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Terri Webster Schrandt

Sunday Stills: Holiday #Lights and Beyond

When I selected the theme of lights, I thought about the traditional holiday lights we all enjoy seeing this time of year. But as usual, the theme morphed into other interpretations, as it should.

Join me this week from my temporary home in Spokane, Washington.

Lights on the Road

We drove out of the driveway for the last time, early last Sunday morning, a day later than planned. Of course, I cried as we left but soon my spirits were buoyed by thoughts of our new adventures to come. My husband drove his truck with our dogs in the back seat while I followed behind in my Rav4. Both vehicles were fully loaded, and our POD container was packed and ready to be shipped two days later.

We drove from Sacramento to Portland, Oregon, taking long 10 hours, driving half of this in pouring rain along Highway 5. By the time we reached Salem, the rain had stopped. Within 45 minutes we checked in to our motel and recovered. We were up and out the door at 7am.

We drove along Highway 84 along the Columbia River Gorge and this sunrise greeted us.

OR morning light

Yes, I took the photo while driving but I can say “shoot” and the phone snaps the pic. The morning light was incredible, and I managed to also get the reflection from the hood of the car. We drove in record time arriving at our destination in five and a half hours!

The map shows you where Spokane, Washington is compared to Sacramento, California. The one-way trip from Sacramento is about 840 miles.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

We arrived to snow on the ground but not on the roads. We unpacked, rested, and visited with my brother-in-law who is hosting us in his home for the next few weeks while we wait for our manufactured home to be built.

After a few messages we learned the home would be delivered to our property this week. On Thursday, after running a few errands and taking advantage of dry streets, we headed up to Nine Mile Falls, 20 minutes north of Spokane, where we will live. We turned the corner of our street expecting to look at the foundation and what had been completed on the property, and lo and behold…this!

manufactured home
Placing the home

Tears sprang to our eyes as we saw our home for the first time.

We were told the house was delivered just the day before. It is set temporarily on wheels and in a few days a crane will arrive to lift it onto the foundation and join the two sides. In the meantime, we walked through the mud and snow and peeked inside where we could. Once it is properly placed, the company finishes the inside, with carpet, flooring, etc. Soon the contractor will hook up septic, water and power.

In this 15-parcel subdivision, 5 other homes are in the process of being built. We were the very first buyers.

In case you are wondering, this home is 30 x 68 feet (2040 sq feet), almost 800 SF larger than my former home. Sharp eyes may see that I chose the same exterior paint color as my former house, which, in an interesting twist, officially closed that same day.

Indeed, seeing the home for ourselves tells us there is a light at the end of this year-long tunnel through which we have travelled.

Northern Holiday Lights

For now, we are enjoying holiday lights in others’ homes. My sister-in-law always has gorgeous displays full of light, indoors and out.

The lighted deer in her front yard were aglow in what was left of the snow.

Reindeer lights

Her Christmas Village is inspiring.

Christmas Village

While packing for the move, I discovered several boxes of holiday decorations, including a box with lighted deer. I can’t wait to put the lights up in 2021 on our new home!

I hope you enjoyed my various interpretations of lights. For your post, you can share images of lights or interpret the overall concept of light.

A huge shout-out to fellow Washingtonian, Susanne at Cats and Trails and Garden Tales for hosting Sunday Stills last week while we moved.

There will be no Sunday Stills challenge for December 27 as many of us take a break and enjoy our holidays. Have a wonderful but safe holiday week and let’s begin the new year with faith, hope, love and peace. Check back soon to my Sunday Stills Challenge page for January’s themes.

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102 comments

  3. Terri, I’m glad to hear you’ve arrived safely after a long drive, especially the section in the rain. The sunrise is beautiful and it’s so neat that you could snap the photo by voice command. I love the blue exterior paint that you choose. Soon you’ll have a brand new and spacious home to enjoy. Thank you for hosting today’s Sunday Stills. I wish you and your family a merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.

    Here’s my entry: https://natalietheexplorer.home.blog/2020/12/13/seeing-the-lights/

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    • It was strange knowing it was a one-way trip, Natalie. We’re a little cramped at BILs house and enduring covid restrictions but it won’t be long until we can enjoy our new place. Thanks so much, Natalie and Merry Christmas to you and yours!

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  4. Glad you’ve arrived and that your new home is nearly ready. It’s very similar to the lodges at our holiday park, which arrive in two halves. I’m sure you’ll soon be settled in and enjoying your new home. Merry Christmas!

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  5. Hi neighbor, I live in Spokane just below Mount St. Michael Church, a beautiful castle-like building rich in history, the building is over 100 years old and attracts visitors who love to drive the road up to the holy grounds. Visitors are usually welcome to tour the building except because of the spoiler Covid, visitors are far and few these days.

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  11. Well a huge congratulations for having completed your house sale and your long drive Terri. I think it’s fun that snow welcomed you to your new location and am so excited for you to see the house taking shape. Best wishes to you all for a very Merry Christmas and all the best in 2021.

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  12. Happy Christmas and thanks for the seasonal challenge. I love the colour of your new home and hope you’ll be very happy there. The view showing the river banks alongside the road was wonderful too. I have long thought that a camera should be able to be worked by voice command. I don’t think mine will but you’ve inspired me to double check and to hope that future ones will.

    My post is here:

    Lights in the Darkness

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    • Thanks for joining Sunday Stills, Susan! Let me know if voice command works with your camera. I used my galaxy note phone for mine. It better take voice command, lol! On the color of our new home, my daughter was pleased we picked the same color as our former home. It helped her move on.

