St Joseph even helps out Jewish Buddhists

Posted on Posted in Uncategorized

I owe you an update, don’t I? Sorry about that. There have been various hectic goings on coming between me and the computer. But here I am, ready to fill you in.

You recall a recent post bemoaning the way the sale of our house had been going, yes? And you recall the suggestion in many comments that I bury a statue of St Joseph in the front yard and the house would sell. And then hopefully you recall that I did bury said statue. I guess now you’re wondering how it all worked out.

I blogged about the house not selling on a Monday night. On Tuesday morning I ordered a St Joseph statue online, encouraged by the stories you’d told me in the comments and trusting that asking for a bit of help couldn’t be a bad thing, even if we aren’t Catholic. (Is a saint so drastically different from a bodhisattva, when you get down to it? And I’ve been known to chant the name of Kwan Yin, so why not ask a nice Jewish carpenter for some help selling my house? Though in the case of Kwan Yin it isn’t a matter of appealing to a divine entity for favor or intervention etc… and…well… You know what? I don’t want to get into the sketchy theological justifications for my burying the statue of a Catholic saint in my yard. I’d have a hard time supporting why I believed it would work and squaring it with what I normally think I believe, so let’s all avert our eyes politely from the inconsistencies, please. Okay? Okay.)

Well that was uncomfortable. Where were we? Tuesday morning. St Joseph real estate kit (yes, that’s what it was called.) ordered. Tuesday afternoon, an offer comes in from a solid buyer. Less than Buyer #2, but only a little less, and enough to meet our goals. We accept. There’s already an open house scheduled for Sunday, though, and we decide to go ahead with it, intending to only accept back-up bids if there’s more interest. (Do you see where this is heading?)

On Friday Buyer #5 has the engineer appt. and it goes fine. They’re ready to sign a contract on Monday. Great. Our lawyer sends the contract out.

On Saturday the broker who had been shady with us (see that initial post) calls and tells us she’s left the firm. We’re handed over to another agent who we liked better anyway, who lives in our neighborhood so knows it better. We should have gone with her in the first place, but live and learn…

Sunday. The open house. It’s packed. More packed than any previous open house. And on Monday two offers result. One of them is really high. So much higher than the accepted offer (higher than any previous offer) that we start to waver on our resolve to stick with that safe, bird in hand low offer. The couple making the offer makes a really compelling case. We take a deep collective breath, nervous because of what happened with Buyer #4, and we leap. We go for it.

That evening, UPS delivers the St Joseph, and I bury him.

And you know what happened? The deal went through. We’re in contract. Unlike the first five deals, we’ve been in direct contact with these buyers, because we ran into them outside the house after they saw it at the open house and got to talking. Billy closed this deal, not the real estate agent. The house is going to a great couple who really want it and are excited to buy it and live in it. Everybody’s happy.

And so we went ahead and made an offer on a terrific house in Portland. A house that’s in a neighborhood we want to be in, in good condition, of a great size and layout for our needs and lifestyle, and best of all…well within our price range. And that offer was accepted. We’re in contract on that too, contingent on the engineer report that will happen early next week.

So there you have it. With a bit of luck and a saint in the yard, headed toward a happy ending in New York and a happy beginning in Portland at the end of August.

And yes, we’ll dig St Jospeh up when we close on the house and bring him to Portland with us. And after closing we’re going to make a donation to Habitat for Humanity.

And now, let the great Purging of Assorted Crap in the Basement begin.

Discover more from Cari Luna

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

168 Comments on “St Joseph even helps out Jewish Buddhists”

  1. i can’t imagine how great it feels to be in your position right now. congratulations!
    Posted by: jody

  2. congrats – first set of burdens lifted! on to the next! 🙂
    Posted by: carolyn

  3. That’s fabulous news! Who did you get the statue from? I need to sell my dad’s house and nothing is moving around here.
    Posted by: Carole

  6. i can’t imagine how great it feels to be in your position right now. congratulations!
    Posted by: jody

  7. congrats – first set of burdens lifted! on to the next! 🙂
    Posted by: carolyn

  8. That’s fabulous news! Who did you get the statue from? I need to sell my dad’s house and nothing is moving around here.
    Posted by: Carole

  11. Hooray!! Congratulations on the exciting beginnings of your fabulous new life in Portland!
    Posted by: Bertha

  12. And my non-catholic, agnostic husband keeps wondering what the big deal is about my saints. Yeah, I’m all about my saints.

