Déjà Vu All Over Again
Part 1
I thought of telling you The Navage Patch is dead, long live the Navage Patch, but…then I remembered that I already told you that back in April of 2020. So then I thought of informing you that all good things must come to an end…but you already knew that, didn’t you, because I told you that back in September.
So what does that leave me with?
Here we go again?
Jacksonville we hardly knew ya?
Oops, we did it again?
I can’t I can’t I can’t stand moving?
I’d tell you it’s old hat at this point, but however old this hat gets, it certainly doesn’t get any easier.
But needs must, madam. Needs must.
So in the spirit of one-upping every military family out there who thinks they move a lot, let me be the first to announce and inform that The Navage Patch is moving.
Again.
I know, I know – you were expecting a move. Our apartment was only temporary, and it was only a matter of time before we found ourselves a suitable house nestled among the palm trees, waterways and sandpipers of the Greater Jacksonville area.
But madam.
Madam!
We’re not staying in Jacksonville!
We’re moving moving.
Again.
What what WHAT, you say?
But you just got to Jacksonville, you say?
It’s true. The ink is barely dry on Handan’s Jacksonville relocation offer, but here’s the thing – they also wanted (and needed) her for a project somewhere else.
So when the opportunity presented itself (like a slap in the face from a cold mackerel), and we had a chance to weigh our options, the choice was clear. Besides, as you already knew…we were going to be moving anyway, so why not clear across the state instead of just across town?
So without further blathering, the Navages are moving to…well, first let me tell you where Handan’s new office is: Destin – on Florida’s beautiful Emerald Coast.
We won’t be living in Destin though, because in order to buy a house the size we need for the blog with a yard big enough for our dogs, we’d need to be sleeping on mattresses stuffed with hundred dollar bills, which we are surely not.
My babes is there now, in a short-term rental overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.
Literally looking out upon the Gulf.
And me? Well, I’m back in Suwanee, humping boxes and woodworking equipment like a rented mule – endless trips from the basement to the driveway. I’m currently loading up the first of two Pack-Rat containers and getting the house ready to list for sale.
Life moves pretty fast around here. Blink twice, and we might be living in another time zone.
Oh wait!
We will be in another time zone!
That was quite a shock on our first trip to Destin. I suppose it really shouldn’t have been – after all, the Florida panhandle is nothing more then deep south Georgia and deep south Alabama – and everyone knows that Alabama is in Central Time!
The hour time difference has already thrown Handan like a bronco. She’s missed at least two meetings in her first week with colleagues from Jacksonville due to that measly one hour difference. Put her halfway around the world, and she’s right as a clam in the rain. But one hour?
Disastrous.
Okay, here’s the thing – I’m not used to working like any kind of mule, not least of which the rented kind. Mules have been beasts of burden since the dawn of man on a good day. A rented mule doesn’t stand a chance!
So my days have gone something like this:
Wake. Caffeinate. Work myself like a rented mule until just before dark. Eat. Drink martinis. Talk to my babes on Facetime. Fall asleep while still on Facetime. Repeat.
I started this post three nights ago, I think. Maybe four. I know this is at least my third time adding to it, but it’s entirely possible I wrote a few sentences in a daze one of the nights and forgot all about it.
As goes the body, so goes the mind, madam.
As below, so above.
Anyway, the worst of the schlepping is behind me. The pod is three quarters full, and today’s rain let me tackle some indoor projects as well as to power wash the driveway, front walk and stoop. My realtor assured me that potential buyers of The Navage Patch V2.0 would not be as enamored of my grout-grown moss collection as I am.
Whatever. Their loss.
*******
It’s another morning at the salt mines. Though I’ve accomplished a ton this week, it doesn’t look like I’ve really done anything, because I haven’t yet started to tidy the main living area. This gives me a little panic every morning, but then I realize that there are plenty of hours in a day and after today, I won’t have to worry about the Pack Rat pod anymore.
That is…I won’t if it will ever stop raining. I laid in bed this morning (this is my first time this week writing before work) listening to the wind and rain. The forecast called for a “brief shower” this morning – a prognostication that led me to move up the storage container’s pickup day from Tuesday to tomorrow. But the sounds emanating from Mother Nature this morning don’t give me much hope. Another check of the forecast confirmed the “brief shower” malarkey, but when I checked the hourly forecast, it seemed like the rain will be my companion today until 7pm.
Wonderful.
Hauling boxes up the side yard is going to be so much fun in the rain!
Golly, it’s too bad my babes has to suffer down in Destin with all that awful 70 degree weather and that horrible Gulf of Mexico surrounding her at all times. She must be wishing she was up here with me freezing and shivering and hauling boxes through the rain.
Now that’s living!
Okay, well as much as I’d love to stick around and chew the fat, I’ve got work to do. Panic sets in if I stop moving for too long, and the only cure is a martini. As it’s only 8 am, I have to wait 11 or 12 hours before my first sip of anxiety medication.
Until then, this rented mules is off to the salt mines.
More updates to come. The next time you hear from me, our house will be on the market, and I’ll be down in the panhandle with my babes! 🙂
Part 2
Twenty two hours.
