Letting Go Things surrounding the sale of my home are building … in a BIG way. After listing our home of 37+ years for sale this past June, my husband and I threw ourselves into decluttering and sprucing it up for the open house, held mid-June. By the end of the month, we had secured buyers. Despite our diligent effort to attain our home’s Certificate of Occupancy as promised in our contract, it appeared our town’s building department seemed to have it in for us. Just when we’d been told things were looking good, that inspection conditions had been met, they imposed a new requirement. A phone call with a Disney-like villain town clerk, who seemed personally invested in thwarting us, brought me to tears of frustration. Two steps forward, one step back. Another delay. Another expense. Today we have what we hope is our last inspection. Headaches aside, I knew there’d be an emotional toll of selling our home. It’s easy to keep those heavy thoughts at bay when y...
The Move Part 1: This is hard!! According to Google AI, on average, Americans move 11.7 times during their lifetime. Me, I’ve moved once—from my childhood home to the one I’ve shared with my husband since we married. As a result, I had no idea how difficult the process could be — physically as well as emotionally. My husband and I (empty nesters) have been talking about moving since we were blessed with a grandchild two years ago—and a second this past February. We love the renewed energy in our lives, but being in New York with our grandchildren in Massachusetts, visits are sporadic and have to be planned. Of the two families, my husband and I are the most easily replanted. We decided on a two-step move. First, downsizing to an apartment 30 minutes from our current home, renting for a year to give my husband and I time to figure out whether we want to either retire or work in Massachusetts. In April, we took the plunge and signed with a real...