Conditionally Approved.

     My loan is conditionally approved. It will need to go through an appraisal, but that's it. I just have to get the sellers to sign off on the TRR, a list of things that I've requested they repair or fix before we close, and we're good. The TRR is a standard practice, of course, but it varies and can be used as a tool for leverage in most cases. In my case, because I was sort of thrown into the mess and didn't have the luxury of choosing the exact house I wanted, the TRR is a way of saying, "Hey, I realize there are some issues, but I'm willing to do what I can do, and you guys do the rest."  There are two things on the TRR that I simply can't do - they must be handled by the sellers.

    Believe me, after I close, I'll be much more forthcoming about my true feelings about all that has happened. In all of this, there has been one good, strong, positive ray of light: I chose the right lender. I picked him. He was not picked by my realtor. I found Josh DeBlase of The Money Store, and I will sing his praises from this day forward. It's been a great honor and privilege to work with him. He was lied to, he was lied about, and I'm sure he could tell you I was too. It's not going to let either of us blink an eye -- we know we're good.

    Today, Josh sent up my paperwork for approval by the underwriters, and it was approved. The email states "Your loan has been conditionally approved", and that means I need to fulfill the remaining duties and tasks that are required, and then we close. The main thing will be the appraisal. As soon as the sellers agree to the TRR and send out their electrician to do the repairs, the appraisal can take place. They'll go in, tell me I need to install a railing in the basement, and I'll order one on Amazon and have it delivered the next day. Laura can put it in. I may even do that now, just to have it ready. (pause)

    I just now ordered it on Amazon for $78.00, and of course, there's tax, but that's not bad for a good, strong rail that Laura can install and that will get us in compliance. We'll put it in as soon as they allow us to. It's one of those things where yes, 9 times out of 10, the buyer asks the seller to do, but again, a dollar here or there is not going to stand in my way of closing. I have very little time left and need to use my time wisely. I volunteered to screw in the loose electrical fixture, but they told me it had to be done by an electrician. There are a few little electrical things they have to address; I'm not allowed. I didn't make them pay for piers because I don't think the house needs piers. If it does, I'll pay for it later - it's something that the sellers will put up on credit so they don't have to dish out a bunch of money up front.

    I've asked them to tune up the old HVAC and provide me with a 1-year warranty for the entire house. I've asked them to address the old breaker panels because they are no longer insurable. They were insurable until the house was sold, but now that it's being sold, those panels will have to be replaced. I think the sellers were aware of that fact. They'll have to replace or repair a bib spigot outside, and I'll do the rest. The house is basically move-in ready, but the insurance carriers will make them fix the breakers first - I think they can maybe even get away with giving a letter of intent and putting up the money into an escrow holdback to satisfy the contract.

    Conditionally Approved!! That means once the sellers sign off on the TRR, they'll order the repairs, and the FHA will give them a few days to do that before we can close. I think we have the 24th blocked out for the close, and then Laura and I will return to clean once the big stuff has been taken to the house. She and I will do 10-15 loads in my car since it's literally 1.2 miles from where we live now. It will be easy enough to just take what we can and then do one big load in the moving truck -- I've hired a great man to help with that too. I assume he'll have help, but he's apt to just do it himself.

    It's been a roller coaster for sure. I'm glad it's almost over, and if things were my way, it would already be over. My best friend likes to remind me that only the strangest things happen to me -she's not wrong. I wouldn't wish this mess on anyone. If I can do it, I'll do it. I'd rather go through it and suffer than let someone I love muddle through it -- then again, Laura has been the most hurt. We'll survive. God is too good. In just under two weeks, we'll be home - truly home.

Photo Credit: The Money Store (ask for Josh)

Complete Wuss! (Me)

         It's so stupid, so dumb, so annoying, and so unnecessary, but it is absolutely true; I am (or have become) such a wuss in my old age. I am in the middle of packing up my house so I can move again, and I get maybe 10 minutes into it and have to quit. It has come to the point where I have to plan in my head exactly what will take place in those precious 10 minutes of energy, and then, around the 11th minute, my mind is still working, but a nerve in my back begins to twitch, and my chest forgets to expand.

    This aging thing isn't easy; I can tell you that. We have to move again, and what makes me so very angry is that we knew in our hearts that the last time we moved would be our last time to move. It wasn't, and the entire time since we found out, we've had nothing but anxiety mixed with being upset about it, and all that causes lower gut issues, not to mention heart and mind issues. I'm finding myself having to (or getting to) pray more and more about it, because I'm not able to stop myself from conjuring ways to torture those I feel are to blame.

