Our House... Is A Very, Very, Very Fine - Very Fine House....

Today is a great day. It's funny how no matter what's going on in the world, the economics of the country, or the risk we run of losing our very own jobs...one great moment can change your perspective and make things seem tolerable again.

As some of you know, Brian and I have been going through the "first time home buyers club initiation" for the past 6 MONTHS. We began very shortly after we moved to the Great Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina last January from sunny and crazy Tampa, Florida.

Everyone that we initially spoke to about how the process would be, warned us that it could be difficult and sometimes horribly frustrating.

In spite of that, we held true to our undying optimism and stepped onto the ice of chance with wild abandon. Since that step, we have naivley fallen through the ice, contracted frostbite, been admitted to ICU, rowed back to the start, Sprung a leak in the boat, were stranded on a glacier, camped out in a polar bear cave, climbed an ice covered mountain and are now standing cold and shaken at what seems to be the downhill slope. Analogy overload noted.

Though I have not yet experienced childbirth, I believe the process could be directly compared in the respect of never wanting to do it again until the pain subsides and over time you forget about the misery you went through to have something so special introduced to your life.

Brian and I have been moving separately for many, many years. Since our meeting in 2005 We have each moved an additional 4 times and those were from state to state and state to state again.

Needless to say, We have made it through the darkness known as securing financing in a recession and are now so excited about this opportunity to finally have a nest in which our lives can rest in for at least a few years until we give in to our instinctive nomadic personalities.

We are also anticipating the wonderful visits we can host, now having space to accommodate and living in such a favorable area for year round interests, especially for those who love the outdoors and natural wonder. We feel like we are getting a vacation home, and sometimes it's hard to believe that the beauty that surrounds us everyday is ours for as long as we want to take it in.

All of that being said, we officially own a piece of this historic part of the country, a piece of our very own mountain - Called West Piney Mountain. At the moment our lot of land is being leveled and cleared to our exact desires by a wonderfully simple southern couple who own their own Grading business and are so down to earth they exist below sea level. Today, the wife; smiling and looking as excited for me as if she had known me forever; offered up many recommendations for plants and trees that would fit best in my area, how to use the leftover tree mulch from the clearing, and about how friendly my new neighbors would be. She reminded me of how blessed we are for searching to simplify our lives and enjoy life again in a low maintenance way and how much I missed southern hospitality and charm while living in Florida.

We hope you will all join us on this special journey, I will be providing pictures along the way and updates on the progress of our adventures in home building now that we have battled the banks in this difficult time in the economy and won! Or at least for now. Our soaring expectations, though never crushed, have been placed on standby until we make it across the finish line of our Final Closing after construction is complete.

The Art Of Listening

One of my found passions is people and part of my found purpose is to be a listener. To absorb the situations of others and in turn gain powerful realizations. Realizations that have taken me deeper within myself to know that there is more than just existing, more than the world that begins for us at birth, more to "be" if we look and listen, truly listen, not only to others but to ourselves, our hearts, and to God.

I think back through the years, through struggles and through joy. My life has been most dramatically touched by people who have listened, listened though not obligated, though not a direct part of my own personal tragedy. Just a voyeur in some capacity that took the time from their own journey to do what I now know was an integral part of my development. Those same people who listened so intently also ironically gave me the most valuable words to live by that I now find myself passing down as my own.

By nature, Humans need to be heard, they crave attention, validation. Each day, we take for granted those closest to us, we nod and smile at them while they tell us about their days experiences, all the while thinking about what we should cook for dinner, how much the dry cleaning bill was, or when the project is due at work. By nature, Humans are also selfish. We live by the principle of survival of the fittest and looking out for number one. But when it's our turn...our expectations suddenly soar beyond what we were able to give back.


Albert Einstein wrote, "Only a Life Lived For Others Is A Life Worth While."

People have so much to say and so much to give, and we have so much to gain if you just take the time to listen.

Time

Time changes everything AND everyone...and in the end everything again. I was just thinking back on what used to be important to me when I was just 10 years younger and how those things have evolved into new and larger dreams. My peers are going through it too and conversations we have are turning into political discussions instead of gossip and party recaps. I've realized time goes by so fast you don't notice your parents hair turning gray until you stop one day and see the smile lines on your mom's face have grown deeper. I find myself giving advice to the younger of my friends and family. You look up and see your baby brother on one knee in front of his young bride. Trials that you thought you would never survive have transformed into a faded memory that rarely ever appears in your minds eye, for all you know is every time in your short life you have fallen it has made it easier to bear the next stumble. It's a scary time to think of losing those you love because of the years catching up quickly behind them, I want more time. The excitment of growing families within our own keeps the hope alive and somehow tames the sorrow of knowing that the circle of life stops for no one. Aging also makes you harder, but knowing when to wear that sheild is a delicate balance because there's a difference in being jaded. Time marches on and my thoughts race about what the following years will bring, I hope I appreciate the then as much as I do the now.