So let me be painfully honest. Along with many people in our great country right now, we were not making it financially. Things are starting to look up for us, thank God, but it has required that we do many things differently. Ryan had to go back to North Dakota, where it's almost guarenteed that we will have steady work for him. As part of the neccessary changes, we HAD to find more affordable housing. The lovely home and acreage, on the outskirts of Billings, with the views of the Yellowstone River was no longer in our budget. I was PRAYING every day for months for God to show me the solution to our situation. Several options I truly thought would work and allow us to stay in Billings just refused to pan out. So then I started searching Craigslist, statewide, for a cheap, country rental. No luck. A faint whispering voice in my head said, " just look at the For Sale By Owner section".
There it was.... cute little yellow house on four lots....with a mobile home on the property as well. The ad said, "huge yard, lilacs, apple tree, nice community, great school". The mobile was older and had been remodeled with laminate floors, granite counter tops, tiled bathroom, raised basin sink....it was adorable! At the bottom was the price. For both houses $69,000. But there was also another option. Buy the trailer alone for $7500.00 and rent the lot for $100 bucks a month! Now that I had to see! I didn't think we could even afford $69,000 but I knew I could pay cash for the trailer and then we'd be able to get back on track! So where in the heck is Geraldine?
Mom, myself and my three monkeys drove up to see it the next day. Three hours from Billings through some of the most gorgeous country Montana has to offer. Rollings hills surrounded in the distance by amazing mountains. Tiny, nearly abandoned farm communites dotted the highway. We entered Geraldine and there was the place, as directed. We looked at both houses and I just knew it was an answer to many, many prayers. But I knew the house would have to wait. Ryan had just returned to North Dakota and the money just wasn't there for both. But the trailer was ready for us! The community was ready for us! I went home and told Ryan that I wanted to buy the trailer in Geraldine. He looked and me and said, "whatever you want to do....".
By the end of October things were looking stable for us again. The work is steady and we've been catching up on bills. The owner of the house informed me they really needed to get the house sold now. They were willing to work out a deal for me, with them carrying the note if I'd still be interested! (Another answer to prayer.) The best part....Only another $57,000 and she could be mine!
So here we are today with a real opportunity have even more security and eventually NO DEBT. If things go as planned we will have the house paid off within a year or two. (It is a five year note.) Then we will own two homes free and clear! For the first time in a long time I can breathe. Because of this tiny, unknown community and what is has to offer, my family and I can afford a fresh start and a new, more simple life.
If anyone is interested there is this cute, little house down the street from mine, for sale for $35,000....
Thoughts on moving to a tiny farming community in central Montana. Stories of the life and people here.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
11/11/11
Tonight there was a dinner held at the V.F.W. hall for all who wished to attend. I decided it would be very nice to go down at meet as many of the local folks as possible. It's funny how now that I know I have precious, twin boys to help me break the ice, I'm not as shy as I once was. It turns out I didn't really need an ice-breaker. We walked into a warm, welcoming place that smelled of homemade pumpkin pie, coffee and floor wax. Within seconds we were approached and several hands were shaken. My mom and I explained that we were the ones that were moving into "the yellow house". All were understanding when told of my husband's work in North Dakota that keeps him away much of the time. People here understand that sometimes you have to do whatever it takes to get by....
Tonight the room was much less full than the lovely ladies who cooked had anticipated. About 20 people in all left many empty seats. But no one was disappointed at the small turn out. I was told that "almost the whole town" is in Bozeman tonight watching our Geraldine Girls Volleyball team play in the state championships.
The wind was calm as evening required we get the babies home and tucked into their beds. A lovely warm night, with warm people in Geraldine....
Tonight the room was much less full than the lovely ladies who cooked had anticipated. About 20 people in all left many empty seats. But no one was disappointed at the small turn out. I was told that "almost the whole town" is in Bozeman tonight watching our Geraldine Girls Volleyball team play in the state championships.
The wind was calm as evening required we get the babies home and tucked into their beds. A lovely warm night, with warm people in Geraldine....
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Everybody thinks I'm crazy....
I've moved my family to Geraldine. Population 266 at last count. There's not much here to people that don't truly look. There's one bar/cafe, one feed store that has fuel pumps so we don't get stranded, one bank with one banker, one school for all grades and there was one grocery store....but it burned down. There are two churches. One Methodist and one Catholic, of which I am neither. I feel closest to Baptist these days so I'll have to drive 70 miles each way on Sundays.
There's a lot more that Geraldine doesn't have. Traffic, or traffic lights for that matter. Half of the streets here aren't even paved. When I happen to drive down the streets I am almost always the only one on them. My little boy and I walked right down the center of the streets while trick-o-treating as many houses as we possibly could. We would run across other little kids that would smile and wave and shout "Happy Halloween!" to us as we went by. They went down the middle of the streets too....