    The truth is, it's not just one thing that caused all this mayhem. It was a few small things that a couple of trusted individuals caused.  Both share the blame, but if I'm honest, I know which one I attribute most of the blame to. I won't say now, but believe me, the characters in my next book, "The Trust," will have no reason to hold back any of their emotion. I have to hold my tongue (or keyboard) for now because the deal isn't closed. I'm in the deep middle of the upset and just can't wait to sit in my new home, in my new office at this very desk and type my hurt and feelings away - right into the pages of the 10th installment of the Nick Posh thrillers.

    So, I got up a while ago and had two boxes ready to go. I unfolded them, taped up the bottoms, and faced the pantry in my hallway to unload the things I don't use, don't need, shouldn't have brought with me this time, and will not be taking to the next house. Why in the world I thought I had to have a small deep fryer and a tortilla press, I don't know. I used the deep fryer exactly one time. I never even opened the tortilla press - they will both be donated. They'll be donated, as well as the little screw thing that you put a potato in, and it makes curly fries - used it twice for zucchini, and that's it. 

    I'm also giving away my old juicer. It was used a great deal. It is too big, too bulky, but still works just fine. Someone may like it. I'm also giving away the old glass kettle with the base. It's larger than we wanted. It works. Hopefully, someone will say "OMG! I have always wanted one of these!" That's the hope. Meanwhile, after packing just two boxes, my back aches, my breath is labored, and I'm almost sweating. Damn! It's only 70 degrees in my house. It has to be me.

    Earlier today, I did the same thing with the two boxes (it seems to be a limit now), and I faced my office closet. I had already packed most of the closet last week, but I finished the last two boxes today. No donations there.  One box was all of my books, notebooks, and extra paper that I use for writing my novels. Each book is thought out first in a little tartan-covered notebook. Most of the time, two of my novels will share a notebook. The book "Shadow" has its own. I have lots of notes for that one.

    Later today, when I can muster another 10 minutes to do something, I'll go into my bathroom and pack what I need. I'll leave out a single towel and wash it every third or fourth day until we move. I'm doing the same thing with my bedding. I am using just one set of sheets, but they get washed every Saturday. By Friday, the amount of mud clots from the dog's paws is rather amusing. I end up shaking the sheets onto the floor and vacuuming the next day. Maybe I should leave out two sets of sheets -- nah!

    The hallway will be done tomorrow. That will conclude all the packing I have to do. The rest of the house will be Laura's responsibility, and she has the weekdays to pull it off. I have to work during the week, but it's all good. We'll get it done. I couldn't do more than I can anyway—it's the saddest of sads, really —to see yourself in the mirror and wonder who the old lady is and why she's in your bathroom.  If she's just going to stand there, she may as well be useful. 

Photo Credit: Wheaton Moving Company 

The Dachshunds

     I'm a big-time Dachshund fan. I've loved the breed since I was knee-high to one of them; that's been a while. I'm 64 now, and in my life, I have been privileged to be the best friend to at least four Dachshunds, and there were two or three more who crept into my world for only a very brief stay, but I loved them fully and completely.  My first one? Well, it's true, my first one was my first pet ever; a "Rover named Brown Dog" is what I remember the most about how we got him.

    My sister Andie was about three years older than me, which put her at about four years of age when she heard about brown dogs. She wanted one. She wanted to name it Rover. We don't know why. The story goes (and there is absolutely no way to verify this) that she begged my parents for a dog she could name Rover, and it had to be brown. She got mixed up at some point and told them she wanted a Rover named Brown Dog. My parents, being absolute suckers for animals themselves, found a way to make it happen. I'm thinking a "dog pound" was involved.

    Well, one thing led to the next, and the Stringfellows had a dog. We had a little brown dog, and my sister named him Rover. Try as she might, and I'm sure she did, the dog did not follow her. He did not sleep with her. He didn't walk with her. She didn't pay him that much attention (as far as I remember), but I did. Rover became my dog. Even though he shared my other sister's middle name (Rover Kay), he was my dog. No one in the family would or could say otherwise - he was and will always be my dog. 

    Rover was mostly Dachshund. Mom liked to say he was part terrier, but as I grew up and learned more about dog breeds, it became clear he was most likely a mix with another hound or a working sport dog like a Beagle. He was about 20-22 pounds, tri-colored, mostly brown and tan, but had a swath of white on his chest. He was never "fixed" because it wasn't done in those days. Rover probably made a few babies as he ran around quite a bit - both on his own and with me. He was never on a leash, but always by my side. He'd even walk me to school, wait outside for a while, go home, and come back to get me when it was time to go home.

