Our new home

I went to Memphis on a house hunting trip last week. I saw 25 houses in two days, narrowed it down to three favorites and saw those three again on my third day. After I got home Scott and I talked about it and made an offer on the one we liked best. There was already an offer on the house, but it was contingent on the first buyer selling their house. Once the sellers accepted our offer, the first buyers had 72 hours to set a closing date or withdraw their offer.

We just found out this morning that the house is ours (once we close, of course). Here it is:


It's in the historic Evergreen District of Midtown. It's a great house and we are very excited.

Scott is in Memphis this weekend for a conference, so he will be able to see the house in person on Sunday. I'll let you know what he thinks!

Jill's for Jospeh

Our house in California has been on the market for about a month now and we haven't had an offer yet. We found a house in Memphis and made an offer on it, so we are REALLY ready to have this house sold. We decided it's time to look to a higher power for assistance and ordered a St. Joseph statue online the other day from buryjoe.com.


For those of you not familiar with the tradition of burying St. Joseph (the patron saint of the family and household needs), it started when Sister Teresa of Avila (now known as Saint Teresa) and her fellow nuns started burying St. Joseph medals in ground they wanted to attain for their convents. The practice has in more recent times evolved into the tradition of burying a St. Joseph statue which, with a few moments of prayer, is called upon to help sell property. So, we buried the statue in the yard tonight with all the requisite pomp and circumstance, plus our own special touch for good measure.

First, we dug a hole near the for sale sign in your yard.


Next, we placed the statue of St. Joe in the hole according to the directions: head first, feet toward heaven, facing the direction of the street. The directions didn't mention this part, but we decided to toss in our own special offerings to St. Joe. Ev gave him a cookie, in case he got hungry, and I poured in a little of the gin & tonic I was enjoying at the time, in case he got thirsty. Can you see the ice cubes down there?


Before covering the statue, we said the following suggested prayer: "Remember, O most chaste Spouse of the Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who implored your help and sought your intercession was left unassisted. Full of confidence in your power, I fly unto you and beg your protection. Despise not, O foster-father of the Redeemer, my humble supplication, but in your bounty hear and answer me. Amen."

Then we carefully covered him up, sprinkled him with a little water to help the grass grow back, and went about our business.


After the house sells and escrow closes, we'll dig up St. Joseph and give him a place of honor in our new home.

My celebrity look alikes

People used to tell me all the time that I looked like Jamie Lee Curtis. She didn't show up here, so maybe people said that just because my hair used to be so short.



I did it a second time using a different picture of myself and Julie Andrews and Julia Stiles were the only two that showed up again. Robert Downey Jr. showed up on my second one as well.

I did one with a picture of Scott and Magic Johnson popped up as one of his look alikes!