Last Saturday of March 2019

Day 157, "Every picture has a story"

These are the two houses I have owned.  In a conversation recently a friend counted 9 houses he had owned in 54 years of marriage so I guess I am a bit abnormal.  I may add that there are probably many people out there that would agree!!!  

Some interesting things to remember:

• 710 was purchased in 1970 and 2094 was purchased in 1977
• 710 cost $15,000 and was sold for $32,000 8 years later
• 2094 was purchased in 1977 for $47,500.  If Zillow knows anything, which I am not sure of, it could sell today for $400,000.  
• We moved from 710 which was in DEVILS LAKE to 2094 which was in ST. PAUL.  I think that was a good move.  The logo of the high school in Devils Lake was a devil!
• We almost were not able to purchase 710 in 1970 because we had established NO credit.  We had borrowed NO money and had NO credit card.  Ron, at Gate City Savings & Loan, saved the day as our loan came through.
• When we moved to St. Paul we had to park our moving truck in the back yard of a friend as our house had not closed.  On closing day we were still $5,000 short so the papers had to be signed a day later.
• Before we sold 710 I had to cut a hole in one of the upstairs bedroom floor and then jack up the floor a bit as it was sunken in the middle of the room!
• At 2094 the picket fence came down after a couple of years as the boys kept breaking pickets with their soccer ball kicks!
• Tom and Thelma Ruth, who owned 2094, really gave us a good deal on the house.  They had raised 3 boys in the house and were so excited to see we had 3 boys.  They always had a dog and we had a dog.  When our realtor called Tom's number to ask about the house Tom said he would not talk to any realtor and he hung up which meant I had to walk down the street from where were were staying and introduce myself to Tom and Thelma.  Two hours later we agreed, in principle, to purchase the house.  Buying a house today would take a little different twist "for sure".
• Before we moved from 710 I landscaped the front yard by getting rid of the cement wall.  I also put in a new sidewalk going up to the house and a cement driveway to the garage in the back.
• I will end by saying 2094 has been a really gift in many ways BUT, to this day, it is a BLACK hole for money and time.  It was built in 1906 and at the time was in the middle of a corn field. Tom, who owned the house, kept it up BUT did NOT put any money into it.  He put sweat into which in the long run comes back to bite you, or me I should say.

Another perfect weather day in Naples.  Sunny, a slight breeze and a high temp of 80.  No tennis today and maybe not tomorrow either.  When I got out of bed this morning my body said, "Good decision to not play today!"

Some things need to be done today as Terry and I will host our end of the year tennis party at our place tomorrow.  A bit different this year as it will be players only, not wives.  That means the number will be maybe 10, down from about 20 last year.  A good decision, "for sure".

I am guessing that IF anybody reads this blog they may wonder WHY I use "for sure" sometimes and put it in quotes.  Well that is a saying from Elspeth when she saw that sister Audrey got a watch for her birthday.  She said, I want a watch for my birthday, "for sure"!  So she is the "for sure" girl.

My FP is finished and so I am on to some projects for the day.