    I’m so happy for you and your family. It’s so exciting to head towards a “fresh start”. We just did that in November and it’s been great. I know it will be great for you guys too!

    Woo Hoo!

    (now go say a few Our Fathers and Hail Marys in gratitude to St. Joseph – just kidding! tee hee)
    Posted by: knittingnurse

  13. Yay! I’m so happy for you! Congratulations 🙂
    Posted by: Kristy

  14. Don’t feel bad about borrowing someone else’s … whatever you would call it. I mean, Kwan Yin used to be male. Seriously! And a huge chunk of Catholicism is just adapted from the pagans they were indoctrinating anyway. My teacher says that the power is not in the idol/saint/whatever. It’s in the collective thought form of everyone who believes in it. It’s that other people believe in St. Joseph statues that gives them their power. You don’t have to be Catholic. You only have to believe just enough. Congratulations on the houses – it couldn’t happen for a nicer family.
    Posted by: Jenn

  15. congrats cari… will miss you though 🙂
    know youll be happy in portland!
    Posted by: stinkerbell

  16. Whew. Big exciting steps–congratulations! Thumper has some excellent parents–real estate is a true test of nerve, not to mention moving across the country.

    Although I still think you should have looked in MN. Our winters are greatly overstated.
    Posted by: Amy

  17. Congrats!! That’s fantastic!!

    Enjoy the purge! 🙂
    Posted by: Mish

  19. From a Jew married to a Greek Orthodox: MAZEL TOV! I’m so happy we both got what we wanted. 😉
    Posted by: Cara

  20. I’m totally excited for you. Now all of that is out of the way..the even more not so fun stuff. Packing. I hate packing. I like unpacking…but the packing drives me nuts :o) Good luck!
    Posted by: Stephanie

  21. Hooray!! Congratulations on the exciting beginnings of your fabulous new life in Portland!
    Posted by: Bertha

  22. And my non-catholic, agnostic husband keeps wondering what the big deal is about my saints. Yeah, I’m all about my saints.

    I’m so happy for you and your family. It’s so exciting to head towards a “fresh start”. We just did that in November and it’s been great. I know it will be great for you guys too!

    Woo Hoo!

    (now go say a few Our Fathers and Hail Marys in gratitude to St. Joseph – just kidding! tee hee)
    Posted by: knittingnurse

  23. Yay! I’m so happy for you! Congratulations 🙂
    Posted by: Kristy

  24. Don’t feel bad about borrowing someone else’s … whatever you would call it. I mean, Kwan Yin used to be male. Seriously! And a huge chunk of Catholicism is just adapted from the pagans they were indoctrinating anyway. My teacher says that the power is not in the idol/saint/whatever. It’s in the collective thought form of everyone who believes in it. It’s that other people believe in St. Joseph statues that gives them their power. You don’t have to be Catholic. You only have to believe just enough. Congratulations on the houses – it couldn’t happen for a nicer family.
    Posted by: Jenn

  25. congrats cari… will miss you though 🙂
    know youll be happy in portland!
    Posted by: stinkerbell

  26. Whew. Big exciting steps–congratulations! Thumper has some excellent parents–real estate is a true test of nerve, not to mention moving across the country.

