Contingencies, contingencies

Yeah! We have a contract on our house. It's contingent upon the buyers' sale of their home. They do have a contract in place, and it's going through the process. If all goes well, we will close on our home on April 22nd. There are a lot of hoops through which to jump between now and then. Radon tests, septic inspections, and house inspections to name a few. There's even a Covid-19 clause in real estate contracts now. It essentially says that both parties understand that delays may happen because of closures, travel restrictions, etc.

So, say everything goes as planned and we settle on the 22nd, then what? We're hoping that we'll be able to travel as scheduled to our new home state of South Dakota. Right now, a lot of state and national government owned campgrounds are closed. Some private campgrounds are closed because the local government has shut travel down for visitors. Some have announced shut downs through the end of April. It's a bit unnerving to think that we will be in our coach and not have a place to park it.

I keep reminding myself that we're three weeks away. Hopefully, the social distancing and the travel restrictions will have eased by then. If not, well, I guess we'll just deal with it then. We can't change the situation. I will just keep reminding myself to trust in the God who loves us.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.   Philippians 4:6-7

It's for Sale

The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. We've been busy cleaning rooms, making Goodwill and dump runs, prepping the house to be put on the market.

Our house was listed this past Sunday around lunch time and the first showing was about 5 - 6 hours later. Wow, were we encouraged. We had another showing the next night. Then, nothing for a couple of days. We had a third showing earlier tonight.

We keep hearing that our house should sell quick. Then, we hear that the house up the street had numerous offers the first day. So, we wonder.

Then, there's this thing called Coronavirus. Could we possibly time things any worse than to put our house on the market during a pandemic? So, we'll see what happens. We won't be having an open house anytime soon. We'll just pray that one of these private showings will work out.

I keep reminding myself how blessed we are. Whether they're trying to juggle kids, working from home, health concerns, job security, and getting toilet paper, they're facing a lot more challenges than we are right now.

https://www.homesnap.com/VA/King-George/9563-Mohawk-Drive

The Generosity of Friends

Last weekend, Laurie, my Bunco group organizer, hosted a farewell dinner party for us. We were completely blown away by her family's generosity and the generosity of the group's members, old and new.

It's no secret that Laurie doesn't cook. In fact, that was one of the first things she said that night. "You didn't really think I was going to cook, did you?" Well no, but I certainly didn't expect a catered meal either. I guess I hadn't really thought about it, but just kind of assumed that she'd pick something up at Costco or that some of the other members were contributing to the meal portion. Anyway, looking at the silver buffet trays, tablecloths, etc. I suddenly felt very humbled, not to mention underdressed.

We had a great evening of visiting with friends, old and new, talking RVs, hearing stories of kids now grown and new grandchildren. It was nice not to have to worry about clean up too.

Then, earlier today, when I got a haircut, I asked Michelle to tell me how to talk to a stylist about cutting my hair. Chances are good that I will be getting my hair cut at at different place each time for the foreseeable future. She sent me a note so that I'll be able to explain in stylist lingo what I want done.

Given the craziness of this week with Coronavirus, the stock market volatility, and prepping our house for sale, it's good to have friends.

The Oyster Roast

We've been going to the White Oak Equipment/Fairview Baptist Church Benefit Oyster Roast for years. It's a beloved community event attracting thousands of people. I worked at White Oak for a short period of time and have remained in touch with Janice, the controller. So the event places a special tug on me. 

I can tell you that it was something else seeing White Oak's transformation the week of the annual event. Work bays were emptied of equipment and cleaned. The lot full of forklifts, backhoes, loaders, and trailers for sale were emptied in preparation for event parking. Health inspections were conducted and retail shop areas roped off. It truly did take about a week of effort leading up to the event. That's a lot of downtime for a business to absorb. It made an impression on me as to the importance of the event. One year the parking lot was extremely muddy. The event  moved to the Fredericksburg Agricultural Fairgrounds and has been held there since.

A committee headed by White Oak founder, Frank McCarty, selects a single beneficiary to whom all the proceeds are awarded that year. Most recipients are facing long-term and potentially fatal diseases or major disabilities, like paralysis, due to an accident. The current year recipient has faced amputations due to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. All of the recipients face daunting medical bills.

The hundreds of church volunteers serve steamed oysters, fried oysters, hot dogs, coleslaw, chips, desserts, and the usual assortment of sodas, coffee, and water. Harold loves the event and spends most of his time at the steamed oyster table. I, on the other hand, joke about my $20 hotdog. Just smelling the steamed oysters is enough to make me shudder.

What started as a one-time event to raise money for an employee with cancer has turned into an annual community event that has raised over one million dollars over the years. McCarty would be the first to give credit to the Lord. Thirty-six years and still going strong. We will miss this.

White Oak Equipment, now a division of McClung-Logan, brings some of their toys to the fairgrounds.

Janice & I enjoy catching up.

Carol, a long-time friend, makes the annual trek to the oyster roast. 

Steaming hot oysters