Take a deep breath and relax

sooooooooooooooo, over the last couple of months we have been busily doing a great many things, experienced a huge amount of emotional rollercoastering, stressed, jumped for joy and generally been run off our feet. Now we get to relax a little, why?

1. Rowany Festival is now over!
We now have our very own "on my way to festival" story, ours involves blowing a head gasket, a dear friend driving for 5 hours just to pick us up (from Yass to Holbrook and back again). Our car is still in Holbrook and will be undergoing repairs and will stay there until my dad gets around to picking it up - I am now officially and completely over the idea of owning my own car!
But... Festival was great fun, I didn't have time to do half the things I wanted to do but that's a good thing, I slept a lot, and Craig shot people a lot, so much fun was had by all :-)
Craig received his Award of Arms (AOA) so he is now officially 'Not Lord Emlyn ap Rhyss' (very funny in-joke that I will not bother to explain). All the pics I took from the event are on my flickr site (see link into title)

2. We have sold our house!
A got a call from the realestate agent on Good Friday with confirmation of an offer, we signed all the paper work yesterday, the deposit will be paid on this coming Monday and settle on 17th May. It is contingent on a building inspection to be done today - only way it will fall through is if the house is structurally unsound or it has termites, and as far as we know non of this is the case, thus we have sold our house :-)

Now all we need is the NZ banks to move faster, approve our loan so that we can complete our transactions, Craig can start working for himself and we can sit back and relax a little.

Other very cool thing for us at the moment is that while we have been waiting for our investment money to get transferred into our account so we can pay Earthsong our deposit (honestly, in this day and age of computer transactions why does it take them weeks to transfer the money!) but I was say.... good thing is that the NZ dollar is weakening which has cut another $10k off our mortgage - not good for New Zealand but good for us right now, keep dropping you'll recover later :-)

So for the most part things are really moving at the moment. I have my usual stress attacks - like will I have enough space in my new kitchen, are we going to have enough space in general, how am I going to deal with the total lack of space I have here with my inlaws (who are amazing and wonderful people and I only get stressed and upset when I'm grumpy with Craig and the world and want to be on my own but can't because we only have 1 room).

Our original plan was to live here for only about 3 or 4 (at the most) months while we finalised bank loan stuff and Craig got set up, then we were going to fly off into the sunset and set up a temporary home in an Earthsong rental, but now, we are set to be here until our apartment is completed in December. Reasoning being that Carol and Ian are going for a holiday to the Greek Isles in September and thus we are looking after their house and Craig's brother and so there is no point in moving into a rental (that may or may not be available then) for only 3 months *sigh, stress, cry, moan, grumble, stress some more, cry some more, sigh again and try to deal*

And that is about all I have for you all right now

Please Sign

A friend Roie pointed me at this please read and sign the petition

17-year old Nazanin killed a man, one of three who was trying to rape her and her neice. Apparently, Iran has signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in which it agreed not to execute anyone under the age of 18 (I haven't checked this) but that didn't stop her being sentenced to death by hanging for defending herself - Nazanin was 18 by the time she reached the trial.

Ohh so exciting

Not only is it official that our house is on the market, but we already have some very keen buyers interested. Unfortuatly I wasn't quite quick enough and hadn't arranged the section 32 just yet so there will now be a short delay.

I really hadn't expected things to be happening so fast - we spoke with the agent on Saturday, it went onto the websites on Monday and the paper yesturday (Wednesday), we had only just popped over late last night to do some final cleaning and put some things that we had just dumped in the lounge away, the wardrobe door had only be reinstalled yesturday - and I simply had not realised anyone would have been through the yet!

I don't think anyone has actually put in an offer, the are waiting to see the section 32 first, but if there are interested buyers then that's really good news for us (bidding war anyone??).

I'd like to not have to think about any of this realy until after Easter, but it would be a great buzz non-the-less if we could go away for Easter knowing that we had a buyer :-)

The funds from our investment have transferred out and we are just waiting for them to clear in our access account, then we can arrange the initial deposit to Earthsong and send back all the forms to fully and compleatly secure our new home.

We have had some positive mumblings from our new brocker so here's hopeing we have more success with the banks then we did with Prometheus - oh and apparently the NZ$ has fallen again making the AU$ stronger which is great news for us right now.

