The Infamous LastPost

Oh golly! Where to start lol?

First, thank you all for your prayers! We got a call back on Friday that the negotiator thinks the price we are offering is great! (So very, very happy!) There was a couple details to wrap up, like making sure that a paper was properly signed, adding a clause, etc. but we got those in right away, so we should be on track to close at the end of the month. (Hoping to get an actual closing date set within the next few days!) So thank you again for all your prayers! {{big hugs}}

@ Brooke ~ I am very excited that things are moving along! The house is only a couple miles from Jora's school, so she can easily ride her bike, although I think they actually might have busing available too, which would be nice for the winter.

The house itself is a ranch style, 3 bedroom, one bath. It has a nice open living room which would be great for -edit- The garage has a room built onto the back of it with a half-bath, which could potentially work good as a place for children to play -edit- or a "MIL suite" for when family visits). It's on a corner lot, so lots of available parking. It has a covered patio and another poured concrete slab in the back of the house, -edit-. It's got a lot of potential, and we have all kinds of ideas of what we could do, but first it needs some tlc (tender-loving-care) to make it functional!


@ solo ~ So many things I want to say lol! First, I wish you the very best with the Filipino gal you have been long-distance dating! I agree with Brooke that you seem very mature and we are excited for you!


So a couple things I thought of that you might want to talk with her about in more depth, or to research (if you haven't already). ;D -edit-


She said that she wanted God to be a part of your relationship. What does that look like to her? -edit-

Also, each culture is different, with different expectations and ways of doing things (kinda like a secret code lol!) I googled "philippines culture shock" and found a site at expatarrivals that had some things listed that would be a good place to start. For instance, what is the proper way to eat if not given any silverware... and what laughter might signal if a Filipino is embarrassed. Like I said, maybe you've already read some culture shock books and talked through them, but just in case...


@ MonkeyEm ~ {{big hugs}} It's so good to see you gal!! I'm sorry to hear you are having computer problems! You might want to make sure your browsers are up to date, or maybe install Firefox (I heard somewhere that is most like the browser the the BP programmers use??) Also, of course, make sure to visit the Technical FAQ's, especially the threads that talk about how to clear your flash cache and history cache. (That way old farm data doesn't "fight" with the newly loaded farm data).


How are you doing with your shoulders and running? Any new developments?

@farmerlily ~ You are not alone in not liking PDA... not me of course! (the enthusiastic hugger that I am lol!) My hubby and I will have been married 17 years this December, (I think I counted that right lol!) and it has taken me this long to get him to hold hands in public and let me give him a peck on the cheek from time to time lol! Each person is different, but I think it plays a lot into how you were raised... my family was very affectionate (lots of hugs and kisses and cuddling) while his family interacted in completely different ways!

In other news, I made a spreadsheet of crop times combining the singing flower row and refinements a while back, and finally posted it to Arrouquelas' plant refinery thread (see link above).

{{hugs}} to those I missed replying to and blessings to all!

PS Those fish are making me hungry! ♥ I love rainbow trout! ♥

 

@CJ, The moderator really went after your post.
Yeah I have heard that some Filipina laugh when shy. I'm not sure if mine does that, but I would believe they all do that. I asked her about it and she told me no. When we done Skype for the first time ever, she never didn't do it.

Anyway, the month June was the best month for us. But for some reason now this month we're having some trouble. Arguments seemed to have increased. But it doesn't change our feelings for each other. Because if things were affected, she wouldn't have stayed up late today just to chat with me.

 

Hi solo!
Wow! You are right - the mods really edited that post of mine. Perhaps they thought I was coming across too strong?

Anyway, without going into details, I had given more examples of what having God in a relationship might mean. While I admit I leaned a bit toward examples that may seem extreme to some, the underlying principle is that it's important to be aware of different expectations in order to prevent future conflict. If interested, send me an igm and we can talk more off the forum.


One thing I have learned about relationships is that conflicts will come and go. My hubby has a favorite quote. "Love is a choice, not a feeling." There will be times where you will feel on top of the world and other times where it you will not feel very loving at all. Choosing to patiently love that person, despite your (or their) current emotions is so key for long-term success.


So how is everyone else doing? We're doing good here! I still have a slight cough and was not feeling very good the last few days, but am feeling better now. It's interesting how my family has different priorities... my daughter is already talking about getting school supplies lol! She doesn't even know what classes she will be in yet, but yet she is ready to go shopping! I tell her that we need to at least get moved first before I will be ready to start thinking about school shopping lol! (She just wants to be prepared).

My hubby is keen to sort through boxes and get rid of things we don't need (didn't we do that before we moved??) And I am just ready for a closing date so I can get moved and get "nested" in our new house lol! As for my MIL, she is ready for us (or at least our cats) to be moved (as the cat hair drives her crazy!) I think though, once we are gone, she will miss us...

