Monday, October 14, 2013

To Be at Home

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I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.
~ Maya Angelou

Thank you all for your many wishes of good luck, good energy, crossed fingers, prayers and positive vibes about my house selling quickly and for a good price. They worked!

It was on the market for the fifth day when two bids came in. We took the second one which offered exactly what we'd asked, with no need to secure financing and a quicker closing date (November 12) than the first one. Three days later, their offer was firm when an inspection of my home revealed nothing of deterring concern.

It was important to me that the new owners fit in well with our neighbourhood. We're a close-knit group as many of you may remember from my posts about our planned street parties, impromptu barbecues and New Year's Eve get togethers. We're much more than neighbours - we're friends, and the proof is in how despite several of us having moved through the years, we maintain our friendship and party together. My real estate agent, Janette lived on our street a few years back and she continues to be a regular part of the group events.

Once the offer was signed and accepted, we chatted extensively and I feel quite certain that this couple will soon be a regular part of the gang. They're warm (we hugged to seal the deal), friendly, interesting and they love animals (jokingly suggesting that my Skitty might be thrown in with the house) and are nature lovers (looking forward to walking around the very pond that inspired a huge part of my love for photography).

Welcome to the best neighbourhood on the planet, Christine and Aaron. You will be coming home.

And I'll be going home. If our new neighbours are half as wonderful as the ones I leave behind, we will be truly blessed.

Most of the work I have left to do is legal stuff, make phone calls to cancel utilities, advise businesses of my change of address - oh and pack up the rest of my stuff to move. My 14 year-old cats are not going to be happy about such a long trip (about three and a half hours) and they'll deeply miss my son, Alex. And he'll miss them terribly as they've been in his life since he was nine. Of course he will visit us and the cats will have Benny to keep them crazy entertained. Alex will be in search of his own apartment but still has his Dad's place to stay at if he needs to for a while.

I'm glad that this part of the process is done and that I'll be moving in to our new place before true winter settles in. Now, we'll just have to endure the rest of the renovations that have been taking place there since the summer. I guess I'll tell you more about that when I see it for myself.

This weekend, I'll head up to be with Frank for a little while before I get down to the business of moving. It will be nice to spend some alone time together and to enjoy the last of what autumn has to offer. We'll probably select some fixtures, flooring and cabinets for the new addition while I'm there. Maybe it won't be too long after that until our place is fully liveable.

For now, I'll leave you with a few random photos taken during the late summer and early autumn. I hope you enjoy them.

Port Dover Pier and Lighthouse
Just before the Labour Day weekend in early September, my son Jeffrey came in for a bit of business and a two week visit. We spent one day visiting my sister, Andrea who lives in Port Dover, Ontario - on the northern shore of Lake Erie. This was the view of the pier and lighthouse as seen from our beachside restaurant table.




sunlit maple leaves
Autumn leaves, lit by a small shaft of sunlight, early one morning.




rail
This was snapped on my way across the city of Toronto early one evening. Every now and then the setting sun would illuminate the tracks.





south toward town
This was the view I saw on my way to town from my new place. It was still early in the autumn but the leaves had long begun turning.




wasp nest
I've written about this heroic tree before here (third photo down) and here (third from last image). There's nothing left but its trunk now, and yet it still provides shelter for insects, which become food for the birds. There were several wasps going in and out of it's hollows on this sunny day.




geese along the Credit River
Framed in between the wires, a small flock of geese make their way along the path cut out by the Credit River in Mississauga. We were on our way home from the South Side Shuffle. I'll have some more photos of that event for you coming up next.


Happy Thanksgiving to all of my fellow Canadians and to everyone else. I have very much for which to be thankful and I count your wonderful presence in my life among them.

65 comments:

Tabor said...

May your Thanksgiving be extra special this year with your new milestones!!

Cloudia said...

Hooray!

Your pictures enrapture!


Aloha, Sweetie

Crabby McSlacker said...

CONGRATULATIONS on the quick home sale, that's wonderful news! Can't wait to hear (and see) more about the move.

I suspect you will soon be as busy as the bee you so elegantly captured above. (Or wasp, whatever. busy as a wasp doesn't sound quite right!)

TexWisGirl said...

that last shot is caught perfectly! wow!

a huge and hearty CONGRATULATIONS to you! AND to the new owners! may they love it there as much as you did.

on this thanksgiving day, you indeed have much to be grateful for. :)

OmaLindasOldeBaggsandStuftShirts said...

oh this is just the best news.....congratulations. It is always hard to say goodbye to the familiar and hello to the new but with your wonderful spirit and joy of life....it should be an easy transition for you. I am so very pleased for you that this did not drag on for along time.
Your old neighborhood sounds like it will welcome the newcomers with open hearts. Good for them.
Happy Thanksgiving a bit late, Oma Linda

Kerri Farley said...

