We’re Moving

You might have read the blog post entitled January 1949, that’s when the Johnson family arrived in Tucson.  I tell people we arrived in a covered wagon and had to fight dinosaurs all the way from Chicago. Some people appear to be skeptical about the story.     

I love Tucson, I’ve been here over 70 years, it’s home. Monty has called it home since 1981.  We bought our house here in 1995 and have absolutely loved it.  

This last year has seen some changes, I lost a good friend and lunch buddy of forty years. Monty lost a couple of his music friends.  Things seem to be changing, maybe it is time for us to make a change.  

Son, Greg, and his wife, Debbie, and daughter,Tricia, and the combined families of seven  grandchildren all live in the Phoenix area.  Maybe it’s time to think about a move. We always anticipated moving up there but assumed it might be a couple of years down the road maybe when we were finished RVing. 

We started talking about a move and then decided to look at some places up in Scottsdale or Tempe near the kids.  The areas are very nice but we didn’t find what we were looking for.  Tricia went to a party out in Sun Lakes in  Chandler and was excited about the community.  

We went out to take a look and she was right, the place has a real community feel with lots of activities; beautiful swimming pools, tennis, pickleball, golf, and studios for ceramics, dance, art, jewelry making, a nice library, and a ballroom with guest cover bands that come in once a month.  We talked to several people who lived there and they love living there.  

We came home to think it all over.  Monty and I drove back up and looked around again and came to the conclusion it might be a good place to spend the next decade or so.  (We’re optimistic!)  

Now we just had to find a place to live.  If you’ve paid attention to the real estate market you know houses go on the market in the morning and have an offer by nightfall.  This might be tricky.  

We’d been looking on the Internet for houses but nothing jumped out at us.  Then out of the blue, as my mom would say, on Saturday morning I found our house.  When Monty and Daisy came back from their morning walk Monty agreed this was our house.  We called the kids, and arrived in a herd, with our realtor in tow, to see the place.   

It was perfect, we really wanted a house with open or green space and this one has a lovely north facing patio that looks out on the golf course.  Family room and kitchen have large windows overlooking the covered patio and the 18th tee.  We were tempted to buy the house for the covered patio and water feature alone but the rest of it is just what we were looking for.  Monty has a music room, I have an office and fitness space.  Thank goodness my fitness peeps will all come with me via Zoom.

The couple who are selling the house are also moving to be closer to their children.  After seventeen years in the sunshine they are heading  back to Boston.  I don’t think they were eager to leave when the snow was deep back there so the official closing isn’t until the first of March.  

So off we go on a new adventure, now the work begins, sorting, cleaning, and packing.  I’m sure this is just the first in a series of stories about the move.