One week...

...ago today, we had just exchanged contracts on the Tuesday, and two items came to our door. The first was a copy of our estate agents bill...less than twenty four hours from the said exchange, and the other...these...





From the estate agent in Norfolk...for "hanging on in there"! I know which I expected, and I know which I prefer...

What a beautiful thought.

Is it too...

...ott to shout from the rooftop? Maybe a little early?!

We've agreed our sale and purchase...of course, that's just the start...now we have to go through the surveys and searches...but, it's a start! Though I'll only believe it's happened when I have the key in my hot little hand, and I'm standing inside the house.

Fingers crossed!

It's strange...

...how life turns somersaults on you.

Friday things with the house looked positive, with only the lady whose house we like, wanting to view the one she likes again (which she did). Now? One of our offerers has lost his job...as we knew him a few years ago, and this was to be he and his wife's first house...I feel for them, he's a nice young man and didn't deserve that. But, then who does and it's happening to far too many. That was my morning phone call...then, the agent in Norfolk phoned...it seems another long ago viewer phoned on Saturday and told them they're still interested, no offer, no nothing...but...the thought of more money talks... All we had to do if we got a yes, was pick the phone up to the solicitor...we were that close. And thinking over my conversation...for them it'd be a holiday home.

Tada...

...*drum roll*






Gosh, this exhibiting is hard work!

Anyway, a house update...we did get an offer, on the low side, but that's the second we have floating about. We also have one saying they want to come back for a second viewing, and another viewer on Saturday...so...

Ya know...(as all good interviewees say)...whatever happens, if we sell and move on, or if we don't and we stay here, I'm going to miss my conversations with the agents! They're not all too bad!

I told...

...you this weekend was an emotional roller coaster.

My viewers of today...didn't come. I got a call forty five minutes before they were due, to tell me. We're not in the right catchment area. Okay, and when did we work that one out?

Maybe it's just me, but that's the sort of thing I check before I make an appointment...but such is life...

Now I'm going to do other things, and try not to take it out on the card.

All the...

...emotions fill the weekend.

I'm not sure if one thing is cancelling the other, but my weekend is a strange roller coaster of emotions. If we start late Friday afternoon, we had a call from our agents saying someone else wanted to view, but couldn't make it until next weeks Saturday. Chalk one up to joy, then yesterday morning another call with another viewer who will be arriving here in about two and a half hours, so another one to the joys...yesterday afternoon the agents showed someone else round who knows the house as he was a friend of our sons and viewed first time, last year...so three for the joy pile.

Take against that the events of yesterday afternoon at my football teams ground...another roller coaster within one. We found ourselves out played for the first twenty minutes, and Watford scored in the eighteenth minute...or seventeen minutes and somewhat seconds. A definite down moment. We then realised they weren't as good as we thought, and we scored two. Half time, shock horror...we were in front! Another one for the joy pile. Obviously reality set in at half time and we had time to digest this unusual occurrence, and we let them score twice in the second half! Two to the down sides again...though sitting directly behind the first of these...the shot was a good one, but maybe, just maybe our defence shouldn't have let it get that far. A couple of calls for penalties...especially when Hudson was pulled down, but I have a feeling the referee took the decision he was not in control of the ball, but...you try to read a ref's mind, I've given up! Also we had a goal disallowed for being off side...that I'd like to see again, before I pass judgement. That was before they got back into the game... So the afternoon did not pass well...

As you can see my emotional roller coaster rolls on. Just keep passing the pills...I'm beginning to need them!

I know what...

...I should be doing, I should be making beads, but it's impossible! Even if I could concentrate they'd go wrong, and I'd be picking holes in them after. It's best not to even start!

It's a week since we had the call saying the garden was too small, but our persistent offerers had been in asking again about things. After all the too-ing and fro-ing between us and the agents, both ours and those in Norfolk, they were told the facts, they're not getting it for nowt and this is the present value taking in all the reductions we and Norfolk have made!

