Time, forgotten phones and thwarted plans

We are now officially half way through the year. How did we get here so quickly? Even in the job I have where I am constantly looking out several months ahead, I am still staggered by how quickly the months go by. Some days seem to drag by but somehow the months move so quickly it takes me by surprise.

Things did not work out yesterday as planned. The realtor got to the farm at about the time he had anticipated but he and Mama did not get to leave the farm until after she had told me they would. He took some extra time to look over the property and get a clearer picture of how well the land lays. After all, it is a beautiful piece of property. (The sign he hung at the corner of the property is first rate. It is a good thing we have a brand new gate there to hang it on.)

As things turned out, I would not have been able to meet the realtor and Mama at the log home because of meetings I had scheduled that started at 1 pm and followed back to back until 2:30 pm. But I never found out if they were actually coming or what time I needed to meet them since Mama forgot her phone. I tried several time through the morning to get in touch with her but finally gave up and began preparing for the meetings I had scheduled.

As I was in the second of three meetings Mama pulled up in front of the office. I happened to be in my boss’s office which sits at the front of the building with windows facing the street so I could see her come into the building. I excused myself for a moment and went out to talk to her. That is when I found out that she had forgotten her phone. Couple that to the fact that she could not remember my number – either the cell or the office – and I got left out of the home showing.

It was only as she got to Decatur to see me that she suddenly remembered the number. Anyway, she was excited about the home and rescheduled a visit for this Thursday morning. On that day we will go back to two other properties for a second look. It will be a busy day off but it is something we really need to do.

I can’t fault Mama for forgetting her phone since I got to the office this morning and realized I left mine on the charger at the apartment. I will still be available to anyone through the office phone; that is, for anyone who has that contact information. I am not at all sure Mama has that number in her phone but it is in my contacts; on my phone, at the apartment.

I remember a time when you actually had to memorize telephone numbers. There was no digital storage on the devices we used as phones – they were mounted to the wall in your house or sat on a table in the home. When they rang, everybody jumped. I still remember the number to my childhood home – OV6-6824. I had to memorize that in the second grade and it did not change until my parents moved to Chappell Hill.

I was in college by that time.

Muddling through, clean up, home searches, prayer focus

Friday night at RU seemed to go smoothly in spite of the fact that neither Mama nor I were feeling  up to it. Even though we had our normal crew there seemed to be a contentedness with the twins and Braden – all of whom are normally quite a handful. This coming Friday night we will have only two if the twins and their family get to go on the vacation they are anticipating. The night will also fall on a non-work day since I will be off both Thursday and Friday.

Mama and I spent Saturday morning cleaning up on the farm. I edged the buildings and Mama mowed the horse lot. When I had done all I could handle with the weed eater I loaded a fridge from the old farmhouse to take to Mike and Ida. We learned on Friday night that their fridge was on the fritz. The one we took was not a particularly pretty one, but it has worked for us for the past three years and hopefully it will give them some good service.

Since we were out that way we took the time to go look at a house in Paradise. TX. The house was an eye catcher sitting on ten acres. Since we had gotten Mama a map of the county we let her navigate. As it turned out we made only one wrong turn and had to backtrack to see the house. We were just doing a drive-by so we did not stay long, besides there seemed to be a good bit of activity at the house. Even though I would like to see abiding war between buyers of our farm (wishful thinking), I do not want to participate in one for the property we will buy.

The house was everything the pictures led us to believe, but ultimately it is too far and a little too difficult to find to be practical for us. It is far too easy to get turned around on the back roads in that area and we are trying to make ourselves more accessible in this move. Even though the house was nice, the property had nothing on it other than a perimeter fence.  It was only twelve miles from the church but the way you have to come through Decatur it took over twenty minutes to get to the church. All in all, it was not something we are going to pursue.

After church last night Victoria had me drive by the property off of 380, north of Decatur. She really likes that property but I remain less inspired. When I asked what she liked about it she said it was “magical” to her – just like our farm. I admit that that is a rare quality but it does not lighten the amount of work required to make the house livable or the building serviceable.

