of the adventure awaiting us.
We will drive to the mountains and drop a few coins in the slot machines. The fall leaves are probably gone, but it promises to be a lovely drive nonetheless.
Seasons change. Leaves fall and the trees sleep through the winter. When again spring arrives, well, how much father down the path will we be? Keep moving. Keep walking. Keep planning. Keep dreaming.
The design of the septic system has been given the go-ahead. Does life ever get more exciting? I think not. After discussing the plan for a 5-bedroom system, our man on the island convinced Mark a 3-bedroom system would be more than sufficient. We wanted to plan ahead and all that, but think about it. How many people will really be there at one time? I am quite sure the majority of the time it will be just the two of us. So…a 3-bedroom system makes tons of sense. Thank you to our wonderful designer for this seemingly simple clarification!
So…what trees have to go? Oh man, that will be torturous. Think of the lives of each of those tall trees. Think of the birds that have landed in their boughs. Think of the storms that have battled through. I want to be there for the next storm and the next.
We have had strong winds all day. Winds that bring winter snow to the mountains; frost to my flowers; the end to the garden; and another move forward. I will build a fire tonight and relish in the warmth and splendor of the season.
The first quarter of school ended today. I am utterly amazed. Utterly. If the rest of the year follows on this shooting star of a path, this year will be over quickly. The good part – Whidbey calls. The sad part – I am having a terrific year. But – that’s a great way to end my fleeting time as a teacher.
…eludes me. The search for a home to build or move to the property continues to be a struggle. Of course, it is a good struggle in many ways. It has become all-consuming. Thoughts of money and time and materials. Thoughts of mud and rooms and needs.
The platform tents at High Trails might do the trick. Concrete blocks supporting a floor and canvas walls and roof. That will be one thing we do, for sure.
I dream often of my Grandmother’s home in the Wilshire section of Los Angeles. A simple white clapboard home. She and Granddad moved into that home in 1920. She told me she stood at the kitchen window and knew she was in heaven and she’d never leave. This was after living in a tent in the winter in British Columbia, an undoubtedly hot house in Ponca City, Oklahoma and others.
That’s all I want. Simplicity. Peace. The quietude of the forest. Eagles soaring overhead. Deer and frogs and hawks and dragonflies.
Back to the drawing board and the books and the websites and the dream. It will happen.
Fall is in the air. I wonder what it looks like on Whidbey? In the Whidbey Island newspaper, there are photos of enormous pumpkins and the notice of a scarecrow contest. Fairs and cookouts and kite festivals.
And we continue to rearrange plans for our home. Smaller footprint with a walkout basement, but one-level living. Does that make sense? Guest room, workshop, et al downstairs.
I have been collecting seeds. It’s that time of year. Where will they be planted? Where will they bloom? Those seeds represent more than mere flowers. Those seeds represent a new home, different weather and continued growth. Change is good. I am ready.