One of my favorite flowers is Lilacs, they tell me it is spring and summer is around the corner.  When the lilacs bloom, my house at 4020 was filled with them for about two weeks.  I had them everywhere.  Love the smell, love the color.  We had light purple, dark purple and white lilacs.

Every room had lilacs.  I have a connection to old things.  Old houses, antique furniture and old plants.  Another favorite is peonies, love them!

I am happy to report that all of our digging last fall is paying off and my plants are blooming at our rental.  The plants we saved look great and they made it.

They made it.

I feel we should play the song from “Rocky” Da da Da, Da a Da…

With lilacs come Morel mushrooms.  All I can say is that we had morels in our backyard for years.  All kinds, black, white and yellow.  The yellow ones were huge.

We have had morels for three meals this week and my house is filled with lilacs.

Not saying where they came from.

~Susan

This digital world can be good and it can be bad.  It is good I am getting my story out. I still tell my story everyday to somebody.  Today it was the person from the Shriners who called for a donation.

However, I have been bombarded with users who are spam.  Not sure what you are trying to accomplish, just adds hurt to insult.  I cannot delete you all fast enough.  Some try to keep coming back.  Really, please just leave me alone.  You already screwed up my computer, which I am replacing and there is nothing you can “get” from me.

I lost my house to eminent domain, my dream home and you are trying to hack my computer and website?  Shame on you.  Did you not read my post?

Shame on you.

~Susan

Somehow I was truely hoping 4020 would have a second life somewhere else and be moved to another location.

We had thought about moving the house, but for us, the lot and location was just as important as the house.  It was the whole package and moving the house would just have been too much for us to deal with emotionally. It just would not have been the same for us.

I drove by yesterday.  The fence is gone and the windows are being taken out.  The deck has been taken apart and now I know the ultimate fate will be demolition.  I am not sure, but I think it is a pretty good guess.

I feel numb.  I feel sad.

I still think of those that made this decision…

~Susan

Not much to report since my last post.  The commissioners came back and actually lowered the offer because we took a few things, like our stove.

Already posted about our stove.  Our stove started the whole remodel.

Either offer is not enough to buy or build a comparable.  I will clarify that we are not looking for the lottery, we are and were fine with our mortgage payment and  we are comfortable having the same mortgage. .

Didn’t want to move.  Don’t care what the “market value” is.

Next step is an appeal and the legal process of going towards trial.

Personally, there is always a lot going on.  That is life.  Everyone has a story.

Had a call today from a client who wanted to talk to me, I know who she is and welcomed the call.  Not only a client, she used to live at 4020.  Our house was her house.  She wanted to know what was going on and noticed that the driveway had not been plowed.

She lived there over twenty five years ago and still misses the house.  Her and her husband sold it to buy a townhome and a cabin.  If not for the cabin, she said she would still be there.  I thought for a moment, then I would have never been there, although I didn’t say anything.

Small world.  She was sad and asked me if I knew what would happen to 4020.  I told her I really didn’t know.

My client and former owner of 4020 is 80 years old, and she still misses the house.

~Susan

Last week we had two days of the next step in this process.  It is called a “Commissioners hearing”.  My understanding of this, is that information is provided to three commissioners to review our last offer from the county.

It is part of the legal process in Minnesota, as I know each State is different.  I understand it is a step to avoid a trial.  The commissioners are a panel of three professionals.  Usually a realtor, an apprasier and an attorney.

Our attorney said that normally the homeowner does not attend this.  We did.  Why wouldn’t we?  It is our life.

They will review the information received and they may agree with our offer from the county or they may present a different offer.

Either way, we lost.  We lost our home and have moved.  To me, we already lost and there is no “win”.  How can there be a win?  As I said before, no amount of money will make this right and no one pays us for our stress, living in limbo and having to move.

If getting another offer of being able to buy or build a comparable home is a “win”, we still lost.  No one can pay us our time or stress.

My husband and some of our friends have been “hashing” out what would be fair.  What would make this process better, more fair and less stressful.  One of our cousins said that homeowners should hold the key and agree to the price before the project can move forward.  Another said a market value should be agreed upon and then a percentage should be put on top for the emotional stress.  Both, may make cities, counties and states think twice about forcing homeowners to move.