    Though there would never be another Rover in my life, I'm more than positive that God chose to send a few more Doxies to help my mental and emotional state; He knew I'd need it. There were two others who stayed with me a little while, who kept me happy, sane, and centered. Matrix was my love. I found him in 1999 just after the first of the year, and he loved me until his death in 2012 from cancer. He was, as I always tell anyone who will listen, a perfect dog. He was both a Dachshund and a Beagle. His mother was not supposed to mingle with those outside her own breed -- but what can you do when a very handsome 15-inch Beagle strolls into your pristine kennel for a sleepover?

    The story goes that Matrix was one of two puppies who came out with both black and white nails - they were outcasts. They were literally taken to the vet and left when they were very young; they were not registered, nor would they be. I was the lucky one - I only wish I could have found his sibling, too. Matrix was black, tan, and white - and so so so very regal. He was my heart, and I still mourn for him at times. Matrix was the guard dog, my sleeping companion, my headrest, and often a footstool. He was there; always there, and when I had to leave him to tour the world with Faith, he understood his role. I love that dog.

    Then, literally days after Matrix visited with Jesus, I got a phone call from an animal caregiver in the state next to mine. She had a full-blooded Mini Dox who had been rescued from a breeder farm. He was a boy, being raised to make babies. He hadn't made them yet; he was too young, but he was poised to do it - and had very little social manners whatsoever. He was brindle colored, long, gorgeous, and quite the clown. I named him George before I met him - when I did meet him, the first thing he ever did was bite me. 

    George forgave me for whatever it was he was upset about, and we spent the next eight years together before he injured himself jumping from the couch. It broke me. It utterly gutted me, and there was nothing I could do for him but to let him go and check up on Matrix and Rover. Rover, by the way, was born around the first of December in 1962, and died January 18, 1978 - he was a good boy. When George left, I cried just as hard as I had ever cried over a dog in my life. Why I didn't get another Dachshund, I won't know. I just didn't. When George was still young, I brought home a friend for him. She was a girl! She was a pug mix - probably with a Chihuahua. She was another star in our galaxy of love. The two were inseparable. 

    Then, this year, when George's girlfriend Ginger grew older and quite feeble, I was called again by a friend whose mother dog had given birth at the start of March. Ginger was the dog I found for George - it was my plan that they should grow old together, but he left too soon. I loved her until she could no longer remember me - and it was time to let her go as well. Just before she did, I told my friend I'd take one of her pups. I knew he was a full-blooded Dachshund, and because he was black and tan, I couldn't say no.

    Neo came to live with us about two weeks before Ginger was taken to the vet. He was tiny. He was just about six weeks old. His mother, a standard Dachshund, is also black and tan. His father, a miniature, is dappled black and silver, I think. If you saw Neo, you'd know he took after mom in more ways than one. He's a mammoth!  At just over four months old, he weighs in at 20 pounds. If you do the puppy-weight challenge —doubling his weight at 4 months to see what he'll weigh as an adult—he'll be 40 pounds!

    At 20 pounds, he stands more than a foot tall at the shoulders, and his head is big, thick, dense, and dark. His nose is longer, thicker, and stronger. His crown is wide-brimmed, making him look much more serious than he really is. Like George, the little guy is a clown for sure, but he's already so possessive of literally everything, and that includes the kitten. He's rarely without his kitten, and I'm not sure Nevelle really appreciates being held captive as often as he is.

    Neo is going to be a force. His paws are twice the size of those of an ordinary Dachshund or a miniature. He's a power digger, which, of course, goes with the job description of being a Badger Dog, but he's also a bed hog, blanket thief, food grabber, treat hoarder, and snuggle buddy. He's genuinely perfect -- and I'm in my own little heaven loving on him as much as I possibly can. I don't think I could ever go a day without one now - I know I can't. I don't want Neo to leave, but I could actually see myself finding one or two more of these dense sausages and just tucking them up under my armpits if I needed to.

    A day without a Dachshund is simply something I never want to ever experience. I pray I never have to. When I get to heaven -- it will be...well, heaven.

Photo Credit: Neo at 4 months.

Inspections (I had two)

 The man who did the inspection of this house before we moved in was so thorough, and he was really easy to work with. His online report was very simple to use and read. He had color-coded charts for everything. You can glance at it and know it's either a low, medium, or definite concern. Rather than using green, yellow, and red, he used blue, orange, and red.  He had many photos for each issue, and he explained them in very simple terms. I have to tell you, it was really nice to not have to wonder about anything in particular. He told it like it is.