As far as the house goes, we are still waiting on hearing back from the seller's bank. We are supposed to hear back by the end of this week, and since today is Friday...! {{crosses fingers}}

 

CJ, I hope everything will work out fine and you will move to your new house soon!
Good luck

 

Thoughts and prayers are with you CJ as you try to get everything sorted out.

 

CJAT you are truly blessed to have so many loving friends This says so much of the kind person you are dear. Lots of love and prayers sent up to your family. I feel sure things will work for the best and you will soon settle into a peaceful and happy new home. Hugz and blessings

 

I second that!
@CJ, I am hoping for the best with your new house. You have always been a good friend to me, so of course someone like you deserve it

 

{{hugs everyone}}

I am truly thankful for all the friends I have made here! Thank you for all your prayers and well wishes! We are still waiting to hear on a closing date. In a bit of humor, I have found myself multiple times this week digging into packed boxes for this or that for the kitchen lol!


@solotime ~ we have been friends for such a long time lol! I will, however, have to disagree about "deserving" the house... (Now to find the words that will let me express myself but hopefully won't get me edited lol!) Umm, I would be perfectly happy with a small house just as much as this larger house. As long as it meets the budget, and has enough room to allow us to have people over so we can connect in "meaningful ways", I am happy!

@farmerlily22 ~ {{blush}} I just love people lol! I have a hard time holding a grudge, so even people who tend to get under other's skin, I try to see life from their perspective too. Most people have good intentions, even if it all comes out wrong or a bit sloppy lol! I really believe that everyone has value and we each have gifts or talents to benefit others.


I have an aunt who is considering moving back to the area where my side of family is. Unfortunately, she is really hard to get along with as you never know what will set her off. A part of me cringes (being honest here) at the thought of her moving closer to family, but I choose to be hopeful that her moving would mean that she will finally get to resolve some past issues that she has been carrying around for a long time. She's a person that reminds me of the quote, "Hurting people hurt people." (And I know she has issues in the past that prevent her from fully enjoying life now). But I especially love that quote as it helps give me a better perspective on people's actions in general. (And honestly, we all have past things in our lives pop up from time to time and effect how we interact with others!)


But I am starting to ramble now (imagine that lol!) so I will bring it back to topic lol!

@pnp~ I so owe you an igm! I keep thinking of you... I will work on getting a reply to you soon! {{hugs}}


Oh, if you are starting the event and need event seed times with super-grow buffs/cloud, I put in a chart in the current strategy thread to help with that. (Don't forget that we only have 2 days to do this event!) Also if you use event seeds on comfort plots overnight, you should be able to get fairly accurate times by multiplying the chart times by 4.

 

CJAT - Although I am just getting into posting in the forum, I have read your posts with delight over the past years (whenever I could get time to glance through the forum). I am delighted to hear about your new home, and wish you the best.

A bit of humor for you - I moved into my home 7 years ago, and I just unpacked the last boxes this past week! I hope you will have a quicker unload time. Blessings!

 

CJAT - dear friend, please do not stress over sending in IGM. You have a lot going on right now and you are in thought and prayer. Take your time...we need a housewarming party when you get moved. But...for some reason I remember you hosting parties on the other forum and though great fun was had, I seem to remember a big mess!

 

CJAT - I'm also crossing fingers, toes etc. that the house escrow closes without any glitches!!! I'm sorry to be out of the loop for a while....been feeling poorly. You have a great outlook...which is infectious...and draws people to you.

 

Hi friends! {{hugs}}

@ Brooke ~ I hope you feel better soon! Being/feeling sick is no fun! {{makes you some chicken broth and fluffs up some pillows for you}} I'm very happy if my positive outlook lifts yours or anyone's spirits! (I would much rather be infectious in a positive way than the alternative!)

@pnp~ I am going stir crazy right now lol... I am at the point where I will be happy to throw things in boxes and just let them sit once we move. As long as I have my favorite books, my kitchen stuff, my tools, and my clothes accessible, I will be happy! I just want to be moved lol! I have also noticed myself posting more on the forum, which I am really enjoying. (Although there are some things I should probably work on a bit more before moving...) Will try not to drag my feet so much on those lol!


@ Willow - thank you! What an accomplishment to unpack your last box! I think there is a post on this thread from when we moved in with my MIL, and I was dreading unpacking boxes. I remember someone transporting me and my boxes to a beautiful beach, and I contentedly let the surf take my unpacked boxes away!! (A part of me wonders that if I haven't needed them in 2 years, if I will really need them when I move). I guess it makes sense why hubby wants to go through them... I just stubbornly think they all must be "decorations" and why decorate a house already decorated?? (MIL has good taste, although it will be nice to set out some of my family pictures and to rediscover where I packed them lol!)

 

CJAT good luck with the move. I have been following you new adventure with great interest. When we move here 13 years ago, I repacked some stuff (mainly china) in several plastic boxes and put them on shelves in one of our barns. Guess what - they are still there. Once of these days I really will sort them out and send to charity shop! This is the problem with having lots of barns, you can fill them with all your stuff whilst you decide what to do!