It's Official

Our house is now officially on sale:
Domain
Realestate.com

Phone call

I just got off the phone to Lippy in Earthsong and now I'm a little sad. Talking to her and hearing all about some of the wonderful community things that are happening in Earthsong, hearing about what happens in meetings (the little details that don't make it into the minutes), coupled with my own daydreams just makes me want to be there all the more. There are all these things happening without me, decisions are being made, fun is being had and friendships being made that I have to wait for an unspecified amount of time to be a part of *sigh* I know I know, good things come to those who wait, patience is a virtue, focus on the good things you have right now, blady baldy blah blah *grin*

Ok focus on the good things - focus on my pottery classes! 1 class down and I'm hooked. If I actually create anything interesting I'll take a pic otherwise I'll just hide them in a box in a dark place :-)

Loan application dramas

Unfortunatly Prometheus, the ethical investment company recomended to us, have declined our application, simply because they have had an influx of applications from Earthsong purchasers and believe that they are over comitting themselves to the project especially since the interests rates in NZ are set to come down - which is great for us.

We have made contact with a brocker in Auckland who seems very keen and believes he will have no problem getting us the funding we would like. We contacted him on Friday afternoon, emailed him some further info and he will be getting back to us either today or Monday to let us know what he had found out and so forth. I have confidence in this guy and believe that we will actually get a better deal and a better interest rate doing things through the banks rather then using Prometheus.

Earthsong have sent us our legal/financial contract type stuff, it will hopefully arrive in the next few days so things have really heated up here. A property has become available for rent but unfortunatly it is much too soon for us to take advantage of at the moment, a pity but ahh well these things happen. There may also be a short delay in the completion of our appartment, my parents have now built three houses and none of them ran right to schedule so I had been expecting some delays - isn't life much more pleasent when you expect these things :-)

House For Sale

We have met with the Real Estate agent in Hurstbridge and our house will be listed for sale this week.

The decision has been made not to paint or do anything to the house as the agent does not believe it will raise the properties value enough to even recoup the costs. Although I was orginally very keen on the idea of painting the place and doing some gardening there, I am now very pleased that I will not have to do anything. The house can stay just as it is and still get us the same return.

Apparently houses are selling like hotcakes in Hurstbridge at the moment and the agent believes our place will sell very quickly - I hope he's right!

Our life in a box

So our life (or at least the material possesion part of it as my Shazza keeps reminding me), so far fits into half a container and involves exactly 60 parcels and I have the photos to prove it!

Yes we have moved out of our appartment and into Craig's mums. The shipping company came on Saturday morning and collected everything that wasn't coming to Craig's mums with us. It will be stored until we have everything sorted out and a place to live in Earthsong. Wow!

My Book Collection

Here is a link to my online book catalog

A random selection also now appears down the side of this screen :-)

Bootlace

I have just recieved 2 quotes for us to ship Bootlace to New Zealand, $700 and $1225! Considering our tickets will only cost about $220 each I'm in total shock. I'm glad I don't have to go through the crap that he will have to undergo, we will be seperated for 3 days before the flight and we want even be able to see him again until we arrive in Auckland :(

Well, at least he can come :-)

There was movement in the station

So things seem to actually be happening!

Craig and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary yesterday. We had originally planned on going out to the Dandenongs to have dinner at the restaurant we had dinner on our wedding night, it all sounded very romantic, but then after a little discussion we decided that all we really wanted to do was get stuck into packing. So I cooked us a yummy redwine casserole, he gave me a bunch of roses *grin* and we had a lovely night teasing each other, sorting through our life and putting it into boxes.

So what is happening, why the packing?
The shipping company that will be sending our things to Auckland is going to store all of our stuff between now and that faithful day. They will arrive on Saturday to collect our well packed life and taking it away for up to 9 months (hopefully less then that). In the mean time we will be moving in with Craig's mum in Balwyn.

Yes, yes, we did originally say that we would move back into Hurstbridge but when you have downsized to a 2 bedroom 1 study apartment and then downsized again ready for a studio apartment in another country, you kind of end up with very little stuff, and serioulsy little when it comes to trying to furnish a 3 bedroom house. So we have decided that our life would be much easier if we stored our stuff and just took the basics that we need to Balwyn. This way our Hurstbridge house can be painted and look fresh and clean for prospective buyers.