    So, when we got the report, my realtor and I went over what she believed the sellers should take care of and what I could handle. She wrote it up into a contract, and we both signed. I agreed not to be too picky, but he did need to fix the obvious or more hazardous issues. I didn't mind doing the lighter things - or I could be more honest, and say that Laura didn't mind doing the lighter things. She's the handywoman I always knew she could grow up to be.

    Well, we aren't staying here; we're moving. So I called the same man, and he did the inspection of the new house. While there are only a couple of big-ticket items, I think there are a few more little things that Laura will have to tackle. She's ready. If she needs anything, we go to Home Depot, and we make it happen. (That's not true, we go to Ace Hardware now.)  The new house has the following big-ticket items that are wrong: things I can't fix.

• Trusses need to be shored up in the attic. 

• HVAC is considered at the end of life, but will survive another 2 years

• The breaker box is old (1971) and has been outdated for years. It will need to be rewired or replaced, and the fuses need to be labeled. That's a big thing, but the seller has to handle it.

• There are wires that need to be terminated, closed off, and relocated in the basement.

• Some receptacles are loose, one is broken, and one has an open ground. Some plugs need a GFCI fix.

• The dryer prong is a 3-prong and needs to be a 4-prong.

• The garage door will need an adjustment to be sure it is 100% on track.

Other than that, I can replace some door handles on the closet, lightbulbs in a few places, and the furnace filter. Laura can caulk two bathroom corners, and I can buy 4 smoke detectors. They have to add a rail for the basement, and I will end up Googling how to turn on the stove and my shower. Both need a manual downloaded, I'm sure.

    I also had a termite inspection done today. That was one of those things that you do to make sure you're good. I paid $129 to be told it's all good and nothing has to be done, but you do need that peace of mind. You do. If you don't know, you wonder about it, and it's just something that I don't mind paying for up front. The house inspection included a sewer scope and a lovely 7-minute video. It's not that exciting, but it's good to know that there is nothing wrong or needing to be repaired. There are no trees for their roots to get stuck in my sewer lines, so that's a plus.

    All in all, I'm a happy camper. If my realtor can get the contract in place on Monday so they can fix what needs fixing before we move in, that would be lovely. I'm OK with them coming after we move in; I just don't want to pay for anything that they need to pay for. As for the HVAC, I'll save $5000 and finance the rest in about a year. I want to finance it to build Laura's credit. I think that will be a good thing. We may be out a few dollars on the other repairs, but the HVAC is the biggie. I should be OK with a year's warranty, and then I'll try to find the best unit possible with the best warranty and the best options.

    There's always something that needs to be fixed, repaired, remodeled, or replaced in a new or used home. There is no such thing as perfection - if it were, it wouldn't be perfect anymore if I moved into it. I trust the plan. I will be just fine. God is just so good to us. 

Photo Credit: Pinterest.com

The Insurance Trap

     When you buy a new home (and, you know, when you get anything that needs insurance), you have to call your insurance company to either switch your current policy to a new one or just update it. I know it's very important, and it's something you simply can't buy a house without. Today was that day for me. We had found a great home insurance company for the house I am currently in, and even the other house I was going to get, because they were both smaller. When it turned out that I had to buy the larger home (because it would appraise for the asking price), it was imperative that I have an insurance policy lined up to go with the escrow. That's been my fun for the day.

    Farmers was the company I was going with for the current home, as well as the first new home. For just over 1320 sf, one of the houses was $2300 while the other was $2210. The differences are minute, but the biggest difference is their location. The more expensive policy was for the house that was a few feet smaller and in the urban area. Now, because I'm buying a larger home, the same company couldn't get me anything remotely close to that price. The house is 2150 sf, so it makes sense that it would be more expensive, but $3890 was just too high for me to consider. I decided to look outside the standard big-box companies.

    I went with a company called Kin.  Though it's a very young company, founded in 2016, it is reputable and stable. It provides insurance in a slew of locations, and they even insure homes in risky areas as well as simple suburban living spaces like mine. They have an A+ rating, which, if you know anything about insurance, is a good thing. They have a lower-than-average customer complaint rating, which is good, and they have a good response rate. There is a big difference in price -that was the most important thing to me, and it's the most important thing to just about everyone.

