Juicy

I love fruit.  The way other people love chocolate, I love fruit.  So when house hunting, every time a house had a fruit tree, that pushed it much farther up on the "this could be the one" list.  The fact that the home I chose has not one, but two citrus trees, was definitely a consideration when placing the offer.  Yes, I know, you can always plant trees, but these were mature.  Which got me excited that I wouldn't have to wait years for newly planted trees to grow, but that I would have a bountiful crop of grapefruits and lemons as soon as they ripened.

 

Once the grapefruits were nice and large, and just the right shade of pinky-yellow, I picked one gleefully.  My grin was quickly replaced with a pucker.  This thing wasn't just normal-grapefruit-sour, it was melt-the-enamel-straight-off-your-teeth-sour.  SO disappointed.

But over the weekend, all that changed.  We had gotten a deluge of rain in December, so when I returned from my recent vacation, I picked another.  Apparently all these trees wanted was a serious soaking.  When I cut into the grapefruit, it was the perfect rosy pink.  And it was juicy and delicious.  And the grin is back.

No looking back

Well, maybe a little.  I walked past a couple of houses this morning that were in the running during the house hunt.  And there was not an ounce of longing or regret.  One, a short sale, is still bedecked with a ‘for sale’ sign.  The other, a foreclosure, looks happily lived in.  As much effort as I put into working toward a purchase on the first one, I am extremely grateful it didn’t work out.

The one that did, the darling house I’m living in now, was the one for me.  It’s not too big, not too small.  It’s 10 minutes from the ocean.  It’s close to everything, but still in a very quiet neighborhood.  It’s just right.

So for those of you still house hunting, know that the right house for you is out there too.  (After a year and a half of looking, and a half dozen offers made, I was starting to wonder.)  If you’re diligently working on purchasing a home, and the banks are taking their sweet time, keep looking.  I’m thrilled I did.

And each morning, as I walk along the trail near my home, I am rewarded with a breathtaking sunrise.  Doesn’t get much better than that.

Rejuvenated

After well over a year of house hunting, then several months of the purchasing process, and a few more months of diligently searching out contractors, it was time for a break.  A little time off from analyzing cabinet colors.  A breather from furniture shopping.  And the complete dismissal of thoughts of how much is this all going to cost?!

Where does one go to get away from it all?  The magnificent, breathtaking Yosemite National Park.  Gazing up at the unyielding granite walls of the valley erased all thoughts of granite countertops.  Being surrounded by towering sequoias made me forget all about cabinets.  I was surrounded by such ancient, amazing beauty, that the beautification of my home took a back seat.  Throw in some sore muscles from a very robust six hour hike to Glacier Point, and booming thunderstorms that went on for days, and the focus shifted fully away from home, and quite completely to where I was.

It was only a few days, but it was a great reminder of how much I love to travel, and how rejuvenating it is.  Ahhh…