I talked to the pastor Friday evening and asked his advice on how to pray for the sale and move. He referred to the verse that says “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.” Ps 37:23 If God will only reveal one step at a time, the first step is finding a buyer for the farm. So that is where we will focus our prayer efforts. Letting God show us the right property to buy will follow next.

I response to those prayers our realtor is coming today to put up signs (that he has specially made) on the farm. These signs normally take three weeks to get done but he got them in only one week this time. I am anxious to see what he has for us when I get home this evening. While he is in the area he is going to take us to see the log home that started us on the quest to sell the farm and get us closer to the church.

I will meet him and Mama there at lunchtime today.

Home again, memories, work ahead

Mama and I got home yesterday about 4 pm. It was a productive and enjoyable trip to Borger/Amarillo. All the needed moves happened in the Borger office without a trace of a bad attitude. The building owner and the building superintendent (both difficult persons) were pleased with the move and the young men that did the physical work were very cordial and professional. All in all, it was a great close to a very vexing problem.

On the drive home the Lord brought to my memory a property Mama, Grandpa and I had looked at with the realtor that helped us but the farm. I described the property as best I could but Mama had no recollection. I remembered it being very close to Decatur and quite a mess with junk piled up everywhere.  I had no idea why it came to mind but it was an intriguing thought.

Only an hour after we got home we took off to Decatur to look at a home and property. Lo and behold, it was the very property the Lord had brought to mind earlier that day. This time it was significantly cleaned up although there is still a good amount of junk still there. Mama still does not remember us looking at it three years ago. Oddly enough, even though the house has been vacant for six years and has been on the market for a couple years, there has been little activity at the property; until yesterday. We were one of two prospective buyers to see it on the same day. I am interested but have no idea whether or not the Lord is. Time will tell.

Our farm should be listed this weekend. The realtor who we are listing with is doing a top notch job of getting the word out. He is even making up special signs to put on the property for the tire kickers who will drive by to check it out. Mama and I are both apprehensive and excited about the listing and potential sale. We are both dreading the packing and move; her more so than me.

Mama was happy to get home yesterday and see all her “babies”; bovine, fowl and canine. While she tended to her brood I laid back in the recliner and slept for half an hour. For me it was an exhausting three nights in a hotel. The hotel itself was nice enough but the bed was softer than I need and there were few alternatives. I slept the first part of each night on a small couch in the room. It was not overly comfortable either. Add to that the trouble I have had sleeping lately and it ended up being some long nights with little sleep, but we got by.

This weekend and the next several weeks will be spent on dressing up our little property; mowing, brush hogging, weed eating and spraying weeds; all in an effort to showcase the farm. Although none of that was done for us when we bought the place there are not a plethora of persons who are willing to see past the obvious flaw and focus on the hidden beauties of such a purchase. Our realtor tells us we only need one.

I suppose that’s a good way to look at it.

Borger/Amarillo, Chase and Makaila, property search

Mama and I have been in Borger for the past couple days. I am overseeing the personnel moves in the office here. It is finally good to get the move done since we have been back and forth with one offer and a counter offer after another between my manager and the building owner for the better part of two years. When I can check this off of my list it will bring some welcome closure.

Mama and I visited with Chase and Makaila last night for an hour or so and had a really good visit. Makaila has painted their apartment in orange, turquoise, grey and blue. It sounds pretty wild when describing it that way but is looks pretty good the way the walls are coordinated and accessorized. They are doing really well materially but we are still a little apprehensive for them spiritually.

Makaila has painted several pieces of furniture in their apartment and the work she does is pretty exceptional. It is not the kind of color scheme that Mama are normally search for but the detail and color selection shows both her talent and her training. She and Chase are also riding bikes on some hilly trails on the south side of Amarillo and seem to be enjoying the exercise and the activity overall.

Mama is planning a trip to Amarillo today. She has scheduled a visit with Mrs. Patrick – probably over lunch. It is the highlight of the trip for both of them. Mrs. Patrick is losing her memory pretty rapidly so she becomes confused and disoriented every little bit. It takes a gentle heart to spend the day with her and not become frustrated helping her keep up with the activity at hand. With respect to that, Mama is one of the few people Mrs. Patrick’s daughters will allow to take her out of the house for a short trip.

