Last week our house went up for sale and we prepared ourselves for a long wait before someone asked for a showing, even though we were hoping for a quick sale because we have a house we want to buy closer to my husband’s new job (and the purchase is contingent on the sale of the one we currently live in). Our house is a cozy, well-lived in house perfect for our little family, but it’s also a fixer-upper, so we didn’t expect people to rush to buy it. Imagine our surprise, and panic, when someone asked for a showing two days after the house went online. We were given seven days to repair a few, minor issues we thought we’d have at least a month, if not longer, to repair. As of now, we are down to four of those days with the majority of the repairs made, but a few still needed – including cleaning out my very full bedroom closet.
Of course, just because we’ve had a request for a showing doesn’t mean the people will be interested or buy it. This could be a long process and we know that. Our challenge next week will be getting the kids and the cat and dog out of the house at the same time. We don’t have friends or family near us so we’ve decided the kids will go to the library and I’ll wait in the parking lot with the animals in the van (since I have no plan to try to shove our cat into that little carrier again. The last time was for a trip to the vet a few months ago and my skin is still healing from some of the gashes she sliced across my skin.) I’m sort of hoping this process isn’t too drawn out since I don’t relish the idea of dragging the animals and all of us out of the house each time someone wants to look and see if our house can become their house.
The contents of that very full closet in my room have left me crying almost daily as I work through it, tossing scrapbooks into containers, photos of people who are now gone or no longer speak to us falling out of them. Then there are the journals, which I no longer look at because they contain too many cans of worms I prefer not to open. A couple interesting items I did find were old sketchbooks from college that contained images I took hours and hours to create but usually didn’t finish. Art was such a stress reliever back then but now I don’t seem to have the patience for it. Maybe I’ll get some patience back during the social media break I’m doing during December.
I remember working on this project, which is made up of thousands of tiny dots made with an ink pen (a process called stippling) as a stress reliever but also as a way to focus better during college lectures. I find I can focus on sermons and lectures better when I can doodle of have something to do with my hands. I know there is science behind that but I don’t really want to research it and explain it here, so we will address that in another blog post.
Anyhow, I was working on this piece of artwork during a sociology lecture when the professor, walking up and down the aisle, pontificating about something sociology related, stopped and suggested I should be taking notes, not working on art. But then he said “So, can you listen to me better while you’re doing that?” I said I could. He looked at it again and said “That’s quite good. Carry on.” and then continued to walk up the aisle, rambling away.
I need to finish that picture now that I’ve found it again. It would be a nice distraction, dotting away on a piece of paper, while the stresses of life (house selling, family and friend losses) swirl around me.
I should also finish this pen and ink sketch I started of The Beatles, I think.
Our first snowstorm of the winter looks like it may hit us today and tomorrow, complete with a couple layers of ice and then up to 12 inches of snow. It even has a name- Snowstorm Ezekiel. At this point, we are just waiting to see what it actually brings in terms of snow or ice versus what the forecasters are saying. The big blob of pink and purple has been moving toward us but I haven’t seen much outside yet.
The snow will keep us inside but that’s a good thing considering we still have quite a few repairs to make and cleaning up to do before the showing.
So, how about you? What are you all up to or what have you been up to? How is the weather where you are? Cold? Warm? Let me know in the comments!
I’ll leave you with a verse from the book of Ezekiel in honor of Storm Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 37: 9-14 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’”
Boondock Ramblings 
Your art is so amazing!! I love it! You’re very talented! 😀 I have a huge fear of what to do when it comes time to sell our house. Now that my parents are moving closer and into a bigger home I feel like we could probably stay with them if we needed to. But they have a crazy cat that I’m not too sure will like my 2 cats and Shih Tzu so that should be fun. Good luck with everything!! 😀
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Thank you. It’s all nerve wracking but a fresh start in some other town would be nice too. I’ll miss the convenience of where we live, though.
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Good Luck with the house, Lisa. My cousin and her husband are in the process of selling/buying as well and it’s a headache for sure! Your artwork is amazing 🙂 I hope you have a chance to start creating again. It can be so therapeutic to just make something. Even if it isn’t what we hoped or wanted, just getting it out sometimes can be so fulfilling. Praying for your house selling/buying! God Bless!
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We just had our first showing today and we ended up out of the house an hour and a half, which was a little stressful, but worked out okay. The cat didn’t escape the van, which was my biggest worry since I couldn’t get her in the crate.
