Approved for the Home Loan

Who-da-thunk-it?

A semi-retired couple, with no visible means of support, get qualified for a mortgage loan!

Is this a great country or what?!?

Home Update

We have made a couple of selection changes and added under counter lights in the Kitchen and upgraded bathroom plumbing fixtures.

I have added a pic of the (almost) identical home, the Sheffield 'G' elevation with a screened in porch. Our colors of stone, sidind and shutters will be very similar. The center gable and the large palladium window is the focal point of the Dining Room.

We expect construction to start around January 9th, perhaps a little sooner. We are very excited to be getting "planted", once again.

If you are interested in viewing the web site for the River Shoals development, click here.

If you wish to see the Sheffield floor plan, click Sheffield and select " 1st Floor with Optional Screened Rear Porch".

The Search is Over

After two VERY intense weeks of meeting with our realtor, Jane, researching every Internet site related to Greenville house sales, Greenville County public records for prior sales and comps, meeting with new home sales agents, we have found our new nest - almost.

Today we signed the contract with Poinsett Homes to build a Sheffield style home in the Centennial section of River Shoals residential development in Simpsonville, South Carolina. Construction will begin in about three weeks and be finished late spring or early summer. The right-hand pic is looking across the front of the property. MA is standing on the front right corner.

The other pic is taken from across the street looking from front to back of the property. We have already selected the paint, stacked rock, appliances, etc. River Shoals is 6 miles to Ashley and Javi's home and 16 miles to downtown Greenville.

We are excited, looking forward to getting in and settled. In the meantime, we will be camped at Scuffletown, USA, where we are now. I plan to do some furniture sales after the new year, hopefully in the southeast USA. MA also plans to find work at a bank or retail store nearby. Please wish us luck and, as always, prayers are appreciated!

Sorry about the lack of postings...

We are EXTREMELY focused on getting the right home for the re-nesting phase of our life. I promise that I will bring the blog up to date very soon...hopefully with good news.

Saturday, December 8th - Minor Catastrophe ?

This morning, Ashley called for help. The Christmas tree had fallen and many ornaments were broken all over the tile floor. We scurried over to assist. It was not a huge catastrophe, just an inconvenience. We got the tree stripped of all ornaments and swept up the broken glass. Turns out that the base that holds the tree is quite heavy but wide/long enough for a 9' tree.

Later, MA and I came back to Ashley's to stay with the girls while Ashley had dinner with a friend. I stabilized the tree with some decorator wire and I think that will do the trick. We re-decorated the tree and it looks great! MA also did her magic decorating on the two front doors.

Friday, December 7th - to Scuffletown, USA

MA got in from Monroe, Louisiana last night around 9:30. Great to have her home safe and sound. Seems like a lot of the family is flying around the world right now. Ashley's husband, Javi, is in Dubai and going on to Copenhagen early next week. He will return next Wednesday, in time for Camryn Marie's pre-school Christmas program. Berri's husband, Colin, got stuck overnight in Amsterdam while returning from visiting his family in Birmingham, England.

The move over to Scuffletown, USA is complete. We have a very comfortable site amid peacocks, goats, geese and assorted critters. The peacocks actually run loose around the 30 acres. I have set up the coach for winter here in South Carolina. It can get down into the mid-teens at night thru the winter. That would freeze the water line into the coach so I purchased a very short water hose and the foam insulation wrap to protect it. MA brought our three 5 gallon propane tanks from storage in Monroe. I have these filled so that I won't have to draw on my main propane tank thru the winter. That also means that I don't have to move the coach to re-supply for anything.

The plan is to live here at Scuffletown until we are ready to move into a new home here in the upstate of South Carolina. Next week, we will start visiting with a realtor and see what the situation is. We don't have a timeframe, just a direction that we want to proceed.

