THE LAST TWO WEEKS OF OCTOBER
Fun, Experiences and Giving
I read a book of poems by Wilma Mankiller, former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. My favorite was titled "I want to be reincarnated as Gloria Steinem" as it was both touching and clever.
I sent my granddaughter the next volume in a book series she is loving.
Watched two PBS series online: First 2 episodes of Magpie Murders and season 2 of Miss Scarlett and the Duke. Really enjoyed both!
I went to book discussion group and out to lunch with friends. I don't think I mentioned the marvelous concert we had at our club meeting on the 13th, but it was a mix of opera and Broadway songs performed by the professional singer daughter of a member accompanied by her parents on piano and drums.
Forward Motion mostly was increasingly long walks with the pup to try to wear him out a bit so he doesn't engage in unwanted types of play in the house. We also decided to start taking him more places for more experiences and the stimulation of being out and about someplace new.
We bought him new toys to give him new things to do. You can see the alligator toy (possibly now dubbed Lyle, Lyle Crocodile after the kid's book) in action here. He really likes this toy and it is different from the ones he already had.
Engaging Project
Currently this is our discussion of the pros and cons of moving, how much we could afford to spend on housing if we do and the logistics of doing it. At this point we both think it would be a positive for us emotionally and family wise so we need to crunch the numbers further, think through timing and process, etc. A big decision, more expensive cost of living and a major lifestyle change if it happens.
We are leaning towards doing it and buying a house to live in for the next 10 to 15 years of our lives despite the great cost in that market. The cost of housing, property taxes and insurance do have me swallowing hard though.
Prudent Spending
Things that came with our house are now needing fixing or replacing. We can definitely afford these but it is a hassle getting it all done but both scheduled for the second week of November.
Repairing the 7 year old Bosch dishwasher would have cost at least almost half the price of a new one. We chose a new one rather than hoping something else wouldn't break in the old one.
The Grohe shower head and faucet system that currently has little ability to adjust temperature? It too needs replacement. Of course they have to open a wall to fix it. Sigh.
Our 2011 vehicle has under 84,000 miles on it. Hubby looked at 2 hybrids that were of interest and wanted to also see a plug in hybrid model that is not in stock yet. He found that the dealers are tacking on a "just because we can" $6,000 - $8,000 cost making them around $50,000 right now. So we put better tires on the car for a better ride and steering and will keep fixing it as needed for now.
Then there is the strange noise the automatic garage door is making and the closet doors that won't close all the way. Not to mention the buzzing light in the garage. Those are next up.
Frugal Things
No cost to us beyond our monthly HOA fee was fixing our front yard sprinkler and drip irrigation leaks. Hubby sanded and stained the chair leg the pup chewed. It’s not exactly the same but is fine. He also took down a useless light in the garage.
I have been trying to replace my athletic/walking shoes and remembered I had a pre-bunion surgery pair stored away. They fit now and have hardly been worn.
We need a crate at our son's in Berkeley for the pup so son was going to try to find us a secondhand one. Turns out they had one stored at his MIL's. Sweet teenage pup can’t yet be unsupervised. He would also want to get in bed with us without a crate to sleep in and then only he would get sleep!
Out of curiosity I added up the coupon/membership/special deals savings for this month's credit card purchases at Vons and CVS. $92.24 makes it worth continuing to do so even though most of our food and paper goods are bought at Trader Joe's which doesn't alter posted prices. We spend more than that on eating out but it is easy to do to save that much.
WHAT IS COMING IN NOVEMBER?
We will go to Berkeley for our granddaughter's 6th birthday party on November 20th and hubby's 70th birthday on the 21st. We are taking the pup which will make it quite an adventure due to his over the top enthusiasm and energy. We will have a quiet Thanksgiving by ourselves as our local son and DIL are going to her parents.
I have club meetings: 11/3 board & 11/10 lunch meeting. I will miss book group & the District meeting and holiday boutique due to our Berkeley trip.
Lots of daily life stuff plus dog grooming, haircut, dentist and I'm sure there will be eating out in there - at least I hope so. I'd really like to start serious room by room decluttering & cleaning. If we do sell it will be after the winter holidays so prep will need to happen rather quickly.
What is your November looking like?
I'm for you moving up to the Bay area. It would be expensive but if you can afford it why not? You clearly have a deep connection to your granddaughter so being near is important. Of course, if you can't afford it then that finishes that but from what I've gathered you can. When we were debating buying Rubi( the trailer) it finally came down to " if not now? When?" And since we're not getting any younger, that pushed us to do it. As for November, no plans. Thanksgiving is always small for us ,just us and Sachi and Zephyr.
ReplyDeleteWe are trying to be realistic about what life would really be like for us if we move and know no one other than our son, DIL and granddaughters. It was a lot of work to get settled here but the draw for moving is definitely there. Our other son and DIL are very unsure about where they will be living the next 10 years while the Berkeley crew is as settled in place as one can be.
DeleteYou have a way of weighing your options that is sensible and methodical so I know you'll have no regrets once you decide to move or not.
ReplyDeleteLove that you're planning to give your dog more experiences. It will make him a better rounded pet. Have you seen the folding crates make of padded fabric? I had one of those on my wish list for Levi before he died.
Thank you - there are always "regrets" but the plusses have to outweigh them. This is a joint decision and we make decisions differently so it is right now fence sitting while we think. Going to take a focused drive around different housing options when there in November.
DeleteNovember will be me trying to write my first 20-page research paper for my history class. I will be continuing my physical therapy for my back and legs and hopefully the epidural steroid I will get in a couple of weeks will dampen the pain so I can move more freely.
ReplyDeleteI managed to get a turkey for Thanksgiving and went ahead and settled for one that weighs 20 lbs which is huge for us. It is one of three holidays when my very small family (4 people plus a room mate) physically get together.
My husband also turns 71 and I will bake what is probably his 51st German chocolate cake since we've been married. He has asked for Chicken Litchi and fried rice for his birthday dinner.
Sounds like a productive and celebatory November
DeleteI find it wonderful how you weigh your options about moving. It is stressful at the best of times and the way you are thinking about it all is wonderful. I have told Harvey that one of these days we are going to have to decide if we want to spend our lives here or move closer to family. Probably only move as far as the city our youngest lives in and where I need to visit specialists.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Thank you. Seems like these decisions get harder the older I get.
DeleteI can say ditto and nod yes, yes, yes to so much of this. The car buying dilemma. I wanted a hybrid but there are none to be found. The dealers in our area didn't even pretend to have any. Dealers in our part of the country advertised hybrids but when I called about them, they said they had no hybrids on site, had cars coming in that were sold already, I could buy one but wouldn't receive it for 6-8 months. Wound up buying a regular Nissan Rogue. My daughter and son-in-law have all electric and have to rent cars for road trips in the vicinity because their electric cars won't get them there and there aren't electric charging stations available. Just a mess.
ReplyDeleteI remember a teacher asking me if we had a book for children on Wilma Mankiller. I was so embarrassed that I had never heard of her. Will look for this book of poetry or at the very least the Gloria Steinem poem.
Your pup is truly beautiful. What a coat!! Should be outgrowing the rambunctiousness of the puppy stage before long. Love the name of his play-pretty. Reminds me that I promised to order "Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile" for my granddaughters.