how many different types of mis-matched fencing
do you see in the photo above?
how about this one?
4 foot white pickets,
weatherd pickets,
new pickets...
new 6 foot privacy fencing,
old weathered 6 foot privacy fencing...
barbed wire fencing,
plain old regular wire fencing...
all to try and contain our dogs.
and it still wasn't enough.
no, after bringing the two dogs over 2 weeks ago,
our two beautiful Siberian Huskies,
it became immediately apparent that the several
4 foot tall stretches of fencing would not contain one of the pups.
he became panicked and anxious when my husband drove off the first time,
just as he has done in the past, and successfully began
to work his way over, under and through the fence.
not completely, but he was well on his way.
i've watched this pup scale fences before,
so i had a bit of an "i told you so" moment
when i witnessed this.
**sigh**
long story short ( too late, right? )
until we can get yet another fence put up,
a uniform, 6 foot privacy fence all the way around,
my husband is living 30 miles away in our old home with the dogs,
and i'm living here in the cottage with the cat.
a few days after this living arrangement went into place,
my husband left for a week in Portland, Oregon to help
his mom get the family home ready for sale.
and so it goes here, as well.
now that he is back home, we are still living apart, reluctantly so.
things are tense and stressful between us, i have to confess.
we must finance the building of yet another fence,
even though funds are low.
we must get the new cottage organized and more livable.
getting it ready for potential magazine and/or book photo shoots?
doubtful.
and most importantly, we must, must, MUST
get the old house prepared to list and sell.
it's a financial must.
houses simply aren't selling right now, so i've had
more than a few anxious, sleepless nights over this.
all of this, actually.
i'm not looking for sympathy here,
i'm just trying to explain why i've been away
the past couple of weeks.
nobody put a gun to my head and forced me to buy
the new cottage, so any hardship we are experiencing
is of our own creation.
strike that. it's of MY creation.
having this new home was my dream, and the mr. indulged me.
i find him blameless in this whole mess.
but still? still?
i am blessed.
abundantly so, i do believe.
in spite of it all, there are some wonderful things
happening in my life...in our lives...if i can just see
beyond the present circumstances.
that's hard to do, but it's what i must do.
i say, as i sit here and type this post, as my husband
resides in another home, with the other two-thirds
of our fur kids.
i'll share more of the good later this week.
until then,
weatherd pickets,
new pickets...
new 6 foot privacy fencing,
old weathered 6 foot privacy fencing...
barbed wire fencing,
plain old regular wire fencing...
all to try and contain our dogs.
and it still wasn't enough.
no, after bringing the two dogs over 2 weeks ago,
our two beautiful Siberian Huskies,
it became immediately apparent that the several
4 foot tall stretches of fencing would not contain one of the pups.
he became panicked and anxious when my husband drove off the first time,
just as he has done in the past, and successfully began
to work his way over, under and through the fence.
not completely, but he was well on his way.
so i had a bit of an "i told you so" moment
when i witnessed this.
**sigh**
long story short ( too late, right? )
until we can get yet another fence put up,
a uniform, 6 foot privacy fence all the way around,
my husband is living 30 miles away in our old home with the dogs,
and i'm living here in the cottage with the cat.
a few days after this living arrangement went into place,
my husband left for a week in Portland, Oregon to help
his mom get the family home ready for sale.
and so it goes here, as well.
now that he is back home, we are still living apart, reluctantly so.
things are tense and stressful between us, i have to confess.
we must finance the building of yet another fence,
even though funds are low.
we must get the new cottage organized and more livable.
getting it ready for potential magazine and/or book photo shoots?
doubtful.
and most importantly, we must, must, MUST
get the old house prepared to list and sell.
it's a financial must.
houses simply aren't selling right now, so i've had
more than a few anxious, sleepless nights over this.
all of this, actually.
i'm not looking for sympathy here,
i'm just trying to explain why i've been away
the past couple of weeks.
nobody put a gun to my head and forced me to buy
the new cottage, so any hardship we are experiencing
is of our own creation.
strike that. it's of MY creation.
having this new home was my dream, and the mr. indulged me.
i find him blameless in this whole mess.
but still? still?
i am blessed.
abundantly so, i do believe.
in spite of it all, there are some wonderful things
happening in my life...in our lives...if i can just see
beyond the present circumstances.
that's hard to do, but it's what i must do.
i say, as i sit here and type this post, as my husband
resides in another home, with the other two-thirds
of our fur kids.
i'll share more of the good later this week.
until then,
Posts
64 comments:
I really feel for you, Anne and I hope that things get sorted out soon.
