May and June were challenging.
I was assigned a new Project at work. Only the 2nd largest in company history! To add to that pressure the project is in Maine, for the Navy, with a very fast-startup period, and ... I don't have any other staff to help. Definitely challenging to start-up $30 million dollars of remote work for an unfamiliar owner in 2 months!
I made my first of several trips to Maine in late May. Maine, at least along the coast, is very flat, very forested, and very rural. I was expecting a bit more development and a few more people.
The view from Bar Harbor where I had my first full Lobster. Having grown up on Oregon Coast Dungeness Crab I don't feel the need to have Maine lobster again.
Amidst the stress of starting work for a new company AND starting up a high-profile project, we decided to move and buy a house closer to work, in a better kid-friendly neighborhood, and in a much better school district. Our other priorities included a daylight walkout basement with kids bedrooms and family room for our future teenagers, a large yard for my garden, space for a workshop for Stark, and room for his & her offices. Obviously this needed to be a large home, on a large lot, in a very expensive area.
What we hadn't figured on was the insane real-estate market. After several stagnate recession years the buyers were queued up and ready to make a move. We looked at over 30 homes and put bids on 3. For each bid we offered substantially more than asking price and we lost. In 2 scenarios we were 1 of 10+ bidders who's offers were being considered in the first 48 hours of listing! Thank goodness for my realtor! Having been part of the home-buying process many times over the years I can say that this was the first time a realtor was absolutely indispensable. The market was moving too quickly to find a home by myself, it was definitely a team effort.
Finally, in early June, we had our 4th offer accepted AND a back-up offer go active at the same time! 2 months prior we'd lost out on a home that we'd absolutely fallen in love with. We negotiated for 3 weeks until the Estate trustee accepted our backup offer then we pestered them for several weeks inquiring into the status of the pending sale until finally they told us to stop calling. Just days after being told to stand-down, and having our 4th offer accepted on a very suitable home, the trustee called us to ask if we were still interested! The original offer was falling thru due to FHA appraisal required pre-sale repairs which the seller was refusing to do. Now, after weeks of frustration, we had to decide between 2 very good homes.
Last week we closed the deal on a the back-up home! A 3300+ sqft home with an AMAZING view of the water and a home that checks all of our 'must-have' boxes! At 70 years old the home and property need a lot of work but sweat equity will definitely pay off big dividends! Stay tuned for updates as we begin the process.
Our 3rd and hardest challenge was the passing of my grandmother, Jessie Elizabeth Cooper, on June 1st. In April she fell and broke her arm and as often happens when 88 years old and in poor health, her decline from that point was quick. My mother immediately headed down to take care of her mother from the moment she was discharged from the hospital until her passing. In a short amount of time we both learned a lot about estate planning, hospice, and memorial planning.
So amidst my challenging project at work, a challenging new-home purchase, we squeezed in 2 long weekend trips down to my Grandparents to help out however we could. I wish we could have done more but I am so thankful that I was able to support my mother as she supported her mother through the stages of passing, in her own home, respectfully, and peacefully.
Huck and Della are too young to hold onto those last memories of their GG but I have pictures and I have the story to tell reminding them that they were there, and they helped, and they shared their love and child-hood happiness with their Family who needed it in those rough moments.
GG loved them absolutely from the moment they were born and I'm so thankful to have had that final time in her home, with her, and my family
*** May you rest in peace Grandma. Thank you. ***
