Everybody's moving!

Just as we finished our last camping escapade (photo above taken by Taylor) in Morro Bay, it was time to get serious about finding more spacious living accommodations. Since Maeg and Krus, and eventually baby, will be coming to the U.S., I have been informed by Maeg that they are planning to stay a month or more with me, while grounding themselves and preparing for jobs, homes, baby, etc., probably back in Seattle, which is where Maeg has lived for the past 4 years while attending college.

So, the hunt for the perfect house begins. I've found two homes that are within my budget, and are beautiful, roomy, have character, and seem ideal, for very different reasons (sadly, though, neither are anywhere close to the beach, which would mean a horrific commute every day, which I am not interested in, and it isn't a practical solution for adult children soon arriving, that rely on public transportation and bicycles to get around and need to be close to a fairly big city...oh, well, I can't have it all...at least not yet). Both are older, (c. 1930's) with french doors, hardwood floors, fireplaces, front and back yards, and reportedly, have great neighbors.

The first home, which I will refer to as Harding Manor, is located in the Rose Garden area of San Jose and sits on a lovely, tree-lined street. It has been gutted (apparently the previous owners, disgruntled over losing the house in a foreclosure, really trashed the place and even took the air conditioning unit located outside!), so even though the structure is old, everything new has been finished in the craftsman style. It's lovely, with great attention to detail, and the only hitch is that the cottage behind it is also for rent, and the owner won't rent the front house without renting the cottage in back to the same "family", or at least related in some way. Fortunately, since Flannery and Ryan are also looking for a smallish place to rent in San Jose, they may decide to rent the cottage. We are off to see it together later today.

The second option at the moment is what I call the Sunnyvale Hacienda. It sits on a rather busy street in Sunnyvale. It also has hardwood floors, french doors, and the type of amenities that one only finds in a much older home, like an ironing board that flips down from the wall in the kitchen, but when not in use, hides itself behind a door that looks like a cupboard. It has a large dining room and also a large eating area off the kitchen. Unfortunately, it also has a funky bathroom (all pink...toilet, sink, bath, and not a pretty pale pink, but a "dusty rose" pink) with amazingly disgusting flowered wallpaper; even more disgusting, there's yellow formica in the kitchen, as well as a "Harvest Gold" stove, but it also has a zillion cupboards with original doors and hardware, and original windows that are just so great! To its credit, this house has a bigger everything, and even has an empty lot next door that I probably could talk the owner into letting me use for a vegetable garden. So, it needs some tender loving care, and since little Johnny Handyman loves a challenge, it could be fun.

Either way, it looks like apartment life will soon be in my past. I love my apartment and all the trees (I am surrounded by trees, and since I am on the third floor, about all I see when I look out is green from the California Sycamores and the Redwoods; really, really lovely). But, I am tired of not having a yard, not gardening, and puttering around in my own home. It's been three long years since I've lived in a house and I am definitely looking forward to that. Now, if I could just wave my magic wand and have the moving part already done!

On to craigslist to see if anything new has popped up. The hunt continues.