Keep strong, my friend.
xxx
The rough going makes us stronger people. You will get through this and later, maybe laugh about your pup trying to crawl under a picket fence! I'll be thinking of you.
XO,
Jane
oh, I am so sorry you are haveing stress!!!! I do hope everything turns around and good news comes your way!!!
I really feel for you, Anne. Things have a way of crashing down all at once, don't they? I'm glad you shared and know that it will work out eventually. Just don't pull your hair out before then. ; )
Glad you have happy things on the way.
Hugs,
Tina
My daughter as had great sucess with electric fencing..it may be an option, along with your existing fencing.
hang in there. love ya, dear.
Good luck, you both need each other to lean on during all of this.
It is always darkest before the dawn
I will be praying
You have such a great eye I know any home you have redone will SELL
xxoo
Pam
My prayers are with you right now Anne. I have been there and it is NO fun. Sometimes I think God must have a huge sense of humor! Stay strong, you will be fine. You have a friend in California
Marcia
The things we do for our pets, you gotta love 'em! I know that things seem tough now, but hopefully you'll be able to look back on all of this and laugh one day!
Kat
Be strong Anne,. Things always work out in the end and you will look back and wonder why you worried so much:-)
xoxo
Kathleen
Prayers for you friend. God will deliver you from all this stress. I am anxious to see your home.
I feel for you Anne and I will certainly pray for you if that's okay.....Like you said, look to the good things and continue to count blessings, you will get through this...Xoxoxo
sounds like a rough time..but I love how you still see the blessings thru it all~ big HUG to you my friend~ ;) Rachel
I feel for you, I hate being away from my husband and we avoid it as much as we can! I hope your old house sells soon and that you're able to get the fence up!
As the saying goes...that does not kill us, makes us stronger...This is just a bump in the road and everything will turn our splendidly.
I am glad to see you back!
Hi Anne... That does sound like a rough go. Wish I could come over and enjoy a cup of coffee while we chatted through some of this and then we could put on some gloves and get to work getting that house ready to sell! Sounds like you have a little too much to do right now so I will pray about stress. Hope you can fit some dates in with that special guy of yours!!! Love lib
so sorry that you've been on a rough path these days. hang in there....there is always a silver lining! it just takes time. i am keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.
Oh Anne it is just so hard sometimes for things to go the way we want. I hope that the fence issue is resolved soon and you can once again be all together in one place. Sending you warm and positive thoughts. hugs, Linda
God bless. June was the hardest month of my life....hugs to you.xxoo
Well , that just sucks. Hope the separate housing solution doesn't have to last too long. We have a constant battle with our dog to keep her contained within our fence. She's too short to jump over, so she digs under or chews through it. You'd think she hates us as hard as she tries to get out of here!
bless your heart anne~ you need more than a shell full of seaglass!!
wish i could offer more help...but will be keeping you in my thoughts.
also wish i could fly down there and purchase your "old" house. i'd do it as is. after all the rain we've been getting, warm dry texas sun sounds heavenly.
hang in there. have you tried "skyping" with mr. twig?
You are always in my thoughts, Anne. Its frustrating, maddening, it hurts and it makes you made at times, lonely and sad, I am sure, but it WILL be alright in the end. I hope you will be together again real soon, you need each other.
... if it's not one thing, it's two ...
miss u
Sweet Anne, you have so much going on right now. I know how difficult it is to see past the frustrations and focus on the blessings. Just remember -- 'this too shall pass'
Anne, for every ripple in the lake there is a moment to float. hang in there. It will all be calm soon. Hugs
P.S. beautiful dogs!
Oh boy, sounds frustrating. Sometimes everything seems to come at once doesn't it? Hopefully, things will be better soon. In the meantime do just as you're doing and look for the good :)
xo Tricia
ugh... I don't like that you are having to go through this :( it is tough to be away from the ones you love.. esp. a husband/best friend. Here's praying that you get a great deal on a great deal on a great fence and that the house sells soon!
xo
Oh Anne, I'm sorry to hear that this move has been such a struggle on you and your husband. I wish you both back together again soon in your new home.
