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Wednesday, April 3, 2013

We bought a house


Our house

The hotel we are staying at was chosen for us by Ducky Pharma and we are in a cave on the ground floor. Breakfast on day one was served on paper plates with plastic knives and forks – but in any event was inedible.

There was no espresso machine and the filthy sludge which masqueraded as coffee came in gigantic drums. I think they brew and stew new coffee every Sunday whether they need to or not.

But then things improved dramatically and they produced real china plates and steel cutlery – together with stuff that could pass as food. Today I had bacon and eggs!

Of course we still cannot drink the coffee so go to Au Bon Pain where the staff know us really well as we also have lunch there most days.

So we spent half a day touring Indianapolis with a guide who showed us all the sights and told us all about where we could live. But we pretty much knew this from our last trip.

Everyone told us we should live in Carmel which in 2012 was voted by someone as the best place to live in America. But it is – at best a 45 minute commute and we knew this would make Cate tetchy so wanted something closer to the city.

We new pretty much what we wanted in a house and in fact had chosen one on our last trip but someone else bought it – the swines.

But this time we found exactly what we wanted.

One of our squirrels
It is a historic house called The Wishard Mansion and was built in 1897. It is very us and is even older than our house in Sydney. But it has been completely refurbished and renovated from top to bottom.

It also has its own squirrels which is important to us and will drive the cats crazy because they will not be allowed outside to chase them.

So we made an offer and clinched the deal.



18 comments:

  1. Clearly I have missed HEAPS on what you have been up to !!! WOW a move to the US - sounds great. I love your new home and would give my eye teeth to live in something like that !
    Good luck with getting everything across the ocean. Hope packing up doesn't get too stressful.
    Have the best day !
    Me

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  2. Wow, how fast everything has moved! Congratulations and welcome to the U.S. What a lovely house. Sorry about the coffee. I'm afraid it will continue to disappoint you...

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  3. Your veRy own squirrels! How cool is that ... veRy.

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    1. I wonder how close you are to being a "well respected doctor".

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    2. I have recently started using the rechargeable canister for our Kuerig so that works pretty weLL for me.

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  4. he he he - welcome back stateside..it's definitely a transition, i'll just leave it at that! ;)

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  5. What a very, very, very fine house. At that age I hope it is haunted so you will be entertained. As I recall traffic there is horrid so closer is better.

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  6. Oh wow! That's beautiful!
    Extremely fancy and very big!
    'Sueded granite'(?) no less.
    I hope the poor cats don't get lost inside all those rooms.
    And a yard - you'll be able to have a vegie patch.
    You don't have to keep the Dodge headboard, do you?
    How exciting a new home and a new adventure.

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  7. Me: Thanks for your good wishes _ and YOU have the BEST day:

    Wanderlust: Thanks. We did find some wonderful coffee today!

    esb: I have always wanted squirrels. I am far from being a well respected anything. See you think I don't know what a Kuerig is - but I do.

    TNDW: We are merging into the American landscape slowly but surely

    fmcgmccllc: Yes indeed. We both hate driving in traffic.

    hits: No the Dodge headboard goes with the owners, The man who did the reno did it with TLC.

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    1. Oh, I was 't doubting your K knowledge. It took me awhile how to pull the rubber gasket down so that water would properly go through the special container. But I forget every once in a while and it make a it of a mess with grounds showing up in my cup. You may wind up with more squirrel time that duck time. We have several duck watching ponds in Borger and Amarillo, as well as a bird zoo in Borger. I will try to go by there to see what variety of ducks they might have.

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  8. Gorgeous house. Don't plant pansies as the squirrels will claim them as their personal salad bar. Seriously, many heartfelt congratulations!

    Now, the real question is, where is the nearest liquor store?

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  9. Squirrels LOVE tulip bulbs, especially, as I discovered, "export-ready" bulbs that I brought back from a trip to Holland. Either cover the bulbs with chicken wire and mulch when you plant them, or save yourself the time and slice them to go along with the pansy salad.

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  10. We have squirrels and we have a lot of birds. I solved the issue of the squirrels eating all of the bird food by giving them things they like, in their own feeders, up on higher branches. I definitely agree with Esbboston--I sense that lots of squirrel photos are forthcoming! I have so much fun watching them, and with that yard, you'll be able to sit outside and take lots of snaps!

    Oh, and one thing you're going to love this summer is the long evenings. I don't know if you have dusk or twilight, in Oz or Vienna, but we have it in our Midwestern states. That's when I linger on my front porch after dinner, and drink wine.

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  11. Excellent news, sounds like a fantastic house. I can't help feeling sorry for the cats though.

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  12. Gee wiz mate-

    Wayne Swan might regard you as the "fabulously" rich and make you pay more tax! ahahaha!

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  13. Something to consider purchasing. I know I'd love to see the photographs.

    http://mcphee.com/shop/big-head-squirrel-feeder.html

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  14. SK Waller: Thanks. I will not plant pansies

    VictoriaK; OK NO Tulips either. And I will def get a feeder thingy

    esb: I am hoping for ducks - have not seen any yet

    SK Waller: Drinking wine on the [porch sounds like my kind of thing

    Sandy: We will give them some toy squirrels

    Simon: Well - the bank owns most of it. I wish it were not so.




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  15. Congrats on the new Casa!! Very handsome home! I am sure you will love it.. The cats will love the show your New Outdoor friends will provide!

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