an email posted...

This is an email I sent to a friend that says most of what I wanted to post about today. I tried to eliminate all the specific addresses to him and make it more general here.

it seems that I am selling my house!

I had a lady call me a few times about it and wanted to work me down to a frightening number. I thought she was another scammer so I dismissed her and just spoke bluntly to her. Nearing the end of the conversation, she told me that she was an investor and wanted to buy the property. I gave her the bottom line and said I would not take anything less than 500k for it. She agreed to buy it. Over the next few weeks, we talked a few times and she said she was still interested. I ended up writing up a contract and mailed it to the escrow company to look over. Long story shorter, I mailed it to the wrong place so it was returned. I then mailed it out for the agent to look over again before forwarding it to the investor. Before she received the one I sent, she faxed me an agreement she made up that was all wrong. Wrong name, wrong price (for more!) and wrong info. I thought for sure that this confirmed that it was a scam. I told the escrow agent I am working with to call her and ask a few questions. You know, kind-of play dumb about the situation. She did call a few times but the lady never replied. So, last week I called the agent again to see of she returned any of her calls. She told me she didn't and again it was a confirmation. After I hung up from talking though, the agent called me back and said she had just gotten in touch with her and that she had received the agreement that I made up, was going to sign it, and remit the 3% deposit to open escrow. I am hoping that she is going to buy it. :)

We are closing down our time here in NC. It's hard to believe that we have lived here for almost a year already. I still haven't secured a position in Ohio yet but in retrospect, I hadn't secured a position here in NC until mid July. I actually didn't even fly out here to interview until the end of May. I have sent several resumes out and am checking the job boards regularly. Ildi has encouraged me to apply for a couple of part-time positions in the city of Westerville, OH. She says it is the Pasadena of Ohio :) The pay scale there is outrageous as well. She said after I work a few months part-time they will be sure to pick me up for a full time position. Sounds good to me. It's either take a full time job in a small community and living somewhere in the country with a guarantee that I will make a decent salary, or work part-time for a bit making a little less than that with the potential of getting hired for a full position at a large sum. All for 180 days of work a year! At this point, if this house sells, we will still be able to buy a farm cash without me making any more money.

Which all brings me to the question I have for you (all). Remember one of the conversations we had about our children growing up and that we wanted to provide for them? I remember talking that night about the plans you all have for your children. It is not too far away. What is reminding me is that I just picked up the book I started several years ago called The Power of Focus. It is the kind of book that makes you think of why you are doing what you are doing. Anyway, it reminded me about goals that I had set many years ago that I have already accomplished. (ex. debt free, MA degree, have more children, live frugally.......) And now, I am starting to think about some of the things that I want to accomplish as we move into a more agrarian life. For example....I am thinking about having our family farm a tourist type of place equipped to accommodate school children visiting, community visitors, and possibly over night stays in a Wall Tent. Mary Jane Butters gave me the idea:) Sort-of like a bed and breakfast but on the farm. You know, a tent/cabin that you stay for the weekend listening to the crickets chirp with a small fire on a warm summer night. The morning comes with a hot /fresh cooked breakfast that includes milk and eggs that are from our animals. The day is spent leisurely touring the farm, milking a cow, gathering eggs, weeding/planting in a garden, and eating great home-cooked meals. The draw would be that it is a place AWAY from the rat race and a time to really relax, get your hands dirty, and feel part of a family farming vision.

Sounds like a huge plan. I better start writing all this stuff down before I forget it!

And, as a side note, long posts are VERY BAD. Sorry. :(