{Big Hugs},
Jo
whew...that's stressful. it's going to be okay. it will. i do understand the stress of having a house to sell and all that goes on with that. life isn't always the way you wish it were. where's my magic money wand??
Hang in there. My hubs lived in an apartment in the Detroit area for a year Monday through Friday while starting up a new warehouse for his company while I stayed in our home close to 3 hours away. At the end of the year I just could not move away from our grown children and grandchildren and his company relocated him back home and he now works in a home office. Pray, pray, pray. We sold our home of 28 years after buying our home in the country. Bought the home, listed ours and it sold just before the added payment kicked in that we would have to pay on the amount we said we would give down on the new one. God answers all prayers. Pray.
Hello again Anne (with an 'E'),
I bet your other home is a real charmer and I bet when you get what needs to be done over there done...it won't take long to sell. You know how to 'stage' a home and I bet you could make that place so homey and cozy that it really stands out among the other homes for sale. That's too bad about your dogs getting out of the fence...you sure didn't need that right now. Well as they say 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' so maybe this will work out to be a good thing in the end. Good luck with everything you need to get done and enjoy the good moments when they happen. Have a wonderful Forth Of July.
Maura :)
On the bright side you got the cottage of your dreams! I hope your house sells quickly and releives some stress for you. And those two pups are pretty darn cute!
Hi Anne!
Isn't life just so frustrating sometimes!? I feel your pain, trust me. Ugh. But, those cute pups should make you feel all better! They are just so beautiful! I know living away from your sweet hubs has to be so hard, I can't even imagine. ;o(
All I can offer is what I always tell myself in times like this..."it can only get better'...right? I used to hate when people would say that, but for some reason now I find it rings so true.
Have a safe and Happy 4th! I hope you do something fabulous! ;o)
Mary
You certainly don't
have to explain any
of this to me....A
veteran of seven moves
in my married life, it
goes with the territory.
Are you remembering to
b r e a t h e ? ? ?
Sending you a BIG hug
and wishing I lived
closer so I could do
something to help. Be
sure and take some time
with Mr. Twig for a date
or some together time;
so important!
xx Suzanne
Your dream cottage is wonderful and to find it is so wonderful.
Life has it's way of working out maybe not in our time schedule
I just know everything will work out for ya all and the dogs also.
I have always wanted to live around Portland Oregon
Life apart from the ones you love, be they human or furry friends, is never quite as happy as life together. Trust in that your decision is the right one and things will come together eventually. Prayers being sent out to you :-)
All will work out Anne as it always doesn...hang in there in hard times
girl...
I am sorry for your $$ strain, believe I feel it , as we need money to make our home ready to sell. some are BIG projects. Hubby will be 70 in August, I'm disabled, and we have no one to help. Also you might recall me talking on my blog about a month ago that I think hubby had a small stroke, cause things with him were very off for about a week and a half...well I could not get him to go anywhere. now, 1 month later he admits to me over dinner the other night, that yes he thinks he did have a stroke...no elaboration, just that. since then I have tried to ask some questions, and have gotten little answers. he went to the doc on Tues. on lunch break...with an appt. but the waiting room was full (so he says-I think he may be afraid)so he asks to reschedule...how conveinant that the doc is going away for 2 weeks, so hubby has an appt in 3 weeks from today.
I really do not want him up on a ladder 2 stories, I do not want him on a ladder period.
Our son, who is a whole different generation, and not to mention ADHD and ODD if of the mind of "I do not do things unless it benefits him" and so we it goes...
Personally I would add, that I do not think, I would buy a place til this one gets sold. I would never want to get stuck holding "the hot potato" so to speak. My parents went through this for a while, not the fixing part, but the nobody buying part.
so for almost 8 years they rented the place out, enough to cover the mortgage and the taxes, ass. fees(it was a townhouse) and a little bit for themselves. I am not sure if you considered this, but if you rent out your old home, then the $$ could help finance a fence...in the meantime, purchase a large dog run, or get the screw in the ground kind of chain olders and buy the heavyduty chains, and put the dogs outside like that, I know you hate to do it. but...
we all have to make sacrficies sometimes, that includes our animals, they will not like it, but it will keep them from getting out, and take some worry off you. most larger dogs can run and leap a 4" fence...been there done that.