Just twenty two hours was all it took for our house to go under contract!
I can say without exaggeration that the week leading up to listing was the hardest work week of my life, but it was worth it! The house was cleaner than it had ever been when I left town to go be with Handan in Destin.
We listed on a Tuesday night, and I headed out on Wednesday morning. By 10 am Wednesday, our realtor (Susan Craig – Suwanee Wonder Woman) had something like 20 showings booked. Her plan to list mid-week, build excitement and then host an open house on Saturday had been trampled by a stampede of anxious buyers and determined agents. It seemed her open house would start immediately.
I got calls from neighbors as I drove. They thought Hollywood had pulled into our subdivision to film a movie. Cars lined the street and people milled around our yard frantically typing into their phones. By lunchtime the first offers came in. By dinner, we were under contract.
Holy guacamole!
We’re selling our Georgia house!
Part 3
There are no houses.
None.
Well, there are houses, but they’re either too small, too expensive, too far away or too…are you kidding me??
But we did find one.
One.
One house that would fit our needs. It’s not a perfect house, but honestly that’s what we need, otherwise I’d have nothing to blog about. I do enjoy crafting, but we can’t survive as a craft blog – 4 months in a Jacksonville apartment confirmed that. At least half of you would mutiny and wave goodbye if I ever announced a 100% crafting format.
Nope. I’m hankering to build again!
So we need a house that’s not perfect. A house that I can do stuff to!
So this house we found fits the bill for that. And the yard is a wide open canvas for landscaping, because…there is none.
But there’s enough land for the doggies, a pool (much needed in Florida, despite my feelings about them when we had one in Connecticut), and whatever landscaping we may desire.
Oh, and it’s on a golf course. How about that? But we won’t have to worry about golfers swatting hooks onto our porch or peering through our windows. For one, the house sits at the far end of the driving range. But more importantly, every house in this development has a large earthen berm protecting it from the course and the course from the four-legged residents of the house.
We were told that when the subdivision was new, the homeowners would let their dogs roam free, and the course soon filled up with steaming little gifts from the canine population. In retaliation (and exasperation), the golf course owner sent out a bulldozer brigade to mound up the earth behind each house and essentially insulate his course from the houses surrounding it.
For me, it’s a win-win. When I was a golfer, I never enjoyed looking at people’s homes when playing, and as a homeowner, I’d prefer not to have to look at Davey Divot and Suzy Slice hack their way through the back 9 while sipping my morning coffee.
The downside to this golf course home is that it is kinda far from Destin. Handan’s commute would be about 50 minutes. But, unlike the stress, traffic and constant accidents of the Suwanee-Atlanta corridor, it’s an easy road.
Oh, and the town is in the middle of nowhere and has very little infrastructure. Two thousand residents, I think?
Lowe’s is 20-30 minutes away. Ditto Walmart and Winn-Dixie. Costco? Pfffft…a couple of hours in Pensacola. Oh, and IKEA? Yeah that’s either a 5 1/2 hours drive to Atlanta or a 5 hour drive to Jacksonville.
Sigh…
But the region is growing like gangbusters, and there’s already plenty of commercial space being developed.
If there’s one virtue I’ve developed in spades it’s patience. I can wait 5 years for the area to develop.
There’s just one thing. The house is priced a little too high…
Part 4
We have a deal.
My babes is far too superstitious to give out any public information about the house now, but we have a deal!
As things move closer to closing, we’ll share more information, but for now, it looks like The Navage Patch V3.0 is in the making!
Stay tuned for more, and thank you for your patience during this very difficult move and transition.
In my next post, I’ll show you the real estate pics I took of our Georgia Home and compare them to what the house looked like when we moved in, so you can get a full sense of what we did in the year and half we were here!
Oh wow. I feel your pain. Moving is hard. I moved with my family from Florida to Minnesota in December.We lived there 9 years. My hubby found his dream job in Brunswick, Georgia unfortunately that dream job was not what it seemed. We were only there for one year. We now live in Tennessee. So yeah moving is hard but totally worth it.
It will be worth it in the end, Millie! This has been an exhausting move so far, and we’ve only just begun. It will be over soon, though, and life will return to normal! 🙂
This sounds a little like my husband and I! We had lived in Florida for a very long time then his job said, ok it’s time to move! so we picked Tennessee! We love it!
We live just south of Murfreesboro,Tn.
Hope you are enjoying it as much as we do!❤️
We love it so far, Lori, and have no doubt we will continue to do so!
Wishing you all the best
Thank you, Colleen!
So glad you’ve reappeared Greg – even if it’s just to tell us you’re disappearing again! For the last week or so I’ve been going “hmm – that Navage Patch is mighty quiet, hope all is well with them” and here you are running about the country again instead of writing blogs for this ole lady in the UK. Stay safe and enjoy – looking forward to the next installment and the next house.
