Did you ever go for a hike...and you thought it was going to be a short one, and not too hard....only to discover that instead, it was a long, hard, forced march that feels like it may never end? That's been me, since September of 2021.
My husband and I had been dreaming about having a homestead. Ferndale, MD is a nice place, with convenient shopping, and friendly people. And heavy traffic. And a busy airport, and several firestations nearby. Nice? Yes. Quiet? Not so much, lol.
So, there we were at a diner for breakfast on August 29th; my husband was reading, and I was looking at my Zillow app when I came across this really awesome house that sounded like literally everything we said we wanted, plus 3 acres. I showed it to him, all excited, and then he got excited, too. That explains how we ended up in Pennsylvania later that same day looking at a house, and signing a contract for it the next. Fast? We thought so, but it didn't bother us one bit. It felt right.
At the same time, I was working with Taylor Elwood*, who was editing and formatting TechnoWitch, which I'd just finished writing. I remember talking via videochat with Taylor, asking his opinion about when to release TechnoWitch, due to our now impending move. He recommended to wait until after the move. I was too impatient for that, and released it a day or two before our closing date - there would be three more; but I'm getting a little ahead of myself.
Funny, things don't always go the way you plan. The road ends up being more convoluted, with more twists and turns...and has the same effect on your stomach as a roller coaster. DRAMA, dripping, gory drama ensued. Zoning violations, a clerical error, inability to get an appraiser assigned, firing your loan company mid-home purchase to find a *new* one, and THREE settlement dates later, we were able to finally move to our new home in early December. We signed the contract in...August.
I should've listened to Taylor. I didn't anticipate that purchasing our home would have so much drama attached, nor did I anticipate how a two-hour each way commute to my job would tire me out. TechnoWitch got released with no fanfare and nearly no advertising, same as "The In-Between."
As Spring turned to Summer, I retired from my day job, and the long commutes ceased. My hours are blissfully my own, and I have freedom as an adult that I've never felt I had before. We love our homestead.
We're on a ridge top overlooking a beautiful valley, and the ground is full of boulder-size quartz crystals, which is how our property got its name: Crystal Ridge. It's everywhere. Our property has a good vibe, and I acutely feel the elements, the seasons, and time washing around me, which should be awesome for writing. Every season has new gifts. In the spring, watching the sun break over the ridge as I started my day, amidst the chill morning air was my new favorite thing. In summer, being in my garden is: very soon, we'll have cucumbers, yellow squash, and tomatoes. I can't wait for the gifts autumn will bring, or to share it with you!
*Taylor Elwood has many books available on magical topics, as well as fiction, including the "Zombie Apocalypse Call Center" series. Do yourself a favor...check any of them out! All of them are available on Amazon.
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