Oh HAPPY DAY!!! That is soooo exciting! 5 days on the market is QUICK!!
Congratulations!!

Kerri Farley said...

Oh, and I was so excited about the sale of your house that I forgot to say..... your images are AWESOME!

Gail Dixon said...

So happy and excited about your quick and profitable sale! Your photos are so stellar, as usual, especially the colorful trees lining the road. Wishing you a peaceful weekend to enjoy and relax before you have to get the dirty work done. Happy Thanksgiving to you!

photowannabe said...

Happy Thanksgiving to you, Hilary.
It's a true blessing to have your house sold and get new people moving into your place.
Now you can get on with your Forever Home.
It's so exciting and I eagerly wait for the next installment of your photos.
These are beautiful, by the way.

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

An extra special Happy Thanksgiving this year! Congratulations on finalizing the deal and continued blessings as you move into your new world!

stephen Hayes said...

I'm so glad that selling your place didn't turn into a long drawn out agony. Soon you'll be in your new place. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in Canada.

Jackie said...

Awesome!
I'm so happy to read that your home sold...and to a great couple who will love the neighborhood. I thank our Lord for answered prayers.
Wonderful photos...and I especially love the one of the bee.
Daddy use to be a beekeeper...not this kind of bee, of course...but honeybees, and I helped build frames, rob honey, extract honey...the works.
So, I have a fascination for them.
What a great shot!
Enjoy your time with your husband; fall is a wonderful time...and especially for you both as you celebrate being together and celebrate the sale of your home.
Hugs and love to both of you.
Jackie

Out on the prairie said...

Congrats on your home and a very Happy Thanksgiving. Love the wasp caught in midair

Country Girl said...

Hope your Thanksgiving is proving to be a wonderful one, Hilary. Beautiful images here!

Jayne said...

Looks gorgeous out your way, Hilary. Congratulations on your quick sale! Wishing you much happiness in your new home--the beginning of another adventure. :)

Hena Tayeb said...

that is great.. and so fast. Good for you.

Terra said...

Happy Thanksgiving to you too, and that sale sounds so smooth. How good the buyers seem simpatico with the neighborhood.

Anonymous said...

So happy for you! It's a good feeling to know that one has sold their home to the right people. Xox

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

I'm so happy for you, my friend.

You have some amazing photos here. Some favorites are the red leaves, the scene from the highway, that crisp shot of the wasp, and the amazing capture of the geese between the wires.

Wishing you and Frank years of happiness at "The Nest."

Susan Kane said...

You live in such an amazing place! And you have a great camera!

Over here from Rob-Bear, a new follower.

Linda said...

Hilary, I am so happy for you. That is amazing that you got such a quick sale, no doubt a tribute to all your hard work getting it ready. As much as I have loved your pictures from there, I'm sure there are many more to come from your new place.

Congratulations again, and Happy Thanksgiving!

ds said...

So happy for you, Hilary! Can't wait to read the stories of what Benny does to your poor cats (or will they gang up on him? Hmmm), and see the new views you'll be offering us. Adore the photo of the red leaves especially (that light). Enjoy this small respite before the moving begins, and Happy Thanksgiving.

Hilary said...

I am so freaking happy for you!!

yaya said...

Happy Thanksgiving and congrats on selling your home! Love all the pics, but extra love the wasp shot! Amazing! Enjoy your new digs!

yaya said...

Happy Thanksgiving and congrats on selling your home! Love all the pics, but extra love the wasp shot! Amazing! Enjoy your new digs!

steviewren said...

Congrats on the fast sale of your home. I hope you will be very happy in your new one!

Red said...

Happy Thanksgiving , Hilary.
Moving is a bitter sweet time. It's sad to leave but there is anticipation in a new location.

Brian Miller said...

yay! congrats on the house sale and may all the rest you have to do fly by...happy thanksgiving...love the shot with the bees and the log...and that last one...so nice...smiles.

Linda said...

Wow, congratulations! How great that your house sold quickly!

Love the red leaves and the flying geese!

Ruth Hiebert said...

Glad to hear that the house sold so quickly.These are amazing pictures,as always.

Glo said...

Yahoo! What a wonderful way to celebrate Thanksgiving. Now you are nearly on your way. The new homeowners sound like they belong.How exciting! Your photos are amazing!!

