A Perfect Fall Day

Today was an absolute perfect Fall day here in Northern Nevada. I love this time of year so much that I when it starts coming around my heart almost skips a beat in anticipation.
I am not sure if it is the smell of pumpkin candles, the candy corns that are one of my favorites, or just the amazing colors that the trees turn that takes my breath away. Whatever the reason, every year I think I fall more and more in love with this season.
Today I had the thought that I might miss the falls here as compared to the fall season in Washington. It's so hard not knowing exactly what to expect. I am sure there will be slight differences but I am expecting that it will be just as grand as it is here. One thing I have to give credit to Nevada for, and that I have always loved about Northern NV is that we do get a full dose of every single season. Sometimes they are extreme but for the most part they are the typical seasons protocol. I wonder if that will be the same in Washington? It's not that I want it to be the same in Washington it's just some things kind of anchor you as a person. You get used to things being a certain way.
I have never felt more ready in my life for this big change, but now that it is finally here, I am a bit weepy about it all. Strange, but true.
I feel prepared but at the same time overwhelmed if that is at all possible to feel together.
I asked Moses the other day if he was getting excited about getting up there and his response was perfect; "Yeah, that's one of the emotions that is in there."

Okay so here is the song that comes to mind with this thought process

Lyrics go like this;

Seasons change...
People change...

You guess the rest??

Pictures were taken last fall underneath my tree. I would say that I might miss that tree but where I am going is tree country and I will have 5 acres of them :) to enjoy.

Foreclosures

My neighbors across the street from me left yesterday. With the U haul hitched to the back of their truck they were relocating to Texas where they will be starting over after losing their home of 20 years. I remember when my neighbor came over some months ago and told me with tears in her eyes that they would probably be losing the home. This was due to bad financial decisions that their son who owned many Dominoes franchises had made and it some how involved them. I remember thinking then how sad that not only this son has the guilt of this on his shoulders, but now this couple that should be settling in for retirement has to uproot and relocate. I can't imagine my parents having to do this.
20 years is a really long time. It's longer than I have been married to my husband. It's longer than I have been out of high school. It's longer than any of my children have been alive or even my younger brother for that matter.
They drove away from 20 years of memories and hard work on that house. They were really good gardeners and always kept their yard in perfect condition. They would go out early in the morning and trim the rose bushes that surrounded their front yard. It's going to be sad to see the lawn begin to die and the roses go unkempt.

It put into perspective the loss of our home in comparison to theirs. It makes me grateful for a whole lot of stuff, but one of them being that this was never our forever home. We knew when we bought this house that more than likely it would not be our forever home. Don't get me wrong we had many plans for the place and even accomplished some of those plans but we never thought we would be here forever.
We will leave behind only 4 and half years of memories here in this home which in comparison to 20 seems like nothing. When we leave, it leaves this neighborhood in a sorry, scary position. There are several foreclosures and auctions all over this neighborhood now and it makes me wonder, what in the world is going on?
These homes are being auctioned for pennies on the dollar, and still people aren't even buying them. It is really just so sad. I sure hope that the state of Nevada puts some laws in place so that this kind of thing can never happen again here.

My neighbors had some parting pearls of wisdom before they left though, "It's just four walls and a roof over your head and as long as you have each other you can find that anywhere"
Here's to Doug and Donna, yet another family who is making lemonade with the lemons they have been given!!

Pre Qualifications for My New Friends :)

Here is my thought, are you allowed to have pre-qualifications for new friends? My good friends Marie and Lolita said tonight that we do indeed do this anyway, but my thought was more of like and interview process. Not the civil once over we give people before we decide whether or not they are worth our time.

When I get to Washington can I just ask as I am being introduced to someone; "So tell me do you like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Billy Holiday's music because if you don't we should just end this conversation right now?"
Or can I say, " Oh you don't appreciate the beauty and novelty of old VW bugs, that's too bad!" SLAM DOOR!!
"You have never seen the movie What About Bob? Well, come back and talk to me when you do"


I realize that this is not at all something I would be ballsy enough to actually do and that more than likely my best friend for quite some time will be my GPS- Gloria Paige(Thank you Jeni) still I would like to think I could be this brave or colorful at some point in my life.

I lead a rich fantasy life.

IT hit me today and IT hurt...real bad

It really hit me square in the jaw today what I will be leaving;

*(I say square in the jaw not literally, but figuratively of course because it hurt so bad it made me cry as though I had been hit hard, like square in the jaw hard, not that I have ever been hit like that but you get the idea)

-Family (Not just any kind of family but the kind that you choose as friends)
-Blue Sky Country
- Friends( Not just any kind of friends but the kind you consider to be family)
-Support (Sewn together as tight as a quilt that you can blanket it around yourself whenever life gets too cold)
-Children at Little Lites (That I love and have already become so attached to and don't want to stop being their teacher)
- VW Slo-Going Club
-Knowing a City so well that I don't need a GPS to navigate me(Which I would like to ask all those reading to be thinking of a name for my GPS girl voice, she will I am sure become a beloved new friend... also if I start talking about her too much in future blogs after I have moved please call my mom Ellen with concern :)
- My Children's Friends (all of which I adore and who's sadness makes it so hard to be happy)
- Nevada Day and the Parade that I love oh so much!! (That's right people I will miss this tradition with my Mom and kids)
- Being only 3 classes away from my degree (only to have to start all over again. I am being a bit dramatic with that because I am sure some classes will transfer it's just it never ENDS. Well, here's to me for trying!!)
-The community of people at Hillside, really good... no great people who have been nothing but supportive and generous with me and my family.
-Granite Counter Tops(wondered if Mo could take those also? just kidding!!)
-My Neighbors( I have really great neighbors, even mean old guy next door has been nice lately, prolly cause he's happy he will have a little peace and quiet now)
-My brother coming over to use our garage every so often
-People who come over unannounced(this is truly, truly something I will miss because it means people not only know where you live but that you love them)
-My new found Gym instructor who kicks butt and takes names, Shalisa
-2 bathrooms( at least I got to have this luxury for a little while)
- The group of newly tattooed people who kept my family a float this summer with their purchases of new ink


I walk slowly away from all of this and so much more, knowing that what the future holds is promising, but the past can't be replaced.

Some Places that Victoria Traveled this summer

I have yet to find anything blog worthy these days so I am reduced to posting more summertime pics.

ENJOY!