It’s been awhile since I’ve written one of those “this is what’s going on” entries. Part of the reason is that I don’t think there’s much interest, and the other part is that I haven’t the inclination to update my site as much as I used to. I’m too nauseous.

As much as I yammer on about simple living, my goal has never been to lay around doing nothing. The path we’re walking on is one that declutters the unnecessary so that time is spent doing worthwhile things like daily worship, building memories with my family, and getting to know my neighbors. Lying on the couch with a bucket doesn’t seem the best way to accomplish all this, but surely the Lord already knows. I’ve resigned to endure the full nine months with nausea and vomiting, and so, at least I can salvage any more time wasted on wondering when it will end. It is certainly better than the first trimester; I’m now entering the third.

Our 17-month-old climbed over his crib twice and hit the floor with a THUD last night. We’ve never had one of these personalities before, and I’m considering putting him in a helmet or something! He is all boy—which doesn’t mean that my first one isn’t—just that you can imagine the havoc a toddler can do when he feels no pain.

Our #3 is the opposite, which is how these things work. She is so afraid of pain that she will inflict pain on herself just to avoid what she perceives as future pain. She lost a tooth yesterday and refuses to eat or drink. She awoke three times last night crying and vomiting because she was so hungry, but she refused to eat because she thought it might hurt. After 24 hours, she took some pudding, but she is still very tentative and drinking only under threat of an IV.

And it wouldn’t be fitting to talk about life if I didn’t mention the heat. It is hot, hot, hot. If you think it is hot where you are, try Florida where the heat will fry your brain on any ordinary autumn day.

I began with the most ordinary news, but now I will move on to more exciting things. Greg had a business trip in Mobile, Alabama last month. Since Alabama touches Tennessee, I wondered if he might want to “swing by” a property that looked interesting in Ethridge, Tennessee. Then, I found three properties in Kentucky that looked promising too, and since Kentucky touches Tennessee, maybe he might want to swing by those pieces as well.

I scheduled a showing for all these properties, but he’d have to make quick tracks and eat on the road. From the airport, he sent me an email, “Hey hon, Let me know if this is all or if you find something in Idaho…”

His stop in Tennessee proved fruitless, as it seems yet another land owner heard the $5500/acre rumor. It’s not in our budget, and so we had to resign ourselves to moving on, or at least waiting until the market bears out a lower price. From there, he drove all night to the Kentucky hills and got an early morning start the next day.

I didn’t hear from him until the end of the day, when he called from the last and final property:

Greg: I found it.

Me: Found what.

Greg: I found it. This is the one we’re going to buy.

Me: You’ve never said that before. Are you sure?

Greg: Yep.

Me: Have you been in the house yet?

Greg: No. I’m working on it.

Me: Then how do you know…?

Greg: Trust me. This is the one.

I’m sure there was a little more dialogue, as I don’t believe I’ve ever had a phone conversation with him while he was away wherein I didn’t mention how bad his dog is behaving without him here. Knox(er) the Boxer assumes Top Dog position without Greg here, and can I just say that I’m not in the mood?

1 Long Range View

The view of a neighboring farm from the top of the hill

He wrote me an email later that evening with details and pictures, using an inordinate amount of exclamation points and boldfaced sentences. This might be insignificant to you, but I know Greg, and he isn’t the sort to use smileys*, run-on sentences, and capital letters in his correspondence.

When he flew home the next day, we all sat down to watch the video he took of the unfinished house, land, and three outbuildings. I agreed that we’d never seen a better fit so far. After going back and forth for several days, we came to an agreement with the seller.

We’re dragging our feet sharing the news that we have a contract to close on the property this month, because it’s much easier to just mention it after the fact in case it falls through. I’ll save all the details for when they become our details—after we close. But really, the road before us is too exciting to not spill the news just a little. After nine years of talking about this idea in various forms, it’s hard to believe it is close. I know many will rejoice with us, which I hope we can do in the next couple weeks.

* = OK, well, he didn’t use any smileys. I think that was going too far.