At this point, I just don’t know.  I still wake up thinking I am at my house, 4020, and then realize I am not.

I still have dreams of packing and all of the work we did to move.  I still have dreams I own my house…

No one involved knows about what we have gone through for the past eight years.  Everyone involved had or has there part to play, but they don’t know us.  They don’t know what we have felt or gone through for eight years.  Only our closest friends know everything.

I do not know what will happen from here.  I really have no idea.  I just know, I do not sleep well at night.  Which, apparently, is not uncommon with our situation.  Fair? No.

Like I said, we already lost.

~Susan

This is our new normal.  Things are fine (we know what “fine” means), yes, things are fine.

I am very thankful for my friends who are so there for us. Kid’s are okay.  Well, somewhat.  They are questioning everything and want to feel that they have a home.  Our youngest is the most uptight and has had some melt downs….

Yes, our youngest won’t sleep in his room.  Even though I had it painted the same color as his room at 4020.  I tried to make our rental our “home” as much as I could.  We actually had all of our bedrooms painted to the same color as 4020.  Need to make it “home”.

Thinking about the day the Minnetonka City Council approved this project.  Thinking about the comments from the Mayor and Council.  I am just thinking about the last eight years and how I talk to my children.

Did anyone consider that you were actually affecting families?

That you were affecting us with your decisons? Do you understand that we think about your decision everyday and you probably do not even remember who we are?

That is why I will continue our story.  I will write about you and your decisions.

Background story is next.

`Susan

Well, I did it.  I should say “we” did it.  My husband and I are quite the team.  Somehow we pulled off hosting Christmas and everything turned out okay!

We were used to our “professional gas six burner two griddle dual oven” and actually hosted Christmas for fourteen this year.  Last year we did thirty for Thanksgiving.

Getting used to electic again.

Between the oven and the grill, we cooked everything to be done at the same time.  Actually, amazing that we did this.  Had a great compliment from my brother in law, he said “you do this so well”.

We have hosted for so many years, same house, same appliancies. So many Holidays…

But, we did it again, in a new place.

Yep, one of my cousins told me that we should think of running a B & B, well that may be part of our retirement plan.  We cook and we cook well, no matter what — the City, the County, can not change that.  They can take away my house, my view, my lot and my dream, but they cannot take away my food!

And no one can take my stove.  You see our remodel started with the stove.  It was a four burner electric stove top that was down to one and a half burners. The oven, well, let’s just say a chicken took about five hours to cook….It needed to be replaced.  But, I cooked with it for years…   I did Holidays, I do deserve a medal for cooking!

Unfortunately, everyone who would give me a medal, has now passed.

And then we remodeled…

My stove is now in storage, along with the fridge. May never use them again, but I do own them, they are still “mine”.

~Susan

I miss my house.  Period.  I miss 4020 Shady Oak Road.

I still drive by, probably should not do that.  But, I do.  I take the back roads to work, Baker Road to Excelsior hang a right, left on Shady Oak Road.  I drive by all of the condemned business and other houses that were acquired for this project.  It is sad seeing the empty buildings and houses.

A better road will be built, new businesses will go in.  Development will occur, that was maybe the plan.  I think about the people who owned those businesses and those homeowners who went into assisted living arrangements.  I think of my neighbor who couldn’t talk any more about being “acquired” and took an early buy out.  Yes, my beloved neighbor’s who had been in their home since the 1970’s, could not deal with the process any longer.  They left over a year ago.

Some nights I still cry.  I am not sure why.  But, I do.  I just do.  I think it might be that now I have too much time to reflect.  I was so busy putting our rental home in order that now that I am done, I have too much time on my hands.

We have continued to have a lot of company and visitors to our new “rental home” and everyone seems so happy we are unpacked and “settled”.  What else was I suppose to do?  I have to make it normal for my kid’s.  What am I suppose to do?  That is the question.  Am I suppose to just fold and give in and take what is given after building my dream home?  I don’t think so.  But, I am not sure what to do next.  I am pissed, really mad at our last offer, but being mad does what?  Nothing.  So, we don’t settle. We rent, after three homes and twenty years of ownership, we rent.