No one in Geraldine is wandering around talking on their cell phones. No one in the cafe is preoccupied with their text messages while trying to eat dinner with their families. Teenagers here have their eyes up, look at you and say hello!!! They aren't lost in a virtual world.... That's right folks, there's no cell service in Geraldine. You have to drive up the highway 6 miles to get a decent signal. They say by 2013 they will have service here. I really hope it doesn't happen.
I can safely say there are no "big, fancy houses" in Geraldine. Some homes are well cared for, for sure. Many have been updated and fixed up since they were originally built. Many are also abandoned and starting to crumble. I regularly walk past two cute little old houses when I'm taking my son to the park. They are both empty and seem so sad. There aren't far away from being perfectly livable, yet they have no one. How tragic we have people in this country with no homes and homes with no people.
I just bought a house that is 95 years old and was part of the original township that was founded in 1913. It's just a small farmhouse that has had the good fortune of having people who cared enough to update her plumbing, wiring and insulation. She'll need a new roof pretty soon, the siding needs replaced and there are some cracks in the foundation. This fact seems to worry my father a lot. But I'm pretty sure if she's been standing almost 100 years, she's not falling down tomorrow. The house and I are both in desperate need of revitalization. I think as I restore the house, I will be restored as well. Cliche?
My children are going to attend the simple, country school that happens to have computers and Smart Boards in every class. My Kindergarten son is the 6th pupil in his class. There was only one other little boy and he is thrilled to finally have a buddy. Support for the school is off the charts here. They girls volleyball team was just thrown a huge pep rally and parade that sent them off for the state finals. I think everyone in town was there! My little boy was very proud to be allowed to participate. Imagine that! Kindergarteners right there with the high school kids all supporting the team! Another thing Geraldine doesn't have....gangs. Just kids in cowboy boots and pick up trucks.
Because I bought a house "in town", my horses have to be boarded 2 minutes away at the edge of town. A wonderful, kind neighbor had just the place for them. I can throw a saddle on and head out to ride and literally NEVER run out of trail. The dirt roads and tracks head up to the BLM land and the Highwood Mountains. Miles of rolling wheat fields, pastures and hills. My horses think they are in heaven... I know they are.
More next time....
There's a lot more that Geraldine doesn't have. Traffic, or traffic lights for that matter. Half of the streets here aren't even paved. When I happen to drive down the streets I am almost always the only one on them. My little boy and I walked right down the center of the streets while trick-o-treating as many houses as we possibly could. We would run across other little kids that would smile and wave and shout "Happy Halloween!" to us as we went by. They went down the middle of the streets too....
No one in Geraldine is wandering around talking on their cell phones. No one in the cafe is preoccupied with their text messages while trying to eat dinner with their families. Teenagers here have their eyes up, look at you and say hello!!! They aren't lost in a virtual world.... That's right folks, there's no cell service in Geraldine. You have to drive up the highway 6 miles to get a decent signal. They say by 2013 they will have service here. I really hope it doesn't happen.
I can safely say there are no "big, fancy houses" in Geraldine. Some homes are well cared for, for sure. Many have been updated and fixed up since they were originally built. Many are also abandoned and starting to crumble. I regularly walk past two cute little old houses when I'm taking my son to the park. They are both empty and seem so sad. There aren't far away from being perfectly livable, yet they have no one. How tragic we have people in this country with no homes and homes with no people.
I just bought a house that is 95 years old and was part of the original township that was founded in 1913. It's just a small farmhouse that has had the good fortune of having people who cared enough to update her plumbing, wiring and insulation. She'll need a new roof pretty soon, the siding needs replaced and there are some cracks in the foundation. This fact seems to worry my father a lot. But I'm pretty sure if she's been standing almost 100 years, she's not falling down tomorrow. The house and I are both in desperate need of revitalization. I think as I restore the house, I will be restored as well. Cliche?
My children are going to attend the simple, country school that happens to have computers and Smart Boards in every class. My Kindergarten son is the 6th pupil in his class. There was only one other little boy and he is thrilled to finally have a buddy. Support for the school is off the charts here. They girls volleyball team was just thrown a huge pep rally and parade that sent them off for the state finals. I think everyone in town was there! My little boy was very proud to be allowed to participate. Imagine that! Kindergarteners right there with the high school kids all supporting the team! Another thing Geraldine doesn't have....gangs. Just kids in cowboy boots and pick up trucks.
Because I bought a house "in town", my horses have to be boarded 2 minutes away at the edge of town. A wonderful, kind neighbor had just the place for them. I can throw a saddle on and head out to ride and literally NEVER run out of trail. The dirt roads and tracks head up to the BLM land and the Highwood Mountains. Miles of rolling wheat fields, pastures and hills. My horses think they are in heaven... I know they are.
More next time....
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