    Although I still think you should have looked in MN. Our winters are greatly overstated.
    Posted by: Amy

  27. Congrats!! That’s fantastic!!

    Enjoy the purge! 🙂
    Posted by: Mish

  29. From a Jew married to a Greek Orthodox: MAZEL TOV! I’m so happy we both got what we wanted. 😉
    Posted by: Cara

  30. I’m totally excited for you. Now all of that is out of the way..the even more not so fun stuff. Packing. I hate packing. I like unpacking…but the packing drives me nuts :o) Good luck!
    Posted by: Stephanie

  31. Hooray for the amazing St. Joseph!

    Be aware of your fertility when you move to Portland. I have had two friends move there and they both got pg right after the move.
    Posted by: Trish

  32. Wow. Congratulations! You might even be here in time for the annual adult soapbox derby at Mt Tabor. I can’t imagine a better reason to move to Portland.
    Posted by: Andi

  34. I’m a little nervous to say so, but congratulations! I’ll say it again in August when everything’s all done. 🙂 What a relief!
    Posted by: Karma

  36. congratulations! i’m so happy that the real estate stress has finally been relieved. on to the move! speaking of religious practices, to quote my dad, also a jewish buddhist (or buddhist jew?), in his most recent editorial (yeah, my dad is the editor of an inspiration/new age magazine: http://www.pureinspirationmag.com/), “Purity of intent, determination, and devotion trump methodology.” amen!
    Posted by: reyna

  37. Yay! I was raised Catholic, but have “strayed” in recent years. But I still wear my rosary bracelet every time I fly and say a few Hail Marys as the plane lifts off. Haven’t had need for a St. Joe in the yard, but am very happy that it worked for you. Congratulations on the new beginning.
    Posted by: Lisa

  38. A mazel tov! So glad everybody’s happy and things have almost all been worked out.
    Posted by: marrije

  39. Yeah! Boy you thought getting the house sold was stressfull, wait until you move across the country. At least your going to a place you already love (that’s a big help) Best Wishes and please keep us updated.
    Posted by: Heidi

  40. Hooray for the amazing St. Joseph!

    Be aware of your fertility when you move to Portland. I have had two friends move there and they both got pg right after the move.
    Posted by: Trish

  41. Wow. Congratulations! You might even be here in time for the annual adult soapbox derby at Mt Tabor. I can’t imagine a better reason to move to Portland.
    Posted by: Andi

  43. I’m a little nervous to say so, but congratulations! I’ll say it again in August when everything’s all done. 🙂 What a relief!
    Posted by: Karma

  45. congratulations! i’m so happy that the real estate stress has finally been relieved. on to the move! speaking of religious practices, to quote my dad, also a jewish buddhist (or buddhist jew?), in his most recent editorial (yeah, my dad is the editor of an inspiration/new age magazine: http://www.pureinspirationmag.com/), “Purity of intent, determination, and devotion trump methodology.” amen!
    Posted by: reyna

  46. Yay! I was raised Catholic, but have “strayed” in recent years. But I still wear my rosary bracelet every time I fly and say a few Hail Marys as the plane lifts off. Haven’t had need for a St. Joe in the yard, but am very happy that it worked for you. Congratulations on the new beginning.
    Posted by: Lisa

  47. A mazel tov! So glad everybody’s happy and things have almost all been worked out.
    Posted by: marrije

  48. Yeah! Boy you thought getting the house sold was stressfull, wait until you move across the country. At least your going to a place you already love (that’s a big help) Best Wishes and please keep us updated.
    Posted by: Heidi

  49. Yeah! Boy you thought getting the house sold was stressfull, wait until you move across the country. At least your going to a place you already love (that’s a big help) Best Wishes and please keep us updated.
    Posted by: Heidi

  50. That’s great news. Hope all goes well from now on. How exciting !
    Posted by: Emma

  51. Woohoo! that is wonderful news Cari – well done!
    Posted by: kellie

  53. Great news! Can’t wait to see pics of the new house.
    I love moving and am overdue, 16 years in the same house!
    Hope the purge goes smoothly 🙂

    Posted by: Ella

  54. Man you guys move fast!
    [and I say, get as much luck on your side as you possibly can, if the gods are true gods they’ll listen to anyone]

    Is there a god for purging crap in the basement too?
    Posted by: Alison

  56. Congratulations! Usually, I’m jealous of people with basements (we don’t have them in Texas), until I think about moving ;>
    Posted by: liz

