One week from today, I fly to San Diego and I have a lot to do in that week, not the least of which is waiting until the last couple of days to mow the front yard and back forty, tackle everything on my To Do list; etcetera, etcetera. Today is a day to make lists, buy another pair of shorts, do some weed whacking, and clean. As to the shorts: I hate trying on clothes these days. I have to gird my loins for the whole experience. Sigh.
I met with the realtors yesterday at that house my friends are interested in. Long story short: I told them to get on a plane. It’s gorgeous, it’s one-of-a-kind and it suits them perfectly. I took a lot of pictures and spent a few hours editing them, then I sent them in batches to Rick. They’re flying out tomorrow night and I’ll most likely see them on Wednesday. We’ll see what happens. As always, our high property taxes are an issue – they’re an issue for Don and me – and would be an even bigger issue to Rick and Doug as the property is 27 acres.
But it’s a beautiful home.
Our chimney guy came to the house last Monday and took off the metal mold that was holding the cement in place. All done. It’s just a chimney, but it’s been a long time coming.
I am off to NYC tomorrow to do some coaching on Anastasia. In and out on the same day. I also have a book review scheduled for tomorrow, the first one in quite a while. Spoiler alert: I loved the book.
Can you tell I’ve shifted into ‘Efficiency’ mode?
In the meantime, I’m picking black raspberries. Oh, they’re so good!
Happy Monday.
Oh my goodness, I do hope your friends buy the house! What fun times you would have together!
Have a safe trip to NYC.
It would be great to have them here! Fingers crossed.
New York property taxes are crippling! Especially after many years of paying relatively reasonable CA taxes. They flat out doubled when we made the move, then quadrupled when we bought a second home. Just one of the reasons older New Yorkers flock to FL when they can.
Enjoy your busy week. It’s going to be a fantastic reunion for you guys.
Exactly. Rick and Doug are used to property taxes in CA, so they were shocked! We’ve never NOT been shocked about them after 12 years in this house.
Such an interesting discussion. I’m a native Californian and most people here think property taxes are very high. On our previous house (small vintage cottage), our taxes were $7,000/year. But when we lived on the Gulf Coast, our property taxes in Houston were also, we felt, very high. Texas might not have state income tax…and house prices, at least back in the 90s, were affordable…but they’d get you on those property taxes…
Oh, and remind them that there is also a school tax here. Nobody told me that, so I was surprised when taxes were added that were every bit as high as the property taxes. Everywhere else we have lived, the school taxes were part of the property taxes. Not here in NY, where school taxes are a separate and equally high tax bill.
They know, Shanna. Our school taxes here are higher than our property taxes!
The house sounds fabulous and it would be amazing to have your friends as neighbors. Fingers crossed it works out. I can tell you are excited about your trip. The to do list is what always keeps me on track before a big event/vacation/trip. I also hate to try on clothes but I have to have something to cover this old body. Ugh! We have sunshine today so it’s a trip to the grocery store for Mom and I! Hugs!
I am excited, but there’s so much to do before I leave. (I’ll miss my garden!)
Looking forward to your book review! You very rarely lead me wrong :-)
Well, it’s never my intention to lead anyone wrong! Thanks, Vicki.
From another Vicki (the wordy one from SoCalif): Claudia, I just became aware that a new book is being released in late August from Louise Penny (a Inspector Gamache one).
The excitement of the impending trip must be keeping your adrenaline going. Busy days and sleep-filled nights hopefully! Get well-rested, get all your to-dos done so you won’t worry while you’re away, and keep looking forward to a very special time with Don!
Just discovered the deer have been chomping my day lilies and black eyed susans! Darn them!
Oh, well.
This is the first summer I’ve worn shorts in probably 10 years but I only wear them at home. Nobody but by neighbors and the wildlife need to see these white tree trunks! Dressing rooms? I get anxiety just hearing the word! Good luck!
Thanks, Chris. I’m dreading it!
