House! We're (most likely) Buying a House!

So after realizing how we could pay only slightly more each month and own a house... and hearing lots about the tax credit and subsequent extension of the tax credit, we started talking about buying a house. And in what seems like a very, very short amount of time, we have an accepted offer on a house about half a mile from where we live now- with a big fenced back yard, a fireplace and a wood-burning stove and lots and lots of room for visitors.

Barring anything weird with the upcoming inspection, we close December 18 (a month from yesterday!!!) and will be in our new house by Christmas. Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus, I bought you a house. I am so excited to paint walls orange and do whatever I want... well, within limits of what the fellow I've taken to calling my JWTROS (that's Joint Tenant with Right of Survivorship to those who either never took Property or have blocked it...) will allow. So far, so good because he's given the thumbs up to orange.

Come visit! In the mean time, here are some photos from the listing. More when we move in, obvio.

Wesleyan and Prison, together at last!

Hi President Roth,
I graduated from Wesleyan in 2003 and have spent a lot of the past 3 years I was in law school working in federal and state prisons. That work changed my life and colors the way I think about almost everything now, personally and professionally. I was so happy and proud to read the recent NY Times article about the Center for Prison Education. I think it's amazing not only for inmate students but for Wesleyan students to have the exposure and experience that spending time inside a prison is-- yet another way that Wesleyan is creating socially-conscious critical-thinkers.
As an alum, I find reasons to be proud of Wesleyan regularly-- but this one really struck me. I just wanted to relay my enthusiasm and let you know my little corner of the alumni network is bursting its buttons.

Thanks,

Sarah
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Present!

Although spending less right now is the smart thing, sometimes one finds something that one wants so much that one sends her boyfriend an email with a link saying, "you might as well get this for me as a gift because our money is going to be used to buy it eventually." And then a few weeks later, you get this sweet piece:




Love it!

Winners!

We went to a fundraiser here last night for the county humane society. There was a country band and a silent auction, among the prizes were a "muzzle brake" and a free dog adoption. We got a call today and apparently we won the adoption... so add new dog to all kinds of upcoming changes. More on that as it happens... (there are no weddings and no babies involved, fyi.)

Halloween 2009

I lost all of the awesome pictures from two weekends at the grand canyon with parents...

Except this one.

Make These!

From this recipe. Eat them with small corn tortillas, queso fresco and avocado. Add some tomato-less corn salsa from Trader Joe's. You will be very grateful as a salty/sweet and delicious jubilee occurs in your mouth.

Lately

I'll skip the b.s. since I never seem to make-up blog posts about things that have happened... since my last post Charlie's parents were here for a few days and then my mom was here for a week. A week (and then we've had another whole weekend since I started this post...) It was a good visit, I think good most importantly because there have been times, many times, in our relationship where a day-long visit would not have ended well. But this one was fine. My relationship with my mom is complicated and accounts for a lot of my "baggage" and is definitely not for public-blog consumption. BUT, perhaps through a combination of her changes and my own stability and recognition that while there are things I embrace very deeply about her (about both/all of my parents), I am not her and the things I don't like don't threaten me as deeply as they used to. Maybe it's growing up, maybe it's increasing exposure over the years to other parents, other people and the situations all kinds of people find themselves in. And maybe that all is growing up. It might sound elementary, but you can't pick your parents and you can't pick the terms of your birth. They're not perfect, they're just people.

Earlier this week an acquaintance-type facebook friend posted a rant about the SEPTA strike and how the drivers are greedy and a bunch of other drivel. It irked me incredibly. NO. I was raised, by my parents, to side with striking workers. People do not risk theirs jobs and strike unless it is important. I thought of last week, too, when I drove by people with signs in front of City Hall. My parents also taught me to, unless they're advocating something totally loony, honk and support them. They were for the public option. I honked. I thought of it while my mom was telling us the story of getting fired from her first lawyer job, while pregnant with me, on Christmas, after being elected president of her local. Thank you, parents. Thank you for giving me a head start on some of the lessons and values I hope I would have come to on my own eventually.

So yes, parents and family are flawed and disappointingly human. But I was happy to feel last week like I am increasingly able to appreciate the aspects that have made me who I am... and let the rest, as my mom would say, roll off my back.