  57. Congrats! I am so happy for you. I have never heard of the statue not working!
    Posted by: Anna

  58. From a lapsed Catholic who has just visited the Sagrada Família in Barcelona (actually begun as a sign of devotion for him, and entirely funded by donations), yay for St. Joseph!
    Congratulations Cari, and happy weeding over the next few weeks…
    Posted by: MzTallulah

  59. Yeah! Boy you thought getting the house sold was stressfull, wait until you move across the country. At least your going to a place you already love (that’s a big help) Best Wishes and please keep us updated.
    Posted by: Heidi

  60. That’s great news. Hope all goes well from now on. How exciting !
    Posted by: Emma

  61. Woohoo! that is wonderful news Cari – well done!
    Posted by: kellie

  63. Great news! Can’t wait to see pics of the new house.
    I love moving and am overdue, 16 years in the same house!
    Hope the purge goes smoothly 🙂

    Posted by: Ella

  64. Man you guys move fast!
    [and I say, get as much luck on your side as you possibly can, if the gods are true gods they’ll listen to anyone]

    Is there a god for purging crap in the basement too?
    Posted by: Alison

  66. Congratulations! Usually, I’m jealous of people with basements (we don’t have them in Texas), until I think about moving ;>
    Posted by: liz

  67. Congrats! I am so happy for you. I have never heard of the statue not working!
    Posted by: Anna

  68. From a lapsed Catholic who has just visited the Sagrada Família in Barcelona (actually begun as a sign of devotion for him, and entirely funded by donations), yay for St. Joseph!
    Congratulations Cari, and happy weeding over the next few weeks…
    Posted by: MzTallulah

  69. Fantastic! But, basement clearing out – well, it has to be done.
    Posted by: Donna in Virginia

  70. yeah. congratulations! excellent news all around. can’t wait to see the pics of the new house 🙂
    Posted by: Rebecca

  72. Congrats on the real-estate issues. Sounds like everyone is happy all-round.
    As for the basement purge, a local Hospice organization or Salvation Army can be a blessing. We also have some other organizations in our area that take donated goods to sell or give to victims of local disasters. Too many people just put the sofa/mattress/chair/table … at the curb hoping that someone will just magically take it away.

    Good luck with the packing/move/unpacking.
    Let the adventure begin.

    needleworker

    Posted by: LovesCrafts

  73. Here’s to happy endings and happy beginnings!
    What wonderful news.
    Posted by: irene

  74. Amen.
    I like to think that, despite what our crackhead of a Pope says, Catholics are pretty willing to help people of all religious persuasions. I mean, St. Joseph was a good guy, right? What with the whole marrying the pregnant woman and then acting as labor coach in a barn… this is a guy who understands people need a hand sometimes. I’m so happy for you!
    Posted by: Susan

  75. Wow! Congratulations! Best wishes for you new life!
    Posted by: Rebecca

  76. Whew – that’s fantastic news! Good luck with the rest of the process, and the packing/moving. What an adventure!
    Posted by: J Strizzy

  78. Oh and PS: we just got a dumpster delivered into our driveway to purge the assorted crap that the previous owners left us. 🙂
    Posted by: melanie

  79. Fantastic! But, basement clearing out – well, it has to be done.
    Posted by: Donna in Virginia

  80. yeah. congratulations! excellent news all around. can’t wait to see the pics of the new house 🙂
    Posted by: Rebecca

  82. Congrats on the real-estate issues. Sounds like everyone is happy all-round.
    As for the basement purge, a local Hospice organization or Salvation Army can be a blessing. We also have some other organizations in our area that take donated goods to sell or give to victims of local disasters. Too many people just put the sofa/mattress/chair/table … at the curb hoping that someone will just magically take it away.