What a tremendous help to your friends, to have you. You take such good photos and describe things very well. And you know houses. AND the locale. Better than a realtor by far; hope they buy the place. It’ll be a go-to destination for you and Don; sounds so nice.
Also nice that said Don and you will be seeing each other very soon. You have a lot to look forward to and, yes, in our SoCalif heat, you’ll be in places here (and as you trek back thru the Southwest, if that’s how it goes) where you’ll definitely want a loose/floaty skirt or, yes, shorts. It’s summer everywhere, of course, and we have a predicted 90 degrees today.
I only have one pair of shorts, so I have to get a backup pair.
How lucky your friends are to have you preview the house for them! Fingers crossed they live it too.
I know your pain concerning short shopping. I went bra shopping on Saturday. Do I need to say more???
Have a good day in New York tomorrow.
You do not. I understand!
Sounds like a busy week for sure! I bet you can’t wait! The house sounds lovely, with 27 acres….I can only imagine the taxes. Shorts? Not my favorite thing to wear….it’s got to be pretty darn hot for me to wear them in public…lol! Good luck on your to-do list…I know you’ll get it all done. Here’s to Efficiency mode! ;)
Couldn’t find any today. I found a summery dress and a few nice tops. No shorts.
Just my opinion, but you might be a whole lot more comfy in the summery dress for cross-country travel although, of course, you’ve been enduring your own special brand of NY summer heat & humidity. I actually don’t wear slacks/pants or shorts in summer anymore. Around the house, I actually am wearing pool/beach coverups which are light and airy (like you’d throw over a bathing suit). Even more than indeed one of those floaty skirts with loose & breezy tops, I found some very-thin fabric (rayon) sundresses (modest neckline and no spaghetti straps; they’re much like a sheath but not form-fitting) and I seem to wear them everywhere when I’m out & about; they don’t cling but instead lift lightly in a breeze! In former years, I wore a lot of linen in summer, but that got too hot for me, too, even though it’s a classic warm-weather fabric of course. We actually got up to 95 degrees today here in SoCalif; I was out doing errands this afternoon and got too overheated. The last thing I want when that happens is clothing that closes me in, so to speak. (These menopause years are a conundrum.)
Claudia, I know you’re a savvy traveler, but something to advise here – – when we were out on our day trip yesterday (Sunday), we did have a problem with our older car in a mountain pass; it didn’t like the ‘climbing’ and the engine was overheating, so we had to pull over. It was very stressful! The heat inland was blistering and we couldn’t find any shade, so we were baking in full afternoon sun on the side of the road where there wasn’t much shoulder; heat waves coming off that too-close asphalt. I did have two umbrellas in the trunk but I wish I’d had a couple of camp chairs. The car has been well-maintained, my husband checked it all out before we left, but this was just too scary and, after this, we’ve now decided to get rid of this car, too; we’re just going to have to bite the bullet and get a later-model vehicle and make car payments again; ugh. But I was also very concerned for our dog who was with us.
Fortunately, I’d loaded the car with a lot of bottled water (many individual drinking bottles of water as well as a gallon jug) and we had a cooler with ice packs. I’d also packed several bath towels. So, we shielded the inside of the car with towels over the windows, we doused the dog and ourselves with water, I had an ice pack around my neck; we were a long way from any kind of 911 help and we sure weren’t seeing any California Highway Patrol cars, just our luck. I share this, knowing you’re driving the older van back across West to East…don’t be obsessive about prep for the road, but anticipate anything, then sit back and relax; enjoy the ride. My husband used some of that water to cool down the engine and we got back on the road…he says lots of cars don’t like the mountains…but I’m so ‘over’ the car; it’s getting junked like the other one which got crunched when that hit & run driver hit me in May (and, no, they still haven’t found the guy but they’re still saying it’s an ongoing investigation and, a month later [nearly] are still not releasing the police report to the insurance company or us…my goodness…).