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    • Thanks, Susanne! We had to physically go into the Nine Mile Falls post office to show ID and get our keys. Not sure when we will get a mailbox at home. It was fun seeing the rural area and watching the one-man show in the post office. Once again, thank you for hosting!

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  16. What a trip! That sunrise was gorgeous. I know you are getting excited about moving into your new home. You will have so much room in there! My inlaws lived in a beautiful doublewide for many years in the 80’s and 90’s. The built a large screened front and back porch where the rocking chairs were always moving. 🙂

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    • Thank goodness it was one way this time, Lisa! Mfg homes have really improved over the decades. We almost bought an older mfg home on 5 acres but it was pricey. Hubby wanted me to have a brand new one. We got some custom options. Can’t wait to share it when it’s all ready.

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      • I’m so excited for you! Plenty of people live in them here in Florida, but I’d never live in one with the hurricanes. Talk about being a nervous wreck all the time. My ex-husband and I bought our first home that was a single-wide in Jacksonville, NC when we were just in our early 20’s and stationed at Camp Lejeune. I watched a tornado go right over the roof of the house when my son was just a few months old. The twister touched down and demolished the office trailer where we purchased it some 10 miles away. Luckily the owner and her daughter were okay after being found in the rubble. circa 1985. They are built a lot better now and some of them are beautiful! 🙂

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      • It was scary because of my son. He is now 34. I have been in a lot of tornados and a pretty bad one in Texas when I was 6. I was in the Marine Corps on maternity leave so I was as freaked out as most first time moms. My mentality was different I suppose. I was ready to face it head on.

        I got the holiday rush completed. I have a few orders a day now so it isn’t so bad. I can easily process 10 orders a day without any trouble. It was the 50-60 orders per day that kicked my butt.
        Today I start baking my cookies. I made 2 of my doughs yesterday and I will do the last one today. A trio of pecan sandies, chocolate chip and peanut butter. No sugar cookies this year. Too tired to decorate them. 🙂

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  24. Wow, Terri… so exciting! I love the idea of having your home delivered pretty much all put together. As someone who has gone through a major addition/remodel many years ago, that would be heaven! If we ever are in the position of needing a home built, I’m either going to be so wealthy that I will be traveling in Europe as it’s being built so I can come home to a finished home, or we’ll go pre-fab (you can probably guess which option it will be). Congrats and enjoy!

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    • Thank you, Janis, it is!! I’m told the manufactured homes are mostly built and inspected in the factory, then placed at the site and finished. They are well-built and very inexpensive. We hope to get in by New Years Day. Merry Christmas to you and your hubby!

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  28. Congrats on completing your big move! I moved during the holidays one year and it’s a stressful time to move, even without a pandemic. I hope your new home gets completed fast. Your sister-in-law has great decorations. Happy Holidays!

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  29. Hi Terri, I loved th photo of the morning light on your drive. It was a nice welcome for you. I am so happy for you and your new home. Before you know it, you will be moving in and getting settled and then starting a whole new chapter. In the meantime, enjoy the holidays with your family.

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  30. Hi Terri! I’m glad you, Hans, and the dogs made it safe and sound to your new home state. (Why did you drive to Portland first? To avoid the mountain range?) And, what a surprise to take a glimpse at your new home already. Everything is working out nicely, including the closing of your old home. Time for the next step! Happy holidays and have a great blogging break.

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  34. What a brilliant surprise when you turned that corner and saw your new home for the first time, Terri. I hope they’re able to get some work done before the Christmas holidays so that you can witness the progress. And with the New Year, you’ll soon be stepping into a new home.

    Here is my interaction of ‘light’ for the challenge.

    Daylight! Something I could do with right now given that it’s the shortest day of the year and we only have 7 hours of daylight today.

    Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year to you, Hans, the dogs and all the family. 🎄

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    • It was a fabulous surprise, Hugh! We are getting excited about moving in. Love your picture, I know about lack of daylight here in the north. Tomorrow we begin to add a minute of light per day. Happy solstice and Merry Christmas to you and your family!

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  36. Terri,
    Love seeing snow and your new home. A town named Nine Mile Falls sounds very charming. We will be within fifty miles of there this summer. Maybe we could meet in Coeur d’ Alene for a chat. Your SIL’s Christmas Village is lovely. We have had one for years, but we downsized it this year and added an RV Park with lights. I am sharing it as my contribution. Have a wonderful Christmas week. Joe

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  37. Welcome to the NW….I just started following you…..found you through Once upon a time and happily ever after, and have been contemplating the photo challenge. I live just over the Oregon/Washington border in a little town called Woodland…we joke that we spend enough time in Oregon that we could have dual citizenship.

    http://www.troyerslovinglife.blogspot.com

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    • Hi Kirstin, nice to meet you. At least you get the sales tax break by being so close. Please feel free to join the Sunday Stills photo challenge. You don’t have to post on Sundays. We’re very excited to be here and look forward to making new friends. Merry Christmas!

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  40. Wonderful showing of lights Terri. Thanks for taking us on your trip to your new home, beauty photos. Now, is that the house you left behind in Cali? Wow!
    Wishing you happy and safe holidays at your new home ❤

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  42. I enjoyed your interpretations of light. It sounds like a new adventure for you and hope the house comes along soon. I am guessing it will be a glorious time decorating and setting it up, and making it feel like home. That looked like a very scenic drive. It is always lovely to discover packed away decorations or items we haven’t seen for a while. Bit like a treasure discovery. Here in Australia it is summer and as we head towards the holidays, it means much daylight all around us. Take care and stay safe 🙂

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