Mama and I are planning on going to a church here in Borger tonight. I did not want to make the trip to Amarillo for services because we do not get back until almost 11 pm when we go to Central Baptist and visit then drive the hour back to the hotel. As it is we have been pretty late getting to bed for the past several nights and I am starting to feel the effects of the loss of sleep.

If all goes well, we should be headed home tomorrow, but I will not know for sure until we see how far the movers get today. Yesterday they got ten offices completed. We have another eight to complete today; along with setting up the file areas and cubicles. So far everyone is satisfied with the change. Most are thankful for the way I laid out the seating – they can tell I spent time considering personal and professional needs in the arrangement.

Mama is setting up with a realtor in Decatur to see a couple houses on Saturday. There are a couple we are interested in seeing if only to cross them off our short list. Our timing may be a little off since we have not even formally listed the farm but all the homes with property we are looking at have been listed for over a year so there does not seem to be a sense of urgency in making a formal offer.

I cannot imagine the difficult position a realtor is in when a home has been on the market for a year or two without an offer because the price is too high or the property is so unique (either in location or design) that it is hard to find a buyer. Most of the properties we are looking at are in one of those two categories.

These showing would seem an exercise in futility; at least to me.

Rain, house hunting, insurance complications

We are starting to get a lot of rain at the farm. On Sunday morning we got close to three inches and this morning we got another two inches or better. Both times the rain was being blown in sideways. It is making a huge difference in the look of the farm; bringing it to the lush green we have not seen, except in our mind’s eye, since we bought it. It vastly improves the visual effect for our potential sale.

Of course, we cringe every time the rains come because we have not yet made the full repairs to the roof yet. I did patch the holes with some roofing tar in order to hold back the majority of the rain and so far it has proved effective, but that does not keep me and Mama from worrying every time the wind blows the rain onto the shop and apartment and the last two rains have been hard driven rains.

Mama and I went out soul winning Saturday morning and had several really good visits but it was Victoria that got someone to come to church with us. She invited one of the girls her age that had gone to the fingernail party with her Friday night and we picked her up on our way Sunday morning. After the service she met with the Pastor and got assurance of her salvation. It was a great morning.

We even took her along with us since we had been invited out to lunch after church. The couple that had us over is just beginning over in life – spiritually, physically and materially. They fed us out of their meager supply (happily adding the extra person to the meal) and it was a wonderful time of fellowship. Our guest really enjoyed it also.

Saturday evening Mama found a property that I thought we worth the time to do a drive by. It was pretty late in the evening but there was still plenty of light and I had finished all I was going to be able to do, so we took a small road trip. What we found was definitely worth a second look. We will probably set it up for Saturday afternoon to meet with a realtor to get a closer look. I have not been told yet.

Having lived on the farm for two years now and having invested the money, sweat and emotional energy we have it is difficult to imagine living elsewhere. However much we may be able to get in the new property we find and purchase there will be some corresponding loss in what we will leave behind on the farm. This is difficult process for Mama and me but I know God is in it.

On Friday I submitted a question to the lender on our mobile home. Since it is the focus of the insurance we have on the farm they are considered a concerned party in the disbursement of funds from our insurer. I got a standard answer through a return email so Friday afternoon I called for clarification. It was not a warm, helpful conversation.

I will call back this morning to see if I can get the help I need in order to get the money released for our use. I have been praying all weekend for the wisdom and favor of God in the conversation.

Home again, listing the farm, repairs

Now that my trip to Houston is over I can get back into the groove of routine – more or less. I did get to spend a few hours with Grandma and Grandpa Kline while I was in the area. I stopped on the way down to Houston and again on the way back. On the way down we visited for several hours but in the way back we only had an hour or so to visit; mostly over breakfast.

Mama is in a tizzy right now. We are scheduled to meet with a realtor this morning. He is going to list the farm for us so we have spent a fair amount of time getting the apartment and mobile home ready for pictures. Hopefully the farm will be showing on the regular realty web sites early next week. The only problem with the realtor we are listing the farm with is that he is out of Denton so it is a haul for him to show the farm. The reason we chose to give him first shot is that farm sales are something he specializes in. Not many realtors work in that nitch market.