Thursday, December 6th - Sinus Infection and More

I suffered thru a really miserable night...little sleep, headache & congestion. At first opportunity I went to Doctor Care walk-in facility. PA Dean says that I have a very bad sinus infection and the beginnings of bronchitis. WOW! The nurse gave me a cortisone shot to reduce infalmmation and prescriptions for 5-day anti-biotic, seven day decongestant and a pill for anti-inflammation. I ate a quick breakfast at Cracker barrel while Wal-Mart filled the prescriptions. I expect to begin to feel better soon.

MA got on the road at 8:15am this morning. Other than potty and gas /snack stops, she expects to drive straight thru to Greenville. Looking forward to getting her back "home"

BTW, I have delayed, by one day, the coach move to Scuffletown USA, our semi-permanent home until we find a brick and mortar home. I just don't feel up to the required physical activity today. Plus, with MA her,e the move will be easier.

Wednesday, December 5th - MA Stays in Monroe

Bless her heart, MA was just worn out from yesterday's non-stop drive from Greenville, South Carolina to Francis Louise's home in Monroe, Louisiana. She made a great decision to stay with good friend, Alyce, for two nights and get some serious down time today.

Meanwhile, I was feeling somewhat better early in the day but have taken a downward turn this evening. Doctor visit tomorrow?

Tuesday, December 4th - Getting Francis Back to Monroe

MA, Francis Louise and Eula Mae left before 8am this morning in Javi's Jeep Laredo. They arrived just before 8pm. It was a VERY long and fatiguing trip for them. MA will spend the night with friend, Alyce, and relax tomorrow before leaving Thursday to return to Greenville.

I have been feeling under the weather for the past 2-3 days - probably a sinus infection. Except for eating lunch and dinner in the house with the family, I have mostly stayed in the coach today. I definitely don't want to give this grunge to anybody.

Monday, December 3rd - Happy Birthday, Ashley!

Javi went back to work today and I took Berri to the Greenville - Spartanburg Airport for her return flight to Austin.

On the way back to Ashley's, I stopped at Scuffletown, USA to lock in a campsite for the next month. Scuffletown is about 11 miles from Ashley's and is a combination RV storage, RV park, farm with peacocks, goats, etc., a dancing barn, antique mall and community church. We have stayed here many times in the past five years.

Sunday, December 2nd - Geaux Tigers!!!

Kind of a lazy day today, spent mostly shopping for Christmas and watching a little football. MA bought the fixin's and I grilled hamburgers and made frest cut french fries. This evening we learned that LSU is going to play Ohio State for the national championship of college football.

Geaux Tigers!

Saturday, December 1st - Getting a Christmas Tree!

We drove two cars out to the Christmas tree farm near Ware Place, SC, about 10 miles from Ashley's home. The only tall trees grown locally are the pines and Ashley wanted a fir. They had a number of firs brought in from northern climates and they picked a very full 9' tree. Javi and I tied it to the top of his Jeep. We trimmed it and put it up in their family room. Francis and Eula Mae enjoyed getting out into the tree farm.

Later, Ashley made a beef bourgoine that was delicious!

Friday, November 30th - Into Simpsonville, SC

MA cooked breakfast this morning and then we got started around 9:30am. We took the longer route thru far northeast Alabama, far northwest Georgia, far south east Tennessee, far western North Carolina and far northwestern South Carolina. This route took us thru Chatanooga, Tennessee, Murphy, North Carolina, Westminster, South Carolina and on in to Simpsonville, a suburb of Greenville.

We arrived to a welcoming committee of Ashley, Javi, Berri, Camryn, Cecilia and neighbors, Tracy and Tristen. As we pulled into their driveway, of course, I had to doo a short toot of the air horns. Berri had flown in from Austin earlier in the day and is here for the week-end.

Fortunately, Ashley and Javi's home is large so accommodation of of additional guests is easy. Ashley & Javi gave up their main floor bedroom for Francis and Eula Mae. They are situated in the basement "apartment". Berri is on the 2nd floor with the girls and MA & I are in the coach in the driveway.