I will try to keep up with blogging during the rest of the move. The last few weeks were rough. I was running rugged moving out of Jax and packing Georgia. Handan is with me now, so things are getting easier! 🙂
You take your time and do what you need to – I can wait for all the gossipy details until you have had time to write them. But will be looking forward to hearing ALL the gossipy details 🙂
I’ll sure have a lot to write about with this move!
Good luck, Greg. Glad you caught us up. I’ve been missing your blog. I would read it even if I wasn’t a crafter as you are always brightens my day. Keep us updated please. Hugs
Missed you guys!!!! Can’t tell you how good it is to have you back 🙂
We’re back, and I’ll do my best to post throughout the pain of moving! 🙂
Boy am I confused I thought you guys had sold the Georgia home a long time ago and we’re living in an apartment??
No, we moved to an apartment and were planning to sell the GA house when we were ready to buy a house in Jax. Turns out, we’re not in Jax anymore!
OMGosh, I called it!! When we didn’t see a post for quite some time I mentioned that I thought you guys would be moving again. Too bad we didn’t have a pool going.
Being ex-Navy, we have an understanding of the relocation dance. We hope your move goes smoothly and we’re looking forward to hearing about the next chapter in your new adventure.
All the best to you both! Cheers 🍻
Thanks, Mo! I didn’t know you guys are military! Thank your hubs for his service for us! We’re moving to a huge military area. Army, Air Force and Navy all around us! I love the sound of heavy metal in the air.
Wow! Didn’t see a new town in your immediate future. Down side to the great real estate market. Sell fast and make lots of money, then spend it all and more on a new house. We have a lot of people moving to Texas and it has really driven up real estate prices in my area. Can’t wait to see all your new projects. Y’all are such an inspiration.
I know, right? We’re pleased with our sale price, but it’s all going to go back into FL!
Oh my goodness! So much going on! I dont envy you one bit!! But i cant wait to see what FL holds for u! Enjoy the Giant Bugs and the love bugs ( not really) and take pics of the tree frogs!!! Cant wait to see whats ahead for u all!!!
We can’t wait either, Amykate! Great things ahead!
Bless you! You’re still young enough to do this. I can remember doing things when I was in my 50’s and 60’s that I look back on now and wonder how I managed. Best of luck and I’m looking forward to seeing your new home and all of your upgrade projects. Let’s hope you get to stay in this house for a bit longer!
We hope so too, Teddee! We really loved this house, but when it’s time to go, it’s time to go! We have great hope for our FL home!
OMG, try to get some rest! I’ve missed you and I’d bet my morning coffee that a lot of others have too. I’m happy you guys got to stay in Florida. It really is beautiful. I’ll try to be patient waiting for the new building and diys.
More amazing things!
Rest will happen next month…or maybe April, lol! So many great things ahead…we can’t wait!
Well…never a dull moment with you guys. Destin is a pretty area although I’m sure it is getting too built up and those house prices are nuts. Congrats on selling your house so quickly. I’m not surprised real estate is crazy right now everywhere. Glad your hiatus was due to this and not some catastrophe. Looking forward to following your adventures NOT in Jacksonville!
Never a dull moment, Carla! Destin is beautiful, and yes, we missed the boat by only 6 months. If we had moved last spring, things were still selling for peanuts. Oh well, we had no say on the timing, so we’re going to make the best of what we have! 🙂
Yes, moving stress is right up there with divorce and death of a spouse. I know. I’ve worked for a moving company for 30 years. I hope that you get to stay in Destin for a while so you can get some rest. Until the house renovations start, anyway.
We hope to stay there forever, Susan. Too much moving, lol!
Missed you guys. Great to know you are all doing fine. Can’t wait for the next update. Also looking forward to all the new projects. Be safe and stay healthly!!
We’re doing great, Mona! So sorry for the absence!
I feel your pain. We sold our house in the Charlotte area and moved to a rental in Myrtle Beach, lived there 2 months and moved again to our permanent home. That last move was first of December and this weekend (Mid Feb) we finally have the garage organized so you can walk in it, and most of the furniture that is going in the house, in the house.
Good luck with all the schlepping to get into your new house and set up the way you like it
Thanks, Becky – it’s a long slog, but we’ll get through it. I never thought the CT move would end, but everything does…eventually! 🙂
Yikes!!
That’s a lotsa moving!
It’s good to know ya’ll are doing good.
I was starting to wonder!
We’re doing great now, Kathryn! 🙂
Greg & Handan,
Congrats on the new house! I’ve missed your posts. I look forward to all your new projects and pics. Good luck!
Michele
Thank you, Michele, we are so excited!
The “what” didn’t surprise. The “where” did. Destin? Last time there was over 60 years ago and it was just ten or so beachfront shacks on stilts. This freckled redhead stayed out of the sun inside the shack, but had a great time anyway. So, not Dubai. An hour away from Destin must put you in LA or close to it. Have fun!! Post more. SuzAnne
Oh, I can assure you it’s grown since then, lol! Not much empty space left there!
As I was reading this, I kept hearing Willie Nelson singing “On the Road Again.” Looking forward to seeing the new digs, but moving ain’t for the faint-hearted. Why do we accumulate so much stuff? Hope this time is for a longer time so you can settle in more.
