I've been wanting to write for awhile but things have been so crazy- even now I don't know where to begin and I'm sure I'll just cover little bits of things.
Anyhow- we have been in our home for almost two weeks now- it seems like it can't possibly be that long- it seems so much more still needs to be done. We've been busy- last week I took kids to 3 doctors appts.- and the doctor is now about 35-40 minutes away, and no none of the apts. were on the same day. It's been an adjsutment getting use to our new area- not all bad or good- but definitely things to adjust to such as:
1. Everyone knowing where we live- " Yes we do live in the parsongae" Our house was completed in 1901 and had been the Presbyterian Parsonage until now. It is a very well known home in the area and it's weird for people to talk about your home and how it was taken care of and... I almost feel guilty- like we stole the Parsonage! I'm curious to know why they sold it now- I'll have to find out!
2. Lightening bugs and toads! This is a YaY thing for me!! It has been since I lived at my parents that I could go outside and see toads and lightening bugs- but I can here so that's kind of cool.
3. The traffic on Main Street- we live in such a tiny area, the traffic that goes by is much louder and disturbing than I had imagined. It appears that mufflers are optional here- or that people do something to purposely make their cars loud. Farm equipment goes by, and there is also a Mead factory that creates traffic. Oh- and if your neighbor recommends you don't park on the street- I recommend you listen to them- which I did not completely do. I was having appliances delivered so I parked on the street. Next day I heard a crash and saw someone drive away as a piece of my mirror flew onto the sidewalk. Evidently it's normal- my neighbor had 2 mirrors swiped and one of those also hit the fender- and no stopping. If you are in the area you will notice that some people fold their mirrors in- if you are considering parking on the street- you better.
4. Living in the country is an adjustment for my kids. It is hard not having stores and such that they can ride their bikes too. And Whitney was taken back when someone recommended basketball practice be adjusted based on their milking schedule. It's an adjustment for me as well- but I grew up in similar area, so not quite so much for me as it is for them.
5. Hunting is HUGE here. The school is closed the first 2 days of deer season.
So it's been interesting and has had it's share of ups and downs- I'm wondering how we will all feel about things a month from now. There is a great lake about 20-25 min. away, the library is next door ( the books are somewhat limited since it is not affiliated with any govt., but is self funded) but there's some good stuff and helpful library ladies. Our neighbor to the right reminds me of my brother- a bit redneck perhaps but with a good heart. He has given us all kinds of info., and set us up with some firewood for our firepit.
And so it goes...
Reading now : "A Tale Dark and Grimm"- although it's a kids book I can't read it when Richard is away and I have to sleep in my new house alone ( sometimes it feels a bit creepy still)
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
And so it goes...
It gets a little draining after awhile- you know the part when the other half of you is gone and is just coming home for the weekends. There are lots of things that are just hard to do over the phone- and we're both swamped with responsibilities on both ends. And you know when you talk on the phone and are getting bugged because the one your talking to seems a bit "off" and you think your not connecting well, but really the other person is just sick- physically, but also drained from being apart and the issues he has to deal with also?
So I have had 3 lovely kids to deal with and the parenting issues that come up there. As well as the craziness of having our house show ready and getting the kids and the dog out as needed. ( and for those who know me well know I'm really not an animal person.)And he is subletting a room in an apt. and has a roommate. Poor Richard is sleeping on an air mattress that he has to blow up about every 3rd day. He took a camp chair to sit on. He calls his room his jail cell. He's not eating well- just doesn't feel like putting effort into it. He is a sample of his daily meals- pop tarts for breakfast, for lunch hot dogs from the gas station ( because really, I guess who can pass up 2 hot dogs for a buck!) and dinner is 1 1/2 peanut butter sandwiches ( no jelly, just pb) and some microwaveable single serving of mac and cheese ( or something like that)
Needless to say we are both waiting for when we will all be together as a family- and that is just a few weeks away. If all goes as planned we will be leaving the Buff early August. I'm still not sure how to say good bye???
And so it goes...
