And for as long as I can remember, Hershel has been trying to talk me into moving back to the hills of Tennessee. I have always had one reason or another for staying put. The kids, the grandkids, my studies, the money. More than anything, moving out of the year-round Florida sunshine is definitely out of my comfort zone!
Then, my family got in the middle of it. Almost ten years ago, my sister Jeani started it, by buying a weekend cabin in Mentone, Alabama. Mentone, population 400-something has a blinking light, a laid-back atmosphere, and the 450-mile yard sale each summer. We both fell in love with the area on our first trip. We have looked at property in and around Mentone for most of the last ten years, and never found 'the one.' Jeani has since sold her cabin, but has replaced it with a beautiful home meraby -- on the brow of LookOut Mountain, GA.
Well, six months ago, it happened. I found what I thought was 'the one.' It's in SmallTown Alabama, population barely over 600. The only problem was, we couldn't figure out how to make it work financially. Three months later, the price was reduced, nearly in half. We talked about it in great length, chicken scratching numbers, figuring, supposing, and playing 'what if' --- a lot.
We tussled with, "How can we leave the kids and grand kids here?" "What if we miss them too much?" and all of the other emotional things that go along with moving away. How could I leave the volunteer programs I have been so strongly involved in? How could Hershel give up his clients, some of whom are like family to us? How could we leave the best neighbors ever?
Then it happened. The price was reduced again. Ok, now the price was just so ridiculously low that we felt we could not pass up this opportunity to chase our dream. We sent Jeani to take a look at the house. We began intensifying our what if games, because now this was real. I have to admit, I was almost hoping that my sister would make it really easy for us by looking at the house and saying, "Run!!".......But, she didn't.
Anyone that knows my sister Jeani, knows she is very prudent and a tad conservative when it comes to financial decisions. The chance of it being a win has to far outweigh the chance of it being a loser of a deal. Knowing this, my heart leaped when she said, "The house is beautiful, and I would jump on it in a heartbeat!" Then she sent me nearly 100 pictures. This was IT! We went to lunch, Hershel looked at me and said, "Do you want to do it?" I said, "Let's do it!!" We made an offer and it was accepted!
the beginning of
living our dream......
The house was built in 1900. 2800 square feet, four bedrooms, one bath. It is sound and solid, except for the kitchen with a sagging rotting floor, part of some previous 'improvements' that need to be undone.
All of the interior walls and ceilings are 'matchstick' tongue and groove wood. Some are stained, some are painted. Almost all of the floors are original, as are all of the doors and windows. There is a fireplace in every room.
Out back, there is a stone retaining wall that runs the length of the house, ending at what was probably the original summer kitchen. Out front, there is a stacked stone wall that runs most of the length of the 1+ acre.
Crazy, huh? We bought a house we've never seen! We are so excited we can't stand it!
