SSDreamin Blessings and curses

[SSDreamin]

Thanks DD! They didn't respond, so I will have to start court proceedings early next month

On a up note, the people said yes on our other house, and we go down Saturday to close

In 'strange' news, I went to a WEIRD grocery store yesterday. OK, weird isn't the right word, but anyway...

I felt like I'd stepped through some sort of time warp! Here and there, throughout the store, Bible verses were posted! DS#2 noted that, on some of their store labels, it said Jesus Loves You. One young lady (with a beautiful voice, btw) was softly singing hymns as she worked!! I had a few questions about 1) a product I couldn't find and 2) a service I thought they might be able to help with. WOW! They LISTENED to me, went out of their way to help, tracked down an answer for the service I requested AND gave me directions to the place I needed to go. What kind of freaks WERE these people????

I guess I've become so used to cold, impersonal stores, rude cashiers that seem irritated that you've forced them to do their jobs, all the while listening to canned music, I'd forgotten what true customer service and friendly service felt like! The 'manager' even asked what I used the product (diastatic malt) for and how it helped - showing interest in my needs, instead of looking at me like I not only had three heads, but should know better than to interrupt them with something as silly as a question!

DS#2 decided that that grocery store was his new absolute favorite (he must buy 'treats' with his own money - he went through the 'other' grocery store we went to after, pricing his bargains, and said he only wanted to shop at the 'nice' store from now on )

The ONLY thing that threw me off a little, was their habit of speaking in a 'foreign' language to each other. My hubby was fluent in German, and I know it's not German. I lived in TX long enough to know it definitely isn't Spanish. Maybe Dutch? Maybe some combo of German and Dutch? I'm not sure, and I didn't ask. It was just very different sounding.

I'm sure most of you have figured out, it was an Amish store. And no, I didn't compliment the singing stockgirl - although I almost did! Oops! She would've stopped immediately, possibly never to continue (they are not suppose to draw attention or praise to themselves), which would've been a shame.

Oh, I also canned up some cranberry juice this week. I don't think I strained it well enough though, as it was a bit cloudy. Hopefully it will be alright. Also canned up more grd venison and had some homemade sauerkraut a coworker of hubby's (auto mechanic genius guy) sent home with him for me. Man, was that good! I am getting the recipe and going to grow some cabbage this year, so I can make my own! I'm the only one here that will eat it, but I don't care - I was eating that stuff right out of the jar like candy!!

 

[rathbone]

That store sounds heavenly.
My family speaks Spanish in public. I am always surprised at how disconcerting it is to people, as if we are being rude to them. One person finally told me she thought we were talking about others so they couldn't understand us. The truth is, it is our way of 1. Maintaining our family culture and 2. Showing our children that we are every bit as proud of our home language as we are of speaking English. I don't want my children to think the language is something we keep hidden at home.
Congrats on your new favorite family store.

 

[ORChick]

That really sounds like a neat store that you found!

I've only heard a little of the way the Amish speak on television, and read some about it in books, but I would guess that what you heard was their version of German ... even though you say it didn't sound German. Most of the Pennsylvania Dutch came from a certain region of Germany centuries ago, and brought their own dialect with them, which, of course, has changed over time, as languages do. They have also taken in certain English words, to cover new things that their old fashioned German had no word for. I know from experience that, even in Germany, when the locals get going in their native dialect, my knowledge of High German means very little. In fact, when DH gets talking with his friends in his native city I have to listen very carefully to get the gist of what they are saying. If we go to Bavaria (for example) even DH can't follow what they are saying if they speak dialect. And my German is quite good, after almost 40 years of marriage to my guy.

An amusing (to me ) sidenote about language - once when we were in the German part of Switzerland we watched a TV program where they were speaking Swiss German; the screen had subtitles for those who couldn't understand. The subtitles were in High German! We both found that very funny.

 

[SSDreamin]

OR - DH often says he spoke bad German as a teenager, realized just how bad when he toured parts of Europe, and hasn't actively 'practiced' it since Still, I'd like to take him in there, to see if he could pick up on any of it. We have watched shows in German, that he has translated for me, but they sounded nothing like that.

Rathbone, I always get that feeling too - that they are talking about me! A friend once pointed out that I shouldn't think I'm so important My guess is they were talking business - 'put that over there' 'did we get the canned peas in yet' 'how much are we charging for the boxes of cereal this week' - stuff they really can't do in private/don't want the customers to overhear. It was just so different, so odd, as compared to other languages I've heard spoken, it caught me off guard. Hope I explained that right!

