I’ve decided that buying a house is a lot like having kids. When you decide to do it, everyone tells you what a big fat hairy adjustment it is, how much work and added responsibility it will require but that it’s totally worth it.
You think, “I’m sure it was a big adjustment for you because you didn’t know what you were getting yourself into. I, on the other hand, have read What to Expect the first 10 Years For Every Personality Type, Secrets of a Woman Who Talks Very Softly to Small Children, Logical Love, and On Being Midget-Knowledgeable from cover to cover. I KNOW what I’m doing. I’ll actually get more done once the baby’s born because she’ll sleep all the time and I’ll have so much more energy once I’m not pregnant anymore.”
Then they’re born and you feel like you’ve been run over by a truck. What!? This was NOT what I expected. Yes, there are the sublime moments but those people were right. It is a TON of work. The work seems never to end. Your life will never be the same again and you have moments where you ask yourself, “Why did we do this to ourselves again?” The answer quickly comes and you know you would never go back on your decision, but you’d be lying to yourself if you said it wasn’t hard.
That is so much the way it’s been with this house so far. We’ve been here a week, spent thousands of dollars repairing things, buying new appliances, and lawn equipment. Add to all this the heat and the fact that a gelatinous blob of goob has taken over the upper third of my body and you’ve got a pretty rough week. (I’m really starting to wonder how I can blow my nose this many times. Where do I store all the goob? Is my brain so small that I can fit that much junk in my head?)
Then Karli came over a couple of days ago and helped me rediscover the things I love about my yard and house. She’s the kind of friend you need when you move into a new home. I will lend her out to you for a small fee. She pointed out every good thing about the floorplan and finishes. Then she took me on a tour of our wild backyard that I haven’t had time to explore.
Little Miss Horticulture discovered ripe strawberries, raspberries and blackberry vines. She found several rose bushes in full bloom, hidden behind the overgrown bamboo. I have an herb garden with dill and rosemary. There are morning glories, lilacs, lavender and a billion other gorgeous flowers.
This is the view from my bed in the morning.
This is what I see from my back fence.
Here is my hearth.
Where the cactuses will live.
The red doors.
And I’m glad we bought it. And I’m tired. And I’d love ideas for how to de-goob my head and lungs.
From the pics it looks like you’ve got yourself a pretty sweet new baby (um, I mean house). I’m totally jealous of all the green!! And that you can actually go outside in your backyard this time of year without needing a portable AC unit.
Humidifiers are supposed to help with the goob. Unfortunately, I’ve never been good at warding off colds myself. Hope you feel better soon!
(By the way, I especially love the red doors, your hearth – awesome!!, and the future home of the cactuses. Looks beautiful. And I also can’t believe I’m the first comment!)
I love your house, I love your yard, and I love YOU!
(And I am very very sorry about the goob. I shall work on inventing a de-goobifier at once.)
Ooooohhhh, you have a hearth, and red doors! From the pics, it looks like you have a gem. Have fun discovering more excellent stuff about your new digs!
Karli is a treasure for sure!
My Mom happens to be one of those people too. Gifted in the art of showing you what you have going for you…life looks different after a conversation with my Mom!!
So, now you are in the “postpartum falling in love” stage? But instead of little toes and coo’s you’ve got berries, roses and red doors. Looks like a winner!
And are those boards forming a tree house ladder? Have you climbed it yet? Probably should wait till your feeling better. You don’t want all that goob messing with your sense of balance!
(Get well soon!)
Your new home look BEAUTIFUL! I am so excited for you!
Oh those front doors are lovely!
And so is Karli. And I’m sure you are, too, once you’re de-goobified. Mmm, goob . . . .
let’s see – on the degoobifying – try Alka Seltzer Plus, Mucinex D, and hot chicken noodle soup. And Kleenex antibacterial tissues. And lysol. Just in case it’s viral.
I do love your house! With a title like “The Good,” will it be followed by “The Bad” and “The Ugly?” 🙂
Oh Kathryn, how beautiful. I am glad your home has so many sweet “surprises” that you had overlooked in the stress of moving.
I too, have the goob of death living in my sinuses. If I were not still nursing, I would be swilling NyQuil to beat the band. Works for my hubby.
I hope the goop goes away soon. I love your yard and all the beautiful things you have in it. You will love your yard more soon. It is wonderful therapy.