I was fine all the time I knew they were away, but they should be back, and I can't see any reason if the answer is a blunt no, why delay in letting everyone know. If it's a yes, or maybe...the same goes. We're the perfect little chain...they're in rented having sold a year ago, we know what we want, where we want isn't being lived in, and what she wants is totally empty...we are all waiting for them. I had the Norfolk agent phone yesterday, hoping...I told him, he'd be the second person I'd phone...after my husband, I promise.

But if all fails and it is a no, our agent came and took some fresh photos, after the decorating we needed to revamp the details...and it's all up on site, and much better for it.

I've even read all the blogs I love today...now I'll discover something else to do...and how many cups of tea can you drink?

What a...

...day!!

Getting set to start painting...I'd given up making beads for the day. Then going to take the photos I wanted later, the phone rang...my agent! Estate agent...anyway, the people who viewed Monday, loved the house, but the garden wasn't big enough. Right! Okay! 100ft width of garden wasn't large enough... I won't be cynical here! But, she'd had a visit from my persistent under offerers...and she'd pushed them to a tentative up...which set the whole agent talking to agent in flow. Leaving us waiting to hear back from these persistent persons to see if they'll match what we want, and me phoning my agent this morning for re-marketing purposes. I earned my lunch yesterday dealing with two professional negotiators! So I'm out this evening to see the Benjamin Button film, with Brad Pitt...I'm sorry, but I like him...always have! ;)

Then this morning I check into Etsy for a look see, and I've been included in a treasury. It made my smile go from ear to ear...and at last I've worked out how to copy it here!!



And wow!!! It works!!! Thank you to Felicity Crew for including me in her beautiful calming treasury. I think it's a very pretty treasury too....I think it featured on the front page!

I must say sorry to someone I promised I'd be showing her work...it is coming, but events this week have rather swept me along.

Most of the...

...CAFC blogs concentrate on the men's first team, but we didn't have a very successful few days with several teams. Our first team lost 4-1 to Sheffield Wednesday, our reserves lost 4-0 to Reading, and our womens team lost 0-6 to Birmingham City...but that was in the cup, and they're still doing fine in the league, and several sixteen year olds played. Other than that, it's very quiet.

It's early here, and I've dragged my poor overloaded laptop out again...while I watch/listen to the Australian Open. Lleyton Hewitt is playing against a seed...and the Australians have just woken up...it's been unusually quiet.

So, what's life been up to? Yesterday was planned, a trip into town to buy white paint for the kitchen ceiling, and the garage to get my little clip replaced...but, when the morning arrived it was dull and wet, and I honestly didn't feel like making the trip, so decided to make beads. After putting bed linen in to wash, I left everything for "later", switched the kiln on and lit the torch...nearing the end of making my first set the phone rang. Now that could be one of two people...I'd already spoken to my mother, and phoned my daughter in law wishing her happy birthday...so, it was either my husband or the estate agent, checking on last weeks conversation. Sally's voice came along the line..."I've got someone who wants to view", says she, "this morning!" Panic strikes as I think of the stripped beds, the layer of dust that was waiting for the afternoon...the cardboard that was on it's way to the recycling..."when's convenient?" "Give me an hour..." ever optimistic. "Would eleven be fine?" "Yes" I answer with a sigh. That would give me an hour and a half. She gives me the details and I start to fly about the house...beds made, and the phone goes...my thought...they've backed out! But, no...I have a second hour...my viewer wants to come at midday. Even better!

Then as she walks through the door, there I am in a clean and tidy house, changed out of my spattered work sweatshirt ready to show her around. Will she buy? I don't know. Will I hear? I think so, she's been let down herself and I don't think she's that selfish. Did I get more beads made? Nope. Nor did I get the paint or to the garage.

My call...

...came on Monday. It seems my viewer decided they liked our house, couldn't say anything against it, location, house was all okay, but they'd decided it didn't have "faerie dust".

