Rooted in Mississippi

Well, I went to the closing, we all signed all the paperwork and I handed over the keys, the garage door openers and all the manuals and other stuff. The buyer agreed to deal with the insurance company on the roof, then there was a glitch with the check from the mortgage company…they were balking over the termite certificate and refused to send the money…so the deal did not really close, because no funds were actually dispersed. I am hoping and praying that everything calms down and I get a check tomorrow and the whole thing ends before I am supposed to go to Atlanta.

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We are scheduled to close on the house tomorrow. I am a little freaked out, because the buyer keeps coming up with things, even though there is no time left to do them. She also has not made any arrangements to transfer the gas, electric and water service into her name. But, at this point, all I can do is hope and pray that it all goes through in the morning. If not, I guess it was just not meant to be.

The house appraised for more than the selling price, so if it ends up back on the market, it gives me some leverage. Also, my roofer went by and he said the roof was in okay condition and would last another couple of years. I have no idea how people can stand this kind of stress on a regular basis. I just hope that when all is said and done, I have enough left over to replenish my savings account!

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The perception laboratory face transformer was a lot of fun to play with and I uploaded several photos. I decided to use one of them for my profile, because I liked it so much. Of course, Alphonse Mucha is a favorite of mine.

I thought this was sort of cool, I did me and my great grandmother.

Here are two actual photos, it was very hard for me to find a picture where I was not smiling with all my teeth showing. This picture is nearly five years old, but my mouth was closed and head was at the right angle. My face is much fuller these days and we are probably close to the same age, although I have no idea when the photo was taken. It is also painted over, which was fairly common back then. It is funny, because the transformer made her eyes and lips bigger, making them more like my own.

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I bought one of my nieces a book about knitting aimed at the younger crowd and was tickled with the a hat pattern in there. First I got out some Lamb’s Pride Bulky in Blue Flannel and made it according to the pattern for one large and one small Beanie Hat.


Then I altered the pattern a little and knit a small and smaller hat with wool that I dyed with Kool Aid. I am blocking them on a rubbermaid bowl in front of the fire place.

Finally, after that, I decided to knit the pattern with pencil roving on slightly larger needles. Then I tossed it into a pot with three packets of Berry Blue and one packet of Black Cherry Kool Aid. I planned to dye and felt/full on the stove top.

The roving hat might be my first real felting/fulling mishap. I tried everything boiling it with soap, going back and forth between rapid boil and ice water. The more I boiled it with soap, the more color it lost and it never did full. I’ll share photos later.

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Okay, there really is a lot to be thankful for, despite my whining. I mean, bad things happen and will continue to happen, that is life, but there is so much for which I am grateful. Rather than use this forum to enumerate my blessings, I just want to say that I am very thankful. It transcends the ritual of Thanksgiving Dinner, but sometimes you need a ritual to prompt you.

By noon, I had caught up on BVS (thanks to TiVo), fixed the toilet (replaced the lever and the flapper), helped my husband hang the medicine cabinet, feed the cats, ate some cold sushi, caught up on email, and even spent some quality time with my husband. I have a long list of things I want to get done around the house over the four-day weekend. The shopping hysteria will guarantee that I stay close to home and work on all of those neglected projects. Hey, maybe I will even get the boxes either unpacked or out of our general living area!

And just so I don’t disappoint my friends by posting without some wackiness…I watched the “Pangs” Episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer today. It is sort of a dark Thanksgiving episode…but there were a few lines that put things in a new and amusing light. LOL So I decided to include a snippet of dialogue here.

Willow: Well, yeah, sort of. That’s why she doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving or Columbus day… You know, the destruction of the indigenous peoples. I know it sounds a little overwrought, but really she’s…she’s right.

Buffy: Yeah. I guess I never really thought about it that way. With Mom at Aunt Darlene’s this year, I’m not getting a Thanksgiving. Maybe it’s just as well.

Anya: Well, I think that’s a shame. I love a ritual sacrifice.

Buffy: It’s not really a one of those.

Anya: To commemorate a past event, you kill and eat an animal. It’s a ritual sacrifice, with pie.

Now go forth and commence with your own rituals.

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I decided to share one the funnier photos from our wedding, after first asking my husband if it was okay. He is a little embarrassed by this photo, but I think it is hysterical. He has since shaved that beard and looks a lot younger.


Oh, in case you are focusing on the shoes, don’t worry, everyone always does. I paid more for the shoes than I did for the dress! They are Italian, handmade, embroidered and just all around FABULOUS.

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Seriously, I had to take another day off to deal with the repairs and other stuff from the inspection. They said the furnace was remarkably clean considering the age, but they cleaned the heat exchanger anyway, because the home inspector and buyer wanted it done. He retaped the ductwork in the attic too. The chimney sweep also said it was actually in very good shape considering I had never had it cleaned before.

The bad news was that the termite inspector found a small tunnel of infestation. No damage inside or really out yet, but they have to treat it…which requires drilling holes and costs almost as much as a new roof…something the buyer also wants. I have to take off yet another day from work tomorrow to wait for the pest control folks to do their thing. I have been hemorrhaging cash, my savings is completely depleted. If this sale falls through, it is really going to suck.

Now for a little good news. I have been happily married for three years! Oh, and the status on the shipping of the spinning wheel shows that it is actually on its way to Jackson.

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I had to take a personal day off from work to get things sorted out over at the other house. I also have to take off next Tuesday. You have no idea how boring it is to sit in an empty house waiting for people to do their jobs. Which is precisely how I spent my morning over at the other house! I walked out the door and left my book and my spindle and everything else. So after a day of dealing with electricians and plumbers, I am back at home.

On Tuesday, I have to wait for the chimney sweep, the heating & cooling guys, and the termite inspector. I still have not heard back from my insurance or the one roofer I found willing to come take a look at it before next year. Oh well, that is the way things work out some times.

But the good news is, when I did finally make it home, there was a message from Melissa. She was at the UPS store and my wheel is on its way to Jackson! The expected delivery time is Monday, November 28. I am so excited. Oh, and there was a package too! I got a new Briar Rose from Jeanne @ Simple Market Farms. So I had some immediate gratification and something to look forward to in ten days!

Oh and here is the yarn I spun and plied last weekend on the guild’s Ashford Traditional.

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Basically, the inspector found a bunch of little things that he wants me to repair and one really big thing….the roof. He says the roof has hail/wind damage and he wanted me to contact my insurance company to place a claim and have it repaired. A new roof? Gack.

I have to spend my day tomorrow waiting for the plumber and electrician. There are a slew of little things. An outlet in the ceiling of the garage for the garage door opener, instead of the extension cord that has always been there. An outlet that is not grounded properly. A toilet that is hard to flush. A leaky pressure valve on my hot water heater. A whole laundry list of little things that I will have to take time off from work to get repaired.

The big problem is the roof, since people are still so busy that I can’t even get someone to come out and give me an estimate for some time. :-/ I don’t know what that is going to mean to the sale, but I

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I just bought a used Asford Traveller with accessories. Well, I have paid for the wheel and now all I have to pay is shipping once she has it boxed and ready to send. I am glad that it worked out for me, since I was not the first one to contact her.

Here are the photos she sent:

On another front, the realtor has the list from the home inspector. I will get it tomorrow and see what all needs to be done. I still have my fingers crossed!

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