Okay those pictures made me just a little home sick,*sigh*. I had forgotten how beautiful it is there!
Your house looks amazing by the few snap shots given, but you know you really love something when you take the good with the bad! And I absolutely love your cactus home!!!
Isn’t it funny a Washingtonian keeping cactus, and an Arizonian keeping pretty flowers that wilt in two seconds! The irony.
I hope your goob goes away soon! No fun at all.
No hints on de-goobing, but your house is GORGEOUS! Love the yard.
That looks absolutely fantastic. Sounds like you have a great home and it will be worth all the difficulty. You’re right, though–owning a house is so hard and so worth it.
Absolutely gorgeous, all of it. Can’t wait to see the new fridge. Karli is awesome too.
For my goob, I medicate myself with anything and everything that works – whether that’s Actifed, Claritin or M&Ms (takes the itch away – I kid you not).
SO beautiful!! I love it!
two words… vick vaporptches
they are made for kids but work like big people joujou!
I like the cherry scent!
Saline nose spray will at least de-goob long enough to fall asleep, or get one small task done. The stuff is nasty, but it works.
The house looks really cute in those pictures!
ok some keys must be stuck on my board or I was typing too fast…
Vick’s Vaporpatches! Make more sense?
I am so excited, I will be moving to the same area and can’t wait too grow some roses! Palm trees smalm trees!
Well, it is buyer’s remorse and I think it happens to about all of us. I’m currently in the 4th house that I’ve purchased and I’ve experienced those feelings every single time. It IS a major purchase and a huge step in your life, and it’s okay to have mixed feelings about that sometime.
But let me just say that the house looks adorable and a fantastic place to raise a family. You done good! Now enjoy!
That yard is amazing! Great for the kids! And I love the red doors as well- very welcoming! Don’t worry- it will all get better- including your head!
Wow, very cool!
I recommend airborn for building up your immunity. Most likely you’ve worn yourself out and your resistance…ence…ince…your immunity is low and that’s why you’re feeling the goop. Or you’re allergic to all that stuff in your backyard. Maybe you should rip it all out just in case. Hope you feel better soon.
Gorgeous house!
Try popsicles to degoop your head. A shower will help, too.
It’s a beautiful house. The things that don’t need to be done right now can wait. For the goob – Mucinex. It really helps.
Beautiful…….love it……..hope you get to feeling better……hugs
That Tree has a ladder going up it. What’s up there? Let’s explore.
Looks like a gorgeous house!! I’m envious!
Sorry about the goob. I’m having the same problem and haven’t found a solution yet. I think it’s allergies. Let me know if you come up with a solution!
Your house looks lovely! Does it have a sibling? Preferably twin? 😉
As for your nose– you have my deepest sympathy. I tend to get sinus infections about twice a year and I too wonder where all the goo comes from. One of the things I do is take a branch of rosemary, pop it in a pot of water that has just been boiled and lean over and breath the steam. Steam is good and the rosemary oil seems to help a bit.
You can get eucalyptus soothing thingies for the shower now. You just drop it in and while you shower the hot water and steam are medicated by this little doohickey. I want to try one next time but I’m also hoping next time is a long way away!
i have a possible solution to the goob; my friend used to get sinus infections all the time, and he started snorting saline solution up one nostril and out the other – EVERY DAY in the shower. sounds gross? heck yes! but he says it works. if you’re desperate….
lol
love the pictures; the house looks amazing.
That house is such a symbol for you. You need to keep looking because you will never know what little good surprises you will find once you dig deeper.
Love the house pics and you are right… Having your own place is worth every bit of hassle and headache.
Can’t help with the goob bit, unless you want to get on antihistamines, which you probably are already taking, so I’m no help with that.
My goob solution is Breathe Right strips (the clear ones because adhesive can bother my sensitive skin) and saline nose spray. It helped me thru my pregnancy sniffles and hay fever last fall. Nice drug-free solution.
As for the beautiful house and yard, I would keep an eye on those berries. My mom planted blackberry vines in our yard in the 1980’s to keep the dogs away from her trees. Now DH, DS and I live here and have random thick vines in other places that are COVERED in ants almost all of the year. Seems that they like the sweet berries. So, beware. Don’t let those vines go anywhere that you wouldn’t want ants to be (like right next to the house).