    For my new house, I am paying $2817, not $3890. It's the exact same coverage down to the last feature on the declaration page. Literally every line item is the same. It just makes me question why Farmers is $1073 more. I know why - advertising. Well, I couldn't care less if my insurance company has a mascot, a funny jingle, or a catchy commercial presence. I want good insurance from a good company at a lower rate. I chose Kin.  My guy is Alexander Vega. You can find him at 855-717-0022. Tell him I sent you. He'll love that.

    I will be so happy when all of the selling and buying part of this is over, and I can just be inside my new house with all my stuff, and I don't have to worry about jumping through hoops anymore. I've been waiting to close for nearly nine months. First, it was on the house I'm currently living in. When that fell through, we put a contract on a house only to find out the seller wanted more than it would appraise for, and I'm not willing to just throw money away - too many houses to choose from. Now, with the new house, I have three weeks before we actually move - so the packing has started, and I'm ready for it to be over.

    At least now I know that when I do move, the insurance will be in place. Next year, when I can control things a bit more, I can lower the rate by increasing my deductible and paying the whole thing upfront. It will take about $240 a month off my mortgage, and I'll have the coverage I want, rather than the coverage they tell me I have to have to close. I'm just so tired of everyone else telling me what I need or have to do - when it's all over, I swear, I won't move again. Nope. This is it! Done!

Photo Credit: Kin.com

New New House

     So, yes, I wrote a blog just yesterday or the day before about the new house we looked at, and we even put an offer down on it. The seller was uneducated, or at least unwilling to listen to the knowledge and expertise of a "REAL" realtor. He has it in his head that the house will appraise for what he's asking simply because he wants it to. That's not how it works. Besides, the house had extensive pier work done less than a year ago, and it hasn't been appraised since. It hasn't even been inspected since that time. It will not appraise for what he wants, and he's unwilling to accept what we offered. Next!

    My realtor has more than twenty years of experience in the business, and she knows what she's talking about. She is dead-straight with people and doesn't sugarcoat or over-exaggerate. She doesn't make you feel good just because it could help her get a sale. She is honest, and that's what we need. We literally have under 4 weeks to move. You can't find a home, put in an offer, expect it to be accepted, and then get the finances in order, have the inspection, and do the close in less than 27 days, usually. We're trying to make it happen sooner.

    As you know, the house I was supposed to buy didn't qualify with FHA, and the man who owns it, like the man with the new house we looked at, will not agree to my paying what FHA will appraise and loan. His stubbornness has caused us a great deal of disappointment, not to mention all the mental and financial pressure it is putting on us. We have to start over with escrow because we can't get the other check back in time. We have to do the inspection on my dime as well. I will have to pay movers again - it's just not a lot of fun, but my realtor is a great asset. She has found us one that we strongly believe will pass the FHA appraisal and inspection.

    The house is larger than I'm used to. I've never lived in a large house before, other than when I babysat mansions in the 80s...(which is another story).  The house is 2148 sf and is a one-story ranch-style house. It is "sprawling," as they say. It has two living areas, one right behind the other, in an open-concept style. You can stand at the front door and see the back of the house, and in the middle are the kitchen, dining, living, and second living. There is a fireplace in the middle with a supporting beam.

    There is a full-sized basement in the house, and Laura thought she would like to be down there to work, but decided she'll be upstairs in the second living area, and I'll keep my doors closed if she gets too loud - she is just so freaking loud, you know! (I think it's me that gets loud, and she needs to close my doors so I'm not being heard by her friends or co-workers.)

     Then, there's the walk-through office - mine. It's really cool. It has two doors and a closet all at one end, and the rest of it will house the two desks that I have, one for work and one for play.  There is a basement under the living room. I'll need to get a rail for that wall. The basement has vents to keep it from smelling, and it has a new sump pump and... if you know, you know, it has a Gary England Room! (This is Oklahoma! This is vital) 

    Laura's bedroom is 10x10 or so, and nothing too spectacular, but her bathroom is very nice. It's a new setup with a new tub, toilet, and sinks. The tile, backsplash, and shower components are new as well.  There is storage in the hall, and that leads to my room, which is about 14x12, I think. It has a cutout in the ceiling where the fan is, and a double walk-in closet. 

    There is another bathroom in it, and you'd think you've stepped into the Jetsons. It's really cool. The bathtub is really deep, wide, and it's a whirlpool. The shower is glass-doored, has tile all around it, and has a bench -- the shower itself has several knobs, sprays, and gadgets - I love it. I will have to read up on how to use it, but I love it.

