“Aren’t you reversing the trend?” asked a friend as Bob and I told we were buying a house at 3272 Aberfoyle Place, NW in Washington, DC. Yes, I guess that most 75-year old men and their 65-year wives would not sell a beautiful, centrally-located, easy-to-maintain apartment in Kalorama and move to a house with yard, garage, basement and second floor in the suburbs. But that is what we did.
My hope is that this blog tells (and shares) the story of me becoming planted on Aberfoyle Place. I expect the “planting” to begin with getting the physical and fiscal in order and then open the doors for social, spiritual and intellectual growth and serenity. It’s a big order, but the timing is perfect: I’m starting my 4th year of retirement; Bob and I are healthy; the downturn in the economy has shrunk our nest-egg, narrows our options and encourages financial sanity, and we’ll have a new President within ten days, and the odds favor Barack Obama. Hallelujah! What a time to turn the page.
So, are we reversing the trend? I don’t think so. For the last four years, we’ve had an apartment in the city and a beach house at Rehoboth Beach. Both were designed by us and fresh as can be. However, two houses begging for our attention, two communities wanting our allegiance, rising costs measured against decreasing incomes, most free time given to Rehoboth Beach rather than other lovely places, and a growing desire to have one place with all of our “things” in our presence daily sold us on the idea of getting planted. Luckily, the selling of the beach house and the apartment and the buying of house all fell into place within weeks so Tuesday, October 28, 2008 is the day we move to Aberfoyle Place….and life starts anew ☺