    Good luck with the packing/move/unpacking.
    Let the adventure begin.

    needleworker

    Posted by: LovesCrafts

  83. Here’s to happy endings and happy beginnings!
    What wonderful news.
    Posted by: irene

  84. Amen.
    I like to think that, despite what our crackhead of a Pope says, Catholics are pretty willing to help people of all religious persuasions. I mean, St. Joseph was a good guy, right? What with the whole marrying the pregnant woman and then acting as labor coach in a barn… this is a guy who understands people need a hand sometimes. I’m so happy for you!
    Posted by: Susan

  85. Wow! Congratulations! Best wishes for you new life!
    Posted by: Rebecca

  86. Whew – that’s fantastic news! Good luck with the rest of the process, and the packing/moving. What an adventure!
    Posted by: J Strizzy

  88. Oh and PS: we just got a dumpster delivered into our driveway to purge the assorted crap that the previous owners left us. 🙂
    Posted by: melanie

  89. Yay! Just thought I’d de-lurk to say “congratulations!”
    Posted by: Katie

  90. That’s terrific news! I’m looking forward to reading about your adventures in Portland.
    Posted by: Kathy

  91. I’ve got to tell you, It’s always been a Joseph who came through for me. ; )

    Congratulations.

    Posted by: Stephanie

  92. I see nothing inconsistent here. Nothing.

    Congratulations!
    Posted by: claudia

  93. Yahooooo!!!!!!! I am SOOOO happy for you!

    And your paragraph about your theological justifications? Sounds astoundingly like my own thinking. Being Buddhist really allows a lot of flexibility, I think. The head of the zen center I went to growing up has a Jewish background, and even though her husband and son are also both Buddhist, they still held a Bar Mitzvah for her son. And we used to have weekend retreats at a Catholic convent–sometimes a few nuns would even join our meditation sessions. From the Buddhist perspective, prophets and saints of any religion are all bodhisattvas, and just because some people attribute them with divinity doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate their wisdom and powerful karmic force. So there! 🙂
    Posted by: Sneaksleep

  94. MAZEL TOV. i knew it would happen, just not that it would take a saint to make it so.

    kisses to everyone! suck in a big deep breath of brooklyn before you leave. you will miss it. 🙂
    Posted by: amyknitty

  95. Yeah!!!! Congrats! Everything works out in the end despite major aggravations along the way. So happy for you and your family. As for your concerns about inconsistencies and St. Jospeh and Kwan Yin, buddhism and catholicism, it all comes down to FAITH. Ther is nothing inconsistent about that.
    Posted by: Kim

  96. Oh, I’m SO happy to hear all this! And so excited for you all and your new adventure.
    Posted by: Kim

  98. Yay! Just thought I’d de-lurk to say “congratulations!”
    Posted by: Katie

  99. That’s terrific news! I’m looking forward to reading about your adventures in Portland.
    Posted by: Kathy

  100. I’ve got to tell you, It’s always been a Joseph who came through for me. ; )

    Congratulations.

    Posted by: Stephanie

  101. I see nothing inconsistent here. Nothing.

    Congratulations!
    Posted by: claudia

  102. Yahooooo!!!!!!! I am SOOOO happy for you!

    And your paragraph about your theological justifications? Sounds astoundingly like my own thinking. Being Buddhist really allows a lot of flexibility, I think. The head of the zen center I went to growing up has a Jewish background, and even though her husband and son are also both Buddhist, they still held a Bar Mitzvah for her son. And we used to have weekend retreats at a Catholic convent–sometimes a few nuns would even join our meditation sessions. From the Buddhist perspective, prophets and saints of any religion are all bodhisattvas, and just because some people attribute them with divinity doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate their wisdom and powerful karmic force. So there! 🙂
    Posted by: Sneaksleep

  103. MAZEL TOV. i knew it would happen, just not that it would take a saint to make it so.

    kisses to everyone! suck in a big deep breath of brooklyn before you leave. you will miss it. 🙂
    Posted by: amyknitty

  104. Yeah!!!! Congrats! Everything works out in the end despite major aggravations along the way. So happy for you and your family. As for your concerns about inconsistencies and St. Jospeh and Kwan Yin, buddhism and catholicism, it all comes down to FAITH. Ther is nothing inconsistent about that.
    Posted by: Kim

