Time to Settle In...

We've had company at the cabin, and have been given the nod on having a cute place and so quiet and peaceful you don't need warm milk or sleep aids to get to dreamland!

My problem now is everything is a shade of BROWN!!! I guess I'm going to have to write Dear Genevieve or jump on Rate My Space to get some ideas on how to change things up since I'm on a major budget. Not that I don't like brown, I do...I look good in brown (all shades), but it gets a little somber at times. Our walls are wooden as are our floors (heart pine...I know, great, right?).

Here are some before photos:

Here are some after photos:

Jimmy has really worked hard on the cabin. He's uncovered a patio below the cabin where we are going to put our wicker furniture and a fire pit so we can roast marshmallows and hot dogs with the grandchildren. He pressure washed the house, cleaned the basement, and is working on the front yard by raking all the old, moldy leaves and getting ready for the autumn/winter leaves.

I've been working part time in Alpharetta at the Home Depot, so I'm not home as much as he, but when I am home, I can get the house cleaned in a half hour or so, then I cook. We just got an odd squash at the farmer's market this weekend, and I can't wait to give it a whirl. Fresh vegetables are pretty much gone for the summer, and the farmer's market will be more crafts, jams and jellies than veggies. There's something new every day.

That brings me to a new thought...it's almost time to celebrate sorghum syrup and apples. I think this will happen in Blue Ridge and Ellijay, respectively. You'll be able to get fresh apple cider and watch them make sorghum. You can spend money or not...I hope you will find some time to go to these festivals. Also, October will be bringing corn mazes and all sorts of cool weather fun!

Day of Discovery

Something I've never had the luxury of doing, because of work, is exploring my new environment and getting used to the area in a relaxed manner. Perhaps the difference is because I always had to be somewhere at a set time and had little leisure time to enjoy discovering my new surroundings.

Well, that has changed!

Jimmy and I took a ride this week just to see what our options for recreation are. Amazing!! We are minutes from Lake Carter where there is a marina, boat ramps, camp sites, and a beautiful beach. We also drove to the dam to see what it looked like up close (you can see it from our neighborhood but can't get much detail). There are public picnic areas as well as ball fields and some with soccer goals provided.

After roaming around the lake and mountains for a while, we went to the local Farmer's Market. The vendors park their loaded pick-up trucks in a parking lot where their produce and wares can be seen by the public. There is fresh corn, peas, beans, watermelons, and peppers; pattypan, yellow crookneck and zucchini squash, tomatoes (both green and ripe), birdhouses, soaps, flowers, and on and on...

Such fun!

We are doing without a dishwasher...there are only two of us, you know! We also have no garbage disposal. We are now composting which is our attempt to "go green". So, our trip to the Farmer's Market resulted in a lot of fodder for our compost heap. Apparently this self-made garden additive can be "complete" in as little as two weeks...we'll see!

A little more about our neighborhood. I've said their are 2200 acres, and few neighbors. I don't know if I mentioned it is a gated neighborhood or not, but oddly enough there are a minimum of four gated entrances to the community. At the main entrance there is an RV park close to the main amenities. Sitting on a hilltop at the back of the property, there is a second pool, picnic pavilion and tennis court ... quite secluded and yes, we will be using it!

For parties, there is a beautiful Lodge sitting on the banks of Talking Rock Creek. There are cliffs across the creek and at just the right angle and at the right time of day you can see faces in the cliffs! There are shoals in the creek, and wading is allowed. In fact, wading is wonderful! I can't wait to get the grandchildren up here and let them run wild.

This is going to be a great place to recover and plan. Just keep reading...

The End ... No Wait! The Beginning...

Thirty days ago, I was a nutcase...


Caught up in the real estate/economy debacle I found myself without income. In fact, my last commission check came in February of this year, for a home I sold in October of last year that needed to be completed. Thank goodness it was completed, because there were homes I sold prior to October last year that still haven't been started or have been started and not completed.


Trying to make a good decision, I have gone into general real estate. What a different animal! There are similarities, of course, but I have a better background in new homes construction than most general real estate agents, and am not as solid in the nuances of re-sales. Not that there is a decent real estate market anywhere, I will persevere and do what is necessary to get clients, by referral or other means (legal and ethical, I assure you!!).


But, I digress...


Since I have had no income since February, and my husband is on disability, we are losing our home to foreclosure. Jimmy (my husband of 37 years) and I started looking for a rental that we could afford. We are trying to live on his disability, which can be done (but it's not fun) while I try to build a business in general real estate and find something part time to give us a little relief from worry.


After looking at about 2000 homes, on line and in person, we settled on a cabin in the north Georgia mountains. We went from a beautiful 2400 square foot home, to a 1000 square foot cabin that needed some TLC. Yes, a lot of our belongings are in storage, and we hope to get them into the basement of our cabin soon. We are down to 2 bedrooms, 1 bath and a 1-butt kitchen!


We have quiet, trees, wildlife, minimal traffic, and I did get a part time job. Our cabin has been totally cleaned and is quite cozy. The neighborhood is gated, has two sets of amenities, a lodge that can be used for parties, and amazing potential for the new home buyer!


We are at the Talking Rock Creek Resort in Ranger, Georgia. It is a gated, (2200 gorgeous acres of woodland, streams, flora and fauna) neighborhood. We see deer, groundhogs (or are they woodchucks?), humming birds, pileated woodpeckers, squirrels, turtles, lizards, frogs, butterflies and moths...so far, that is. I hear there may be a bear up here somewhere.


There are few full time residents here, so it is very quiet during the week. A great place to rest and rejuvenate. In fact, if you are reading this blog and it sounds like a great place to you, let me hear from you. I can get you in the gate to see the property and help you pick out your homesite and builder. There is inventory here as well, including some foreclosures. The pricing is fabulous!!

NOW, all that being said, where there is an end, there will be a beginning. Starting over is not easy, nor is it very much fun if you let yourself get bogged down and depressed. Always look up and forward, never down and behind. Today is a new day, and tomorrow (as well as all the tomorrows following) will be one as well. Make the most of it!