I have to try it again tomorrow since we have another showing. But hopefully it will all turn out for the best.
hope you are doing well!
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These are amazing Lisa, you do have a gift. You should do this on your break, it will help so much with the stress. So sad about that closet and all those memories you had to drag out of it. I would have put that off too. I had to get rid of some photos of mine because it was just too painful to look at them. When I went No Contact with my NPD mom she turned a whole family against me, all except one cousin who saw things differently then the others . That cousin also witnessed a lot too. Keep drawing, you are good at that…Oh, and photography too. I love your photos.
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I think you’re right about the art. Maybe it will help with the stress of selling our house too! I’m so sorry about your mom. My family deals with a similar situation unfortunately. We just have to accept our lives are better off without them!
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Your art is amazing!! My husband is also a doodler while listening too. To other people it looks like he isn’t paying attention but if you asked him he could repeat what was said almost verbatim. 🙂
Good luck with your house! I never even thought about having to move cats out every time. Oh dear. My three cats would fight me with everything if I had to stick them in a carrier too. Fingers crossed for an offer!
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Thank you. The house selling is a royal pain and I’m about to say I don’t care anymore. Aaaargh!
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Oh, I love that passage from Ezekiel, and I am praying it over you now–may the Lord settle you in a new land (home) full of His breath of Life. And I think these sketches you shared are perfect the way they are. They tell such a story of history, and your own history. And yes, I hope you find yourself beginning new sketches (that are so much more than just doodles! wow!) Blessings to you.
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Thank you, Bettie. I am apparently behind on comments and missed responding to this one. I just read your post today. Wow. That hit me where I needed it right now in my life. I feel like If it’s not one thing it’s another with my health and life but God is good. I hope to head over to your post tomorrow to comment more! For now I have to turn in! God blessz
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I don’t comment much on how your blog looks, but just to let you know I’m liking it, especially the size of the font for your posts itself. I often use an app called Pocket or Mercury Reader to read blog posts, but when I came over to your blog, I noticed the font is very readable. Thank you from your old(er) brother.
Our closet in our office is stuffed as well and don’t get us started on the office as well. I mean, do get us started…if you want to come over after working on your house. 😉
I forgot how good your artwork was until you started pulling it out this week and showing to me.
And nice tie-in with Ezekiel. I think here were’s supposed to get less than you are. Must be we’re not in the same path this time…right now a steady freezing rain/sleet. Snow later, I believe. Amongst all the precipitation I think we’re supposed to get probably a foot, but that’s not all snow, I don’t think.
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We are just getting the sleet right now too. Looks like the snow is supposed to start tonight. Already an accident above Mom and Dad’s, but no surprise there.
I keep changing my design so thanks for letting me know it looks okay on mobile. When I first installed it the headlines were ridiculously large.
I thought of the Bible when I heard the name of the storm, but I actually didn’t know that verse was in that book. I had to Google it. Oddly, I just heard a sermon on that a couple of weeks ago, so it was timely.
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I wasn’t on mobile this morning. Screen protector still drying and (mostly) staying off it. On laptop, looked good, though. 🙂 I heard that about the accident, talking to Mom this morning, didn’t get her message from last night since didn’t have phone on (re: screen protector). Sounds like it might have been a tractor trailer. No surprise there, if was. Now off to read aka nap/watch something on streaming most likely. 😉
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Oh my word…that blasted screen protector already 😉 But about the headlines/font, glad it looks okay on mobile too. And yes, I’d imagine a tractor trailer – that’s usually what happens. The locals usually know to take it a little slower. Sometimes anyhow. I’m going to finish the closet and then read some.
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Holy cow those sketches are amazing!!!!! You definitely should be doing more art, if you enjoy it.
House selling sounds like a nightmare. I worry that when the time comes to sell my Mom’s house I won’t be able to deal and I’ll just take the few items I want and abandon the house and everything in it. Or is that against the law? LOL
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Thank you! I just don’t seem to have the patience lately to sit down and actually work on art. I’m always being interrupted by kids or … life..
We actually sort of wish we could just walk away from this house. Haha. But we can’t afford the other house if we don’t sell this one so it’s a catch 22. And I think it might be against the law, but I’m not sure… lol
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Wow, those are amazing sketches! You have a gift! Praying your house sells quick! God bless!
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Thank you, Ryan! I’m hoping it sells fast too but I’m trying to remember it’s all in God’s hands.
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