 

Hi farmerumf! We lived in the same city/town in mid-Michigan for 14 years! During that time, we lived in 4 different houses/apartments... each time moving a little bit closer to the college there lol! I think it was 2002 when we actually bought a house, and lived there for 11 years. It was a good-sized house, with a double garage, full basement, and lots of places to store things. (Not sure if that was a good thing or not lol!)


Before we moved here, we had an on-going garage sale on the weekends. My hubby went through a lot of our stuff on the weekdays, priced it and we sold quite a bit of it before we moved. (Although there were a few things I had to "rescue" lol!) But whatever was left over, we donated, and (with the exception of my Christmas tree), I've really not missed any of it! It's surprising how little you really need to be happy!


The house we are buying has some good storage, but I'm not looking to accumulate as many things as I did before. I like your idea of passing on what we isn't used/needed to others who can use it.

 

I am still living in the same house I grew up in. It's not a bad location because we have Wal-Mart only about 6 miles away. The Wal-Mart is next to a mall. If you travel like two miles down more, you'll find Lowe's, Petsmart, and Staples. However, if you want better stores, you can just drive 30 miles. It's a bigger city and has a lot more stores to offer. For people who enjoy outdoors, we have two State Parks. One is around 6 miles away, the other one is like 20 miles away.

 

Good luck with the move CJAT. I know how stressful that can be having just moved into our new place earlier this year. A lot of the stuff I had acquired over the years went to our local hospice shop as we were fortunate to have furniture donated by family and our kitchen units and dining room table were built from scratch from the wood of one of the barns we knocked down (well mostly it fell down, so we decided to take the rest of it down).

 

Hi solo! Where we last lived we were only about 2-3 miles from Wal-Mart. Now we are only 5 minutes, but once we move we will have a choice: a smaller one for a 15 minute drive or a larger one for a half-hour drive! There is some sort of lake south of town that we saw the first time we visited. It looked like it had nice picnic spots and shade trees. Looking forward to exploring it further. (Might have to take up fishing again... wonder if they have trout!!


Hiya TC! Congrats on your new place! I hope you are mostly feeling settled there now. So who is the woodworker to have made a table and kitchen out of old barn wood? (I admire those skills!) I sometimes see things on the DIY network and wonder if I could do this or that project lol! My dad was pretty handy and when he made/repaired/built things, us kids would often be right there watching and helping. I think we picked up a lot of skills just by "helping out".


Oh, there will be another gift and trade event next week!! Here is my wish list! If you are looking for spa crafting products or workshops, be sure to take a peek! (I'm a bit nervous how it will fit with the house, as we still have not heard on a closing date yet, but I will take that as it comes!)

 

The woodworkers are my uncle and cousins, ably assisted by my hubby who was put on tea making duty due to his complete lack of skills (more patience I think)! I tend to do a lot of the little DIY projects like shelves/fencing (learned from dad and grandad); hubby has got quite good at the plumbing mind!
BTW guess what I just won on the wheel? It's coming straight your way on Monday!

 

I'm not sure what you won, but excited all the same lol! (Thank you!)

I think that in work requiring attention to detail, that being skilled in patience makes all the difference. I've always been the more the handy one in our house. Our first major DIY project was installing a toilet... guess who did it all by herself??


I will brag on my hubby a bit though... When we moved here, Jora's old dresser went into the shed for storage. It was fine for when she was younger. Sitting in the shed tarnished the brass knobs/pulls/feet, and the color was a faded greyish-muted yellow. Definitely not a teen color! MIL thought we should put it out for trash, but my hubby decided to see if he could save it. He bought a bright white paint and new top knobs. He sanded and painted everything and it looks great... so much so that MIL is wondering if she could have it!


I took a picture, and while the lighting wasn't the best, it gives you a good idea of what it looks like!

Spoiler: Lemon Tree

I also couldn't resist adding a picture of my lemon tree. I've only about killed it twice lol! The first time it had scale and I set it outside to die. It lost most it's leaves, then it rained and and grew new ones! Then it got scale again, but not as bad, so I trimmed it down and set it outside again! Again, it lost a lot of leaves (all but the two biggest ones), but I've added spraying to its treatments. Now it's on the rebound again... next goal is to see if I can just get it to grow straight up lol!

 

LOL CJAT - I failed miserably at trying to grow lemon trees in pots. I am now on year 3 of kumquats. They are healthy & producing oodles of fruit(which of course we don't use). They look very pretty in large pots next to the pool.
Ahhhh...wah wah wah ...I was so hoping you would here about the close date on your new house today!! Great job on restoring Jora's chest! Pat your hubby on the back!!! I just love to refurbish old pieces and keep using them!

TCRooster - So so so cool a dining table and kitchen cabs from barn wood!!! I have woodworkers in my immediate family....but no access to old barn wood.