Abundant Michael

Last Yule party and house sale

This will be the last Yule party (Sat 12/10/11) at my house in Rockville - I am selling my house. 

You can RSVP at
More info and directions to party at

House saleI have lived here 21 years and had many interesting experiences and grown too. My intuition says it is time to move on and let go most of the stuff I have accumulated. I feel that I have co-created a magical sacred space in my house and garden. I have put a lot o work into cleaning the energy here and keeping it clear. I would love to sell it to someone who can appreciate that together with the beauty of the house, land and energy of the place. It has been like a quiet oasis to me during stressful times.


 

If you are interested in buying before the house goes on the public market, or know a good realtor who also understands the spiritual side of selling a house then let me know immediately. I am interviewing realtors this week. You can read more about my house here.

Realtor - what I want

  • good at sales and marketing
    • speed of sale
    • good price
  • get deal done
    • qualify buyer for ability to get loan/pay
  • help with remote sale 
    • settlement
    • estate sale or sell with house
    • referrals to contractors
  • understands and can use spiritual side of things
    • understands this is sacred space and how to sell that aspect
    • can attract a buyer who will appreciate the space and can afford to buy it


I don't know where or when I will buy a new house. When I do I imagine it will use some ideas from those Earth Ships houses - passive solar heating and cool, water recyclings and self sustaining in food. I like water features so a pool or pond is a possibility. And the energy of the land and the community of people around me is very important to me too. Maybe I will join an intentional community or co-housing. Or create my own with others. One of the advantages of letting go the old is that it clears up space for the emergence of the new, even when (or especially when) the new is unknown. In this case I journey into the unknown, knowing that the abundance of the universe is always supporting me and that my intuition will guide me perfectly when I listen to it.

I will remain in touch and I imagine I will visit this area in the future too.

My House

My HouseMy house is a 1962 two level with a colorful interior and a wonderful garden. There are many places to cuddle up, great conversation circles, or to dance. There are 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, remodeled kitchen and beautifully landscaped front and back yards.

 


There's also an enclosed flower garden with a goldfish pond. It's romantically lighted for a quiet, intimate place outside. It is a quiet and safe neighborhood with good schools. It is within minutes of I-270 and Red Line Metro. Driveway, plus pleny of free street parking.

 

Address and directions are here.

 

House flooring and upgrades:

First floor

  • Hallway - tile floor replaced original linoleum
  • Kitchen - tile floor replaced original linoleum, new granite counter tops, dishwasher, large fridge/freezer, gas stove top (replaced original electric stovetop), new electric oven (replaced original electric oven), new larger sink and top end garbage disposal, cabinets painted and new knobs, exhaust fan replaced, under sink water purifier added, added GFI outlets and new circuits and outlets for kitchen area
  • Dining room - wooden floor refinished, removed original BBQ grill, added extra cabinets for kitchen storage
  • Bathroom - new tile floor, new sink and vanity, new bath wall tile
  • Master bedroom - wood floor refinished
  • Master bathroom - new tile floor and shower tiling
  • Bedroom 2 - original wooden floor
  • Bedroom 3 - wood floor refinished
  • Living room - wood floor refinished, sliding door to backyard and mini deck/steps added, projector TV mount and wiring added

Just repainted

Basement

  • Basement - carpeted (replaced original tile), new wall panels, new ceiling, new electric wiring, new lighting, two windows replaced, 3 built in bookshelves, laundry shelf, washing machine and drier, built in storage shelfs
  • Upgraded electric panel to larger size
  • Repainted

Exterior
  • Added 3 GFI outlets
  • Landscaping - trees, shrubs, crushed limestone patio area, raised beds, bamboo living screen at back for privacy (roots contain with liner), pond with fountain, front yard lighting, stepping stone pathway added
  • Wooden garden shed
  • Fence - 6" wooden fences on three sides
  • Driveway - replaced with modern concrete driveway
  • Exterior completely repainted

 

Tipping Point and the Titanic

Definition: Tipping point - a time when a previously stable slowing changing system sudden shifts into a new state unexpectedly.

 

You have probably seen the movie "Titanic" were a great "unsinkable" ship hits an iceberg and for hours nothing appears to be wrong, people dress up for dinner, everything seems calm and normal. Then slowly the ship starts to list and becomes water logged. In the final minutes the ship suddenly breaks in two and there is a shift into a very fast sinking. At the beginning most people didn't even want to get into the lifeboats, by the end they were fighting each other like Black Friday shoppers at WalMart for the few seats remaining to safety when even money might not buy your way off the sinking ship and the ship government (officers) start shooting at the passengers in an attempt to retain control. This is a good model of a Tipping Point: everything seems normal then there is a sudden change.


Today the US is in the middle of several Tipping Point processes. Everything seems normal and may continue for for a long time that way, but under the internal stressing and strain there will come tipping points with with sudden change. You only have to think back to the 2008 financial crisis to see a recent example. 


Then companies collapsed overnight and prices change dramically. Of the 2008 mortgage crisis some people talked about the issue in the years prior but all seemed normal and most people ignored the warning signs. Now in 2011 I see Tipping Point processes underway in these areas
  • government debt growing larger than can be paid for
  • military overextended
  • food costs and quality
  • health care sytem and costs
  • degrading infrastructure
  • reduction in civil liberties

The problem with ignoring or waiting and seeing for a major change is that when it comes it may be sudden like the Titanic sinking. At at that point people may panic, riot and the government respond with draconician martial law in a vain attempt to keep control. Then it will be too late to get into a liveboat easily. And your only options may be to attack your fellow passengers or to accept the catestrophic changes like Sir John Jacobs sitting in his dinner jacket as he drowned in the state room of the Titanic.


PS Beware thinking that because you have an Everbank foreign currency account or hold foreign stocks in your US IRA that you are safe. That would like letting the Captain of the Titanic hold a certificate for a place in a lifeboat and thinking that if the ship is sinking your are safe...

Aggression Tratics at the US border escalate

ImmigrationI have noticed an increase in the last 2 years in long aggressive questioning by Immigration border people as I enter the USA. I am US citizen and in my option if I am holding a valid passport then after scanning it they should just let me into the country. I am also UK citizen and that is what happened the last time I entered UK this summer. No aggressive questioning, just a 30 second scan of my passport and "Welcome back to Britain, sir"

 

 

 


It does seem to depend on which border guard you get and also which countries you have been in and if the guard can fit your travel into a nice easy slot like "a week's vacation". When I returned to USA after a week in UK it was pretty easy, when I returned from Bolivia, Peru and Mexico after 5 months it was 20 minutes of aggressive questioning about where I had been, why, how I was able to do this if I was employed (he didn't seem to understand the concept of working remotely). He was also upset that I was returning via LAX instead of DC (where I live). I explain I was going to a yoga conference in NM. I had to show him my Maryland driver license and UK passport as back up ID in the end. I thought a US passport was enough to re-enter the country but no! I have heard this story of long, aggressive questioning from other US citizens in South America too.
 


I think it is as bad or worse for non-US citizens entering the USA. In addition everyone else (except Canadians) have to fill out an application form 2 weeks ahead of time to even get on a plane to US plus they get fingerprinted and photographed on entry. All part of the US-VISIT program. I imagine that this will be extended to US citizens too in the coming year for "our security" - really to expand Big Brother's power and to intimidate people into obeying orders like sheep.

BlogCFC was created by Raymond Camden. This blog is running version 5.9.8.012.