Delaware Off-Topic (house, work, art)

[CMTAD]

Some of you know me well enough to know that I pretty much stick to the facts and try to keep things fairly even. I'm not one who is given to hyperbole. But I have to tell you that the last few hours have been an absolute delight.

For those not there, some of the folks who post on the Delaware forum got together today for lunch and it was one of the best times I've had in a long time. We laughed and chatted as if we'd known each other intimately for years.

When I left Delaware for home after my last visit last in December, it was a little sad because I was leaving behind my friends Elizamary and Bill. This time, it's going to be even harder because of the wonderful time we've all just shared together.

To my friends - your spirit, goodness and generosity are a bit overwhelming and to have been able to join you for lunch today was truly a highlight! Thank you all so very much for a really great time. I enjoyed meeting and chatting with each one of you. As the "northerner", you made me feel like I was family. I'm very grateful for your friendship.

If today was a preview of what my retired life will look like, then it's going to be even better than I had planned.

Thanks again for everything.

Charley

[elizamary]

Charley..........I assure you the pleasure was all ours

[rdlr]

Charley.....we all enjoyed your company so much! It's easy being friendly with nice people like you and your son.

But, I bet you're just being nice because you want to weasel another mushrat recipe out of me!!!

[LaceyEx]

Charley-so glad and knew you'd fit right in - just from chats on CD!! Eliza and Delly are so helpful.

Glad you're having fun!

[elizamary]

Originally Posted by LaceyEx

Charley-so glad and knew you'd fit right in - just from chats on CD!! Eliza and Delly are so helpful.

Glad you're having fun!

Lacey,
Charley is the kind of guy that can fit in anywhere. Just a people person along with being super nice to everyone.

[nevada49]

I have been reading posts on this part of the Delaware CD Forum and it sounds like all of you had a nice get-together recently. I am coming in about a month; plan to look at the area around Dover, including Southern Meadows, Elizamary, with a side trip to Rehoboth Beach area, which is probably out of my price range but I want to see Ocean City and the boardwalks so will go there. I also plan to have a realtor show me some resales so I can see how some of these communities are when people are actually livng there, as opposed to model homes in new communities. This is akin to test-driving a used car 3 or 4 years old to see how the model holds up when considering a new car of that model. I am really looking forward to my trip which will be part-pleasure and part house hunting. Maybe I will see you in SM Elizamary. I will definitely tell the sales agent I read your positive posts. Eileen in CT.

[elizamary]

Originally Posted by nevada49

I have been reading posts on this part of the Delaware CD Forum and it sounds like all of you had a nice get-together recently. I am coming in about a month; plan to look at the area around Dover, including Southern Meadows, Elizamary, with a side trip to Rehoboth Beach area, which is probably out of my price range but I want to see Ocean City and the boardwalks so will go there. I also plan to have a realtor show me some resales so I can see how some of these communities are when people are actually livng there, as opposed to model homes in new communities. This is akin to test-driving a used car 3 or 4 years old to see how the model holds up when considering a new car of that model. I am really looking forward to my trip which will be part-pleasure and part house hunting. Maybe I will see you in SM Elizamary. I will definitely tell the sales agent I read your positive posts. Eileen in CT.

Hi Eileen,
I think you will like the dover area, in and around. Good Idea to check out resales. Actually, we were considering a resale and then found this place.
A realtor in De sent me a listing of resales and SM was on the list even thought it was NOt a resale.
Otherwise, we would not have know this place was here and probably would have bought somewhere else.
We found the resales were not the cheap and it was cheaper to buy a new home than a resale.
But then again, the resales are pretty equipped with washer and dryer and a few up grades.
We have one resale here in SM. The couple couldn't sell their house in PA so are now moving back.
I would love to meet you when you come down and will send you a PM.

There were a few communities within our price range that we checked out.
Bon Ayre, Barclay Farms, Sussex West and SM.
Sussex West is in Lewes. you may want to check this out too. We liked the community but didn't think we could handle all the traffic in the summer. Although the communitiy was off the beaten path. It was very reasonable and the homes were really nice but no pool.
I can't wait for ours to open. I enjoyed this so much last summer.
Take care

[anniebleu]

Hi Nevada,

We've lived in Dover for more than 30 years, so if I can be of help, let me know--though some of the new folks know more about some things than I do! They're out there actively searching! We do need a change of state, after all this time, and need to be closer to family members, but we have liked, and still like, a number of things about Delaware. We're somewhat on hold with moving at this time. That is, we're preparing, but hoping the market will improve--so it may be a couple years before we take off.

Eliza, if you see this, and I suspect you might , I think your approach to your move was amazing. One thing that really impressed me was that you say you gave away or sold almost everything, and moved with very little, then bought new. I hadn't considered this. I tell myself that I'm too sentimental about things, and can't abandon them. But the more I think about it, the more I think I might thoroughly enjoy mostly new! (Have to drag along some of the passed along forever antiques though.)

Charley, your idea about studying the houses in your area for aspects of curb appeal is a good one. I think I may have been doing this unconsciously, but now I plan to take notes!

The group get-togethers do sound wonderful. I hope I'm not a persona non grata because we're planning to move. We're quite aware that there are some good reasons for staying here. Wish we could lure family, move in an airport, couple other things!

Annie

[elizamary]

Originally Posted by anniebleu

Hi Nevada,


Eliza, if you see this, and I suspect you might , I think your approach to your move was amazing. One thing that really impressed me was that you say you gave away or sold almost everything, and moved with very little, then bought new. I hadn't considered this. I tell myself that I'm too sentimental about things, and can't abandon them. But the more I think about it, the more I think I might thoroughly enjoy mostly new! (Have to drag along some of the passed along forever antiques though.)
!

Annie

Hi Annie...........You suspect right I usually dont' miss a trick.
2 years before we moved, I was aware we would downsize and most of what we had stored was junk. I have never been an antique person and not even sure I had any. We did inquire about a few items but they were just junk.
Also, Most of what we had was OLD........really OLD and falling apart. I keep putting off replacing it because I knew we were moving and wasn't quite sure what we wanted.
My dishes were old and nothing matched, toaster was on its last legs along with all the other small appliances.
If the furniture I had wasn't old, it wouldn't fit in with our new home.
When we sorted through all our stuff I asked myself the question "do I really need this?"......If I hesitated in answering...Out it went.
Got this from Oprah show.
I only kept what I absolutely considered worth keeping for whatever reason.
Most of my knick knacks, odds and ends are in my china curio or large curio cabinet.
I really didn't want to pay to have all that junk that I really didnt' need or want transported to our new home in DE. Had enough boxes to sort through as it is.

[CaroleM]

Hi.........I like your question to yourself "do I really need this".....I am sorting and throwing away "stuff". I have time to do this now instead of when we make the permanent move.

Happy Easter to all,
CaroleM