Things Change

Yesterday we got up early, hopped in the car .... well, let's say I wanted to hop but I sort of dragged my tired a** to the car and plopped into the front seat and took a long ride.

We went to the area where we used to live a long time ago, where we used to shop and had fond memories of a nice Bloomingdales and a very nice Saks Fifth Avenue.

Upon arrival, we knew Things Had Changed.

The mall was huge, the shops were strange ( as in unknown to us) and the shops we remembered were not as welcoming, not as interesting and certainly not as appealing.
The merchandise seemed sub-standard .. cheap and certainly nothing original.
The staff was cold, indifferent and thankfully, unhelpful ( I worried one might come over and ask me if I needed help ... they gave me the impression if I didn't like something, I might be ordered to leave )

I did buy some blush and eye shadow from a seemingly normal and charming lady at the Clinique counter and we ran into a lady that we knew from many many years ago who 1- surprised me that she remembered us 2- was warm and friendly 3- kissed us goodby.
That kiss meant a lot ... I told my husband, I am Missing the Kissing.

Upon arrival in Argentina, we were kissed on one or both cheeks by everyone we met.
And you are kissed every single time you meet them again.
On the street, in a shop, wherever , you will get your kisses.
It is charming and warm and too bad they don't do it here.
Too bad they don't do it everywhere .

Shopping in Argentina can be a long process.
You walk in, say hello, perhaps chat about the weather or something, then shop ... taking all the time you wish, no one bothers you.
Try things on, buy them and as you pay and leave, you get your kiss .
Here .... well... everyone stood around, waiting for a customer and no one got kissed. Too bad, it would have added something to the experience, I am sure .

I went to a little shop last week in Great Barrington.
I like this place , funky odd looking clothes .. not your typical Banana Republic or preppy looking things .. and a lot of what look like handmade bags and jewelry.
The name of the store is Karen Allen which meant nothing to me at the time.
I have been in a couple of times and this time was bound and determined to buy something.
And wouldn't you know, everything was too big !
Even the handbags !
But I found a pair of earrings that are beautiful and bought those.
As I was wandering around, chatting to the lady behind the counter another lady came out from the back, smiled at me and went back into the back.
She looked familiar but it meant nothing until we walked out and I looked at the name and my husband said, she was in Raiders of the Lost Ark ... Karen Allen !
So that was fun. And the shop is lovely.

Next weekend we are going to NYC to shop and visit with the boy child and his bride.
There is a baby to shop for.
A baby who will be here in just a couple of months. I have a lot of work to do ..

The Best Laid Plans

For some time now, even when living in Buenos Aires, I  have been browsing   home magazines and home decor magazines and books and daydreaming of a new house. Here or there, the house was what I dreamt of, not so much where it was.
Then as we all know, life has this way of changing things up now and then and we decided to move back to the United States.

Here came my opportunity to find and furnish and live in a house "of my dreams"..
This "dream house" had a few things about it that made it perfect for me ..

Two story, Center Hall Colonial would suit me.
High ceilings, wood floors and lots of large windows overlooking fields, gardens or woods, no neighborhoods please.

A fireplace or two and plenty of rooms for guests, both big and small and tiny.
A kitchen where the family would gather on holidays and on a property where I would not see another house, only gardens and trees.

As we all know, no matter how good your plans are, they don't always work out .

We found a home.
I don't know why we initially liked it.
I don't know why it didn't take me longer to like it.
I am not quite sure why I like it .

It has neighbors !

It has no fireplace, not enough extra bedrooms to suit me, it is a Mid Century Modern and all on one floor .. no Upstairs/Downstairs !

It does have Possibilities.
It has gardens that are more than I had ever hoped for .
It has trees , a small private forest,  one might say.
A single story home might not be a bad idea as the years go by .
It has what one might call Style .. or at least it will when I am through with it !

Just a short walk up a hill on a nice quiet road, there is a farm.
There are Highland cattle and sheep and goats and horses..

We will eventually have a cat and a dog. And we will get to know the neighbors horses. Maybe even the neighbors too .

So when things aren't going your way and you find yourself battling to keep on a path that you have set for yourself .. a list of Things you must have ...
Remember... sometimes what you think you must have is not exactly what you will get or even want .. in the scheme of things .
And that might just be a Wonderful Thing.

House Dreams

Just a note to say hello and that things are going along very well here and we are so very busy with this and that.
At the moment we are enjoying  living in a 200 year old house while we wait for our mid-century house to be closed on and moved into.
I can't wait !
We drive by, wander the gardens, sit in front of the house and discuss what to do with this and that and probably cause worry among any neighbors who see us and wonder , Who Are They ?! What Are They Up To ?? !

My mind overflows with plans for gardening, the grounds are a bit unkept at the moment but also have a fabulous hidden garden feeling .. with as yet uncounted huge trees and flowers everywhere and vines ... Wisteria and who knows what else !
Then I wonder, what if the wisteria starts to pull down trees ? we had that back in the last house we lived in the US .. Coming soon to a blog near you ..Adventures in Gardening ~
I have a huge book that was given to me many years ago .. an Encyclopedia of sorts on flowers and plants ... it is finally going to come in handy !

I daydream about standing at the 3 !! kitchen windows ( a windowed bay at the end of the kitchen where the sink/stove/counter are located ) and watch the birds and creatures out in my private woodland... I can't wait !!

When I am lying in bed at night, trying to get my weary mind to stop spinning around, I think about The House.
I have to know where the furniture is going to go, so I can direct the movers when they finally arrive .. so at night when I am the only one awake ... I see the house in my minds eye and know What will go Where and How it will all look (hopefully).

The house is not as big as some we have been looking at and I wonder will my furniture fit !
What if there is no wall for a certain very long chest from South America ??
What if the bed doesn't fit in the guest room which is small and has a wall of french doors to a glass conservatory sort of room ??

What if ?  I hate "what if's " ... they keep me awake too many nights.

We think we are moving in about 4 weeks.
Until then, I will drive by and gaze at my Home-to-Be.
Admire the flowers that are coming up in my Garden-to-Be.
Puzzle my Neighbors-to-Be.

And buy more Home Magazines ... and study ... and Dream.

And That's All It Took

The days have been sunny and cool and we have enjoyed being out and getting the 23 million little things done that have to be done upon arrival on a new planet, er, I mean country.
Even when it is your own country, your old home.

The banking , the hotels, the temporary rental,new car, new people...all handled brilliantly by my Husband.
The one who still has a Memory.
He also knows exactly what has to be done and when ,where and who has to do it.

I am sure at one time I knew all this too but it seems that my mind/ memory has taken a Leave of Absence.
Lucky me, his mind still works.
I do admit that I remember everything about houses we saw and which ones we loved, hated and especially the one that got away.
And all the decorating ideas!

Now there is just one house to remember, one house to decorate, one house that will soon be all ours.

I loved a house that you could see the living room from the upstairs bedroom, looking down through the ancient floorboards.
It was so charming and had such possibilities ...
 And a millionaire to buy it.

I loved a house until I saw it's location ...across a busy street from a trailer park.

I loved a house that was perfect , we made an offer, they left out that little detail about someone else offering first.
It seemed as if our dreams were really not coming true , at least the way we were dreaming them.

And then our new realtor/ best friend forever took us with her while she looked at a house she was about to list .

It is not the house of my dreams.
It is not even in the woods and there are neighbors.
But it grabbed us.

We went back to see it ...... Twice.
And that's all it took.

We bought it.

Photos will come later.