Listen to Pilot Light

Monday, March 28, 2016

Regrouping

Our plan to sell our house and to see a boat we liked very much down in Panama hit a little snag. That being that we don't seem to be selling the house. We had some people take a very serious look at our ancient adobe and decide it wasn't right for them. They looked long and hard. The house has some sort of magic about it that makes a certain kind of person fall in love with it, and it's rather inexpensive as houses go in this day and age, but it also needs some work.

For years now, we've invested heavily in our art making. It's been our priority since, oh since forever. That means using whatever spare money we could generate on art supplies or trying to sell art. So we haven't done much with the house other that remove a few non load bearing walls to create space for Dagny to work. As a result, there is a fair amount of comestic work that needs doing. This is an obstacle for anyone wanting a house they can move into and just unpack. It's also one reason the house is priced below market.

So, we accept that it isn't pristine, and that frustrates immediate sales. And we have little patience for waiting for that perfect buyer to show up on our doorstep. So what do you do?
In our case, we regroup, rethink. Maybe even take a moment to listen to what the universe is telling us. A wise person doesn't push against the universe. It isn't healthy or fun. If the message is that it isn't the moment to go sailing, well okay. What then?

Well, seeing as plan A failed, we move to plan C (plan B is always "jump over the side" but in New Mexico it's not as functional as it was when we formed it during our boating days.). And what is plan C? We fix up the house. If we had money, that would be simple. But in our case, it means taking the house off the market, get a home equity loan of some sort, use part ot pay off the van and the rest to get the work done.

Then we... well, we aren't sure what happens next. The future is a fuzzy place. Maybe we rent it out and join the carnival... Well, probably not a carnival, but its all part of some circus. Anyway, we do something. Something fun and interesting. Maybe we put it back on the market. Hell, we don't even know how long it will take to do the things we need/want to do.

But that's okay. Not knowing is a good thing. After all, it's all just part of an adventure. Like the rest of life--you have to make it up as you go along.



Thursday, March 3, 2016

Van improvements

In the last post I talked about some improvements Dagny has made in the interior of the van, some functional and some aesthetic. She redid most of the cabinetry and now it looks like this.

To the immediate right is the stove/oven that comes out easily. When we camp for longer periods we have a pop up tent that serves as additional living space and a shelving set that goes together to make a kitchen. Even when it's hot we can cook in the tent and even make homemade dog treats for Carl Roberts (the world's greatest Giant Lap Schnauzer).

The top shelf of the green boxes holds a battery operated LED lantern in place.




Here is a wider view so you can see there is standing space. Further back are the high-tech fridge (just add ice) and a porta potty. On the close end of the bunks, just off camera to the left, is a cool medicine chest that is just inside the sliding door. It holds toothbrushes, first aid stuff, comb and brush, and important dog things. (Goes without saying)

Next week we'll get to see how efficient this all is.