Oh man, we hope so too, Laurie. Even with clearing out a ton of crap, the load just doesn’t feel much lighter!
Never a dull moment with you all. That woman of yours is obviously a hot commodity. Congrats. Good luck. And carry on man !! Carry on.
She is a hot commodity! Fingers crossed we’re able to stay for a while, lol!
You and Handan will almost be neighbors. Alabama here. Take it slow.
Handan, all the best on your new location and job. And we’ve been here in Central Time for 10 years and the hour difference is still confusing but not as bad as at first here.
All the best.
Hi Neighbor! I’ve driven through Alabama three times no going back and forth. Can you believe I’d never been before? Fun Fact: Penny and Pepper are Alabama rescue dogs!
Congrats bud!
Thank you, my friend!
After the hard work, look forward to your new adventure! There’s a reason the windshield is far larger than the rear view mirror!! Have a wonderful adventure💕
I love that!
Love your stories and I’m looking forward to the future tales. In the meantime, enjoy the journey, take lots of pictures, and take the time you need to get settled. I wish you all the best!
Thank you so much, Dawn! We’ll take it as fast as we can, but as slow as we need. 🙂
So glad to hear from you! Both of you staff safe and don’t work to hard. Can’t wait for the blog to return!
Thanks, Missi – it won’t be long now! 🙂
The interest rates are going up and people are anxious to buy now. But dang, 22 hours!!!! Congratulations. Moving is SO hard! Why do we have so much stuff?!?!?! But all that fresh shrimp, I am so envious!!
Nancy, as long as the interest rate on fresh shrimp stays low, I think we’ll all be okay! 😀
Congrats? I feel like this is a fun move but stress sucks. Living away from the hustle is a good thing – makes the trips to town more meaningful. HA! Best of luck to y’all – can’t wait to see the next episode (like The D-R-E)
Ariel
LOL, you just brought back memories of junior year in college. Dre and Snoop were on constant rotation (along with Phish, The Allman Bros, The Dead, Panic – wide mix of music!).
I’d move tomorrow if I could 🙂
But this time I’d call a moving company to do it for me. I like the adventure of making a new place ‘ours’ but since we are country people it usually involves a well, septic, electric and a driveway (to start). Painful indeed so we’ll stay put!
I wish you the best in your new location, Handan her new job and am looking forward to v3!
(3.5 hours to Ikea for me, it’s sad!)
Thank you, Jean! Yeah, there will be some adjustments, for sure, but we’ll get by. And I am looking forward to the change in pace!
Amazing story
It has been a good market for sellers but not for buyers.
I really like Destin and we have gone there for vacations. We do not like to move. Sounds like all is working out for you. My wife and I moved once over a weekend (many years ago) 700 miles only to turn around and go back to South Carolina where we left from. We now live below Atlanta on a lake south of Atlanta and plan no more moves (after nearly 8 over our lives). Cheers
Hi Mark, we looked south of Atlanta when we moved here – great area! I hope we stay in FL for a while. We’re ready to settle!
Like other commenters I’ve missed y’all and worried something happened to you or another episode with Baris. Good to know you’re ok. I was born and raised in Panama City. You are moving to a beautiful area. The commute might be a bit longer in summer months as traffic us horrendous at that time. Best of luck to y’all
Ah, that’s so cool! We haven’t been to Panama City yet, but it’ll be one of the stops on our first road trip! 🙂
Wow, wow, WOW! Best of luck to both of you as you begin this next chapter. I’m reminded of instructions that came with one of those chip-wood it takes you five hours to put together desks: “Feel free to take a break if you need it”. This has been a source of entertainment for my husband and I for years 🤣 So please take a break when you need it and know we will all be here when when you have time to blog. Take care and congratulations!
LOL, I love that! We will certainly take breaks as needed. Well, I will at least…not sure Handan needs breaks! 😀
congrats!!!!!! I know you miss this beautiful sunny 45 Ga weather. I hope never to leave it. Can not wait until you are settled and new post begin. Hope Handan’s new job last a good long time. You go unpack that Rat. Good Luck to you both
Thanks, Lela! There’s a long way to go, but we’re getting there! 🙂
You poor things. That is a lot of adjusting in a short time! I look forward to hearing all about your new home and projects. You always make me laugh. Thank you for being a bright spot in my day.
It is our pleasure, Ethel! 🙂
I am exhausted just reading this. Wow, I can’t imagine what you have been going through, but hey, it all works out in the end. You will have an amazing home and you will be together. Win, win… and the Gulf is such a beautiful side of FL. We lived there for almost nine years…. Further south than you, but the Gulf… and also on a golf course. I pray you will be enjoying your new home and sipping martinis together very soon(if you aren’t already)! Best of luck and I can’t wait to read the conclusion to the story😂
It’s been a lot of work, Gail, but it will certainly be worth it in the end! 🙂
We hate to see ya go in Suwanee but the area you are now. is awesome!
We didn’t want to leave, but hey, if ya gotta go, the Emerald Coast isn’t a bad place to end up in!
