So a couple of weeks ago I told you there was “something” going on. Something I couldn’t talk about just yet.  But now it’s official, so I guess I can talk about it.

Finally, finally, FINALLY!  I’ve been sitting on this & biting back saying anything for so long, I swear my tongue is a bloody stub.

But here it goes…  The Big News…

I.

Am.

Moving.

Yes, yes, yes, yesssss!

FINALLY!  Thank You, Jesus!  (And if not moving UP, I’m at least moving sideways.)

I don’t mind telling you that I’ve been wanting to move & have been house-hunting semi-seriously for a very long time.  Even though there are still a few really nice folks in town, the area where I live (where my family has lived for nearly 50 years, thank you very much!) has slowly been going downhill.  You know how they say “It only takes one” & “The few ruin it for the many”?  Yeah, that.

I’ll tell you flat-out that I can be one of the best neighbors you’ll ever have.  I’ve done things for neighbors that normally only family members will do.  I’ve babysat, pet-sat, baked goodies, helped people move in &/or out…  I’ve mowed yards other than my own for two years straight just to make things easier for someone…  I’ve offered up pet supplies & advice when asked, & even paid for an emergency veterinary visit when a neighbor’s cat was electrocuted & they didn’t have the money to have the poor boy checked out.  And I’ve got a scar—an ugly, permanent scar—on the back of my hand from the time I tried to rescue a couple of cats that one neighbor had abandoned, but another wanted to rehabilitate.  I’ve attended weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, birthday parties, etc….gone to church with, parties with, & on vacation with some of my neighbors—& vice versa.  In short, I treat others as I would like to be treated, & for the most part, I have been very lucky that the neighbors I treat with kindness have often repaid the favor.  Sometimes they’re even kind to me first, so I get to repay them. img25   That’s how close a community we used to be.

And then there are those few.  A few who moved in five minutes ago & suddenly think they own the town.  A few who do whatever they want, whenever they want, without a single thought to the fact that they don’t live on a 30-acre estate, but have neighbors within shouting distance (or closer) on every side.  A few who don’t understand the concept of boundaries or being a good neighbor, & make you realize that living on a deserted island or out in the I-hear-banjos boonies may not be such a bad prospect, after all.

Which isn’t to say that I haven’t always wanted a bigger house with a bit more personal & storage space, even when I was surrounded by fabulous neighbors, but I may not have been spurred to actually look for one quite so seriously if it weren’t for—as my father would call them—the yahoos.  Should I have to move because a couple of assholes move into the neighborhood & immediately send property values plummeting?  Of course not.  But let’s put it this way:  I know what kind of person I am, & I know what kind of people they are.  I know how I live, & I know how they live.  I know my future potential, & I know their future potential.  I am definitely the clear winner in this situation.

So even though there’s still a handful of really good neighbors I’m going to miss, the long-dreamt-of moving thing is finally, FINALLY happening. img20

Wanna see it?  Here it is:

Squeeeeeee! img26

I have to be honest:  this isn’t quite my Dream House.  That would be a multimillion-dollar mansion with an indoor pool, live-in servants, &, like, an indoor theatre or bowling alley or something.  Think Mary Fisher’s big pink estate in She-Devil. img30

Or some gorgeous modern home right on the beach. img15

But for where it’s located & what I can afford, it is—as Mary Poppins might say—Practically Perfect in Every Way.

In case you can’t tell, I’m really excited. But I’m also scared half to death.  So this should be a fun few months while everything comes together & all the details are ironed out.

Don’t worry, though—I will definitely be sharing a lot more about this momentous event as we go along. img22

Happy Sunday—again!  Can you believe how quickly the weeks are flying by? img11

I hope you’re having a wonderful summer so far. Have you done anything fun or exciting yet…or have plans for anything fun & exciting? img15

The last few weeks, I’ve been having a bit of trouble with my right thumb.  Yup, just the thumb.  LOL  Too much writing by hand, I suspect.  It’s just sort of sore & stiff, & definitely gets worse when I start writing. img39  The chiropractor says I may be developing a touch of arthritis in the joint, but I reject his diagnosis.  Nope.  Not happening.

So I’ve been icing it as much as possible & I AM HAPPY to report that it’s starting to feel better.  I actually don’t notice it much at all anymore until I start writing by hand…then it starts to cramp up again.  But for the most part, I think it’s on the mend & will keep doing what I’m doing in hopes that it gets totally better before long. img25

Which brings me to something else I AM HAPPY about:  the Dictation program on my Macbook & the fact that my friend Robert actually pointed it out to me.  I was kind of clueless before that, but now that I know it exists, I’m taking advantage. img16   Probably not as often as I should, but when I’ve got my thumb wrapped up with an ice pack & typing is nearly impossible, it’s come in handy to dictate e-mails & blog posts & even previously hand-written pages. img44

And I AM HAPPY that I’m making progress—though slow & often painful—on something I’ll be blogging about tomorrow.  You’ll totally understand once you see the post. img32

So how about you guys—what are you thankful for or happy about this week?  Great stuff, I hope!  I know we’d all like to hear about it, so take a minute to share. 

Oh, dear… img10