    There is another room, maybe 8x12, behind the garage. That is our gym. The garage is a standard two-car garage with an opener. The laundry and water heater are in the garage. The gym area has an egress to the back door. There is no patio. I think they took it out to make the extra space for the gym area. I'm OK with it. I can add a deck if I need to, but I don't think I'll need to. Jeannie and I can sit outside on the front porch if we need to, or we can rough it in our patio furniture out back without a deck this year, and maybe I'll have one installed by next summer.

    The dogs will love the yard. I will need to get 6 fence panels and 1 gate. There is a park literally behind my house, so I'll get another gate for that area so Laura can go out that gate with Rose when she's walking her dog.  The whole thing is really very nice and in a wonderfully patriotic neighborhood with no less than 15 American flags flying around! LOVE IT. Mine will be just fine. Can't wait to start the process and hopefully unload my things in about 4 weeks. 

    I will, of course, keep you posted. The fact that the house is in a cul-de-sac really makes me happy. It's quiet, less traffic than the other house, and it feels really good. Today is a Sunday, and I saw people cutting their lawns, walking around, and talking to each other. It just looks like it's going to be a great place to live - prayers!

The Gary England Room in the basement.

End of a Dream (Start of a New One)

     I am not going to lie, I was hurt. I was upset, I was close to being gutted, but the entire time I was thinking about being that affected by the news, I knew God had a plan. I haven't been quoting Jeremiah 29:11 my entire life for nothing! I mean it. The  Bible is clear, and it doesn't matter which translation you use, God said, "I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future."

        God is not going to take me somewhere and leave me. He is not going to set me up to watch me fail. He is not going to tease me and give me only a portion of my blessing. I may not agree with Him, but that only proves just how amazingly stupid I can be. When God sets out to do something, He does it in His timing and perfectly. I can't tell you how often I've been smacked right up side my head over and over again with that fact, because time after time, I still fail to trust Him when I should have.

    Well, this time is no different. We found what we thought was our home. Everything just really fell into place, and despite all the uphill battles and financial obstacles I had to maneuver to get to the closing of our new house, it just didn't seem to be happening. FHA just wasn't willing to loan me a penny for something outside their regulations or rules, and the thing is, none of it was known to me. My realtor and my lender should have made me aware of the situation long before now, but they didn't, and now I'm being asked to leave the very house I intended to buy.

    It's a really long story, and I've decided to not only blog about it, but to actually write a fiction retelling of the entire story; one that will definitely tell the truth about what all we've been through, and just who to lay the blame on, and where to start with finger-pointing. Right now, we have another hurdle to jump, and God has this - I'm just letting Him shine right through all the muck these other people caused. It's not easy! It's about as nerve-racking as it could be, but again, I'm hit right squarely between the heart valves with the words "Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." (ain't that the truth?)

    OK, so I have a new chapter to start very, very soon. Tomorrow we look at two houses, and I'll make an offer on one. I think I'm OK to be honest and say that I'll see one and make an immediate offer. The house, "coincidentally," became available less than one hour after we were told we had to move. Less than one hour after being told that we were no longer going to be allowed to buy the house we've lived in for seven months, and thought we were not only under contract to buy, but when the contract ended with FHA denying us the loan, we were told that somehow it would work out for us. Until it didn't. (But, God did)

    We'll put an offer on the house. It will be accepted. We'll put a contract on the house. I'll pay an escrow amount. We'll start packing, and someone will do an inspection. There won't be a damn thing wrong with the house because it went through a total and complete overhaul over the past 9 months. It is the epitome of "move-in ready" -- and we could not be more grateful. We'll hopefully close at the end of July and hire a couple of big guys to move the boxes and furniture 1.6 miles from where I live now to a regular home without land. I know; it's really sad, but true.

    Yes, we had to sell the horses. Yes, Laura will have to leave her garden where it is (in the ground). Yes, we will miss the land, the quiet, and the solitude we've experienced in this semi-rural spot, but you know what? We're happy to gain a lively, happy, clean, and safe neighborhood. We're excited to be within walking distance of so many other places we like to go to and have gone to. We are gaining an extra bedroom; Laura will have her own office - a real office. I'll find a way to make the new place my home, and it won't take an hour. God's love and His guidance are just too amazing.

    Keep an eye out for the new book - it will be titled "The Trust" and will be a suspense thriller. I'm sure someone will die. Someone always dies in my books - even in the romances; geez, what does that really say about me? 😁😕  I'll keep you posted. I'll post photos when we go under contract - which will be very, very soon.

Photo Credit: Pinterest.com

My First Actual Pair of Prescription Glasses.