Good luck on your new Journey! We’ve missed you & your posts.
Thank you, Laurie! We’re back now! 🙂
My daughter & her husband went from Destin to Santa Rosa Beach and now are building north of the Bay to a new area where it is less congested. I am excited to see how you transform your newest home!
Yep, Destin and Santa Rosa are a little too crowded and expensive, so we’re up there too!
This is the only blog I actually follow and the only subscribed email I actually open. You are my favorite! All your crafts and builds are great and I love your writing style. I too am always building, crafting and making gigantic messes and can’t wait for you guys to get unpacked and back to work!
Thank you so much, Desiree, that is such a nice compliment! We’ll be back at it in no time! 🙂
WOW! Moving is so stressful! Hopefully this will be the last. Good Luck!
It is, and we hope so too, Patti, lol! 🙂
Oh my! So glad you’re back. Hopefully you didn’t get rid of your stash of crafting stuff. Congrats to Handan’s new job and good luck to your family in your new home 🏡
Nope, most of that is still coming with! 😀
Most importantly, how far away is a dollar store? 😁
We considered that! There are some dollar trees around and plenty of Dollar Generals!
Good luck, feeling your pain moving and buying/selling in this housing market. Just made the trek from SC to NM. We’ll be here when the dust settles.
Thanks, Jackwelyn! Yeah, it’s a pain for sure, but hopefully this will be the last for a good long time.
I must say, you guys buy houses the way my husband buys vehicles! Just when I’m settling into a state of comfortableness with the vehicles we have, he finds another one or two tht he’d like to trade and we have Fruit Basket Upset all over again 😂. If we have a vehicle for 2+ years, it’s a miracle. At least it keeps my life from getting stale!
Good luck with settling down and learning new neighbors all over again. I always enjoy reading your posts and about your projects even tho I haven’t found much time with my toddler and baby to do much DIY stuff!
We’re hoping this one’s a keeper, Bethany! 😀
My mother always said move is a four letter word. Thank you for the update. Though the work has been difficult at least you have the knowledge that your “moving blog” is sympathetic entertainment for we readers.
Our very best to you!
It really is a four letter word! And it’s one I hope to take out of my vocabulary!
Congratulations on still having your mind. We are on the last stretch of building our 4th home and at least I had plenty of time to pack. The panhandle is beautiful but make sure you have impact windows because that area seems to be a magnet for hurricanes. Not that we on the east coast don’t have our share of scares. Best of luck with the new digs.
What mind? Who told you that? Fortunately, we’ll be in flood zone X away from the most damaging effects!
Well…that was a surprise! lol Happy trails! I am in Ontario Canada and have been eying Tallahassee for a couple months…I wish we could do it, but no move in store for us…yet. If we ever make it I’ll come say Hi!
Definitely a surprise and definitely say hi when you make the move!
When I moved out of my apt to another because of renovating I didn’t unpack but just what I needed. Plenty to repack. Now back in my original apt several boxes still in living room because this mule said to bad. I will get to it by Christmas.
LOL , I like your attitude, Jody! 😀
Like Suzie I was thinking “The Navage Patch is quiet hope everything is ok” so was really pleased to see your email. Well you certainly have been busy and hope everything works out well. I’m looking forward to getting all the news and sharing the laughter (always make me laugh out loud) and lets hope not much pain!! Take care, from rainy old England.
Thank you, Nicola, everything is awesome! Just gotta get through this move in one piece, lol! 🙂
Welcome Back!!! Missed you. Bless of luck in your “new adventure.” Cannot wait to see and hear about all the new and exciting changes coming in your lives. God Bless.
Thank you so much, Debbie! It’s good to be back! 🙂
OMG .. Moving again? Always an adventure. I am glad you found a house that fits yourr parameters. Your family sounds like me and my ‘hubby’, although we are not military, his job moves us to wherever the new financial problem in the defense contracting area is in. Try moving 8X in about 13 years.. Most of my things are still in boxes, awaiting the next move .. We have lived in Huntsville & Birmingham, Alabama; Danbury, Connecticut; Sacramento, California; Navarre, Melbourne & Sarasota, Florida; ATL Georgia..
I think you will love living in the Destin area. I grew up here on the Gulf Coast – the beach was my playground.. We tried the Pack Rat containers, I found the small and expensive. We tried the U-Pack and it was fabulous.. About $5,000 for everything included. You should check them out the ‘next’ move.. I would use them again.. Well good luck on your move ..
I know, right? Moving again! You’ve made the rounds like we have! I’ll certainly look into upack if we have to do this again…but I really hope we don’t!
So you mentioned the stores that were near (or further than you would have liked) to you in Destin,. But I thought one of your requirements was to have a Dollar Store nearby. LOL Good luck on your (hopefully) final move.
There are some Dollar Trees in Destin, and there are plenty of Dollar Generals everywhere!
