Health Care Reform: House Keeping

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Health Care Reform Passes House

I am psyched to learn, this morning, the health care reform bill passed the House of Representatives last night and a lone Republican voted for it.

David Brooks on Meet the Press just reminded the panel he's on,  "Once this becomes law it will become sacred" with the voters.   At this very moment, Bob Schieffer, on Face the Nation, is interviewing Sen. Lindsey Graham who advises him that, among others, Sen. Joe Lieberman will filibuster the bill in the Senate.
We still have a long way to go before this is made law but my belief is it will continue to morph.  The NY Times has a comprehensive first take on the voting results.



I hope everyone remembers Joe Lieberman is a senator from the state with the greatest concentration of insurance companies, Connecticut.

No conflict of interest there.

The Big News

Home Sweet Home

Well blogging friends, our lives are changing, again! 

We sold our home of the past eleven years in one day.  It hit the MLS Sat 10/24.  Sun 10/25 was the first showing and the couple made an offer that night.  They offered $25k below asking and we simply said "No".  They came back with a full price, all cash, no contingencies offer.  I cried like a baby.  We signed the papers Mon 10/26.  Home inspection, the next hurdle, was Fri 10/30.

Kitchen

Home inspection went swimmingly...clean as a whistle!   How many people inhabit a 25 yr old home which they maintain but still hasn't any problems?  We must be living right!

Next hurdle, and this is the biggie...we have to be out by Dec 3rd.  No last Thanksgiving or Christmas in our beloved home.  Our older son won't stay here again as he doesn't come home for the holidays til Dec 15th. Son # 2, newly returned from Europe made it back just in time to help to his father.  They are gonna have to haul ass as well as furniture!

Living Room

It's been a work in progress since we bought it and we've loved every second in this beautiful place.    We did a major structural renovation when we first took possession.  My husband has since done the majority of painting, repairing, building, tiling, wood paneling, wainscoting, etc.  The kitchen was my contribution.  I started renovations on 9-11.  All the guys who worked on it were there when the towers were hit, a terrible day indeed.  None of those guys has forgotten my kitchen!  I'll sure miss it.

Most of all I'll miss my home and the memories of my children growing up there.  When they were young, they felt isolated because it sits atop a small mountain.  Now, as young men, they appreciate the location and the lovely views.  They too are sad but their lives will go on, taking them away from this house.

Dining Room

The next five weeks will be hectic and stressful but we'll get through.  We are moving into my mother in law's large two story farm house.  It's about 20 min away.  We'll live upstairs and she'll live downstairs.  She's 83 now and, since my FIL died in July, quite lonely.  No idea how this will go but we're giving it a shot.  It could be best for all concerned. She's protected, her home will be maintained, we'll lower our overhead and make plans for a new phase in our lives.

Den

Just thought I'd share a few of the wonderful photos my husband took for the realtor web site.  He's captured the essence of our house.

As he puts it, "There's not a room, or even a corner, I haven't touched." 

There isn't a room or a corner that hasn't touched us as well.

Birthday

Today is my birthday.  I'm being taken to lunch.  I'm being taken to dinner.  Both very nice restaurants; gifts from friends and my husband.

I gifted myself yesterday with a manicure, pedicure and hot stone massage.  It was heaven and took the considerable edge off having yet another birthday.

 Gina's Nasturtiums by Carson Pritchard

The massage was the best part.  It left me feeling healed, inside and out.  My arthritis, achey muscles and fatigue were gone.  I felt the toxins leave my body.  The lemon, lavendar and tangerine oils revitalized me and the hot stones on the obvious knots eased my soreness.

I need to do this more often; baby myself, treat my body better.  Relieve my tension and my mind.  The last time I made a ritual of self healing was through polarity therapy which I loved.  But perhaps right now massage is the way to go.  Winter is coming;  the snow, ice and wind  bends me, dries my skin and brutalizes my joints. Perhaps I can stave off those elemental reactions.

I would tell you I feel reflective but my husband and I have huge changes upcoming and I'm saving reflections for them. I will need another massage once we've made it through the next five weeks. I'm superstitious or I'd tell you now.

It's all good.

Happy Halloween!

And now a word from my favorite witch of all time...

 

Last Leaves of Fall

 "Autumn Birches" by Cole Scott Photography

Doesn't get much prettier than this.  Fall is winding down.  It's truly my favorite season in New England. 
I will miss it but there's always next year.

Autumn Afternoon by Laura Trevey

Laura's work is light, bright and full of color. It lifts my spirits.

For more of her watercolors, go here.

Sarah Palin Is Coming to a Book Store Near You

If Sarah Palin doesn't have the decency to go away, we might as well make fun of her ongoing shameless self-promotion.  The Nation is doing just that with "Going Rouge: An American Nightmare" a parody of Ms. Palin's autobiography "Going Rogue: An American Life".

Both books hit bookstores November 17th.  Ya gotta love it.

Image from article on Huffington Post.