Anonymous said...

Hurray - so happy to hear you sold the house so quickly!

Gayle said...

You have worked long and hard to get to this place. Congrats on selling to such grand people.

Your kitties will adjust. If possible, just put them in the car a half hour or so before you leave. They will snug in.

Your photos are so lovely, the red leaves are breathtaking!

Theresa said...

Hip Hip Hooray! Congratulations to both parties, seller and buyers. Nothing like a sale where everyone is happy!

DJan said...

I'm so happy to hear how well it all turned out with the sale of the house. I'm looking forward to the next adventure in your life, and I'm glad you will be settled in before true winter, as you say. :-)

Anvilcloud said...

Are you on hwy 28 on that road pic? It looks familiar, but there are so many scenes like this. Congrats on the quick sale, and all the best for the next month ... and longer too.

Mage said...

Congratulations. This is great stuff. Thank you also for the pictures as you begin to pack. So pleased for you.

Leah J. Utas said...

Happy Moving!

Karen (formerly kcinnova) said...

Thanksgiving happiness all around!

Your flying insect photo is exquisite and the autumn leaves in dark relief sing to my soul this morning.

Maggie May said...

Loved your photos and how wonderful to have sold your home so quickly. I am also pleased that you have taken care that the new people will fit into the neighbourhood. That was really considerate of you. So many go for the top price and don't give a jot.
Your photo of the red leaves surrounded by darkness was very dramatic.
Maggie x

Nuts in May

messymimi said...

Happy Snoopy Dance for you, you are going home!

Anita said...

I'm so happy for you! I could really feel the emotions you're experiencing as I was reading... and still do. Congratulations on the quick sale.

The photos are lovely, and as TexWiseGirl said, the last one is amazing!

Best wishes to you son, too, as he transitions to another home.

I hope your Thanksgiving was special.

Bob Bushell said...

Sale of century, great things change, lovely. And the pictures, superb.

A Cuban In London said...

Congrats! And you still managed to include those superb pictures in your post. Many thanks.

Greetings from London.

Friko said...

Sending you my best wishes for a happy conclusion to the moving saga.

I hope you will be as happy in the new place as you have been in the old.

Wendy said...

Congratulations, Hilary!!! Sending lots of Love and Light for you and your beloved in your new home.

Jenn Jilks said...

You must be thrilled! Well done. I wish you much energy completing your tasks!!!!!
Cheers from Cottage Country Ontario , ON, Canada!

Indrani said...

That is great news! Congrats!
Lovely captures Hilary!

Barb said...

Hillary, I was so happy to read your news. That WAS a quick sale! Good luck now on your move. Hope the renovations are finished with no glitches. (We're remodeling, and I'm sure glad when it's all finished!) Your photos show the beauty of light and movement.

Andy said...

You did it again. My visit to your blog was well worth it. I always enjoy your photos. PS: The Bowmanville Apple Festival is being held on October 19, 2013.

Ercotravels said...

I glad you told us about your home..
all the pictures looking beautiful..

Rosaria Williams said...

Happy Thanksgiving.

Pat Hatt said...

Hope moving goes well, can really be a pain indeed

My Cactus Dress said...

Yayyy!! Congratulations. I wish you all the best for other future milestones.
Also, I am not sure when the fall starts in Canada but, I am very excited to see your fall photography..

Pauline said...

Delighted that your city house has sold and that you will soon me ensconced with Frank in the new digs. Such lovely photos - as always!

Rita said...

Whoohoo!! What delightful news!!! :):)

Suldog said...

I hope your Thanksgiving was tremendous. As you know, I have a great fondness for the American version of that holiday.

So glad to hear some of the bother is now off your plate. Here's hoping the remainder presents little problem.

Give the cats many hugs.

Bone said...

Congratulations. And Happy Thanksgiving.

The leaves are just now beginning to turn here. Saw my first red ones a couple days ago.

Betty Manousos said...

woo hoo! a huge congrats!!
and happy belated thanksgiving!! hope it was a wonderful one!

xoxo

Laura said...

I'm so happy for you and for the new couple who will experience the good energy you are leaving behind in your old home. Happy Thanksgiving (a few days late)... I wish for you and Frank much joy in your new place. How exciting!!!

Laura Delegal - Leroy Photography said...

Oh, happy day!

Dan said...

Ta da!

lime said...

congratulations! that's wonderful news. i am happy for you and frank and for the new owners of your old home. may you each be happy in your new neighborhoods.

Daryl said...

mazel tov!!!!!!!!

JC said...

Congrats on the sale of your house.