     Well, at 64.5 years of age, I'm finally breaking down and getting my first-ever "real" pair of glasses. By real, of course, I mean that they aren't readers. They have an actual prescription. The lenses have the poly whatever it's called, a good thickness, and blue light protection, along with the scratch resistance. These days, lenses are all "built-in" with the standards; you just have to say whether you want single or double vision and whether you want transitional or not. There is, of course, the bifocal thing and the progressive thing. I opted for the reader vision, 1.59 poly something, and standard blue light. 

    The exam took almost an hour. The doctor was fantastic, very lovely to work with, and she was very funny. She's been in the business since 1980, so you know she's been doing this for a minute. She and her husband own the clinic, and they do three days in our town and two days a week in a neighboring town. They have a good practice, and I really love the other people working in the office. The two up front are even a grandmother and her granddaughter. You have to love that.

    Well, turns out my right eye (the one I thought was better) has a greater astigmatism than the left, but the left is actually blurrier. It has the floater, while the right is just "less than great" in terms of optics. When we did the exam, it was very obvious which eye was stronger - it's the right. My left was having a field day with some of the gizmos I was looking into.

    When it was all said and done, we couldn't get the lenses and frames down to the price I wanted. It would be around $290, and I really wasn't thrilled with the available frames. This was after my discount, mind you; insurance paid some, but they just didn't have the cheaper frames.  My $5 readers had better-looking frames than some of the ones I saw in the office. I asked if I could bring those frames in and was told yes, but here's the thing: they send it off to a lab, so why not just go to the lab myself online? It was going to be $210 with my frames.

    The lady who sells the frames told me that I could do that, and if they didn't work out, I would be stuck. No, that's not the case at all. I found that GlassesUSA offers 30-day returns with no-questions-asked returns. If you don't like them, you return them. If they don't fit, if the lenses aren't transitioning, it doesn't matter; they'll replace them. I found a pair I liked, and after I entered the required information, the price was $208. They had the same thickness, the same protection, the same blue light, and the same everything, but I got to pick my lenses. 

    I picked a frame that over 30,000 people have picked and reviewed with a 4.8-star rating. The company has more than 133,000 reviews with a 4.8 rating, so I'm guessing I'll be OK. If not, I have 30 days to return them. I also bought the same 2-year protection program. I bought the same smudge resistance; nothing is different. I think maybe buying online is the way a lot of things will go these days - it makes sense.

    I got an automated message stating my order was received and will be set up and worked on within the next two hours. I will expect my glasses to be here this time next week, and that's not rushing it. At the office, I was told 2 weeks. That's because they have to send off my frames to that lab. Why? Why can't that lab have them in stock? That's the difference. That is the actual difference. If I need them adjusted, I'll just send them back and buy some at the office - but I'm going to give this a go. It's 2026. 

    I think I'm doing pretty well at 64.5 years of age, having only readers to use in the recent (3 years) past. I'm hoping I can still drive in the new glasses, I may not be able to - distance is another thing entirely, and I'm not going to lower my head like a buffalo to see out the top part. If I can't see to drive, I'll let Laura take the wheel. 

Photo Credit: Adobe Stock

REDUCED BOOKS - KINDLE EDITIONS

     Well, I haven't done it yet, but I'm about to. I'm about to use Zeely AI to promote my books, and when I do, the first thing they ask me to do is lower the price of the book to just about nothing, so you can promote them without costing readers much at all. That's fair. I want to get the books out, so for the next 90 days or so, throughout the summer months, I'm going to lower the prices on all of my EPUB (Kindle) books online. The only one that is slightly higher is my first Jude's Almost Daily Blog Book, and that's because the system wouldn't let it go below $2.99. I have no idea why, but it may be the same system issue that prevents me from lowering "Pinball" in Australia.   (I changed their prices today!) 

    For all the Nick Posh books and the other novels I've written, I was able to get the system to accept their lowest price of $1.99 per download. In Canada and the European Nations other than the UK, it's $2.99 (but not USD). In Australia, some are $3.99, two are $7.99, and I can't figure out how to lower it. I'm checking into it, but it's crazy weird.  It throws up a red triangle and says I can't. So, I guess I can't.  The books are pretty cheap, though! You'll be able to buy more than a few. (Please do!)

    I just finished "The Mother Road," and it will be published on June 22. The Kindle edition will be out around June 30, or as late as July 6. It takes time to convert it from print to EPUB, and I don't do the heavy lifting. I just pay them money to make it happen. They tell me to wait 3 weeks, and I do. I'm a very obedient author.   I'll be honest with you; not having to spend $$$ on publishing is awesome. I pay zero for Ingram Spark to accept my book and upload it to Amazon for print and publication. I could promote my books through Ingram Spark, but I'm going to try Zeely AI first.

