Letting it all sink in

I went out to the new place again yesterday.

I had Wednesday and Thursday off, but some recent car problems meant staying here Wednesday so I could get it looked at. It turned out to be the air intake assembly and I was glad to get it fixed. I also had them change the air filter and the spark plugs which were long overdue. $317 but I am grateful it wasn't more. It's still a good car and I am thankful for it.

I wore old clothes and bought paint and supplies on the way (I'll be reimbursed for that), but as it turned out, I didn't even get any prep work done. I spent the day doing laundry (the washer and dryer work great!) and taking measurements so I could draw up a room layout. Tonight I am drawing it to scale so I can play with little furniture cutouts.

The owner, Rick, stopped by, and I was delighted to learn that he plans to replace the toilet and the kitchen sink, put in carpeting instead of linoleum in the bedroom, and put in a cement walk in the front with a little "patio" by the door. It just keeps getting better and better! He also mentioned that his wife, Laurie, might like to have me give piano lessons to her 7-year-old son, Dylan. He has a couple of "handy" uncles who will be helping with all of this. One of them does a lot of carpentry. So anything I want them to do, I just have to ask. Rick says "We want you to stay forever, so we'll do our best to keep you happy."

Everything is turning out so well! I'm glad I discovered the mold. I'm glad I held off at the last minute on the apartment in Young America. I'm glad I took a chance on a miniscule ad that didn't provide any information. I'm glad I didn't settle prematurely along the way just to have it over and done with. I'm glad the cost turned out to be virtually the same as the apartment in Waconia. There certainly were none cheaper. And I'm glad that I will have so much more space than I do now. And a garden!!!! In my wildest dreams I didn't think I would be able to meet all these desires. Sure I would like to have more windows, and not be in a basement, but I do have one great big window, plus the porch, plus the future patio and garden. I'd say that is more than adequate compensation!

How did I manage to manifest this? To what do I owe my good fortune? I tried to listen to my heart at each step, I allowed space for "more" to show up by being willing to be more open financially, and I followed my best instincts. Yes, I got overwhelmed emotionally a few times, but I never shut down. I never let fear or anxiety dictate my choices. And I'm darn proud of myself.