  105. Oh, I’m SO happy to hear all this! And so excited for you all and your new adventure.
    Posted by: Kim

  107. Blessings come from all parts of the universe. How wonderful you’ll be moving on to the next step of your adventure!
    Posted by: margene

  108. As a child of one Jewish parent and one Catholic parent, I say Mazel Tov and Halleleujah!
    Posted by: regina

  109. Yay – what wonderful news! I’m glad St. Joseph worked his juju for you.

    I have to tell you, we tried the St. Joseph thing. Maybe we didn’t follow instructions, but our offers completely dried up. We dug him up 5 months later, and all of a sudden we were rolling in the offers. Oh well, it all ended up working out 🙂
    Posted by: Jean

  110. That’s wonderful! Maybe now you can sit back and relax and look forward to your move. Well, as much as one can relax *and* move.
    Posted by: Karen

  111. The more “crap” you purge, the easier the move! Cari, your move will be fun and full of positive adventure!
    Posted by: Carmen

  112. HOOOOOOORAY!

    Let’s get together for some knitting and toddler-playing when our family visits Portland this fall?
    Posted by: Amy

  113. Congratulations! What a huge feeling of relief you must be feeling!!

    We’ve had similar luck–though I only got as far as pricing the St Joseph statues on line, we finally got our first offer on our house yesterday with buyers who seem really solid. I’m not counting my chickens just yet, but we’re hoping for a move at the end of August too.

    Good luck with that basement–that’s on my agenda for this afternoon, too!
    Posted by: Tracy WW

  114. congratulations on both transactions. my partner & i seem to be reliving your actions, a month or so behind you. we’re getting our austin house ready for sale, and we’re moving to portland as soon as we’ve closed (though we’re not buying right away). i’m very happy for you & renew my offer of libations or comestibles when we (inevitably) bump into each other at a portland LYS. (i hope that sounds cheery, not creepy.) good luck with your move & your new home.
    Posted by: eris

  115. Faith is faith…no need to justify. Congrats on the houses! The moving, however, sucks.
    Posted by: Jaimi

  116. Wonderful news! I don’t know how St Joseph got to be the patron saint of real estate, but I guess a little plaster statue in the yard couldn’t hurt, anyway…
    Posted by: Carrie

  117. Blessings come from all parts of the universe. How wonderful you’ll be moving on to the next step of your adventure!
    Posted by: margene

  118. As a child of one Jewish parent and one Catholic parent, I say Mazel Tov and Halleleujah!
    Posted by: regina

  119. Yay – what wonderful news! I’m glad St. Joseph worked his juju for you.

    I have to tell you, we tried the St. Joseph thing. Maybe we didn’t follow instructions, but our offers completely dried up. We dug him up 5 months later, and all of a sudden we were rolling in the offers. Oh well, it all ended up working out 🙂
    Posted by: Jean

  120. That’s wonderful! Maybe now you can sit back and relax and look forward to your move. Well, as much as one can relax *and* move.
    Posted by: Karen

  121. The more “crap” you purge, the easier the move! Cari, your move will be fun and full of positive adventure!
    Posted by: Carmen

  122. HOOOOOOORAY!

    Let’s get together for some knitting and toddler-playing when our family visits Portland this fall?
    Posted by: Amy

  123. Congratulations! What a huge feeling of relief you must be feeling!!

    We’ve had similar luck–though I only got as far as pricing the St Joseph statues on line, we finally got our first offer on our house yesterday with buyers who seem really solid. I’m not counting my chickens just yet, but we’re hoping for a move at the end of August too.