My hubby and I lived apart for 2 years (except for weekends) while I finished school. It was hard, but we did it. a HUGE sacrifice! Now it seems such a waste as only 5 years later i was injured quite severely on the job, and am now disabled. So I very much feel for you in this light as well.
My thoughts are with you, and I'll be sending positive energy your way
Hugs,
Susan
One has to do what gets one past a certain time... down the road you ALL will be together in the new place! The old place will be sold, you will be rolling in the dough:) inside a new fence! Have a blessed and restful day!
HUGS!
I'm in the same boat Anne, bought our lake shack when we probably should've waited, now we're contemplating putting it on the market ever since the economy tanked. Don't want to give it away, much less let it go, but feeling the pinch for sure and we really can't juggle two houses anymore. I hope things smooth out soon for you!~devon
My Sweet Texas Annie,
When life gives you lemons just make lemonaid!
OK, I don't think that really helps much, but it sounds good, right! ;)
I was thinkin...now this is when my husband says, "Not again!"...
My husband is in construction & we do alot of trading. Let's say we see a vintage trailer we love, but don't have the money to buy it. Robert will offer to do a construction job for the value of the trailer. It's a win, win. They get rid of the trailer, they get some needed work done & we get the trailer.
Your an AMAZING photographer. No flattery here, just fact. Put some feelers out in the hill country of Texas for someone who may be having an upcoming wedding & needs a photographer. It's summertime with fall right around the corner, there's alot of upcoming weddings. Maybe try & work a trade...signage, "I WORK FOR FENCING!!" lol
It just may work my friend, crazier things then this have happened!! I'm a fixer, I just can't help it...it's in the genes. I can't just offer words of comfort, I want to fix it!
Big Hugs, Best of Luck & write a post sayin just what I told you. You have a lot of followers out there & you never know who's dream you might help come true!
Susie Pearl
((( HUGS ))) to you. I know one thing, that if all your blog followers were close by we'd show up and help you build the darn fence! But, alas, I am on an island in Canada and all I can do is send you hugs and tell you that change brings challenges and yes, they do make us stronger. This is temporary and not forever, you both will get through it. I know you will. Patty/BC
Hope that things get sorted out soon.
1 Year Old Birthday Party Ideas
Oh, what a tough situation Anne. Juggling these unexpected challenges while trying to enjoy your new home. I'm glad to see you find some silver lining about blessings in your life. You've got a great man and fur family there.
Our water heater broke while we visited Dallas and was a huge unexpected cost upon return. Ahhh..the joys of homeownership!
Take care,
Susan
I think lots of people are suffering these days! Our air conditioner bit the dust a couple of weeks ago! Surely things are gonna get better! I've got my fingers crossed! I've even thinking about getting a real job! :( Not what I really wanna do, but reality sucks! Hang in there girl!
tot
Duct tape. Seriously... duct tape!!! Just put lines of it across the top of the fences that need help - then when the dogs try to jump - they will stick.
;-D
I am praying for you and sending you the biggest of hugs...
don't forget, "God only gives you what you can handle... and you are strong."
xoxoxo
robelyn
Ya know, surprises are highly over-rated when you own an old home, because those surprises usually have a hefty price tag attached to them.
I'm thinking we need to form a fence building party masquarading as a blog party at your new place! I'll bring a nail gun and a saw! :))
Sending you prayers for a speedy sale on your old home, and lots of hugs for encouragement. I hope you are all under the same roof again very soon! xoxo ~LA
Oh, Anne - how I feel your pain, sweetie. Seriously. Hubby and I bought Heaven's Walk without selling our lake house. FOUR years later, we're still trying to sell it, but had to rent it out the past 2 years just to help us make ends meet. We're losing our renters in October, so we'll be right back in the same boat again. It stresses me to no end knowing that'll be a burden on our shoulders again. I hate it. I don't want to think about it. I just want that house sold. So......I keep praying. That's all I have left - we have left. God knows our pain and frustration and throughout all of this, we've made end meet. Barely at times, but we've done it. And will continue to do it by His grace.
