....what's going on with you?

you may be wondering where the heck i have been....

or maybe not....

{that's just my ego talking....like you have nothin' better to do then check on the drama in my life}

our family went to oregon last week...

the girls spent a half day at their new school....

in their UNIFORMS!

can i get a whoo-hoo?

and the hubby and i looked at houses, yes we did.

and lots of other stuff is happening too....so in case you are wondering, here is the lowdown:

• we made an offer on a house in portland
• we got an offer on our cottage in minnesota
• we are "in negotiations" on both deals as i type this
• we went to the oregon coast and had a blast - boy did i miss the pacific ocean
• that is not me pictured above - it is my 12 year old daughter doing what i wanted to do when i saw my precious pacific but would have been too embarrassed
• i got to see lots of friends when i was in portland, including the one had been missing....let's just say it was a great "new beginning"...
• the house we made an offer on is not a "cottage" per se...but she will be after i get my hands on her
• my girls loved their new school, so momma breathed a big sigh of relief
• my soccer star girl played soccer with a new team when in portland and she brought some serious 'game', i was proud of her
• due to a snow storm in minnesota we were forced to extend our stay by two days

• i 'had' to go to the mall and buy my girls each some new clean clothes - on the first trip i chose to pack 'light'....
• we came home to 17 inches of new snow.....i had to shovel my front walkway for the first time this winter because hubby is still in oregon...won't miss having to do THAT...
• also came home to an injured hamster....seems the neighbors who were "hamster-sitting" decided to put said hamster into it's hamster ball on the kitchen table and said hamster took a flying leap onto the floor.....have a very upset hamster owner in my house....was awake all night praying for that little guy....thankfully he was ALIVE this morning but still not using one of his front paws{feet?}....
• finally got to the gym today to begin working off all those girl scout cookies i have been eating
• must not feel like capitalizing anything today...bear with me, i have lots on my mind!
• thanks for bearing with me as i ramble, over-share, you all ROCK!

So, what's going on with you?

Happy Valentine's Day from me to YOU!

"You yourself as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection."

~Buddha

Thank you dear blog readers for all the wonderfully supportive comments you left on my last post.  I am not surprised how many of you have also gone through the same experience.  Forget world peace, how about tackling "women's peace"?  Seems like a noble endeavor to me.

Wishing you all a Happy Valentine's Day!

...the ugly

photo from google images

One of the best things about moving back "home" is returning to friends and family.  It makes the moving transition easier knowing you have established relationships waiting for you.  Besides all the moving I have done during my married life, I also moved a fair amount as a child which does not make long-term friendships easy nor plentiful. 

My Portland girlfriends are the friends who"knew me when"....I had my children, when I was pregnant, when I had difficult pregnancies, when I moved back to Portland the first time......they have gotten on airplanes to visit me when our family relocated to New Jersey, to Pennsylvania and to Minnesota.  And while I know that their lives have gone on since I left, I look forward to the comfort of knowing they are just across town rather than across the country.

When I began writing about our move, I promised I would share the good, the bad and the ugly.  Bear with me because that promise is taking me out of my comfort zone.....but lately, I have been ALL about going out of my comfort zone.

Today, I am choosing to share a bit of the "ugly" with you.....unfortunately, I think many of you will relate to my ugly tale.........

Just over six months ago I had a serious falling out with one of my best Portland girlfriends.....and we have not talked since....

and it's been painful.....especially now since we are moving back.....

and I am reminded more frequently of the void of that once important relationship.

Women's friendships are so damn complicated....why is that? 

I am certainly not going to spell out all the details of the "EVENT", let's just say that it boils down this.....after over 10 years of friendship, I thought we were rock solid friends, besties till the end - sister-like friends, who would be there to dance at our children's weddings and share life's other joys as well as the inevitable sorrows.  What happened between us made it clear {to me} that I was the only one of us who felt this way........who valued our relationship in that way.  Let me just say, however, I am not claiming to be the perfect friend and perhaps I somehow contributed to our friendships end....

When this "Event" happened all those high school insecurities came flooding back over me....I felt humiliated, even embarrassed......and hurt and a bit angry too.  I didn't like it, I am a grown woman in my 40's for goodness sake!

In the months since, I have returned to Portland a few times and always think about my friend. When I take my girls to Portland next week to visit their new school, I will likely think of her again.  Of course our paths will cross, we have many mutual friends and acquaintances....I am uncomfortable with all of it, but mostly I am sad. 

Because, while I miss that friendship, I have come to realize in the months that have passed, in reality I am missing something that never really existed anyway. 

Doesn't make it any easier.

it's official......

Our Forever*Cottage will go on the market this week.......

We were on the "Distinctive Homes" tour for brokers this last week......funny to me as I would have never classified our cottage as "distinctive" but we are in a desirable neighborhood and will be priced lower than the lake homes that surround us so I guess that makes us "distinctive".

While the house was ultra-tidy {and me utterly exhausted from getting it so}, I did snap a few pictures with my point and shoot camera - thus not the best pics......

but I am sharing anyway.....

This is our "formal" living room  - the no television space, where the girls tend to do their reading, the dogs lie in front of the fire and I enjoy company while I cook in the adjoining kitchen.

 As they say on MTV "Cribs", here is where the magic happens!  Just kidding.....obviously the kitchen and I love the different cabinet finishes, my big Thermador fridge, enormous sink and farmhouse fixtures. Is it my dream kitchen?  I would have to say NO, there are lots of things that I would have done differently but it is lovely and we just were not here long enough to change much.

 Our dining room.  The farmhouse table was made for me in Pennsylvania by an Amish furniture maker out of reclaimed wood - I consider it my souvenier from our time in Pennsylvania.  The french chairs at the ends of the table were also purchased in Pennsylvania from what I now believe - if there is such a thing- a shabby chic furniture hoarder.  Let's just say, her "tag sale" in her very large garage/carriage house was floor to ceiling cabinets, mirrors, cupboards, headboards, chairs - all gorgeous, all very high-end.  Her frustrated husband was happy to see it all going.......I love that I have those chairs to remember that unbelievable experience.....

I am happy to get to this point although the thought of having the house "showing ready" at all times is NO FUN.  For that reason, and many others, I hope it sells quick!  The out of town buyers {who have already seen it twice!}are coming back in town next weekend and will take another look.  I am praying that they make an offer.

I welcome your prayers too!

~~ inspiring.....

"Walk with the Dreamers

the believers,

the courageous,

the planners, the DOERS,

the S-U-C-C-E-S-S-F-U-L

people with their

head in the Clouds

and their feet on the

GROUND.  Let their spirits

IGNITE a fire with-

in YOU, to leave this

world better than

when you found it."

**found in Boho magazine, winter issue.  Have you seen it?  Check it out, it's a fav.

zoe & isaac

It's been a tough day.....

While we knew we would be losing money when we sell our cottage.....

we found out that it is likely to be more we originally thought.

This housing market is tough....and we live in a location that has held value well compared to others.

We knew this move would be a roller coaster ride....

of highs and lows......

Today was a low....

I think I will join my friend Kasey and open a bottle of wine early.....

****************************

On a happy note, our goldendoodles made a much needed trip to the doggie spa today.

Here is Zoe in her "before" shot:

And here is Zoe after her spa day:

Isaac "before":

Isaac "after"!

They seem so happy when they get home, running around like a couple of nuts.......sort of gives me an idea......I think a spa day might have the same effect on me!