Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Castles In The Air, Houses On The River


Well, holy shit. It's been a day. 

First thing that happened was that I got an e-mail from our friend/landlord down in Roseland (he and his husband own the property where we love to stay) with a link to a piece of property right down the street from them which just happens to be the property that my grandfather owned. The very one my mother sold in 1978 even though I told her more than once not to sell it without letting me have a chance to buy it. (Bitter, much?) The people who bought it built a house on it that I've always cursed, considering it to be ugly but mostly considering it to be on MY rightful property on MY river. Even though I know it isn't. This is not how things work. 

Anyway, there it was. For sale. With the house. That is the lot that I can remember my granddaddy working on, wearing no shirt, a pair of khakis, and a pith helmet with a giant handkerchief in his pocket to wipe the sweat from his face as he planted one thing or another or trimmed a palm or cut the grass. 

The price on this house and lot are absolutely not exorbitant for that location. Sort of startlingly so. Not saying it's cheap but we've looked at shacks on tiny lots across the street from the river for more than a quarter of the price. And this is on the river. My first thought was, "Okay, Mary. This is why you haven't found property in Roseland. This was waiting for you and here it is."
But although I do dally with the woo-woo thoughts now and then I don't really believe in them. That whole, "If it's meant to be it'll happen," crappola. I mean, yeah. If something happens it happens but it could just as easily not happen. 

Mr. Moon was at the gym so I couldn't show the link to him then. By the time I did, a few hours later, I'd shared it with a friend and with the kids. The kids figured out where we could build a screened sleeping porch for the young'uns. Like- yeah. Obviously. We need to do this. 
So I showed it to Glen and he said, "What do you think?" and I said, "I don't know what to think."

Now Roseland is my dreamplace, not his. But he has grown very fond of that river and the way you can put a boat in there and get to the inlet in short order where the fishing is good. And it is just a beautiful area. So after we talked to our friend/landlord who told us that he thought the house probably needed a lot of work but looked to have good bones, we called the realtor. 
Guess what? 
They'd already received a deposit on it. It had been listed for 23 hours. 
Well, fuck. 
I cried a little but then our friend encouraged us to go ahead and make a back-up offer anyway, telling us that he's done just that on many properties that supposedly had iron-clad deals that had not gone through and ended up purchasing the property. 
So we have. 
According to the realtor, the person whose offer has already been accepted is a very close friend of the family's who did not know it was for sale until it had been listed. 
Harumph. 
Did HIS grandfather own the property in the 1950's? No. He did not. Mine did. 

I'm just being silly. Of course I want it from my toes to my head hair but I can't get that attached to the idea. That way lies madness. 

I took another good walk. I am proud of myself for it. I covered some ground. Not very fast, although I did end it strong. There were inmates working near No Man Lord's, picking up trash, and I passed them on my way to the county line, on my way back from the county line, and then again when they had reached my property and I was finishing up my extra Lloyd loop. By then I felt as if we were well-acquainted. I said, "And here we are again!" 
One of the guys said, "You're getting your exercise in today."
"So are you," I said, and opened up my gate. 

At least it was a cool-ish morning, a beautiful day, and I can only imagine that being outside picking up trash on Old Lloyd Road was not the most unpleasant thing they could be doing. 

We watched the State of the Union Address last night. I was just going to watch "a little bit" but we ended up watching it all. I have to say that Joe Biden is the consummate politician and I also have to say that I think he's a remarkable man who truly does care about the people of the United States. He hit all the high points. Infrastructure, jobs, American resiliency, drug prices, racism, police brutality, protecting the dignity and safety of trans people, especially kids, helping the care-givers of the disabled, ensuring the right of same-sex people to marry, women's reproductive choice, gun violence, the opioid crisis, the best way to handle immigration, education- and these are just the things I can remember. There were some extremely rude Republicans (Marjorie Taylor Greene) who yelled things including "bullshit!" (keep it classy, Repubs!) but Biden, quicker than I could, turned the hecklers right around and used their words to his advantage as if it had all been scripted. It was rather beautiful. 
His words do get tangled because of his stutter but he spoke for an hour and fifteen minutes and if he was using a teleprompter, he is damn good at that. 
As I told a friend today, in a way he reminds me of the Rolling Stones. They have perfected what they do but they are still quite capable of improvisation. He's about the same age as they are too. So they're going on tour and I'll bet you anything he's going to run for president again. Let's hear it for the old pros. 

Mr. Moon and I went out to the garden together this afternoon to determine where the peas and potatoes should go and I spent some time weeding those areas. Glen and Tom just left to go to a basketball game and it is very quiet here. I am tired and bed will feel good as it always does. Last night Maurice slept next to me all night long and did not once attack me, and Jack did not claim any space on the bed. That was odd. It almost feels as if they are vying for my love recently. I just took this picture of Jack.


He had his not insignificantly-sized butt ON MY ARM as I typed. I finally had to ask him to leave. He is a heavy boy. 

Here's a picture of my Trump-voting neighbors' Japanese magnolia. 


It is a hot-pink glory. 
As I have said, they have finally, after years, removed the Trump signs but do have a DeSantis sign in the yard. "DeSantis, Keeping Florida Free!"

I could list all of the things that DeSantis is keeping Florida free from but just see above for all the things Biden is fighting for and that would pretty much sum it up. 

Tomorrow is Levon and August day. I'll talk to you when I get home. 

Love...Ms. Moon



32 comments:

  1. Well, that was a rollercoaster, on the house. It sounds fixed though. But yes, it may yet fall through, may as well go for it anyway. And meanwhile be busy with other things.
    The kids will occupy your mind tomorrow!

