Moving

I know that I've been away a long time, and I am going to fix this... now! I'm moving this blog to an even friendlier place, over to myJanee.com! To get to my new blog, you will be able to go to myJanee.com > Who is Janee > Janee's Blog. Right now, as I'm working on construction and rebuilding of myJanee.com, my blog is accessible from http://myjanee.com/wp ... and then following the above trail. Or, more handily, just click on http://myjanee.com/wp/who-is-janee/janees-blog/ and there you'll be!

I've been posting for a couple of days over there about my progress in learning WordPress, the software I'm using for my site. But expect more updates about my actual life, too!

I am so grateful for you people who have kept up with me, even when I've been a slacker with regards to my blogging. Life does take its twists and turns, and I'm finding mine turning me back in this direction. So yay for all of us!

On The Road Again

Yesterday began with us walking with Doug and Kathy to Hotcake Emporium for a delicious breakfast. Then we did some quick errands and put the finishing touches on our packing. We'd parked the RV next door at Jim and Kathy's, which made it really easy to pack.

We got the house nice and clean and ready for the renters, and then off we went!

We left at 3:40 and dined at Jonathan Byrd's in Greenwood before heading south. Clarksville, Indiana, Louisville Metro KOA was our camp for the night and it was perfect.

Yesterday we decided to wait out the rainified day by doing some Louisville touring. Our first stop was Schimpff Confectionary in Jeffersonville, Indiana. There, we got to watch them make lemon drops and bourbon balls. We toured the candy museum, talked with the Schimpffs --Warren is great grandson of the original Schimpff -- and even bought a few yummies!

Next we headed into the city where were planning to tour a brewery we had read about in a local tour guide. We got there and ...no tours, we were told by the security guy! LoL he said they never had tours. The book was just wrong.

Next we drove down to Churchill Downs and visited the track. We did the walking tour and got a good taste of the Derby history before we perused the museum. What a fun experience this was! We really want to go now. :-)

This morning is chilly and I don't want to come out from between the blankets. But it's time to make it a day!

Wonderful Summer

This has been a summer for the books. I have accomplished much, including finally moving back to Indiana for my summer home!

I just reread my last two postings and I'm sorry for not having posted more about all of this. The move went very smoothly. We had contracted with Morse Moving out of Mt Pleasant and Indianapolis. Sarah went with us from room to room and evaluated our stuff, offered an estimate, and gave us tips on packing and the move. August 5 was the date upon which we decided.

The time between the offers being accepted and the closing dates were comfortably long, permitting us time for leisurely packing, time with friends in Michigan, and other fun.

Closing for the condo was on July 29. We took all the vehicles down at that point, stopping at Keyboard World in Grand Rapids along the way. I had made arrangements to trade in my large digital grand piano on a tidier spinet model which fit nicely into the back of Jack's van. The Rv and car were loaded with the other musical instruments, cleaning supplies, lp tanks, and some art which I didn't want to try to have moved. And off we went!

Because we'd left at 1 on that Saturday, and the KW stop was not as brief as we'd hoped, we planned an overnight in Niles. This worked out well and we even found a nice church there for Sunday morning.

We arrived on Sunday afternoon, the 28th of July, at Indy Lakes campground which was our overnight resting place for the next few nights.

My mortgage company gave us a long delay on closing day. While we were all set to close at 10 am, after making us wait 45 days, they still could not get it together to close on time. At all. It was 7pm before we left the title office with the keys.

We got some kfc and went to our new home for a picnic, to discover that the people to whom we'd paid all this money had had the gas and electric turned OFF. Sooo ...we had a fine little picnic in the fading daylight and headed back to Indy Lakes.

Tuesday morning I made the calls, securing my electric, gas, water, and sewer accounts. We used our cleaning supplies and began cleaning in the condo. No, the people had not cleaned up for us.

We also shopped, arranging for a mattress to be delivered the following day. (The people who'd bought the MI house had also bought much of the furniture, including the guest bed, so we needed a mattress.) This was enough for us to move what we had in the rv into the condo so we could stay there for the next few days.

We'd made arrangements, meanwhile, to store the rv at a facility close-by. And that week went by blissfully slowly, with us cleaning, shopping for furnishings, stocking the house with food, and getting to know our new neighborhood.

Then, on August 3, we got back into the rv with Eddie the cat and drove back up to Big Rapids. We got to say good-bye once again at the United Church, and we finished our last bit of packing.

Monday morning, right on schedule, Morse Moving arrived. The gentlemen packed and loaded our things, assuring us that they were going to be delivering them...not in a week or two, as we'd been told, but the very next morning! Yikes!

After they left, we scurried around the house doing last minute cleaning before heading out to close on that house. This went swimmingly, and I stopped at the bank on our way out of town!

Arriving in Avon at midnight, we camped in Annette's driveway till morning. And we made it back to the condo, reparked the rv in storage, and were waiting when the men arrived with our things, promptly at 9am!

