I don't have enough money for closing costs. I told the mortgage people I would need assistance from the very beginning and the sales rep I'm buying the home from assured me over and over it would not be a problem. I even told them exactly how much I'd be able to save. Now the sales rep says sorry, the lot cost too much to develop and the mortgage guy said he'd "try to fix ASAP" but is now ignoring my e-mails. I seriously, seriously can't take any more. I'm so stressed right now that it's leaking over to my daughter -- she's been having trouble breathing and the school nurse thinks it's anxiety.

I'm going to have to ask someone to lend me $4,000 or walk away from my dream (if they even let me walk away at this point). And thank God that I am blessed with family who I know will help me if they can. But still, I shouldn't have to ask. I should have the funds I need or I shouldn't be buying a house.

A prayer for my new home. By Glendon Place. This was my first experience stitching with Anchor floss and I must say I like the coverage better than what I get with DMC.

And still my house isn't done. We were going to settle on March 31, but discovered last week that the electric company filed my application for service away and didn't give it another thought until I called to see when that was scheduled to be done. So now we have to wait for a permit from the state to run the line under the road. Which should have been applied for a month ago, but since it wasn't I'll have to wait yet another month.

Trying to look on the bright side... my son has decided to go to St. John's College. An easy decision for him since it was the only place that would have him. But that's actually a good thing, since he hadn't considered it before being rejected from his college of choice and the state university and I think it will be a much better place for him. Anyway, the bright side, I'll be able to pay his deposit right away since I now have even more time to save for settlement.

On the stitching front, I think I've finished more projects since I've been "homeless" than I have in all my other years of stitching combined. Much easier to do when you have to concentrate on one thing at a time.

So here it is the end of February and my house still isn't finished. But things are finally moving. The house is on the lot at least and people are out there working every day. So, hopefully we'll be able to settle by the end of March.

But I'm starting to stress again. Am I still mortgage worthy? Will the house end up costing more than I qualify for? Will I have enough money for settlement? Will everything be ruined by Verizon and their inability to generate a correct bill?

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Verizon is once again wrecking havoc in my life. Only this time it's not just money -- it could cost me this house. When I didn't pay the second incorrect final bill -- which I of course notified them of -- they sent it to collections. I paid the collection agency immediately (along with an additional $15 collection fee) and submitted a complaint to the Public Service Commission. I did try to talk to the people at Verizon before doing that, but they just kept transferring me back and forth. I have been assured (and guaranteed even) that the collection won't be reported to the credit bureau, but if it is I can likely kiss my mortgage goodbye.

If you're the praying type, please say an extra one for me. Two weeks ago I probably would have been able to survive this falling apart, but now that I see the house every day (yeah, I take the long way to and from work so I can see it) I've really become emotionally attached to it. If I lose it, I don't think I'll be able to prevent an episode of major depression.

I thought I'd post a quick update. I can't believe it's been two months! The progress with the new home is going very slowly -- settlement on the land took forever and then it rained and rained and rained some more so nothing has been done with the lot. I'm so excited that we're expecting a dry, cold spell so maybe they can get those trees out of there! The old trailer is still in the trailer park since I had a horrible time getting the title so it could be demolished. That turned out to be a simple matter of going to the DMV and signing an affidavit on why I didn't have the original title! Don't you hate it when you keep banging your head trying to do something the way you think you're supposed to only to discover you should have done an end around because that's where you ended up anyway? On the positive side, the home itself was ordered last week, the septic has been designed and the plans are with the state awaiting approval. Settlement has been pushed to at least the end of February, probably March. I'm very grateful that I have a place to live, but I really miss having my own stuff and having that stuff the way I like it.

I've decided to move this weekend to give them time to get this trailer out of here. The sales rep I am working with assures me that everything is moving forward and she will make sure everything works out. So I am going to operate under the assumption that she knows what she's doing and try not to worry so much. Still I won't believe it until we're actually in the new house!

I'll be staying at a friend's until final closing -- which will probably be at the end of January. I won't have internet access and so won't be able to update. And I also suspect my web pages are going to go down since I'm cancelling my Verizon account.

I'm sorting through 15 years of accumulated junk. Half of it I don't even know why I kept. I've been extremely stressed, but I've lost weight, so I guess I've benefited. I still don't know for sure where I'll end up. One day everything looks good and the next some problem seems to crop up. I go from excited and confident to convinced that I've made a huge mistake. Now I'm worried about getting this trailer off the lot. The guy who was supposed to do it came by yesterday and I don't think he liked what he saw. Which means more money and I'm already $6,000 over what I've been approved for. I want this so much -- both the home and property are as close to perfect as I'm going to be able to get. But that part of me that believes I'm not worthy keeps whispering that since I do want it so much I'm sure not to get it. Some crossed fingers, good mojo, and prayers would really help right now.

In stitching news, my rotation has totally been put on hold until I have a home again. I stitched Lisa Cowell's Words to Live By for the special friend who is providing me with temporary shelter. I've also got another project in the works for someone else who I couldn't have done this without. I've also picked two designs to stitch for the new house. Patricia Andrle's Illuminated House Blessing and Passione Ricamo's Fairy Welcome Sampler.



And I can't let you go without raving about my daughter and her fabulous performance as the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland. Here's a couple of pictures.

For better or worse we'll be moving before November 30. I'm not exactly sure where we're going to end up, but if everything goes as I hope and pray I will be a real home owner come February. Regardless, I don't think there'll be any more opossums involved. Because, yes, there have been more of them and not just in the cupboard.

Either that dratted opossum is back or there is now something else in that cabinet. I'm leaning toward the something else because I can hear it walking back and forth in there. I barely ever heard Mr. Opossum. I'm afraid to look. Is there a sign or something under my sink that says "Vermin Hotel. Reasonable Rates."??

I managed to catch that pesky little opossum last night. I feel such triumph! Quite a scraggly looking little thing. Can't really tell, but in the second picture he's "playing dead". Quite convincing. Laying in the food was a very nice touch! I dropped him off in the woods a quarter mile or so from my house -- across two canals and a fairly large swath of marshland. Hopefully, he won't be back! Now I get to clean out the cupboards he was in. Ewwwwwww!! Not really looking forward to that!

Is that a provocative title or what? Unfortunately, you can take it literally. I am trying to catch an opossum that is living in my under sink cabinet as described here. It's not working. But I'm hopeful that it might since I don't want to have to rent a trap. So here I wait for the stupid thing to climb into a garbage can!

Here is more background on Rose. Background stitching is one of those things that I just have to love while I'm hating it. It goes so quickly, but I never feel like I accomplish much because when I'm done there isn't really anything to see.

I also started Bent Creek's The Red Thread.


I'm not entirely happy with how it is turning out. I think I made a mistake with the fabric. I choose Silkweaver's Desert Sky. I was expecting it to be a more peachy tan with blue highlights but it's mostly gray with some very faint tan. The GAST slate thread is practically invisible against the fabric and none of the other colors seem as vibrant as the WIPs I've seen. I'm not sure if I should start over or just replace the one color. I don't know why I worry so since I plan to give this as a gift and the recipient won't have a clue what it should have looked like and will certainly love it even if it does seem washed out to me.

Well, I am tired. So, opossum or no opossum, I am going to bed!