Reading Now: Son of Hamas- an interesting read
So I have had 3 lovely kids to deal with and the parenting issues that come up there. As well as the craziness of having our house show ready and getting the kids and the dog out as needed. ( and for those who know me well know I'm really not an animal person.)And he is subletting a room in an apt. and has a roommate. Poor Richard is sleeping on an air mattress that he has to blow up about every 3rd day. He took a camp chair to sit on. He calls his room his jail cell. He's not eating well- just doesn't feel like putting effort into it. He is a sample of his daily meals- pop tarts for breakfast, for lunch hot dogs from the gas station ( because really, I guess who can pass up 2 hot dogs for a buck!) and dinner is 1 1/2 peanut butter sandwiches ( no jelly, just pb) and some microwaveable single serving of mac and cheese ( or something like that)
Needless to say we are both waiting for when we will all be together as a family- and that is just a few weeks away. If all goes as planned we will be leaving the Buff early August. I'm still not sure how to say good bye???
And so it goes...
Reading Now: Son of Hamas- an interesting read
Monday, July 4, 2011
Pictures
Our family is really lousy at taking pictures, and once we do have a few- I'm technologically challenged and need Richard's help to put them on the computer for me. You will also note that we are not "posers". Anyhow TA DA- Pictures!!!
Whitney before her 8th grade farewell dance
Whitney before 8th grade graduation. I have some pictures of her with friends that are nice, but was uncomfortable posting other peoples children on my blog without permission.
Jayna at the bike rodeo held at her elementary school.
Jayna on the horse at Viddlers. We just recently made our first trip to Viddlers- an old fashioned 5 and 10 store. You can ride this horse for 10 cents. It was not the standard slow motion ride, but more like a bucking bronco!
Whitney before her 8th grade farewell dance
Whitney before 8th grade graduation. I have some pictures of her with friends that are nice, but was uncomfortable posting other peoples children on my blog without permission.
Jayna at the bike rodeo held at her elementary school.
Jayna on the horse at Viddlers. We just recently made our first trip to Viddlers- an old fashioned 5 and 10 store. You can ride this horse for 10 cents. It was not the standard slow motion ride, but more like a bucking bronco!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Gratitude
It's been a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week" Well, not exactly or completely and that's the point of this post. Because truthfully- there have been some terrible, horrible no good, parts to this week- and it's been draining and frustrating. But I'm trying to look for the good in it all and not get too discouraged. So here are some of the good things of the week:
1. Family fun- an afternoon spent bowling with Richard and the kids. Jayna even did one game without bumpers and did quite well.
2. Church friends to chat with for a bit today. I was only there for the first hour, but it was long enough to be with some very sweet people.
3. After being away since Sunday, Richard returned Friday night.
4. Richard was home to make a certain house repair ( part of the terrible, horrible)
5. I finished up what I needed to for one of my jobs- although I felt kind of melancholy about it I'm glad it's done and I can focus on other things that need my attention.
6. Since Richard was home I got some better sleep.
7. Richard seems to be really enjoying his new job.
8. The dog came right back after she escaped out the front door, while I was trying to carry her dog bed out to the car for a showing.
9. Dinner with my kids at Tullys.
So there- some good things of my week- and we'll leave it at that.
And so it goes....
Sue
1. Family fun- an afternoon spent bowling with Richard and the kids. Jayna even did one game without bumpers and did quite well.
2. Church friends to chat with for a bit today. I was only there for the first hour, but it was long enough to be with some very sweet people.
3. After being away since Sunday, Richard returned Friday night.
4. Richard was home to make a certain house repair ( part of the terrible, horrible)
5. I finished up what I needed to for one of my jobs- although I felt kind of melancholy about it I'm glad it's done and I can focus on other things that need my attention.
6. Since Richard was home I got some better sleep.
7. Richard seems to be really enjoying his new job.
8. The dog came right back after she escaped out the front door, while I was trying to carry her dog bed out to the car for a showing.
9. Dinner with my kids at Tullys.
So there- some good things of my week- and we'll leave it at that.
And so it goes....
Sue
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Adventure?
So we are in the midst of plans to move and I really want it to feel like an ADVENTURE! But sadly I must say that more than anything (especially tonight) it is feeling more like STRESS.
Selling our house- We've had several people come and look, and people that we were told that were interested in it- yet we wait for an offer. It's draining- we have tried to do all that we can do- put in new carpet, got a storage unit for clutter, keeping it clean and ready to show, and more. It gets discouraging to have showings then wait to here something back. We've dropped the price once, hoping that it would encourage some of those that had "shown interest" to make a commitment. Nothing yet. I'm trying to believe that if I've done all I can, God will magnify our effort. And I know we are not in an unusual position- our house has been on the market for just about a month, which is normal. It's just being on a timeline has me stressed out.
