Just a thought… In the middle of difficulty comes opportunity. [John Archibald Wheeler (often misattributed to know-it-all Albert Einstein)]

I’m constantly surprised and delighted by how helpful people are. Today’s one example; the other came on Friday thanks to social media.

Rob and I volunteer at a local seniors’ centre, having signed up during the worst of Covid. People couldn’t or didn’t want to leave their homes for groceries, so the centre made delicious and nutritious meals and once a week we’d drop them off. Meals were priced according to income and ability to pay; the best part was that we met our beloved friend Mira, who despite passing last fall, still has a firm grasp on our hearts. We continue to deliver now, but to far fewer clients, as demand has slowed.

When we found ourselves with dilation eye appointments today as we both look into vision improvement surgery, we were in a pickle: no driving home from Victoria, about a 40 minute trip from our town of Sidney. So we called the Shoal Centre and asked if, by any chance, someone was going into the city today . Long story short, the answer was “yes” and we have a ride! We’ll tuck a Tim’s gift card into our thank you note, and then take a couple of buses home.

The second instance came thanks to dozens upon dozens of comments from people when I attached this cartoon to a post on Facebook and other social media Friday.

I said that we are indeed at the end of our ropes, having had our BC dream house on the market for a year now with no offers. There were some common themes in the responses.

1. Lower the Price Done, done, done and done. With our agent, we’ve searched the comparables. A lot. We’re well below the assessed value (which we ended up successfully appealing) and absolutely in the right price range. Any of the 90(!) or so parties who’ve been through have not mentioned that it’s too high. So there’s that.

2. Change Agents We really don’t want to do that, as we feel the man handling our listing has held many open houses, marketed the place throughout Canada and the US, and done just about everything we thought possible to try to sell this recently-renovated home. We didn’t search for an agent when we went to sell; it was he through whom we bought the condo we’re now in and he had helped sell our kids-in-law’s house in a day. We thought we were in good hands.

3. Get the Right Saint! I said initially that we had St. Anthony planted (upside down as instructed) in the front yard. Well, of course, it’s St. Joseph (bad Catholic, Erin!) but honestly these days, the patron saint of hopeless causes might be of more use. Hey St. Jude: take a sad house and make it better!

Many people suggested I attach the listing on Facebook and other socials to get more eyes on it. See, here’s where the personal and the private get murky. We’ve been extremely fortunate to be able to afford a house in this price range and I am reluctant to share what that price is. Now if you were to search realtor.ca and look up a home on Park Pacific Terrace in North Saanich, well I couldn’t stop you. But the last thing I need is some Bitter Betty coming after me for something. I have enough of that taste in my mouth right now already.

So, what to do? I realize these are what they used to call “first world problems” and I’m not moaning. Bridge financing is expensive and hard; we didn’t have to buy the condo when we saw it (it’s a rarity in the building that we liked) but we did have to get out of a house that now brought nothing but sadness after so much joy. (There’s the personal. But it’s no secret.) What we’re having so much trouble with – besides eating the monthly interest on that loan – is that the house we walked into and said, “THIS IS IT!” doesn’t seem to have grabbed anyone else the same way.

The 150 degree views of trees, ocean and mountains. The eagles and deer and rabbits (and occasionally, as you see here, Snowbirds) and the quiet. Maybe it’s the blessed isolation of the neighbourhood on what’s called a mountain (but with paved roads and mail delivery LOL). We’re out of ideas as to what it is. The market? A looming recession? Three pertinent elections? Who knows?

Would we move back? Not now that we’ve embraced walking across the street for groceries or almost anything else we need (except cataract surgery with the doctor our optometrist recommended). It’s finding the right people to start their own dreams – maybe immigrants to the States moving again, but to our beautiful country to practise medicine (as so many will be after their US visas expire July 1). Maybe another couple from Ontario who need to start their new next chapter.

A friend whose house just sold after listing at the same time as ours says, “There’s a bum for every seat.” I’m just hoping someone’s bum gets in gear and they find ours. The chairs are pointed at the ocean.

Have a great week and I’ll write to you next Monday after a long overdue visit to see my dad, and be reunited with my three sisters. The Coven collects – watch for strange cloud formations!