An aside, at the risk of oversharing: I dodged another bullet on Monday. When I had a myriad of tests over the past couple of weeks as a result of some ongoing complications from the Memorial Day car accident (certainly turned out to be more than just a whiplash injury), a couple of things looked suspicious for recurring cancer in me (this kind of thing can happen, where you’re looking to figure out one thing, and stumble upon another [tests/scans nowadays can reveal a lot about the body]), so I’ve really been apprehensive for the past two weeks, waiting to get in to see my hero-oncologist (my voice of reason when everything else seems to be spinning in circles), which is part of the reason why my husband ‘made me’ go to that rocket launch on Sunday (the infamous car-overheating incident), to get my mind off things (best-laid plans, anyway!).
So, I saw my specialist Monday morning…and he gave me a green light. He’d previously studied everything (days ago, I’d handcarried/ferried all my medical records to him from the two hospitals, both ER visits, to make sure he had everything in advance), did a thorough exam and says I’m good. Once again, I move on…to live my life. Which is what we all need to do, each and every precious day. Found myself in deep gratitude mode yesterday, even loving the gigantic zucchini which somehow slipped by us for picking earlier…so I’ve been researching simple recipes and I think I’m going to bake it, stuffed with some goodies; or else have my husband grill it. Might sound mundane, to get interested over a zucchini…I don’t exactly lead an exciting life in these years…but I’m feeling ‘the happy’, that’s for sure. So much ‘happy’ in the small things; life around us. As you find in the garden flowers, baby birds and fresh-mowed lawn, right?
And I’m loving my young (third) cousin, who just graduated from college, now going on to grad school to become a veterinarian, who rescued a litter of six kittens left in a city park with a dying mama kitty…in the searing heat of a community about two hours north-inland from here (where it gets SO hot this time of year). He sets the alarm to wake himself up every few hours to bottle-feed the baby kitties, I think with an eye-dropper, bless his heart; he’s so tired from lack of sleep, and is trying to take a summer class, and he also has a part-time job like so many students (he takes the kittens with him so he can keep an eye on them at work and, of course, feed the little things). Heart of gold. A good young man with such promise and I’m so glad to know him.
Claudia, let us know when we can pop on by before you leave so Noble can get your watering schedule, etc. and where everything is briefing.
I sent you an email this afternoon, Tina. xoxo
I have not been wearing shorts either. It’s not that they don’t fit, but my legs are so pale. I don’t tan like I used to do. Now I wear sunscreen all year long and various sorts of other sun protection. I took a look at my oh so pale skin yesterday and thought ~ I must use some self tanner before I have the nerve to wear shorts ;-) Your black raspberries look luscious. Don’t get me started on property taxes, mine are mind blowing!
Love,
Susan and Bentley
I’m always pale and have always been pale. Oy. I never use self tanner because it would look silly with my pale face!
Nothing like a deadline to get your rear in gear! I do the same. In fact, I’m overdue for a book review I’m supposed to be doing, too. As well as making a recipe and coming up with a post for Wayfair, and a blogger friend asked me if I’d do a guest post for her blog. Have I started on any of this? Of course not. Too many other things taking up my time and attention right now. But anyway, how exciting that you will soon be on your way to San Diego! And that house for your friends sounds promising. High property taxes…don’t even get me started. Living in the Chicago ‘burbs, we are in one of the highest property taxing districts in the entire nation. People are fleeing IL in droves and the property taxes are one of the biggest reasons.
Our taxes are so high! I don’t blame people for moving away, we might have to do the same at some point. We’re senior citizens now.
Hope things work out for your friend Rick. Those berries look delicious. Have a safe trip in the city.
Marilyn
I’m sure you took some great photos of that property for them….I hope they like it as well…I didn’t wear shorts in public until the Summer after my son was born…I didn’t like people to see my white, chubby legs..after Matt was born when I was almost 36, all I cared about was having fun with him…didn’t care what other people thought…I’m so glad my attitude changed!