How can you live normally
when selling your home?

How do you live a normal life when you’re selling your house?

Paul and I got the opportunity to attempt this when we flew out to Oregon to help our daughter, Wendy, and her three children while her husband was checking out his new job in Ohio.

She was also teaching two college courses so we would fill in to take the kids to their various activities.

Their schedule was daunting. Besides delivering them to their schools and picking them up there was baseball, basketball, track and soccer games, (swimming competitions were on hold), music, taking care of the dog, etc. Of course we wanted to watch everything they took part in too. Then grocery shopping and other errands.

Because their house had just gone on the market for sale, we found that keeping the house clean and neat was another trick.
All personal pictures and mementoes had been removed as advised by the realtor. So it had the feel of nice motel rooms.

Clutter had to go or be hidden. “Clutter” is also another word for “necessities” to me but every time I used something it had to be put away.

Some of the furniture could be given away but they kept the couch for me to sleep on. In the morning I folded the blankets and hid them behind it.

The plan was that when the realtor called warning that she was coming with potential buyers we might have just enough time to vacuum a quick path, wipe down the bathrooms and turn on all the lights.
After one last look around we would grab our pack sacks, computer laptop, and the little 12 pound dog and stash them in the car.

I think we got pretty good at the routine! But after about two weeks we headed back home. Something I had eaten gave me an allergic reaction that made my body feel pretty toxic. The two hour drive to the airport left me thinking I’ll make it but I was looking forward to curling up in the airplane seat and ignoring everyone else.

Slouched down in the airport waiting area I heard our flight announced and Paul springing up and calling out, “Hi Keith!” Sure enough, the pilot had come out and Keith Smiley of Cannon Falls was smiling and waving back.
Paul hurried over to the counter and they were busy talking. Of course I was the only one following the rules- don’t leave your luggage unattended so someone can put some explosives in it - so I just waved.

But we got invited into the cockpit of the Northwest (OK - now Delta) plane, an Airbus 320, and checked out the controls and met Keith's co-pilot, Mike. (And I even felt perky enough to smile for the camera!)

The rest of the trip found me crunched up in my seat though. The flight was really smooth but when landing I took some video so I could tease Keith if it had been rough! But it was great!

And it just shows that no matter how far you roam, you just might find someone from home.

Thanks Keith!

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