As they were bringing things in, I unpacked boxes, because they offered to recycle for us any packing materials. So, by the time they were gone, we'd unpacked all but maybe 20 boxes.

I should say something about our moving company. During this process, we got probably 6-8 calls, wanting to know if all was well, or if we had any questions or problems. The men were polite and gentle with our things...and with me, during what could have been a difficult time. Nothing was damaged in the slightest--not a scratch. And the bill was almost $1000 LESS than we were quoted! Morse Moving and Storage. I could not be happier with them!

In the weeks since, we've been settling in here, getting deliveries, putting up lighting, picking out paint, and building a wall unit.

I bought some fabulous pots at the Fourth Street Art Fair in Bloomington, and I found some neat wall things at Godby's. Almost everything is up on the walls now.

We had met many of our neighbours before our furniture even came, and we like them! We are enjoying the White Lick Presbyterian Church, which we attended back in 2010 when we built Annette's deck here.

And we had our first houseguest! Jack's brother Ken came and stayed two weekends before and after he visited Michigan last week.

I will be posting photos soon. I've been waiting till things are "perfect." ...Silly me!

Summer in Michigan

It has been a fun summer so far! It has been punctuated by showing of my house, ending with a big exclamation point this past weekend -- an offer!

Jack and I were taking a little vacation up to Mackinaw Island when we got the news. We stayed in the rv for a night in Mackinaw City. It was during our stay there that we got Karla's text that we had an offer.

She asked if there were a fax machine available in case we came to an agreement. I checked and there was.

.

So the negotiations began. The initial offer was pretty low, the buyer was slow to respond to my counter, and I wondered if we'd ever come to a sensible truce.

We drove into town, parking the little car along the main drag. We explored the countless t-shirt and fudge shops, listened to a local band in the bandshell, and munched popcorn and ice cream. (Yes. I k.ow.)

So night passed, with my sleeping fitfully. Not only did I have the excitement/burden of this pending negotiation hanging over me, but the foul campfire air gave me asthma.

On Thursday we ferried over to Mackinaw Island. Our night at the Grand Hotel was fun. One dresses for dinner and the food was delicious and creatively prepared. Service was startlingly fast and friendly, to boot. Back and slowly forth went the negotiations. We had made arrangements with the hotel to get and transmit this fax, should it come, but it kept not coming.

We packed our bags and left them for the porter and headed out to rent bikes. We'd taken our own helmets, so we were ready. The bikes were $8/hour and so worth it for the splendid time we had cruising found the island. We discovered that everyone else goes counter-clockwise, so clockwise gives you far less traffic in the form of other bikes.

Upon our return, we waited some more in one of the hotel lobbies, walked around a little, and had some lunch at the little cafe in the hotel. Checkout time came and went, but they told us that we could still get a fax. But there was to be no fax.

Then it was time to head into town to ferry back. Our luggage was right where it was supposed to be, and we shuttled back to the koa on Shepler's shuttle.

Another night of smoke and asthma for me.

We decided to go on Saturday to Petoskey -- just 30 minutes away. This is a wonderful little town, lined with quaint shops, only a few of which we had visited when...the call came in. They had accepted my counter! We happened to be in the Ace Hardware which, yes, had a fax machine. I got the offer papers, signed them, and faxed them back.

We had a nice lunch at a healthy food market on Mitchell Street, before heading out to visit a couple of Jack's long-time friends in their lovely condo overlooking the beautiful bay. We had a good talk with them before we drove back for another smoky night at the koa.

And here we are, back at the River Mist house, enjoying our time and making lists as we pack for our upcoming move. Closing here will be just a little bit later than I'd have hoped. I still will need short-term financing to pay for the Indiana condo for the week till I get this money up here. Oh well. I look at all of the for sale" signs along my road and feel so very fortunate!

Location : 22000-22448 23 Mile Rd, Paris, MI 49338,

Back Home Again in Indiana

I have decided that, as much as I love the River Mist house, I want to move back to Indiana. So, since I can't just replant that house, Jack and I have spent the last few weeks in a house-hunting expedition.

I decided that I want to live in the Indy area, because I have always loved Indy. And I chose the west side, because my sister Annette and her family are settled here. It is also easier to reach for Jack's family, and a wee bit closer to Tucson!

I chose a condo just outside the city limits of Avon, in a development called Oxford Park. It is one of the Parks of Prestwick, located right near a golf course and country club.

The condo stands out because of its size -- 3004 sq ft-- and because of its versatile floor plan. I have not worked out exactly what all the rooms will be, but I know that I'll have a master suite and two guest rooms. The "forest room" with twin beds will be upstairs, while the other two will be on the main level. Each bedroom has its own bath.

There is an office with glass French doors to the entry and with large windows facing the road. This is likely to be my music room and library.

Just inside the front door to the right is an open room which would be suitable for a small sitting room, dining room, or even a game table. This room is divided from the next by a three-sided gas fireplace.

The main living area is bright and open to the kitchen and a sunroom. This will be where I'll have my tv.

The sunroom is large enough to make into another seating group. It is next to the breakfast room, which is probably going to be home for my dining table.