So what do you do? Do you do as is supposedly right, and take some of the personal accoutrements out, so they can "see" the house, or leave those touches in? Of course, I'm making the leap that's what they meant, that for them it didn't have that little extra...but, they're buying a house...not my faerie dust, they need to discover their own, their magic...their touch of genius, that makes a house their home. I hope somewhere they find their dust for their daughters...

Tuesday, my car had to go to the garage for an "adjustment", something minor could fail and could I bring it in. Duly it was delivered and I took the time to walk into the nearest town, Bishop's Stortford, something I don't do, as it's ten miles from my home. I looked at all the Christmas decorations filling shelves of the beautiful home shops the town has, and imagined where they'd go, but at present I feel as though I'm in limbo, not quite here or there...oh, I know I'll be here for Christmas now, but I want to be making another house my home...Don't get me wrong, I do love my present home...but, it's run its course, and having decided to move, I've been letting go emotionally to it, and am now set ready to go. When I left work, they made me a gift of some book tokens, and on visiting the local chain store, I found a beautifully illustrated and written childrens book, but I'd forgotten my tokens...I'll have to go back...I'd also forgotten to put my little notebook in my bag, so now I have no idea who the books author and illustrator is...but, I know exactly where on the shelf the copies were... And I really must walk around my village more...I used to...but, it's changed.

Wednesday...yesterday, it was Mum's birthday, and I went to visit. She lives on the edge of London, and Kent. A borough which is neither one thing or the other, and during the summer I'd told her of a Lavender Farm, and their open day, which my sister took her too, as I was in Northumberland. As I'd never been, we decided to go...I was a little disappointed, but did buy some Lavender shortbread...my, but they're strong! We found a local hostelry for lunch...and if you're ever in Ightham, then I can recommend the food and service in the George and Dragon. Both are excellent. While out, I had a call from our agents, they'd got someone who'd been let down with their purchase at the last moment, and were exchanging on their sale next week. They were moving from Sussex, to be closer to their daughter who had moved into town...Saffron Walden. They had seen our details and wanted very much to view...was I home that afternoon or Thursday morning. Being seventy odd miles from home, I said this morning would be best. Ten minutes later I had another call...the prospective viewer had looked on a map and we're not in the right place, being eight miles from "town". Now please work that out before I get all excited....my emotions can't take this up and down... I keep telling myself it's only a house move, and not a death or worse...but, as I've said...it's limbo... Oh! And I've picked the paint out to renew the kitchen...you do have to keep living.

Today...this morning...I'm mixing the Christmas puds...best go!!

Enjoy your days...

Sitting on hands...

that's what it feels as though I'm doing, or having to do.

It all started quite excitedly just over a week ago, and for those who don't know...we're trying to sell our house, yes...in this market...and no, not because we have to. So...a call from the agents and our first viewers want to return, this is a couple of months after their first and second visits...the call was on that Thursday. On the Friday, after spik and spanning for the afternoon, I sat down with a cuppa to watch some news, trying to keep abreast of the financial cyclone we're all enduring, and I decided I'd watch some sport news instead...there's only so much monetary implosions you can take in a week. There, before my eyes the news reader was talking about my team, and...yes...the prospect of money being available, via new owners. I couldn't quite work out which I was more excited about...our viewers, or Charlton being wealthy!! Both were a heady mix.

Saturday came, as did our viewers...and deciding there were things they wanted to check with our local planning department, they left. As for Charlton...it was an international weekend, so no match...*phew*, my pulse couldn't have taken that! Monday came, and all was quiet until lunchtime, when our agent phoned, to confirm that our viewers were indeed checking things out...still all quiet from Charlton though, and it remained quiet all week...be patient...don't think about it! Sit on your hands...make yourself busy...though how you do that at the same time, I'm not sure!! A call Friday from the agents, and they're still checking...though I know the office told them they could see no reason why they couldn't do what they wanted.

So here I am in the next week...it's still quiet...and I'm waiting...with trepidation for the phone to ring, or the radio to tell me that Charlton are still home owned, another game poorer...and further down the league...tomorrow, there must be a tomorrow!! Ah yes....we play Bristol City....