We, Mama and I, are still both wrestling with the sale of the farm. Both of us see the need to be closer to the church, but neither of us wants to let go of the farm. Part of the angst is that we have not found anything else to take the place of the farm in all the searches Mama and Victoria have made.

Mama, Victoria and I looked at a property on Tuesday morning before I left for Houston. The property was fantastic. The home on the property was horrible – and the price was more than we can realistically afford. The time spent was not entirely wasted because the realtor we met impressed Mama enough that we will consider her first when we look at a property in Decatur.

I am perhaps more resolved to the financial constraints we will face in the purchase of another property than either Mama or Victoria so yesterday I asked that they would limit their searches to properties under the amount we can afford so we do not agonize over those that we cannot afford. Both agreed to the restriction so we should be getting closer to finding a suitable property.

Mama’s little chickens are about two thirds grown now. They are getting to the point where we can think about letting them mingle with the older portion of the flock. Since we gave away the rooster and five hens, that integration may actually go more smoothly than if the rooster was present. I am no chicken whisperer but the theory will be tested soon enough.

The insurance adjuster called yesterday to tell us that a check would be coming to us for the maximum amount we are allowed in such cases -10% of the insurance coverage on the mobile home or $3950. It will more than complete the needed repairs but it was a wakeup call to me to increase our coverage since it is far too little to cover the loss since we have built the shop and apartment.

When all the dust settles on this we will have to talk to our insurance agent and get that coverage adjusted.

Weekend update

I spent the day Saturday working on the surround above the shower on the apartment. We bought the tile and accent piece while we were in Florida a couple months ago and I just now saw the opportunity to assemble the pieces. I did get all the tile in and got the shower back in use but it took considerably more work than I had anticipated. I was thoroughly worn out by the time I got done. I will have to go back later this week to grout the joints and do the final seal of the surround.

Father’s Day was pleasant and uneventful. I got calls and cards from our children and a book from the church in celebration of the day. It is always nice to hear from our children a reassuring note that we did not mess up too badly at parenting.

Mama and Victoria found a property in the area I am most interested in relocating to but the price they are asking is much higher than I have been planning for. It is certainly a beautiful place and the location is just about perfect. It is a struggle to find the right combination of location and price with the features we are seeking. It is even a greater struggle for me to have to consider a thirty year mortgage at my age. Thought it is not at all uncommon, I am not convinced that is prudent.

I am a little concerned that the quest is starting to affect my sleep. I have been having serious trouble sleeping for several months now. I will have a couple good nights if sleep followed by several very troubled nights where I might get four or five hours of sleep – mostly in the very early morning. It has been many years since I have struggled with sleep. Whether the events are related or not is still a matter to be sorted out by prayer – another thing I am having difficulty finding time to do.

On the brighter side Mama and Victoria dug potatoes this weekend. I did not make it over to the garden to see how far into the rows they actually got but what they brought to the kitchen was pretty encouraging. I did not expect there to be either the volume or the size of potatoes but it looks like this will be a banner year for them. It might make up for the pea crop we lost.

On Sunday we took several chickens to a new family at church. They recently moved into the area and have been resurrecting a small farm. The wife and Mama have talked for several weeks about the transfer and we just now were able to coordinate the timing. However, it was more of an undertaking than I had thought it would be.

Mama and Victoria caught the hens and the rooster on Saturday morning thinking the couple would be coming to the farm to fetch the starter flock. As the day wore on the rooster and a couple of the hens managed to escape the dog cage they had been put in. Late in the day we found out that the couple would not be able to come and the arrangement was made to meet in Decatur Sunday morning.

So at roosting time Mama and Victoria went to the coop again and caught the rooster and hen that had originally been in the group to be transported and they were once again put in the cage. The cage was then put in the back of the truck. About an hour later Mama read the weather forecast. It called for thundershowers through the night. So the cage with the chickens was moved into the shop – just in case. The rooster woke Mama at 5 a.m. with his usual welcome to the morning. Since he was I the shop we got the full effect of his crowing.

It did not start raining until Sunday morning but Mama and I loaded the cage back into the bed of the truck and the “poor chickens” had to hunker down and travel the best they could as we drove in the rain to Decatur.

Mama felt so bad for those poor birds.