The galley kitchen is open to both dining and main living areas. There is a peninsula with a bar dividing the kitchen from the living room. The kitchen, while a little cozy, seems like it will be adequate. It houses a desk, pantry, double ovens, and solid-surface countertops.

The bonus area upstairs has, besides the forest room, a full bath and a large ping pong area.

The laundry room is quite nice, with an area for clothes-hanging, a folding table, and a place to iron.

Flooring in much of the condo is hardwood. The bedrooms are carpeted, and there is tile-patterned linoleum in the bathrooms. My view from the sunroom and breakfast room is a grassy slope which goes down toward the golf course. I guess that the condo has a golf-course view in the winter.

The neighborhood is very nice, with two condos in each building. Every condo has its own two-car garage. Sidewalks line the curving streets.

One good thing about the condo will be that I am no longer going to be responsible for my own snow removal or grass mowing. I'm going to be on city water and sewer. I will have cable access. I will be a short drive to all of the shopping I need in Avon and just a few minutes more of a drive to Indy.

Negotiations went smoothly, and my financing arrangements are being handled. Now begins the waiting period until my closing on July 29. So yay!

Meanwhile, we are going to leave Annette's today to return to River Mist, which is now on the market. I am hopeful that it sells soon, now that my new plans are in place!

Location : Frosty Rose Dr, Avon, IN 46123,

River Mist

People who live in special houses often name them. I believe a good name for this house on the Muskegon would be "River Mist" or its Norwegian or Welsh equivalent. :-)

Jack and I arrived here yesterday in the early afternoon after a 3-hour drive from Elkhart. The drive was not particularly easy, with both wind and rain pounding us, but we arrived without incident.

The house is lovely-- just as we left it nearly 9 months ago. It still smells like a new home, and there was no evidence of anything amiss. The folks who stayed here in our absence kept it up well!

The only weird thing is the weather. OK, I've never been in Michigan this early, true. But the oaks are still bare and it is 33° this morning!¡! Color me surprised!

Location : 22001-22999 220th Ave, Paris, MI 49338,

Tall corn

The RV park where Jack and I stayed last night used to be the Tall Corn KOA. In those days, it was modern, shiny and new. Now it's called Kamp Komfort -- a nod to its KOA roots. But it's showing signs of neglect. I think that there is still some dirt in the bathrooms which may have been left when ownership changed hands.

Sigh. The leaves that are green turn to brown and the life we used to have cannot be brought back. This life has its joys and its share of fun, but it cannot be the old life. I'm allowing a tear to fall for the Tall Corn KOA ...and for the times I had here before. Ily M.

Location : 1530 Julie Dr, Bloomington, IL 61701,

Tall corn

The RV park where Jack and I stayed last night used to be the Tall Corn KOA. In those days, it was modern, shiny and new. Now it's called Kamp Komfort -- a nod to its KOA roots. But it's showing signs of neglect. I think that there is still some dirt in the bathrooms which may have been left when ownership changed hands.

Sigh. The leaves that are green turn to brown and the life we used to have cannot be brought back. This life has its joys and its share of fun, but it cannot be the old life. I'm allowing a tear to fall for the Tall Corn KOA ...and for the times I had here before. Ily M.

Location : 1530 Julie Dr, Bloomington, IL 61701,

Tall corn

The RV park where Jack and I stayed last night used to be the Tall Corn KOA. In those days, it was modern, shiny and new. Now it's called Kamp Komfort -- a nod to its KOA roots. But it's showing signs of neglect. I think that there is still some dirt in the bathrooms which may have been left when ownership changed hands.

Sigh. The leaves that are green turn to brown and the life we used to have cannot be brought back. This life has its joys and its share of fun, but it cannot be the old life. I'm allowing a tear to fall for the Tall Corn KOA ...and for the times I had here before. Ily M.

Location : 1530 Julie Dr, Bloomington, IL 61701,

Canton, Mississippi

Yesterday was good. We very intelligently got the rv unhooked before the rains came to Baton Rouge. And when it rained, it poured and there was lots of lightening  and thunder! It didn't last long, though, and we were heading out.

We stopped early at a little church, Faith Presbyterian, in Baton Rouge, and their parking lot was fine for our rig. This church was special for lots of reasons, one of them being that they had really nice snacks for before and after church -- finger sandwiches, tiny pizzas, little cinnamon rolls, grapes, strawberries, blackberries...  I found the sermon tedious and mostly pointless, but the congregation was really welcoming and happy to have us there.

Then, well-fed with church snacks, we were on our way northward. It was an easy <4 hour drive to Canton, Missouri, where we ended up in a "worker bee" park.

I have nothing against working folks. I know that they run the world. But they also tend to start their day far earlier than I want to start mine. The first car left here at 5:00 am and there has been a steady stream since. Of course the roads in the park are gravel. And now, at 6, the people next door are outside talking, slamming doors, and coughing a lot. :-/

Location : 1437 W Peace St, Canton, MS 39046,