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    1. Yes, m'am. Time to just get on with things and try not to be attached.

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  2. Re. the Roseland property... what will be will be. I guess if you raised your offer you could get it. I don't mean to be rude but do you really need all that work as you both approach seventy?

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    1. Well, I've been wondering what in hell I'm going to do with the rest of my life. I can't imagine a better project for me and the man. And we would definitely hire some help. And we would not be moving there permanently.

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  3. If it's supposed to happen, it will come together like a row of dominoes going down. My advice to you is to wait and see what happens. So it goes.

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  4. Hi Mary Moon. Just saw a recall of Fabuloso. I know you love your Fauloso. There is a bacterial strain in it. You may want to look into it.

    Bobbie DeWitt

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    1. Thanks, Bobbie! I checked mine out and yes- it's under the recall. I appreciate your attention to the matter!

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  5. My heart dropped to the basement - I so wanted the sale to go to you. POOP.

    I bought some
    Fabuloso because you use it, It is not sold here anywhere but the $1.25 store. I have not used it yet, had to check to see if the number was a danger number, It is not. so maybe tomorrow I will CLEAN!! Your cat's bottom on your arm is hilarious. he does look weighty!

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    1. I'm so glad you don't have to return your Fabuloso!
      Yes. Jack is definitely what the kids call thic.

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  6. A chance at the house on the river that once was almost yours? I'd be taking that chance too. Is that photo the front lawn of the property?

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  7. Oh my, I bet you never expected THAT did you! I'm so glad you put in a bid and who knows, it just might work out! Fingers crossed!

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    1. Honestly, I never did see that happening. And I figured that if it did come up for sale, it would be in the gazillions.

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  8. I am hoping that you get your house by the river. My eldest is in the middle of a house move.....early days....it is very stressful!

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    1. Well, we would not move there permanently. Just go for extended stays and vacations with the kids. And the kids could use it too. And it's probably not going to happen so...

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  9. I saw the Beatles, Springsteen and Little Women in your list and knew you would be my sort of person! Oh I hope you get your house back. I feel 'back' is the right word. My childhood home is a wreck at the moment but the owner refuses to sell. So sad.

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    1. Well hello, Ms. Liz. As I have often said, I've never met a Liz (or a Lis) I have not adored.

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  10. Wow, that must have been surreal (and heartbreaking) to see that property come up for sale and then be snatched away so quickly. Perhaps the deal will fall through. Anything is possible.

    I didn't watch Biden's speech but the consensus seems to be that he did really well. Remember when that politician made headlines by yelling "You lie!" during Obama's State of the Union? And now we have people yelling far worse. We're definitely devolving as a society and a government.

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    1. It was EXTREMELY surreal. You nailed it. And when I realized Glen was actually for it- well. I sort of went into a dissociative trance. And then hit the earth hard again.
      I kept remembering that- when those politicians called Obama a liar at the STOTU. The irony of calling Biden a liar when Santos was sitting right there is too rich for words.

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  11. Well, if it happens, it happens with that property but I know that feeling of wanting something so badly.

    I think if the democrats go with Joe Biden again, they will lose this time. He's too old and there must be somebody else who can take over the reins, let that poor man have a few years of peace before he dies.

    My hubby bought me and aerogarden for Christmas, hydroponics. I just planted some cilantro, two kinds of lettuce and chives a few days ago and they're up already. This makes me happy, even as my depression threatens to drag me down under again. I've been having a lot of reflux so I've been taking pepcid and my depression has reared it's ugly head again. I get so tired of this, I could weep.

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    1. I'm feeling better. I made some hamburger buns for supper and got caught up on paperwork, so I feel like I did something productive:)

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    2. I'm so glad you're feeling better. At least for a bit. And so sorry that you've been dealing with depression. It is so horrible.
      I'd love to try some hydroponics. Never have.
      Not sure who'd the Dems would run as an alternative candidate. It's almost like no one in their right mind wants the job.

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  12. Who knows what fate has in store for you next.

    My daughter works for several government departments dealing with the forecast of effects due to climate change. A few weeks ago, we walked along a river front near an estuary in her part of the world, and she pointed out the various beautiful ancient and modern properties in this most sought after neighbourhood, that are predicted to not make it, starting with denial of insurance cover, predicted rise in water levels, effects of tidal influx, soil slippage, groundwater salinization, etc., she listed all the terminology like a doomsday song.

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    1. I hear you. But you know- if we could live there and visit there and I could have that dock on that river for at least some of the rest of the years of my life, I would not mind having lost our investment when the doomsday song is sung.

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  13. You have my admiration, my dear. You wanted something so badly in the morning, in a few hours found that you could not have it, did not let that crush you, put on your big girl face and shoes and got on with your life!

    I read this morning that if a child wants to check certain books out of the school library, their parents will be notified first and have to give their consent. In essence, those books have been banned. I'm sure that your nazi-like governor is very proud.

    And another thing......that Japanese Magnolia is gorgeous!! Even if it is a Republican tree!!

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    1. DeSantis is DeDevil. No shit. I am scared to death.
      Magnolias don't care about the politics of the people who supposedly own them. Thank goodness.

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  14. Fingers crossed for you! You never know!
    Xoxo
    Barbara

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  15. Oh my heart leaped when I read about the house. If it's meant to be, it's meant to be, I guess. I actually hate that saying. But I sure am hoping and wishing it for you! And I'm nervous about Joe Biden running again -- nervous that young people just won't vote at all.

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    1. Thank you, Elizabeth. Can you imagine if we did get that place? Ooh boy.
      Who do you think would be a good candidate? I just don't know.

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  16. I'm so sorry about the house. Then again it just might come back around.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.