    This week is a learning week. I'll get on the computer and figure out things - and share them with my readers. If I can get the books out to the readers better, faster, or in a really cool promotion, I'll do it.  This week, the murder books are selling more than the other novels. I can't say "romance" anymore because "Dion" is not a romance book - it, however, is the best-selling novel so far. Tells me what I need to know; people like creepy things -- I guess it's also a romance, but it's creepy. I had to step way out of myself to write it.

    First, I'll do the Zeely AI thing, and then, I'll try another method, probably another AI tool - it seems to be the fastest and most dependable way to promote. If I do end up being a millionaire, I'll probably still work where I work now. There's no sense in giving up the fun I have every day. I could, I suppose, offer to buy the company, but it would take a few more $$$$ than I can hope to earn in the next few months. I'll put that thought on the back burner, circle around, and come back to it.

    For now, suffice it to say, I'm in the mood to lower book prices, get them into the hands of millions if I can, and hope for the best. If you like one, you may like the next one. If you need to know the order of the Nick Posh books, they are:

• Murder Book
• Pinball
• 1211
• Mesa
• Stratford
• Cask
• Amicus Curiae
• Cumberland
• The Mother Road.

The other books are:

• Of Kilted Pleasure (1700s Scotland / Romance)
• Edinburgh (Modern romance)
• Bay Sorrell Ranch (Modern Drama / Romance)
• The (Modern romance)
• Dion (Modern creepy romance)

There you go - tell your friends!!  The new pricing hits tomorrow, I think.

Photo Credit: Minot Public Library 

Calories Count!

     I've been on my "diet" now for 6 full days. Tomorrow will be a week. I'm really good with things like that. I know, almost instinctively, that  Friday usually follows most Thursdays. The sun sets in the west all the time, but when you're in New Zealand, that may or may not be true. The toilets flush differently, from what I'm told. I think I went down a little rabbit hole - I should get back on track. I've been dieting, or eating better, for just under a week.

    I don't like the word "diet" because of all the times we used it and tried to force it on others, as well as ourselves. We think it means we're separating ourselves from the crowds or the "others" somehow, when really we're not. If we're honest, we should always be aware of our diet. If we're honest, we'd see that doing so is a better choice - we'd know, and yes, instinctively, that making the better choice is usually almost always better.

    Starting last Friday, I decided to stop eating as many calories as I was. No, I can't tell you how many calories I was eating because I didn't count, and if I were counting, I would have known the truth. The truth was the last thing I wanted to face - it wasn't depression; it was denial. I did not want to have to admit to myself that I was doing all the damage that was happening and continuing to happen to myself. It was me!

    So again, as I've done a number of times in my later adult life, because I tend to drift from the better-choice wagon, I decided to make it stick. I decided to COUNT the calories and to keep track of what goes into my mouth. I never did that before. I just sort of kept a running tally in my head, but this time, it's different. I really am writing it down. I really am checking, and I really am running the actual tally from the online calorie counter if I can't find the calorie total on the package of whatever I'm eating.

    For instance, you're not going to find the calorie count of a medium-sized egg on the carton. You will find it on the back of a frozen sausage patty bag. You will find it on protein bars, but not on a plum. You will find it on just about everything that is sold in the store that isn't produce, but you won't find it on a Little Caesars pizza box! Today, after six great days of dieting, my daughter decided to go to Little Caesars, and yes, I did eat two pieces - but I counted them! I wrote them down and decided not to have anything other than a handful of peanuts for an evening snack, and I ended the day under my 1500-calorie count by nearly 300! Good on me!

    According to my Renpho app, for a 64-year-old woman at my height and weight, I'm allowed 1,500 calories a day to meet my goal of 160 by January. I stayed within it. I did it. I'm doing it, and I'm not missing the "good stuff". I'm eating what I want, but I've changed my mind about what I want. I still eat all that I want - it's a good thing. I eat better, I eat less, and in just six days, I've lost over 4 pounds. Yes, I know it's probably all water weight, but I'll take it.

    Calories do count. They count for us, they count against us. They are not good or bad -they are what they are. We need to figure out what is needed, warranted, wanted, and good for us. We don't need the doctor shoving it down our throats; we need to figure it out on our own. That's the only way it will stick. That's the only way it will matter, and I, for one, have me to take care of - and of course, I'm counting on God to make it happen. He knows me. I quit too easily - He won't let me. I love that about Him.

PHOTO CREDIT: Cleveland Clinic