So let's go back to the beginning...
As Mandy said, we've been afraid to talk about it because it might get jinxed. So the things that I feel like everyone knows may actually only be known to a few.
In 1981 I was late getting registered for Kindergarten because it didn't occur to my dad to register me until several weeks after all the other kindergarteners had started. So here we go off to find Kindergarten. My granny dressed me in a blue plaid dress with a white pinafore and black patent leather shoes. I was wearing yellow crayon barrettes in my hair.
The first place we stopped looking for Kindergarten turned out to be the Acme boot factory on Adkisson Street, but it looked like a school... Soon we found Ashland City Elementary school and were given a tour by Mr. Sapp. Then Dad left and I found myself in Ms. Duggin's kindergarten class. It was already nap time by the time I arrived. I didn't have a kinder mat yet, so I napped on a cot provided by Ms. Duggin.
In the darkened kindergarten classroom, Sandy Moore lay beside me. We whispered greetings so as to not attract the attention of Ms. Duggin.
Why, you might ask, is this the beginning of a story about my family moving into a new house in 2009?
Sandy introduced me to Mandy Smith. She, Sandy, and I would become lifelong friends. There would be many sleepovers, scooter rides, pool parties, creek capers, out house adventures, and more to follow over the next 13 years of school. Even today the three of us are still in regular contact.
Recently, Mandy's mother passed away. I noticed a For Sale By Owner sign in the yard bearing Mandy's phone number. I sent her an e-mail telling her that I work at a title company and would be honored if I could help her with the process and threw in that we were looking for a new place for our expanding family if she were interested in owner financing. One thing led to another and here we are, moving into our own home.
While the blessing is bittersweet due to the circumstances under which the house became available, I think this is going to be good for both families. My family gets to venture into the world of home ownership and Mandy's family gets to know that a very greatful friend will be caring for and loving her mother's home.
I'll keep you updated on the process. Keep me in your prayers - change is hard for me!
