Important Week!

 MONDAY

• Aunt Jane comes for a visit
• The Inspector comes to inspect
• Packing

TUESDAY

• Wire transfer to pay for 1/2 Pet Jet
• Rocco goes to the Vet to have a couple lumps looked at

• Packing

WEDNESDAY

• Mike has Home Inspections to do for his business

• Packing

THURSDAY

• The Appraiser comes to appraise
• Packing

FRIDAY

• Our last USA eye appointment

If you notice I haven't mentioned Mike going to work, it is because . . . . . .

Mike Has Retired

For thirty-one years Mike served the public in law enforcement. I've been his life partner for two-thirds of that time and can attest to his everlasting dedication to helping people. He is the bravest man I know and I am beyond proud of him and the years he gave to Protect and Serve. 

I hope this next part of our lives' journey will be meaningful to him in ways he might not yet think of. My wish for Mike is that he can finally relax and be at peace, enjoying the sea and jungle right outside his front door.

I love you, Michael A. Strine 💖

What do you do with - - -

 - - - decluttered stuff? 

For instance, I have a small stash of family figurines. These were meaningful to me during my early years with Grandma & Grandpa Packer and Grandma & Grandpa Bob Moyer. 

As a child, I looked for these at every visit. The Royal Doulton belonged to my Grandma Packer. I was allowed to look but not touch, of course. She promised it to me after she died, so The Skater eventually made her way to me and has lived in my curio cabinet for many years.

The little guy in blue with yellow trousers lived in Grandma Packer's dresser drawer (which was full of all the good junk). I'm sure this was stuff she didn't know what to do with so it all went into one drawer. I have five like that.

The little flowered vase and ring holder were always right there, too. To this day I love small vases and enjoy clipping roses and wildflowers for them.

The fancy lady with a hole in her hat belonged to my Grandma Moyer. Seemed like there were always a couple spools of thread stuck in there. When I look at her and these other treasures I experience a moment of childhood bliss.

But reality. I can't take "things" with me. I can only pack items that are useful, with a specific purpose, and that I can't buy of equal quality in Roatan. Shipping is quite expensive, as is the duty. So these next 30 days are to be spent making decisions. 

We have a storage locker in Roatan that will house most of our belongings until we buy or build our next home. Along with the 30-day decision process is figuring out what to pack for that storage locker and what we will need for more immediate use.

Click HERE to see our new digs for the next six months! We have rented this sweet 400 square foot Loft to begin life in Roatan. 

Phil from Camp Bay Lodge has been more than helpful. He's answered my 8,500 questions, never wavering with patient kindness. Here, you can see for yourself: 

PS- We decided on six months and the price was reduced to $1,100 a month, without the 19% tax! Not bad for a pet-friendly, right on the beach, temporary tiny home!

Over these next weeks, I'll keep you posted with any news of the house sale and all of our packing fun! Ask questions - they help keep us grounded!

Glimpses of the Garden Loft

Whose Place?

 

WE ARE UNDER CONTRACT FOR FULL-PRICE!

Realtors began showing our home on Tuesday and our Buyer was the second showing.  We signed the contract yesterday with a closing date of April 1, 2021. The Buyer was so gracious to grant us until the 15th to vacate.

Last evening we spoke with the charter that will fly all of us to Roatán: Mike and me, Rocco, Gizmo, and Leo! 

4|14|2021 - Look out Roatán, here we come!

More Later!

Strine's Place

 This is happening!

Yesterday this sign went up along the canal and a "Coming Soon" sign was placed in our front yard.

All this following some landscaping, pressure washing, and mowing, trimming, and edging! We think we've got some curb appeal now, and everything outside looks fresh and clean. Mike's got the regular pool and hot tub maintenance underway and I'm keeping the garden trimmed up.

This past week I devoted myself to cleaning out drawers, cupboards, and closets. Some things are getting packed (not many); some are getting thrown away; and some are going out to the curb, freestyle!

If you've ever done this before, you know it takes some of your time and attention. 

Oh those kids, rummaging through stuff they aren't going to take. 

Looks like the table is getting bare, better run some more stuff out!

Oh no, it's raining!!!!

Life is good. We've had such a great time in Florida and especially in this neighborhood. We are so hopeful for the next family who lives here- they are going to have a blast!

But in the meantime, the photographers are coming Monday at noon. There will be the regular inside photos, the aerials, and then the 360 virtual tour photos. We have lots of instructions about how to have the house ready to present. I'm on it!

Now if only these dogs and cat could manage to stay clean and not lick the windows. . . . 

Harper's Place

 We didn’t get Harper’s Place.

As a matter of fact, we are told we insulted the owner with our low offer. So right this minute, we are experiencing two kinds of pain:

• For injuring someone. We insulted a local resident, and that feels pretty serious.  Especially when headed to this island where no one knows who we are or that we really are people of good character trying to do right things.

•  For losing all hope of living on those four acres of land.   

As I sit here, letting the news settle into my being, I notice myself flying off into extreme directions.

• Ø  Part of me wants to scream, cry, and stamp my feet.

• Ø  Another part wants to bury me, hiding under a big, heavy comforter in my bed.

• Ø  Typical for the spoiled little girl in me, I am silently yelling, “that’s it, forget it, I’m not going.”

And conversely, this tiny voice buried somewhere in my brain – or my heart? – is whispering with relief, “that just wasn’t the right place for you. The best is yet to come!”

What? Seriously?

We’ve had our hearts set on Harper’s Place for a really long time! Every breath we took in preparation for our move to Roatán included visions of living 93 steps up the hill in the jungle, in that tiny cottage overlooking the sparkly Caribbean Sea.

But why go on about it? Just because that dream is over doesn’t mean the whole gig is up. We can still retire to Roatán as planned. During our next trip at the end of April, we can scope out small pet-friendly homes to rent. We certainly do not have to be in a hurry to buy our forever home, and that is a relief!

So, for now, we choose to concentrate on getting our Florida home sold. We just had a beautiful landscaping upgrade completed today. The roof was pressure-washed, and tomorrow the Blue Line Pressure Clean guys are coming to spruce up the fences and cement. Mike hung a new hammock between the back palm trees this afternoon, and I keep emptying out drawers and cupboards.

Professional photography happens here Monday afternoon, and I imagine the MLS listing will be published directly following.

So, today we’ve said goodbye to what we had planned, stepping aside to allow in the next lesson life has for us.

Valentines Day

Things are starting to move so quickly I realized I'd better document if I'm to remember all of it!

Today we have been home from Roatán for 20 days. Twenty Whole Days.

We left most of our hearts on the island so when we first got home, we could think of little else but returning. And yet, we had pretty severe cases of Commitment Fear, so we just relaxed into the required 14-day self-isolation. 

We stayed in pretty close contact with our Honduran attorney, Lissa Asfura, and our Buyer's Agent, Alex Poirier. They answered question after question and so graciously stood quietly by our sides as we settled into life here and allowed our decisions to solidify.

Tuesday, February 9th, we signed documents to list our Florida home for sale! Yes, yes, that means we have made our decision to move to Roatán, Honduras. Hopefully, to live on St. Helene, if she will have us.

And our offer to purchase Harpers Place is dated today 💘

So now, all the puzzle pieces are in play and not one of us on this Earth knows how they will all fit together in our plan to live on a remote western Caribbean island!

💫💖💖Stay Tuned!

A few post notes:

1. Our FL home will be on the market sometime later this week, following some landscape refreshing and a few other small tasks.
2. Our Offer for Harpers Place will be made to the Seller once our Attorney has reviewed and approved it.