The only problem with this plan is there is lots to do, I'm still not quite as fit and healthy as I like to pretend (and aside from finding packing to be very daunting on my own), and I simply get overwhelmed with the actual physical stuff. But on the plus side, I have organised all the power, telephone, internet, water, mail redirection etc etc etc that all needs to be done (and burned mp3's of a bunch of music, just in case the shipping container sinks), so things are getting done, you just can't see them like you can piles of boxes :-)

Zen Gardens

I have been very attracted to the idea of a Zen garden. A space to sit quietly, meditate, draw, read. A space that you know even if others enter the garden, your personal peace will not be disturbed.

I just found this article which I found interesting in its own simplicity and I decided I wanted to add it to my blog so I have a reminder of the things I would like to achieve. I'm hoping I may be able to create a zen garden in Earthsong (I have edited this a little in places - actual article can be found by clicking on the title link). One of the other features I would like to incorporate into my garden would be a space for all the elements - earth, air, fire, water and spirit.
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A Zen garden is the perfect spot to sit and contemplate. Originally a Japanese style of garden, it combines both natural and architectural elements.

The Zen spiritual garden was used by Japanese Buddhist monks from around the 13th century as a place to contemplate and meditate. Layered to create a three dimensional image, a Zen spiritual garden is planned with a foreground and a background leading into a perspective.

Water features

All elements have a purpose for being in the garden and water is the provider of life. It is a natural element that can be displayed as a stream, pond or water feature.

Sand can also be used to represent water, an ideal solution in dry climates, but using the real thing is ok too.

Plants

Plants bring emotion to the garden with various colours, heights and textures.

Rocks for your garden

Rocks are one of the most important elements of a Zen garden because they create dimension. They reflect the scale of time and also provide presence and energy. Select your rocks and stones and then grade them into sizes, with larger to the front and smaller in the background. Choose well worn rocks to add depth and character.

Water alternatives

A sand or pebble formation can be used as an alternative to the element of water. Swirl the sand around to create a rippling or rushing water effect and the swirls will also provide energy to the garden. The sand used in Zen gardens is not beach sand but crushed granite and comes in various shades. Use light coloured pebbles to brighten up a dark area.

Bridge your garden

A bridge is one of the architectural elements that can be used in a Zen garden. They are used to connect different areas of the garden and provide you with views of the garden otherwise unobtainable.

Decorative ornaments

Ornaments are another architectural element that add atmosphere to the garden and serve as focal points. They are ideal for helping to create a sense of distance. This stone lantern (pictured) is in keeping with the Zen feel of the garden.

Gated garden

The beauty of a Zen garden is it can be created in the smallest of spaces. The illusion of depth and space can be created through the placement of elements. Place a gate at the entrance of your garden to further enhance the illusion.

Earthsong Appartment Pics

Yay, very exciting stuff, here are some pics, taken by our wonderful Earthsong neighbour Lippy, of the last stage of Earthsong buildings.

We have decided that we would like appartment 28, an upstairs studio appartment, the walls for the top story appartments haven't been put up yet so hopefully when they do Lippy may send us some more pics.

In other news, we have decided that on Saturday (that's this Saturday the 25th of March) we will be moving all of our non essential items (tv, dvd, desks, bed, kitchenware etc etc) into storage and taking the rest with us to Craig's mum's house where we will live for the next 'x' number of months (at the longest about 9 months) - this is very exciting because it is a definate move towards Earthsong for us, a big shinning billboard saying this is it - your moving!

It's funny that the last big thing Craig and I did was take a 3 month trip up the NE coast of Australia, then come home and moved in with his parents before buying our house in Hurstbridge, now we are doing something very similar.

Not much to report

Well there isn't really that much for me to report at the moment, we are pretty much in a stand still mode waiting on others. I showed a very lovely woman (Katrina) around our house in Hurstbridge on Friday, she is very interested and has lots and lots of plans for the house, but her and her husband need to sort out financing stuff.

What they would really like to do is rent the house until September (when he becomes a really real train driver and not just a trainee) and then purchase the house. This suits us just fine, as long as we can get a deposit and a signed contract of sale from them. The hope is that we can have all of this sorted out by the end of this month - so that Craig and I don't have to move into Hurstbridge or have anything further to do with it really. So we waite for them to organise finances.