Good luck on your new adventure! The only bonus about moving is that you get to get rid of stuff that has accumulated, but I’m sure your short time in Jacksonville did not allow you to accumulate a lot! Hopefully, it also didn’t give you much time to unpack ALL the boxes! 🙂
The only bonus about moving is that you get to get rid of stuff that has accumulated, but I’m sure your short time in Jacksonville did not allow you to accumulate a lot! Hopefully, it also didn’t give you much time to unpack ALL the boxes! 🙂 Best of luck in your new home!
Ha! You’d think that, wouldn’t you? But we acquired 5 IKEA cabinets, one IKEA daybed, two Target shelving units and an IKEA chair while we were in Jacksonville!
So happy to hear the good news? Lol, but seriously I have missed you in my inbox. I’m looking forward to seeing how you will work your magic on your new home. Congratulations on the quick sell of the Georgia home, hopefully Destin will start to feel like home soon. We won’t talk about the unpacking.
We can talk about the unpacking. It’s the packing I’d like to forget already.
I wish I had your literal giddy-up and go. It sounds like you’ll have to really do your makerly stuff from scratch with no readily available big boxes close. I’m sure you are 100% up for the challenge and can’t wait—“necessity is the mother of invention” as the saying goes. All the best to you and your family.
My giddy-up-and-go has giddy-up-and-gone. I’m spent. I’m 100% up for bed right about now, lol! 😀
love your blog, look forward to all your ideas. As I am a repurposed myself , my hobby. Love it. If you are open I open I would love to connect on another note. A residual income. Wendy
Thank you, Wendy! Shoot me an email.
Good luck to you both! I love watching you remodel so am looking forward to everything you do to your new house.
Thank you, Ricci! We’ll be back at it soon!
Moving is awful! As we have retired and moved from Oregon to a more conservative Idaho, we have made more trips pulling a trailer than I ever want to do again! But so worth it! You should come visit Idaho. It’s absolutely beautiful, especially the northern panhandle. I really enjoy your blog and the humor you always incorporate into each episode. Yours is my favorite blog, You rock!
I’ve never been to Idaho but would love to see it someday – it seems like a beautiful place!
Happy to see you back, Greg! I was on the site yesterday to make sure everything was okay.
Wish we still had property in Destin, Greg. My great-great-great grandfather, Captain Leonard Destin, founded the place. We owned property there until about 20 years ago. While beautiful, Destin became too commercialized.
Back in the 1960’s when I first remember visiting my great grandparents, Nan and Papa, Destin was pristine with 1 motel and 1 grocery store. The area blew up in the 70’s and it’s never been the same.
Have y’all checked Navarre Beach? That area was less expensive – at least it was a few years ago.
Oh wow, Julie, that is incredible! You’re right about the commercialization. I can imagine what it was and how devastating what it is now would be to an original resident. We did look at Navarre Beach, but it too is expensive for what you get. And the word on the street is that Handan’s commute would be an absolute nightmare during the summer months.
Hi Greg
Good to have you back again, and I hope the new house, new town and Handan’s new project treats both of you well! We are moving as well and will start our new chapter in the country of Windmills very soon. So it is a pretty big move (countries, continents, hemispheres – but at least we are in the same time zone for six months of the year). But it does mean that I will be blogging full time – kind of, I get to take care of my kids in the afternoon – both something I’ve been wanting to do for years!
Oh wow, Junette, that’s a big move! What prompted you guys to leave SA? But living in Holland will be amazing I bet! We wish you guys the best of luck – that is a reeeeeallly long move. And hey, your blog name will still totally work, lol! Best of luck on the transition to full-time blogging. It’s a lot of work but also very rewarding!
We’ve been dreaming about it for years, and praying for the last two to make sure we make the right decision. My husband applied for the job in mid-November and started work on the 1st of March, so it has been a crazy rollercoaster, but we are looking forward to this new chapter. I had to stay behind to finish at my job and pack up the house (watch it be packed up) but we arrived on Sunday and are happy to be back together again.
Yes, so the blog name will still work, I won’t change it to Windmill & Tulips 😉
Glad to hear you’re all back together again. We wish you the best of luck in your new homeland! 🙂
Sure am glad it was only due to yet ANOTHER move that you’ve been absent! Don’t envy you one bit! However, a year and a half ago I said never again but I actually think I could now 😆. We LOVE that area and betting you will too! I, too, was confused about the moving post but finally figured out you probably hadn’t sold the Atlanta house yet. Cannot wait to hear all about it and where you’re settling! Good luck and safe travels!
That’s exactly right, Susan. We still had the GA house and were waiting to sell until we were ready to buy in Jax….only now it’s not Jax anymore! 🙂
Great news, got to keep you on your toes !!!!!!!
Nothing better than the Gulf of Mexico- I fell in love with Apalachicola so can understand you loving the area
Looking forward to the new projects 🙂
I realized on our first trip there, that it was my first time seeing the Gulf. Of all the places I’ve been at home and abroad…I’d never seen the Gulf!
Wow! Have you been busy! I’m not surprised your Atlanta house sold so fast. You guys did an awesome job renovating it. It was absolutely beautiful. I’m sure your new house will be beautiful too when you are done with it, plus it will keep you out of trouble lol! I hope you get your dream kitchen 2.0 with this house and get to enjoy longer.