    Good luck with that basement–that’s on my agenda for this afternoon, too!
    Posted by: Tracy WW

  124. congratulations on both transactions. my partner & i seem to be reliving your actions, a month or so behind you. we’re getting our austin house ready for sale, and we’re moving to portland as soon as we’ve closed (though we’re not buying right away). i’m very happy for you & renew my offer of libations or comestibles when we (inevitably) bump into each other at a portland LYS. (i hope that sounds cheery, not creepy.) good luck with your move & your new home.
    Posted by: eris

  125. Faith is faith…no need to justify. Congrats on the houses! The moving, however, sucks.
    Posted by: Jaimi

  126. Wonderful news! I don’t know how St Joseph got to be the patron saint of real estate, but I guess a little plaster statue in the yard couldn’t hurt, anyway…
    Posted by: Carrie

  127. That’s terrific. Congratulations! Life moves ahead.
    Posted by: Kathode Ray Tube

  128. I love that you are willing to admit your inconsistencies in the faith area. We all have them, but very few of use are willing to admit them! Go girl! I’m glad things are going well in the house sale arena. Good luck in the basement!
    Posted by: kendall

  129. Woohoo! Congratulations. This lapsed Catholic is impressed with the statue.

    But really, I think goodness/karma knows where to go when it’s needed.
    Posted by: Steph

  130. Congratulations! The end of August? Wow! OK, I am SO telling my sister about the St Joseph. She has her condo on the market right now.
    Posted by: Knittripps

  131. Congrats from another non-catholic who buried St Joseph and sold her house!
    Posted by: Cynthia

  132. Fantastic! I was skeptical of the Saint, it’s true. Now I’m on the search for one of my own. My husband’s actually a Catholic (alter boy and all that, too), so we’ll just say it was his idea.

    Best of luck with packing. Perhaps you can hold a stoop sale and make some yarn money?
    Posted by: Jenni

  133. Hmmmm… St. Joseph you say? I wonder if my SIL, the daughter of a Baptist minister, would feel conflicted about burying a St. Joseph statue in her yard in order to sell her house.

    Congratulations!
    Posted by: Steph VW

  135. Congratulations! That’s great news, I knew it would work out eventually! You’re going to love the Pacific Northwest – now that I’m here I have no intention of leaving!
    Posted by: Emily

  136. That’s terrific. Congratulations! Life moves ahead.
    Posted by: Kathode Ray Tube

  137. I love that you are willing to admit your inconsistencies in the faith area. We all have them, but very few of use are willing to admit them! Go girl! I’m glad things are going well in the house sale arena. Good luck in the basement!
    Posted by: kendall

  138. Woohoo! Congratulations. This lapsed Catholic is impressed with the statue.

    But really, I think goodness/karma knows where to go when it’s needed.
    Posted by: Steph

  139. Congratulations! The end of August? Wow! OK, I am SO telling my sister about the St Joseph. She has her condo on the market right now.
    Posted by: Knittripps

  140. Congrats from another non-catholic who buried St Joseph and sold her house!
    Posted by: Cynthia

  141. Fantastic! I was skeptical of the Saint, it’s true. Now I’m on the search for one of my own. My husband’s actually a Catholic (alter boy and all that, too), so we’ll just say it was his idea.

    Best of luck with packing. Perhaps you can hold a stoop sale and make some yarn money?
    Posted by: Jenni

  142. Hmmmm… St. Joseph you say? I wonder if my SIL, the daughter of a Baptist minister, would feel conflicted about burying a St. Joseph statue in her yard in order to sell her house.

    Congratulations!
    Posted by: Steph VW

  144. Congratulations! That’s great news, I knew it would work out eventually! You’re going to love the Pacific Northwest – now that I’m here I have no intention of leaving!
    Posted by: Emily

  145. Habitat for Humanity donation – what a wonderful way to share your real estate karma! I will remember this one. Happy life in Portland – it’s a great place that appeals to us, as well, but since we live in Berkeley which is also a great place …

    I bet that the basement clean up will go faster than you can imagine now that you are mentally in the next phase of this process. (Oh yeah, forgot about the toddler.)
    Posted by: pj

  147. Dejunking one’s house gets easy when you realize you haven’t used something and didn’t miss it for a year. Hubby still won’t let me throw out my wedding dress… but we ended up with at least 5 trips to goodwill, another bunch of trips to the dump, lots of sweeping, throwing away paper good. It is actually quite a good feeling of letting go.