Richard leaves on Sunday to start his job. He is subletting a room for awhile. It sounds pretty dumpy, but we needed something pretty fast, and this is rather inexpensive. He'll be sharing a place with a college student. I'm not looking forward to him being gone. There are days I feel my share of "Girl Power", but I'm just not feeling it this time around.
The move- a lot depends on selling our house here. We have considered buying a home as we wait to sell this one- but I'm nervous about multiple payments if this one doesn't sell soon. We have looked for places to rent but haven't had much luck finding a 4 bedroom that will also allow a dog. There is one possibility, but it would be much more expensive than paying a house payment. If we don't find a home soon though- we won't be able to get the kids started at school for the beginning of the year- and as I hard as it is to move them - I think that would make it so much worse.
Like I said - stress, plus Richard and I are busy trying to finish up the end of our jobs here. Sorry this all sounds so down- blech- not what I like, but I was hoping this would be a good way to vent or share or something. Things will all be okay- I just don't know how or when. On another note- more negative things have come up with the company Richard has been working for- just more confirmation that it was good for him to get out when he did.
Just read: "How to Break a Terrorist"- yep you should read it. It opens your mind and gives background on Iraq war, and talks about using "brains" not force to interrogate. It's really good
Reading now: "have a little faith" by Mitch Albom
Ok- and so it goes... ( I know this is all just life and we have to have these times- so here's to ADVENTURING on)
Selling our house- We've had several people come and look, and people that we were told that were interested in it- yet we wait for an offer. It's draining- we have tried to do all that we can do- put in new carpet, got a storage unit for clutter, keeping it clean and ready to show, and more. It gets discouraging to have showings then wait to here something back. We've dropped the price once, hoping that it would encourage some of those that had "shown interest" to make a commitment. Nothing yet. I'm trying to believe that if I've done all I can, God will magnify our effort. And I know we are not in an unusual position- our house has been on the market for just about a month, which is normal. It's just being on a timeline has me stressed out.
Richard leaves on Sunday to start his job. He is subletting a room for awhile. It sounds pretty dumpy, but we needed something pretty fast, and this is rather inexpensive. He'll be sharing a place with a college student. I'm not looking forward to him being gone. There are days I feel my share of "Girl Power", but I'm just not feeling it this time around.
The move- a lot depends on selling our house here. We have considered buying a home as we wait to sell this one- but I'm nervous about multiple payments if this one doesn't sell soon. We have looked for places to rent but haven't had much luck finding a 4 bedroom that will also allow a dog. There is one possibility, but it would be much more expensive than paying a house payment. If we don't find a home soon though- we won't be able to get the kids started at school for the beginning of the year- and as I hard as it is to move them - I think that would make it so much worse.
Like I said - stress, plus Richard and I are busy trying to finish up the end of our jobs here. Sorry this all sounds so down- blech- not what I like, but I was hoping this would be a good way to vent or share or something. Things will all be okay- I just don't know how or when. On another note- more negative things have come up with the company Richard has been working for- just more confirmation that it was good for him to get out when he did.
Just read: "How to Break a Terrorist"- yep you should read it. It opens your mind and gives background on Iraq war, and talks about using "brains" not force to interrogate. It's really good
Reading now: "have a little faith" by Mitch Albom
Ok- and so it goes... ( I know this is all just life and we have to have these times- so here's to ADVENTURING on)
Sunday, June 5, 2011
How do you choose a neighborhood?
Well, among all the crazy and busy things that have been going on, the thing that is on my mind is how hard it is to chose a neighborhood without being familiar with the area. We have tried to rank things like: schools, cost, neighborhood characteristics,and distance from Richard's job. It is so hard to rank and then find a neighborhood that matches what we hope for.
Schools- we use the "great schools" website as a starting point which ranks how well schools perform on standardized tests. The ratings go up to 10. However, I know that thats not the only important thing. I want to at least have a 5 or above, and Whitney would really like to have a school that has field hockey- which there aren't that many in the area.
