Perfect Timing...NOT

You know what they say about investments - well, besides, “Oh, crap!” Seriously though, something like “Timing is everything” or “Buy low and sell high” may come to mind. In real estate, “location, location, location” is paramount. In the case of our home, a phrase from Get Smart is appropriate...“Missed it by that much.” The house is only 50' from the Eugene School District boundary where we ultimately wanted our kids to attend. With Trevor approaching high school (can that be...) and Hannah starting middle school (what?), it was time to earnestly explore options, the best (and really, the only) being to move into the Eugene School District boundary. With the kids' private school only an option through eighth grade and an already shaky real estate market, the timing seemed right to begin the moving process early in 2008. Projects began at a fevered pitch in the Spring to prepare the house for listing, including finishing the 900 sq.ft. walkout basement. We managed to “Get 'er done” just in time for the bottom to drop out of the market. Yep, if you were looking for the root cause, this might have been the listing that broke Fannie's back. Or was it Freddie's...So now, we continue to wait for that elusive buyer.

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A Thanksgiving Road Trip

Bozeman Montana was the late November destination with a two fold purpose: visiting Montana State University and Thanksgiving with family. Trevor really enjoyed the campus visit. He’s interested in studying engineering and has been accepted at MSU. It will be interesting to see if there’s yet another Bobcat in the family. Which brings up the second reason for the trip. Jolyn's aunt Judy hosted six Oregonians (including Jolyn's folks Richard and Sharon) and Judy's son and daughter in law, Tim and Tracy (plus Kimber and Jill) joined us from Missoula! We all had a grand time preparing a wonderful meal, counting our blessings, and just spending time together. The day after Thanksgiving became White Friday... A far more desirable goal for this crowd than the much darker alternative. The caravan first stopped at Bridger Bowl to let Kimber and Jill run and play in the snow. Bridger was not yet open for the season but many people were skinning up for a little alpine tourin...

Water in Crystal and Liquid Forms

Yes, winter is winding down and summer seems to be on its way... That's the definition of spring isn't it? Around here (at least on the "Wet Side") it starts in February and continues... more or less through May. April was a very interesting month for outdoor activities in the Merrifield household. On the first, Trevor and Mike went downhill skiing . They took a friend of Trevor's and his brother and Dad. The four of them had taken snowboarding lessons earlier in the winter. Seemed a little strange to be skiing on April Fool's Day but the joke was definitely not on us. We had a great day. Then sailing started the following week for Mike. All are happy and thankful to have our local lake back again. The original earthen dam was build in the 40's and the drainage system was failing. (Earthen dams actually leak but it's supposed to be a controlled leak...). Somehow the Army Corp. of Engineers prioritized the repair project higher and found the money to f...

A Mother Duck...

We love the idea of publicly thanking moms. We don't do that enough. It somehow costs more to do it this way. It's more meaningful perhaps. The other awesome thing about The 1K Moms Project is that it helps other Moms and their families. How appropriate since that is what moms are all about. Helping others -- particularly their families. The story about the mother duck plucking her own feathers to line the nest really resonates with our family. Houses may be bought, built, or borrowed. But homes can only be made. And only with bits of ourselves . When you build a home, you start with a blank slate. It only comes together (both as a house and a home) with "bits of ourselves." Jolyn poured much more than her own feathers into our previous home. She was all in -- making sure that every detail, every decision was going to bless her family. “Mother ducks pick feathers from their chests to line their nests.” She lines the nest with bi...

Merrifield Times

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