I'm so excited! And I just can't hide it!

Hello to all who grace my blog with your reading.  Thank you for coming--

I'd driven around every mobile home park in the vicinity of Columbia City, South Whitley, and Coesse.  I'd looked at foreclosed homes still filled with the previous residents' furniture and family pictures.  I'd toured homes that, were I a professional flipper, might have had some promise. 

Then I called the bank to see about a loan.

As a stay-at-home mom, facing divorce, I had no income and only one potential prospect for some freelance technical writing.

The very nice gal on the other end of the line said (much nicer than this) there was no way I could get a loan until I'd been working steadily for two years.  Oh, okay then.

So I called the least expensive apartment managers in town.  A one-bedroom above a furniture store was available but they didn't take pets. The rent was $300 and I had . . . .$0.00.

On a lark, believing they were just for really desperate people, I called Habitat for Humanity of Whitley County.  I talked to April, a well-spoken, knowledgable, and empathetic gal with a pleasant voice and a nice sense of humor.  Especially when it dawned on me I was technically homeless, we had a good laugh.  My laugh was more out of astonishment than anything else but I left their office feeling like maybe I'd get somewhere.  Maybe I could find a home for my kids and get to keep my dog.

Nearly six months later, here I am with my name on a sign stuck in the dirt of my soon-to-be front yard. 

Tomorrow we start framing things up, after a storm is supposed to blow through, and thus will begin the most dramatic portion of this journey toward homeownership.

I'll keep you posted and would love to hear from you.  A terribly inadequate thank-you is extended to all the crew and volunteers who have played, and continue to play, a part in this experience.  You have no idea--goodness, I have no idea, how much it all really means.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Love and cheers,

Laura