 

[SSDreamin]

Guess i should post a quick update, as I have been severely slacking (say that five times fast ) lately.

We closed on our old house. It was a chore, as we had to jump through some hoops to make the place acceptable for them. It was sad to hear her talk about all the changes she planned to make to my old house when we did the final walk through, but everybody's different and I just tried to remember all the changes I made and how unhappy the people who used to live there would've been about them. Unfortunately, the new owners didn't get to be introduced to the neighbors, as they (the neighbors) were gone to NC because their son had a heart attack. Have tried calling them to check in and see how he's doing, but no answer on their cell or home phone, so I am getting worried.

We (I) have filed the preliminary paperwork on our other house, notifying the deadbeats that their time of living in our home without paying is over. The time allotted in that paperwork (for them to pay off the note) has expired, and I am in the process of filing the secondary paperwork, which asks a judge to return possession of the house to us - legally - and ask for monetary damages. It is slow going, as I am not, nor do I ever want to be, an attorney, and trying to wade through the legaleeze and properly fill out the documents is very stressful! A family member couldn't understand why we'd (I'd) even think of attempting it without a lawyer. Hmmm... I guess, if I hadn't picked the money tree bare paying all the required things FOR the deadbeats, I may be able to afford an attorney. As it is, I am at present trying to figure out how to pay our bills, because - if we don't pay theirs FIRST, we could be in serious hot water, and doing so has left us unable to take care of OUR payments. It took over a month just to save up the filing fees for this second part. We won't begin receiving money from the other house until March and, if we wait until then, we would have to start the process all over again, because too much time will have expired between document #1 and the filing of document #2. So frustrating. It has made me worn down and consequentially, sick. Depressing.

All this has, unfortunately, put a grinding halt to any repairs/winterizing/ss-a-fying we need to do to this house. DH has been trying very hard to dig us out financially - working 7 days a week and begging his boss to use him where ever he can. I am so thankful he is able to do that in this economy, but I miss him terribly, and his being gone only adds to the stress.

We had to switch Ice Cream over from the round bale she had been eating from (she finished it), to some square bales we had bought this past Fall. She refused to eat it! She cried and cried, but wouldn't touch that hay! She even began eating the straw we had bought for her bedding instead!! So, I went to a supplier here and bought one bale to test her on. She gobbled it right up! I wonder if there is something not right with the other hay? It doesn't smell and it isn't moldy... Now, I need to buy more hay At least she isn't full sized - one bale will last her over a week.

My chicken girls are on strike, because DH isn't here. They absolutely adore him and will lay 2-3X as many eggs when he's home! Hubby thinks that's hilarious, I don't. Rotten girls! I dote on them, so why the cold shoulder?!

 

[pinkfox]

HUGS*

sounds like you need them...
but at the same time it also sounds like things are now starting to move sforward, slowly...but its still movement and when its all over and done with youll be in a much better place.
hang in there! YOU CAN DO IT!

 

[Denim Deb]

I don't envy what you're going thru. My brother rented out a house 1x. What he went thru to get the people out was horrible. He finally sold the house after he paid to have all kinds of repairs done. I think he lost money on it. I think you need that.

 

[snapshot]

Yikes! You've got a lot going on! At least it's not all bad! Praying that everything keeps moving forward consistantly!!!!!!

 

[rathbone]

I'm sorry you are going through all this stress. I wish I could send you a box of fortitude... But really you already have it. You are doing what is needed even though it is really really hard.

 

[SSDreamin]

Thanks everybody! I was doing some stressed out venting, and I apologize.

After an hour on the phone with hubby, trying to figure it out, and me crying about it (which is NOT like me), we have decided to look for a lawyer in this area who may be willing to guide us. I would be happy to pay a nominal fee to have him/her review my paperwork and make sure it's up to snuff. That way, I know it's right and the rest, well, I can probably figure that out as I go. With the pressure off, I had a fantastic nights sleep! I'm sure the animals weren't happy about the late hour I got up, but I feel SO much better today!

Our ex-neighbors called last night. Their son is doing much better. Had to have 3 stents put in, but should be back to normal within a month! She made me promise to stop in and see them if we are anywhere in the area. What wonderful people!

Schooling went smoothly for DS#2, and I have decided to put off picking up hay, grain, and chicken feed until tomorrow. Today I plan to can up some cheese and butter. Maybe even get my nerve up and can up some bacon!