We also have to wait on Promethius to get back to us on acceptance of our loan application.

Once we have our loan approved, we know what is happening with Hurstbridge, we can then send an email to Earthsong to advise them that we would love it if they could let us know when a rental comes up and then we can move asap. AHHHHHHHHH I hate waiting!

I am still packing and sorting things, finding out about shipping (apparently we need to ensure our container is near the bottom centre of the boat because they top ones are designed to fall off the boat if need be in rough seas!) and generally keeping busy until I know more.

The link in the title today will take you to my Earthsong flikr page, at the bottom I have added some pics from the Earthsong website of the site layout and concept plan stuff.

That's all for now :-)

Bi-Auckland

I have this awful habit, if I can't find what I want, I try to make it myself, so with that and my need to be supper organised before I leave Oz, in mind, I have created Bi-Auckland a little sister to Bi-Victoria, here's hoping we can make it just as successful :-)

Things are coming together

It looks like a few things are starting to fall into place.

This morning I listed our old bookcases and some books on Freecycle and the bookcases have walked out the door already and the books will be collected on Friday morning - Yay!

Our tenant has called me today to tell me that she will be paying the next 3 weeks worth of rent upfront but will be moving out before then. She is also washing all of the walls and ceilings for me which is great.

My friend Vanessa has offered to help me paint the house, which now means we can go there before Craig and I need to move in, get the painting done and then move in all our crap - I mean beautiful belongings :-)

And... Prometheus (the loan company) has let us know that they have recieved our application and are currently reviewing it, so hopefully we will here back from them very soon.

Ahhh, I can't wait! There is so much to do before we leave, I just hope there is enough regular stuff to do to keep me occupied between now and then!

Another big decision

Craig and I have come to the decision that we will sell our Hurstbrisge house :(

What does this mean for us - in 28 days we will be moving back into our Hurstbridge house to get it ready for sale. We will then, hopefully, sell it within a month or two, have a short settlement date and move to Earthsong if a rental property is available or to Craig's mum's until we can move to Earthsong.

I would like to cut the costs of sale down as much as possible, I think it's possible to sell our house through an agent but handle the viewing etc ourselves and they just do the publicity and paperwork. I believe this costs much less then having an agent show people around. I'd prefer this anyway, having buyers come direct to me, I like private sales, more personal.

Things to do to sell:

• Scream, run around madly for a while, then calm down and get to work
• Find out all costs in selling the property and what we need to sell it for to meet ALL those costs (stamp duty, taxes, agent fees, mortgage payout, beautification costs others I don't know about yet)
• Tidy the gardens
• Paint the interior
• Paint the outside windows

I hate making decisions on a Saturday because then I have to think and stress about them all day Sunday because I can't start implimenting them until Monday! *sigh*

Ahh well, at least I'll have something to do for the next few days - like repaking the boxes I just unpacked :-}

Yet another step towards moving

Along with loosing excess kitchen items, furniture and books, Craig and I have also decided to sell our car. I have listed it for sale on ebay today.

So - anyone one to buy a car?? :-)
eBay.au: Ford Falcon GLI Sedan 1995 Metalic Silver/Blue (item 4618469417 end time 13-Mar-06 17:43:22 AEDST)

AHHH STRESS!

I just had a call from our tenant saying that she has found a house in Panton Hill (which are few and far between apparently) and she would like to move out. So.... now we have to find a new tenant to take over the lease, doable, just unexpected. At christmas she agreed to stay for another 12 months, unfortunatly we didn't take the rental agreement for her to sign with us and I only posted it this week, it would have arrived in todays mail for her to sign, she was only offered the house yesturday - I didn't even know she wanted to move back there :-(

Why is it that just when you think everything is going to come together something really crap happens to scare the hell out of you *sigh*

Here are some pics of Hurstbridge: the one with the path shows you the back of our house, the next one is a blury view of part of the main shops and the last one is a view up from the trainstation.

Mock-ups of appartment

These pics are a 3D mock-up I did of our appartment in Earthsong. They are ruff guess and not 100% accurate, but you get the general idea.
The first is of the bedroom loft on it's own, the second is the main living space and the last one is the loft + living space. I have also included a copy of the floor plan.