Oh, Handan’s been thinking about Dream Kitchen 2.0 since we decided to move! 🙂
I was wondering where you were! Glad to know all is well (well, sorta). Best wishes in the move in and lol forward to hearing more.
All is awesome, Karen! We’ll be back to posting DIY projects in no time!
Lord Love a duck….better you than me…yet I am excited to see your new digs as well as the refresher/reminder of the Georgia homestead before and after the Navage Treatment. Best wishes for your Florida reboot; you picked a good time to do this…holidays are always hectic and the craft articles were appreciated even if only as a “I’ll come back here, when I get the time” kinda thing…now that our lives have settled down a bit, we will have time to watch you put some sweat equity into your new home….I’m just sitting here in my snow covered yard and contemplating the Zen garden I will be fleshing out this spring/summer…
There will be plenty of sweat poured into the new home. We’re hoping it will turn out even better than our current one!
So happy you’re back! I was re-reading my IKEA hacks post yesterday and thinking, “Hey where are they? It’s been too long! Something must be up!” So now I know. Thanks for the update and good luck!
We’re back, Barb! Hopefully without absences this time! 🙂
Oh my goodness. Good luck with that move. I understand the lack of houses though. It took us 4 months, and about 20 offers to get a house.
Oh wow, how did you survive the stress?
Good Luck! You’re a hard worker!
Thanks, Gayle!
I’m not superstitious. I’m loving this blog! What an adventure your life is. Can’t wait for your next blog and what is in store for you moving ahead. Great to see, also, that you survived the changes you have been through, for you Handan and the four footed pals/family.
Thank you so much, Wanda! We survive and thrive! 🙂
Well, I don’t know about you, but I am totally exhausted! Whew! I can’t imagine what all you are going through, but it is awesome that your Georgia home sold so quickly. Can’t wait to hear and see all your “fixes” in your new home. Did I already tell you I for one have very much missed you so much. Well ta-ta for now. Wishing you and your babes many blessings, Sharon
Thank you so much, Sharon! It feels good to be missed, and I’ll do my best not to stay gone for so long!
Gosh I missed you guys! So glad nothing was actually wrong. Looking forward to seeing the new Florida home and all the neato things you do to it!
Jennifer
Thank you so much, Jennifer! I’m humbled by you guys missing us! 🙂
OMG! We are a military family living in England. In May, we are moving back to Fort Walton Beach! I soooooo hope I can meet you someday! We lived in Fort Walton Beach from 2012 to 2018. We knew we would be coming back, so we kept our house. Let me know if you need advice on where to look for good neighborhoods! Would love to help!!!
Oh cool! I’m sure you’re thrilled to be coming home. Give us a holler when you’re back!
Oh my goodness! I have friends in Crestview and one of them is a realtor! I hope the new place works for you and your Babes! I know what you mean by heavy metal in the air! That’s the sound of freedom! My dad was Air Force, so I’m also well acquainted with moving.
It’s a great sound, June – reminds me of our time in Afghanistan! 🙂
Moving is really hard, but you are getting it down to a science. Enjoy Destin – I have friends there who love it. Looking forward to all the building you will do on V3.0.
It’s a science I can do without going forward, Susan, lol! 🙂
…..I’ve whittled down the emails sent to me and was beginning to think I might have carved you too out, like some fancy Destin ice sculpture, but here you are again. Hal A Lou Ya!
…..We, at least I, feel your pain. Not the part about selling and buying homes unfortunately but the moving to a different time zone and hours from real civilization. Destin is a beautiful destination. Even the tourist rows have something to offer.
…..We moved from Ft. Lauderdale to about 90 miles north of Panama City, as the crow flies, onto not as high class as your abodes have been to 10 acres on a hill in the middle of nowhere. We hope your acclimation is as quick as ours was, best of luck. We, I will watch all your new stories, DIYs, and adventures.
…..ps, there is a lot of funny & nostalgic stuff happens when your moving, enough to blog about?
We made it through the whittling – hurray! We ‘re so looking forward to life and adventures on the Gulf Coast!
I am living vicariously trough you, thank you for the wonderful blog tale of your adventures! We are planning to make a move in the next couple of years, hopefully the housing market will still be hot. Your adventures and projects are an inspiration. Here I am sitting in my basement sorting papers for the taxes and getting little else done at all. Congratulations on the sale of your home and the move to a new one. You are an amazing couple. Also, I would like to thank you for all the great graphic files. Even if I never get anything done with them, they are delightful to look at.
You are so very welcome, Kathy! Wishing you a strong housing market if and when you sell!
Congratulations on your move! I don’t envy you the packing, etc. but the Destin area is beautiful. Enjoy!
Thank you, Cathy! We’ll get through the hard part soon enough!
Wishing the best of luck to you and Handan with securing your next home! And looking forward to seeing the before and after pics of the Georgia dwelling! I enjoy your posts!
Thank you so much, Jayne! 🙂
Omigosh I am beyond excited!! You’ll be practically neighbors! I live across the bay from Destin, so you’ve got to be pretty close to me.