Those are some awesome new digs BABY!!I am impressed how you are holding it all together and being goopy. I am no good at being goopy my self let alone while moving all of my belongings to a new local.
YEAH!!! for finding great things in the backyard!
What views! I’m in love with your fireplace.
Don’t be surprised when I show up on your doorstep with my laptop ready to sleep over. 😉
De-goobing…You asked… 🙂
Cod liver oil–there was a reason they used to use it all the time (tastes awful but works amazingly, you could use capsules, but a tsp and a clothes pin for your nose will work, too)
XClear, a saline solution you sniff that I’ve used, is extremely useful, you don’t have to worry about using too much and has something in it that works surprisingly well.
Turmeric-you can get it at the health food store and it is used for many immunity issues and a host of things I won’t go into-been around for centuries, from India. It Helps.
Zinc losenges, use as directed on package. 🙂
Guafenesin (sp)(I think it’s over the counter but it’s been so long since I needed it I can’t remember) is good to loosen things up in your chest, and is not supposed to clog you up like the ones that try to dry you out as well as loosen things up.
I’ll bring you some if you haven’t been cured by the time we get up there. Sorry you’re feeling sick at such an exciting and demanding time. Love ya. PS Nice pictures.
Oh I’m so sorry you’re sick…I’m sure you’ve gotten a ton of how-to remedies so I’ll add to the list :o)…the same thing happened to me twice in fact. Turns out it started as a cold and turned into a sinus infection…that needed serious antibotics. Shades of different disgusting colors will give it away.
I would LOVE to live in seatle…I live in the vast wasteland of all that is dead and brown. We just moved (about a year ago) into our first house and I’m feeling your pain. Our backyard wasn’t landscaped and I’m beginning to wonder what will survive my black thumb!
that is awesome! congrats and it looks great!!!!!!
HUGE backyard, and an herb garden! Oh I am jealouse!!! It sounds like once you get settled it will be a great place to raise the fam.
Here is what works for me…
– sudaphed to dry ya up (if I don’t dry it out a little it’s a guaranteed sinus infection for me)
– Mucinex… wasn’t aware there was a MucinexD. Next time around I’ll do that to save me the bother of the Sudaphed (decongestant and presumably the “D” in Mucinex D)
– Zinc lozenges… and now? “Airborn” or one of it’s generic bretheren have proved to take the edge off for me intensity and timewise.
– Ibuprofen for the aches and pains and fever reduction.
Other than that OH! What a lovely YARD! Everything that I have in the great outdoors of my property has been gained via blood, sweat… lots of sweat, and tears. To move in and find this beloved Eden?
In Maine the saying is “Red doe-ah- paid foe-ah.” I guess anyone not renting who is in their right mind paints their door red. But then I am not from Maine, and I am not absolutely sure I know what it means. I like to say it though… “red doe-ah- paid foe-ah…”
Wow! The house and yard look beautimous. I love your “You didn’t know what you were getting yourself into…” commentary. I had very similar thoughts, myself prior to both baby and house. I laughed at “Secrets of a Woman Who Talks Very Softly to Small Children” and “On Being Midget-Knowledgeable” (I mean your re-wording of the titles, not the books themselves. Haven’t read them.)
Alas, I have no magical de-goob solution. But, my recommendation for next time (and maybe it will help things clear up faster now?) is Zinc lozenges, like Cold-Eeze brand. They taste funky, but they help my colds go away faster.
Sorry you have the dreaded Goob! And sorry I have no solutions for you! But the pics of your new home are great! I can already imagine Laylee and Magoo exploring and playing in your fabulous backyard and you posting their adventures on your blog! Can’t wait to read all about it!
Moving is always a ton of work. Sorry about the goob 🙁
Later on, when you lay on your hammock in your back porch, sipping pink lemonade, watching the kids play, while surveying the “Daring Kingdom”, you can pat yourself on the back, smile a little smile, and think: “I rule”
Loving the red doors so very much!
Among our favorite discoveries in our new house was mismatched touch-up paint on all of our floorboards! We’re STILL fixing that one, lol.
i love love love love your red doors!!
that looks so dang gorgeous. Thank Heaven for Karlotta going with you!
I would love to read The First Ten Years according to Personality Type. If it hasn’t been written, get crackin’!! It’s not as if you don’t have anything else to do, right?! Sitting and sweating in sultry South Florida; envious of your new digs and the country air!!
Best of everything…