Gnome Home

WOW!  It's been months since I wrote the last Tale from the Penny Palace.  Time flies!  There have been lots of great stories during that time, but I get too busy to dedicate a few hours to writing a Tale. 

This is a fun story, so I'll carve out the time tonight to share it with you.

 

Earlier this year Doc and I made the decision to sell off our Arizona rental house and use the funds to buy a place closer to us so that we could manage it ourselves.  At that time Doc began searching for replacement properties.  He found one he REALLY liked, in the Cottages community but we were months from being ready to make a purchase.  At the time he said, "I like it. I think this one should be ours!"

 

 

Several months later (after we sold the AZ house), we began looking in earnest for local properties to buy.  The market within 25 miles of us is crappy!  Very expensive and run down!  Doc looked -- The Cottage was back on the market!  It had fallen out of escrow twice since he had first seen it. 

 

It was quite an ordeal, but eventually we obtained it. The house was even ready to rent!  (By normal people's standards).  But you know Doc and I are not 'normal'.  We put in new kitchen lighting, a new dishwasher, new kitchen sink, new water heater, new toilets, new windows, and cleaned the place from top to bottom - including the P-traps! 

 

After three weeks of intense work, it was ready to rent - by OUR standards.  We had three open houses and only one family showed!!  We could not believe it.  We just kept praying and asking God for the 'right' tenants.

 

Last week we were scheduled to meet two interested family on Thursday afternoon.  We drove out to meet them and the first one did not show!  Instead, the other family showed up early.  We were surprised.  We spent 90 wonderful minutes with them!  We fell in love with them and they with us (or so they led us to believe).  They had looked at 31 other properties and none met their needs.  They were praying on their side because they had only two weeks before needing to be out of their current home.  Our Cottage was just what they were looking for!

After reviewing the potential tenant applications and background reports, Doc and I concluded this would be a Win-Win situation for all parties involved.  So yesterday we met with the family to do a walk through of the house and provide them with the keys.

 

It gets even better.... earlier this week I had a 'nudging' to put Gnomes in the house to welcome the new family.  So weird!  Two days ago even though we were crazy busy that day, I insisted that Doc stop at a crafting place so that I could purchase some gnomes!  I put a gnome Welcome note on the front door and bedroom doors, gnomes in the kitchen and living room and other places.  I hoped the new family would be okay with my playfulness.  They were more than okay. 'M' collects Gnomes!  She could not believe it when she walked up to the front door and saw the Gnome Sign!

Today 'M' wrote to me: "I absolutely love Gnomes . 

I got so happy when I walked in and saw them."

 

So was that COINcidence?  Answers to prayers on both sides?

Gotta love God's sense of humor.