Thursday, January 08, 2009

Our Turn


A brief history...

We have been renting since October 2003. We made huge, sweeping changes in hopes of moving to Hawaii. Life made huge, sweeping changes in hopes of providing us with challenging, interesting obstacles... you know, to "build character." We have hit more bumps in life's road than a Tijuana taxi. We currently have 2 offers on 2 different properties, and one more offer we are thinking about and another place came up today that I think we should definitely try for. We have looked at hundreds, possibly thousands of properties. We are experts. We are savvy. We know the market better than the market knows itself. I don't know how it is possible, but I am the most pessimistic optimist I know. I am hopelessly hopeful. I am grief stricken and worn out and I am looking for the sign, for the turning point. We are staying afloat, waiting for the current that will give us the chance to leave the riptide and swim for shore.

And why am I putting all of this out there?
I do not know.
Maybe because you understood my Martha Stewart last chance letter dilemma. Maybe because I want to believe that we are at the gate of that turning point, the sign of our hopes and dreams may be before us and I want to believe.
I want to believe that dreams come true, even if they are rundown, foreclosed, sorry-@ssed fixer-uppers.


It may be our turn.

Most people buy their house by acquiring a structure on land, or they may purchase a lot and build their home. We are buying our house by the knob.
Yup.
One knob at a time.
We were together in an after Christmas stroll through shops and I stopped to sigh and admire all the pretty hardware. Geoff thought they were priced fairly and way more fun than typical kitchen drawer pulls. Maria kept gathering her favorites and William found one he really liked. Geoff and I lit up and agreed: We can buy our house now. And we don't have to adhere to someone else's aesthetic. We can decide that our design, our style, is Family Favorites.


Maybe it's Funky Family Favorites!
Here are a few of the knobs and drawer pulls that will grace our house. It might be fun to guess who chose which. I am looking forward to the day when they are a part of our lives that I take for granted... when I can tell a guest, "The tape and scissors are in the clock drawer.

If all of our offers are turned down, if we are outbid, again, and again, at least we have our start. We have our knobs, and sooner or later it will be our turn.

15 comments:

Tami @ Lemon Tree Tales said...

Ooh those are some pretty knobs. I especially like the green glass ones. Where did you get them?

I like the idea of a Family Favorites decorating theme. Sounds perfect!

Tonia said...

I experienced a very long, nerve wracking buying process. I was up and down, all over the place emotionally. I didn't believe it when it finally finalized. I think the drawer pulls are beautiful/fun/funky and they symbolize Hope as well as the person's personality that chose it. I think it is a brilliant idea!
Hang in there. Hugs, tonia

amy smith said...

praying for the perfect outcome.
the place those knobs were made for....

Anna Banana said...

The sign! I know what the sign is. You are crazy busy with robotics and you have to pack up a house at the same time! I am visualizing the draw pulls in your new house. Yes, they are beautiful!

PS My dress is being hemmed by a seamstress. Thanks for helping me get that off my to do list! (Funny, the word to verify is "pantsh" which is what I'd rather wear than a dressh.

Frogdancer said...

You'll get there. When I was married I had to wait nearly 9 years to get a house of our own. (For years we lived in a nasty little house that my husband's business owned. we couldn't do much to it because it was also owned by my BIL.)
The day I FINALLY walked through the door of my own house and could make plots and plans about decorating was one of the happiest in my life.
Twelve years later we're still here. Have I done everything to the house that I was going to? Nup! Not yet. But it's ours, and we love it.
So will you when you find your place.

mtnchild said...

I can hardly wait to see where each knob will go! I love the clock and the frog.

Hang in there and don't forget to BREATHE!! Slowly in and out - your time will be here before you know it.

Many, many hugs,
Yvette

trisha too said...

you're off to a great start--your beautiful knob collection will eventually go . . . where? where it's meant to go. don't give up!
:)

Tiglizzyclone said...

They are very pretty and also interesting knobs. I do hope your dreams of a home come true.

Laura Jane said...

ooh, nice knobs!

See, a START is in the air. One doorknob at a time. Well done.

my WV is packemit - is that a cue for you to start packing?

Jennifer said...

Glorious idea -- all around. The "let's not keep waiting, let's start," AND the idea of lots of personal, joyful touches to grace your new home. Somewhere once in my blog ramblings, I came across the line, "frolic or perish," and I think you know exactly what that means....

Lots of love--

(oh, and btw, the word I need to type for authentication right now is 'scifouse,' which I think is a secret message for your boys)

tara said...

What a great idea. I love the clock face one. We do not have that great selection here. I made mine out of vintage silverware spoons that I bent and my husband drilled hold in the top and bottom. Voila.
I sure hope one of yor offers comes through. Soon!

judy in ky said...

I love what this represents for you... already choosing special things for your new house when it comes. Such hope and promise. I'm betting Maria chose the one with all the different colored crystals.

Dallas said...

Those are really cool knobs. I love little funky things like that to give personality to a home...and Hawaii sounds nice. I hope it works out soon.

Lynn said...

I feel your pain. We house hunted a long time too.

Kelly said...

Good Sunday morning :) I found your blog by chance yesterday as I typed in "Chicken blog" on Google. I am enjoying reading you with my coffee in hand this morning. Your story is similar to my own. I am a homemaker, a wife, a mother, and I have a little farm too. We searched and searched for our home, like yall are, and finally found our patch of heaven four years ago. Since then, things have just gotten better and better. :) I have chickens too you see, chickens, and then MORE. ;) I hope you will come and visit me when you get the time over on my blog, The Chicken Chronicles...Again. I am an import from when AOL shut their journals down...but I love it here so much more. I have a lot of reading to do here, so off I go! Hugs, Kelly