After having our perfect home for our family, we rent.  We have two young kids and now we rent.

I miss my house.

~Susan

Another interesting week.  But, why wouldn’t it be interesting when you go through this process of eminent domain?  I guess I thought that once we handed over the keys I would have some time to basically chill and get use to our new normal. It was a week ago last Friday that we handed over the keys to 4020 Shady Oak Road to the county.

Last Saturday we took the boys out to see the tribute to Queen, “We will rock you” at the Orpheum in Minneapolis.  They loved it.  We promised them, that once we moved, things would be different.  We wouldn’t be so “tied” to our house, we would stop taking them to open houses every Sunday (something we did regularly when we found out we would have to move) and that we would have time to have fun and do things.

I do think of all of that time and in the big picture, I hope it was not wasted.  I don’t think it was.  I think I have a pretty good grip on the concept of “community” and “comparable” in my world.  However, my world is not law or legal in anyway.  That is the problem.  We are only another homeowner that lost their home for a road project and do not feel we were anywhere near compensated for what we had.  I know there are so many of us, I hope we can connect.  Too many people do not want to talk about what they went through. I am thankful that I do want to talk about it.

I am thankful we found a wonderful rental home and the owners are so accommodating to our situation.  The owners of our rental home were here last Sunday and our coincidences and our common connections seriously can only be a miracle in itself.

Things happen for a reason.  I have always believed that.  For some reason I am suppose to go through this.

I am thankful I have such good friends.  We celebrated Thanksgiving today with one of my Fab Four and her family.  Such a good time, good food and good conversation. Very thankful.

Last Monday we did go back to 4020 for another walk through.  The next step is the “commissioners hearing”.  Being in the insurance world, it would be like going to arbitration.  We did not agree with the offer, so now a panel of “commissioners” will take another look.  The commissioners are court appointed and will come up with another number.  They needed to see the house, they needed to see 4020.  We didn’t have to go.  But, why wouldn’t we?  We have been at every meeting, every event, everything connected to our house and eminent domain.

We went to see the commissioners and for them to see us.  We went, again, to see the process.  The kid’s have not been back and now will never be.

I am thankful our kid’s are okay, that we are healthy and for all of the people in our life that have made this process bearable.

Happy Thanksgiving,

~Susan

Not sure how I feel.  Weird for sure.  Last week was a blur.

One of my best friends, yes, one of the Fab Four, was back in town for a family funeral and after spending a few days with family came here to our rental home to be with us.

That was Thursday evening.  We stayed up too late and drank too much wine in anticipation of Friday’s events.

Friday, yes, last Friday.  Well, we first went downtown to pick up the “check”, the last written offer from the county.  Then we picked up lunch for the office and had to type a letter to our mortgage company.  We then headed over to 4020 Shady Oak Road to do a walk through with some other county people and hand over our keys.

Next we overnighted the “check” to our mortgage company.  Then my friend and I went to our new home to get ready for happy hour with some of my old work group (changes within my company, can’t even get to that at this point).  After everyone left early, we stayed and had dinner and then went home (new home) to make sure the kid’s were okay.

They were.  Then we went out to the casino to meet up with my Brother in law. Yes, my husband was with us for all events.  Again, stayed up too late.

My Fab Four first visitor twice now, left Saturday and we had another party to go to in the evening.  Babysitter, I should say Tweensitter, came and we went out again.  Had a great time, just got tired of telling our story.  Most had been to our home.  Yes, we moved, No, we didn’t find a house to buy…

The usual conversation for us lately.  But, hey, we are telling everyone.  Check out our story.  Yep, could happen to you.

Spoke to a representative from X-cel energy today to make sure the bill was correct and to forward the next bill to the county.  He was very nice.  Told him our story.  Interesting, he bought his home three years ago and there is some plan to put a road in the woods between him and his neighbors home.  Believe me, I had some advice for him.  If it is on some plan it is only a matter of time and money.

Too busy to really “feel” the end this past week.  Probably good, only I am thinking about it too much now.  That part is over.  We moved, we handed over the keys, we found a place to rent and so far, the kid’s are okay.

Mortgage is hopefully paid, you never know, the “check” may bounce.

~Susan