At the beginning of last week, less than a month after I put my house in Helena, Arkansas on the market, the realtor held an open house and someone made an offer! The fact of the house's vacancy after the previous year's tenants moved out in mid-July (and the requisite monthly mortgage payments) really weighed on my mind. Every night lying in bed I would think: what if the house never sells? what if all of my savings is used up in paying the mortgage while it's on the market? Needless to say, it was a major stressor, and when Amy (the realtor) called last weekend to tell me that there was already a cash offer on the property (she sounded quite surprised!), the depth of my relief cannot be exaggerated.
I told Amy that I would accept any offer which allowed my mortgage to be completely paid off and relieved me from having to pay anything out-of-pocket. With those criteria in mind, she made a counter-offer, which the prospective buyers accepted immediately! It was only two thousand dollars less than the offer price.
This week, I raced around notarizing and faxing various forms and talking with the lawyers handling the closing in Arkansas. It was hectic but now it's done. The house is sold, the mortgage is paid off, and I am very happy that I (and Todd, secondarily) no longer need to worry!
At the same time, that chapter of my life - the one thing still connecting me to Helena - is closing, and I can't help but feel slightly bereft.
Here's a picture of the amazing cloud patterns above J.F. Wahl Elementary, where I taught 2nd graders:
And here's the lovely little back garden of the house after a snowfall.
I'll always remember that house as being a milestone in my life in many ways. It was the first house that I bought, the first major financial responsibility I took on by myself.
It was the place I came back to every day after school, where Rachel and I commiserated about our struggles with teaching in a town where racism is (frankly) pervasive.
It was the home where I fully came into myself, where I became more of an adult than I ever was in college, and adapted to going to work every day and being accountable to twenty five great students.
It was the place I welcomed my parents and friends, and took pride in making my own (hedge-clipping, grouting tiles, and decorating bed and bath were a few of my projects...). I remember going to Tunica (casinos!) and the blues festival (mini-harmonicas!) with Chrissie and being so happy that we had a shared memory of this small town on the banks of the Mississippi.
It was a place that I remember playing with Rachel's adopted puppies, Marco and Gia, and going for long walks in the leafy neighborhood up the street.
It was also the place where I first realized (suddenly and completely) that I was in love with Todd. We had so many long talks on the phone as I sat in the window seat of my room. I felt like he was there, helping me along and cheering me on. I remember when he sent Vermont maple syrup in a bottle shaped like a maple leaf because I once remarked that there was nowhere to get real maple syrup in Helena...And when he told me he'd like to come out and visit, just to see what Helena was like! And I remember Todd's visit, soon after we started dating, during which he immediately injured his back. It didn't matter though. Those were some of the best days of my life.
Although I'm relieved that the house is sold, I'm happy that all the memories connected to it in my mind will remain just as strong...
Second and third choices:
Decisions, decisions.
Full disclosure: so although I've tried to stop biting my nails, it just wasn't happening. Sebastian had told us that he would be taking "ring shots" and to be sure my hands (and nails) looked lovely. As panic set in, I went to a nail salon and got (horrors!) acrylic nails. It took forever, but the shade of nail polish was really pretty and I have to admit that the end result looked great!
Peacock! There were also adorable peachicks (is that the correct term for baby peacocks?) of various sizes about, all following their peahen mothers. I think (and I saw this ashamedly) that Sebastian captured a few shots of us trying to pet them. The peachicks weren't entirely cool with that... :-)
View from our room - Griffith Observatory was visible in the distance, as was the Capitol Records building!
Our hotel was right next to an ultra-romantic (or at least it was when I saw it on an episode of the Style network's "I Propose"!) Cal-Asian (seriously - that's what they call it!) restaurant called Yamashiro. We didn't have time to check it out, but it's on our list for next time!
We took a walk among the Hollywood hills on Saturday morning and we discovered this cool pagoda entryway on our way down the mountain.
A beautiful mansion that we passed on our walk, named (pretentiously) Chateau something or other.
Todd and I have been to two of them so far in San Francisco, one - a tiny little slip of a shop like Ollivander's, crammed from floor to ceiling with brilliantly colored papers of every texture, weight, and size imaginable, the other - a wide yawning expanse with little islands for each sort of invitation and printing type and DIY project. I have to say, it kind of makes me want to crawl over to Papyrus, close my eyes, put a finger on an invitation, and be done with it. Maybe there's a middle road - something like ordering invitations and response cards online or through Papyrus or another stationery chain, and then DIY-ing:
A koi fish pond with a breathtaking view of the San Gabriel Mountains in the distance.
A close-up shot of Queen Anne Cottage.
I'll always remember that house as being a milestone in my life in many ways. It was the first house that I bought, the first major financial responsibility I took on by myself. 