Oh, that’s great, Donna! Are you in Niceville?
Peace, and more peace to both of you. sigh I cannot imagine moving. We’ve been in our home for almost 53 years. Maybe the trip to Guam as a kid did it for me. Who knows the reason we’ve stayed in one home for so long.
Wishing you all the best and no more rain….perfect moving weather is in order.
Thank you so much, Beverly! (I’m a little envious of your 53 year stretch in one place, lol!)
Hey Greg,
Was a bit worried after the episode with Baris. Glad you guys are doing good! Off topic – getting ready to move one state over…do you like Packrat over Pods?
Cheers and good luck to you both
We’re all good, Carrie! Regarding PackRat or PODS…I was going to address this in an upcoming post. PackRat has newer containers – most with swing-out doors (a plus), but scheduling is not as easy or flexible as PODS (a minus). I’m still weighing the pros and cons. PackRat is more expensive, but if you get a PODS quote, they will match it.
Panhandle is pretty appropriate for a cook! Peace!
You’re absolutely correct, Derry! 🙂
Congratulations, I think! Moving sucks but Destin is great. I live on the gulf coast of Alabama in a small town called Fairhope but I work in Gulf Shores. You two should visit Fairhope if you ever get a break. Glad to have you back!
Thank you, Michelle! You’re practically our neighbor! 🙂
Wow! Things happen FAST across the pond! Sound like you need a little lie down. Congrats and best of luck with everything. Sue
Sue, I need a 3-month lie down, lol! 🙂
One thing you can always count on…..change! Best of luck in your new adventure!
Cindy
Truer words were never spoken, Cindy! 🙂
Good for you for going with the flow! I was a military wife for 29 years and the shortest time we were in a house was 18 months. It was military housing so all we had to do was move out and the military took care of that. You deserve a gold star for moving yourself and selling a house! Looking forward to your next post. I have missed them.
Thank you, Kathy! We’re getting through it slowly and taking it day by day. It’s a tough move, for sure, and we can’t wait to settle into the new house!
Have missed your posts! Best of Luck in this new venture! You Got This!
Thank you, Laura! 🙂
Glad to hear from y’all again. Was beginning to worry that something awful had happened. I don’t envy you the move again–moving sucks. I think we have moved 17 times in our 50-year marriage. Moves across town, across the country and back again, rentals to rentals and then mortgage to mortgage. I said the next move would be either the nursing home or the graveyard, and my daughter could handle it. And then, she went and presented us with a grandbaby, so of course, we left our “permanent” location and moved to our current permanent location in her state, 35 minutes away from them instead of 7 hours. lol
But you have a fresh canvas, and you both seem to thrive on this, so more power to you! Thanks for updating us!
Ah, you know the pain of moving well! Yep, we’re hoping this will be the last…we’ll see!
Traffic in the Destin area is horrendus during the summer months.
That’s what we hear! Fortunately Handan’s office will allow her to cross the mid-bay bridge and get to work without ever traveling on 30A.
I think it is great of you to leep the pod rental and moving companies business!
I think it is very nice of you and Handan to keep pod rentals, moving companies and distilleries (vodka or gin?) in business!
LOL, no doubt, Ronda! (vodka AND gin!)
So glad to hear about your adventures!!!!
Yeah!!!! Destin is closer!!!
Good for you!!
Carrie
Thanks, Carrie! 🙂
True – used to be a 10 minute drive from the Ft. Walton bridge to Destin bridge. From what I understand, that drive can now take 45 minutes during the summer time!
It’s 20 minutes now in winter during normal times. Can’t imagine summer!
Best wishes to you on your move *sigh* I hate moving also.
Thank you, Jessi – we do too! 😀
Wow!! You may want to change your name to The Nomad Navage Patch!!!! That’s a lot of packing, moving, unpacking!! I’m exhausted just typing it!!
LOL, we may have to change it, Cissy! 😀
Good grief that’s a lot of moving and packing you’ve done!! Glad to see that you’ve gotten through most of it and are back together again. You will love living on the Gulf Coast, we live further south and love it here (moved from Texas 20 years ago). Take care and I can’t wait to see the changes you make on the new house! You’ve been missed!
Thank you, Jane, it certainly is a lot of moving! I’m ready to settle! 🙂
A. You were missed; glad you are back. B. I read the blog because it is informative, entertaining, and funny. Content brought me in but the writing is what keeps me. The content is always great but it doesn’t really matter anymore what the topic is! Good luck on the h**** (don’t want to jinx it) and the move. Can’t wait to hear more! Love to Handan!
Hi Angie, thank you so much! I’m so humbled you guys missed us during out absence. I’ll do my best to keep the posts coming more frequently throughout this move!
Oh so glad you are back.
Thank you, Helen, so am I! 🙂
Greg; it is so nice to hear from you. I have missed you and so has my husband. I’m sorry that moving has been so difficult. I’m glad that you and Handan have found a new home. I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you, Becky! It’s been a rough one, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, lol!