Cost- after moving to where we are now we have thought that we would have done better to choose a less highly rated school and live in a cheaper area so we didn't always feel like we had to penny pinch. Once again the areas with the best rated schools are more expensive to live in ( but also much closer to Richad's job)
Neighborhood Characteristics- This can be tricky- after living in suburbia for years- Richard and I would just like a little more space and privacy- plus many of the areas with more space, are actually less expensive to live in- But we also have 3 kids and the catch is that they would like things close around. Whitney is use to riding her bike all around.
Distance- We are looking at areas very close to Richard's work- but then areas 40 minutes away. We are already preparing for the change of Richard having to work a regular 9-5 job. Right now he often works from home and has a lot of flexibility in scheduling- so he is often home when the kids get home from school or what not. That's going to be a change- and do we want to add another 40 minutes to the day he's gone ( or 80 )- or do we pay more and live in suburbia, with the best schools??
It seems like if we focus on one of the above four topics, the others lose out and I'm having a hard time figuring out what is best. For our whole family. So, how do you choose a neighborhood? ( Much harder with 3 kids!)
And so it goes...
Schools- we use the "great schools" website as a starting point which ranks how well schools perform on standardized tests. The ratings go up to 10. However, I know that thats not the only important thing. I want to at least have a 5 or above, and Whitney would really like to have a school that has field hockey- which there aren't that many in the area.
Cost- after moving to where we are now we have thought that we would have done better to choose a less highly rated school and live in a cheaper area so we didn't always feel like we had to penny pinch. Once again the areas with the best rated schools are more expensive to live in ( but also much closer to Richad's job)
Neighborhood Characteristics- This can be tricky- after living in suburbia for years- Richard and I would just like a little more space and privacy- plus many of the areas with more space, are actually less expensive to live in- But we also have 3 kids and the catch is that they would like things close around. Whitney is use to riding her bike all around.
Distance- We are looking at areas very close to Richard's work- but then areas 40 minutes away. We are already preparing for the change of Richard having to work a regular 9-5 job. Right now he often works from home and has a lot of flexibility in scheduling- so he is often home when the kids get home from school or what not. That's going to be a change- and do we want to add another 40 minutes to the day he's gone ( or 80 )- or do we pay more and live in suburbia, with the best schools??
It seems like if we focus on one of the above four topics, the others lose out and I'm having a hard time figuring out what is best. For our whole family. So, how do you choose a neighborhood? ( Much harder with 3 kids!)
And so it goes...
Sunday, May 22, 2011
5/22/11
State College- Here we come! After living in Buffalo NY for the past 10 years, it is time for the Ashead's to move on. Richard has been offered a great opportunity working for Penn State Hershey Medical Center. Don't let the word Hershey confuse you, although the main medical center is in Hershey, Richard will be working for the medical centers in State College. His official title is "Lead Support Specialist" I was so excited for him to have this opportunity. He hasn't been happy in his job for awhile here, and has looked elsewhere for a while, but nothing ever came together. This job however seemed to be looking for just what Richard had to offer- and what he would like! Throughout the waiting process- I believe I had my own personal confirmations that this was the right situation for us. (which keeps me sane when I worry about how everything is going to fall into place)
The first day or two I tried to encourage my husband and myself to just be excited and happy and thankful for this opportunity! It is so easy to rush onto all the things we have to worry about and figure out. Anyhow, in the past week or two we have been able to accomplish a lot. Our house is listed to sell and has had a couple of showings; we rented a storage unit to put some of excess stuff in; we did painting and lots and lots of cleaning! Soon we will be going to look at houses in the State College area. Richard is suppose to start work there June 21-I would like the rest of us to be able to join him by mid July or early August.
Lots more to say, but I'm leaving it at this for now.
And so it goes...
Sue
The first day or two I tried to encourage my husband and myself to just be excited and happy and thankful for this opportunity! It is so easy to rush onto all the things we have to worry about and figure out. Anyhow, in the past week or two we have been able to accomplish a lot. Our house is listed to sell and has had a couple of showings; we rented a storage unit to put some of excess stuff in; we did painting and lots and lots of cleaning! Soon we will be going to look at houses in the State College area. Richard is suppose to start work there June 21-I would like the rest of us to be able to join him by mid July or early August.
Lots more to say, but I'm leaving it at this for now.
And so it goes...
Sue
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