Well clearly I’ve been neglecting the blog to do that little business of getting the house on the market. I’ve been neglecting other things as well: sleep, balance, friends, munchkins, book club, … right. I prefer to call it “focused energy” but whatever.

So the house. I’m going to leave out all of the gory details, but it felt gory. I had some wonderful family members and friends that helped me do the final push – washing rugs, cleaning bathrooms, finishing the trim in the kitchen, you name it. I am so blessed to be surrounded by such generous people.

Anyway, that last night before listing wasn’t pretty- I was pretty sick and had a ton of stuff to do. That’s enough details, but it was not pretty. And by that I mean, NOT PRETTY. Extreme mortification. As it turns out, I called to push back the first two showings so I could finish up in the garage. The first guy was a jerk and came anyway (I turned him away). The second people didn’t get the rescheduling message. And didn’t confirm their rescheduled appointment, so they managed to come while I was vacuuming mouse crap in the garage. Awesome. On no sleep. And looking like death warmed over (and covered in sawdust from the garage). They were delightful people. Loved everything about the house. Told me repeatedly what a great job I’d done. And the wife loved my flowers. Awww.  Anyway, after the mortification of being around for a house showing, we finally got things packed up and we fled to my parents house- me, the dogs, and a bunch of clean laundry. I was exhausted.

Sunday I got the call that those first people (right, the ones who found me cleaning the garage) put in an offer. Woo hoo! We counter offered Monday, which they accepted, and the inspection was just yesterday. Waiting to hear on the results and the appraisal.

So the dogs and I camped out for the week at my parents. The dead chicken could have been Maggie or could have been whatever animal has been killing my mom’s chickens all winter, but there was a dead chicken and I can’t say Maggie is blameless.

The kitten left no doubt. Sometimes the circle of life if just vicious, especially when you have to see it go down. The little kitties that Owen had stashed in the safe horse trailer found a way out of it, and there I was following Maggie after a brutal day at work… just in time to see her grab a tiny kitten and quickly shake it to death. Tragedy. It took me back to 12 year old Reenie who would always find kittens that had been killed by animals, cars, etc. I’d cry and take their little bodies to my own animal graveyard (a specific spot in the woods I can’t even find anymore). Sad. As the adult Reenie watched her own dog shake this tiny helpless thing, I thought how strange it is to see the same sort of things as I did when I was a kid, and to still be sad, but not heartbroken. The circle of life. It is vicious.

As I buried the dead kitten, the other two kitties climbed my pant leg, falling into the hole I was digging. I dearly hoped this wasn’t a prophetic move. I locked the dogs inside, snuggled these little bits of fur and sweetness, and buried the one that didn’t make it. And life goes on.

Maggie is a complete pain in the butt sometimes but she is also a reflection of me. At my parents house, she runs around like mad, chasing everything that moves, tearing up hills and through the woods, and loving life. She runs up grinning and panting. And then she whines. She wants to go home! Every time she sees my car she tries to leap in and asks to go home. This is fun Reenie, but take me hoooommmmeeeeeee! I feel the same way.

I am SO grateful at my parent’s generosity. That they take in me and a couple killer dogs in our moment of need. And yet, everything felt off. Staying there isn’t home. It isn’t my chaos, it’s someone else’s chaos. Everything about our daily routines with the dogs was off, different. Suzie was fabulous- because basically I am the center of her universe and as long as I’m around, she’s happy. Add to that her exhaustion from all the running around all day, she’s basically the best dog ALIVE. Maggie, not so much. Whiney. Anxious. Happy one second and freaking out the next. Panting. Begging to go home.

So Saturday marked a week at my parents and the inspection was done late afternon and we were ready to go home. I now have the same unfolded laundry at home with me. And two tired and very content dogs, and one tired and content Reenie, who is trying to not freak out about the impending homelessness. (We’ll save that for another post, shall we?)

And hey, the house is (mostly) sold! God is so good!! and the months of intense preparation paid off –it looks fabulous and went quickly. I feel so incredible relieved and blessed.