    Patty
    Posted by: Patty Bolgiano

  148. Congratulations, Cari! This is the best news I could have read today … I’m so happy for you all.
    Posted by: Ruth

  149. Yippee! Have fun with that basement! XOXO & congratulations.
    Posted by: Anina

  150. Oh, YEA! I ordered my St. Joseph real estate kit, too and it arrived while I was on vacation. I read in mine that the whole burying thing is optional and since I live in a condo (second floor) I decided to put him in the house instead. Hope that the Catholic saint works as well for a Catholic girl as for a Jewish Buddist! 🙂

    Portland, here you come!
    Posted by: Liz in IL

  152. Can’t wait for you to introduce yourself when you get to Portland! I moved to Portland from NYC almost 4 years ago, so we’ll have lots to commiserate about over a nice cup of coffee at Mabel’s!
    Posted by: Caitlin

  154. Congratulations! For anyone who’s wondering, I think St. Joseph’s connection to people who are buying or selling houses came from some combination of his being a carpenter, and also from his having been asked to move his family to Egypt on short notice to flee King Herod’s murderous rage. I think the idea is that since he had to move his young family, he’s sympathetic to those who have to move their families.
    Posted by: Saralyn

  155. Habitat for Humanity donation – what a wonderful way to share your real estate karma! I will remember this one. Happy life in Portland – it’s a great place that appeals to us, as well, but since we live in Berkeley which is also a great place …

    I bet that the basement clean up will go faster than you can imagine now that you are mentally in the next phase of this process. (Oh yeah, forgot about the toddler.)
    Posted by: pj

  157. Dejunking one’s house gets easy when you realize you haven’t used something and didn’t miss it for a year. Hubby still won’t let me throw out my wedding dress… but we ended up with at least 5 trips to goodwill, another bunch of trips to the dump, lots of sweeping, throwing away paper good. It is actually quite a good feeling of letting go.

    Patty
    Posted by: Patty Bolgiano

  158. Congratulations, Cari! This is the best news I could have read today … I’m so happy for you all.
    Posted by: Ruth

  159. Yippee! Have fun with that basement! XOXO & congratulations.
    Posted by: Anina

  160. Oh, YEA! I ordered my St. Joseph real estate kit, too and it arrived while I was on vacation. I read in mine that the whole burying thing is optional and since I live in a condo (second floor) I decided to put him in the house instead. Hope that the Catholic saint works as well for a Catholic girl as for a Jewish Buddist! 🙂

    Portland, here you come!
    Posted by: Liz in IL

  162. Can’t wait for you to introduce yourself when you get to Portland! I moved to Portland from NYC almost 4 years ago, so we’ll have lots to commiserate about over a nice cup of coffee at Mabel’s!
    Posted by: Caitlin

  164. Congratulations! For anyone who’s wondering, I think St. Joseph’s connection to people who are buying or selling houses came from some combination of his being a carpenter, and also from his having been asked to move his family to Egypt on short notice to flee King Herod’s murderous rage. I think the idea is that since he had to move his young family, he’s sympathetic to those who have to move their families.
    Posted by: Saralyn

  165. Congrats on selling the house. The only time I truly managed to Purge the Assorted Crap was when I moved countries. There’s a lot to be said for only keeping things that would survive being stored in a sheep shed for several years!
    Posted by: Ginchy

  166. Woo-effing-Hoo! Now, do you want to hear about the next step with St. Joseph? You’re supposed to give him a place of honor in your new house. I left mine buried in New Mexico b/c I was too paranoid to dig him up before we closed, but I have a spare from when I tried to sell last year…I’m so happy for you!
    Posted by: Beverly

  167. Congrats on selling the house. The only time I truly managed to Purge the Assorted Crap was when I moved countries. There’s a lot to be said for only keeping things that would survive being stored in a sheep shed for several years!
    Posted by: Ginchy

  168. Woo-effing-Hoo! Now, do you want to hear about the next step with St. Joseph? You’re supposed to give him a place of honor in your new house. I left mine buried in New Mexico b/c I was too paranoid to dig him up before we closed, but I have a spare from when I tried to sell last year…I’m so happy for you!
    Posted by: Beverly