I will keep you in my prayers, Annie. You and Mr Twig need to be living in that sweet house of yours together. I pray that God will send a buyer to your house and that some type of financial windfall will come your way so that you can build that fence for your furbabies. Keep your chin up, sweets!
xoxo laurie
Oh I don't want you to stress. I have a neighbor who couldn't contain her dog and there was a busy street just down the road. So she had an Invisible Fence put in. The dog wears a little thing on her collar and the fence is buried just under the ground. They even worked with her and her dog teaching them both how it works. Her dog now will not go beyond the fenced area. You make the area as big or small as you like. I don't know the cost but it sure beats having to redo your whole fence. The company is Invisible Fence. Just an idea. Hope it helps. Hugs, Sharon
Ahh, the "joys" of home ownership.
Hang in there.
jj
Oh, Dear Little Anne! I'm sorry you're going through all of this. I would help if I could. It will get better and I'm praying God will hug you big time, since I can't!
You are a sweetie,
Shelia ;)
OH lawz, have I ever been in one of those places where I should have been more careful what I wished and prayed for; bless you both! This too shall pass and times will be cheerful once again; this stepping stone, if you both allow, will make you better, kinder and gentler one with another. Ponder the others good points, remember each other in love and do not forget to pray, uplifting the other and yourself to the Most High One. God is able, He'll make a path; you're all tucked into prayer.
You are so awesome for seeing all of the good. there is a lot of good in there too. I am praying you sell your other place quickly and can have everything behind you. Stress like that is the hardest thing.
Now I just want to:
Jump in the truck with all of our tools and come help build a fence.
Sell my home and buy your old one, because then I would be closer to my daughter who lives in Comfort, 6hrs from me :(
Get on my knees and pray for you and hubby.
Guess which idea won?
Tons of hugs and more prayers sweetie...this too shall pass.
The dream is the easy part of sweet cottage life. I'm in a similar situation and you will reach deep inside of yourself and the magic of your dreams will arrive for you...try not to worry
Hugs...maryjane of Storybook Cottage
Thinking of you and praying that everything will fall into place and that you feel peace while god is working his deal as it takes time sometimes, but that is what makes us really appreciate the outcome is the wait. A test of patience is never fun but does make us grow. I will pray for you, send hugs to you and know that you are blessed!
Sherry
Wishing you a speedy sale so you and husband and animals are reunited under the same roof soon.
Oh Anne - I feel your pain. Jon and I are apart most of the summer and it can be so stressful. I will pray that you will be able to be back under one roof again with your fur babies.
And no, we don't have any dogs...yet! =) Lillie has been begging for one since she could speak. She informed us on a walk about a month ago that she was getting a dog this summer....haha! Not sure where she got that idea or why she thought that informing us of that would make it happen but she seemed pretty confident in it. We live in a townhouse now so don't have a yard but when we eventually are able to move into a house with a yard I am pretty sure she will be insisting that a dog will be an immediate addition!
I'm so sorry to hear that you've hit a few bumps in the road - ok, some may seem like more than a mere bump but like you said, you are blessed and as long as you stay positive, everything will work itself out. big hugs.
I'll be praying hard that the two of you are back together again very soon. Hang in there!
I'll buy an extra lottery ticket, and if I win, I'll buy you a new fence.♥♥
Thinking of you, Anne. I'm sorry you are going through all of this but it will all work out. We have to go through these struggles at times in our lives and in the end it will all be worth it. I will keep you in my thoughts. Hang in there!
I can relate in sooooo many ways. WE moved 400 miles to Maine last winter. My husband stayed a WHOLE week and then went back to Pa. to work. On and off, on and off. A year and a half later, I still feel like a single mom, in a god-forsaken place,while he is away in NJ for 5 months in school. Ahhh, marriage. I love my foolish man, just as you love yours. Breathe deeply, it will pass. It really will. Moving and selling is hard. Our settlement fell through the day before we were to go to Maine, throwing everything off by two weeks. It was insane. You can do it. You really can. HUGS
Awww...that must be so hard Anne! Hope you at least get to spend time together on your days off. We were Realtors up until 2 years ago so I know how scary the market has been. Sending positive thoughts your way Anne. xoxo ~Lili
Post a Comment