Oh, I am going all kinds of crazy with my mortgage.
This type of situation is when I'm not sure if my somewhat obsessive nature is a blessing or a curse.
Yes, it's important to let go of things, take them slowly, step by step.
But it's also so exciting to see progress!
I sent off my monthly payment with some extra principal this month, and the bank mistakenly applied the whole thing to principal. I could have called to fix it, but since I'm already paid a month ahead, I don't really need to. And it's so wonderful to see the drop in principal! In just one payment, I wiped out what would have been almost a year's worth of principal making regular payments (because so much goes to interest).
Now it makes me want to put more, more, more toward principal. My ostensible and reasonably ambitious goal is to be mortgage-free by age 50. What I really want is to be mortgage-free much sooner.
However, I don't have more money to put toward the mortgage right now.
Do I get a second job? (after completing this BS degree of course).
Or maybe ditch the car?
Showing posts with label houses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label houses. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Fallingchickens
Last night we went to dinner at the home-in-progress of some good friends.
It is beautiful, the architect/builder (our friend)'s oeuvre, really a marvel.
My favorite part was the rooftop garden, feeling so urban for our small city.
The climbing wall that will be part of the 20 foot atrium will be fun for their little boy too.
As we left, P'tit Minou Un expressed his affinity for the modern aesthetic,
and suggested that the ultimate modernist home with a twist would be perfect for our family:
Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, except instead of falling water, we would have falling...chickens!
Thus neatly solving the annoying chore of letting the chickens out every morning.
Apparently (he explained it better), there would be an enclosed coop under the house.
As soon as it gets light (when the chickens wake up), a light sensor would activate a switch that released the chickens, who would somehow be flung over the waterfall feature (gently, without hurting them) down to their pen below. The problem of the falling eggs would be dealt with too, I forget how.
But how would they get back up into their coop at night? Hmmm...
This boy, he cracks me up. So creative!
It is beautiful, the architect/builder (our friend)'s oeuvre, really a marvel.
My favorite part was the rooftop garden, feeling so urban for our small city.
The climbing wall that will be part of the 20 foot atrium will be fun for their little boy too.
As we left, P'tit Minou Un expressed his affinity for the modern aesthetic,
and suggested that the ultimate modernist home with a twist would be perfect for our family:
Fallingwater
image from fallingwater.org courtesy of google images
Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, except instead of falling water, we would have falling...chickens!
Thus neatly solving the annoying chore of letting the chickens out every morning.
Apparently (he explained it better), there would be an enclosed coop under the house.
As soon as it gets light (when the chickens wake up), a light sensor would activate a switch that released the chickens, who would somehow be flung over the waterfall feature (gently, without hurting them) down to their pen below. The problem of the falling eggs would be dealt with too, I forget how.
But how would they get back up into their coop at night? Hmmm...
This boy, he cracks me up. So creative!
Friday, January 4, 2013
lucky
How do you feel about housework?
Sometimes I wish I were a person who loves to clean.
Or who cleans while stressed (instead of lying around eating cookies, for example).
I appreciate and enjoy cleanliness.
I just would usually much rather read a good book or take a walk than actually cleaning.
This is neither good nor bad, it's how things are....
and while we do have a lot of animal hair around (due to a lot of animals), a hygienic standard is met.
Perhaps this standard would be a little low for some. But high for others! Everything is relative.
Where I'm going with this is that I am very, very lucky to have a mother-in-law who loves to clean.
Seriously. She really, really enjoys it. And she is very good at it.
She thinks of lovely touches that give new meaning to the term "domestic arts".
And our house is free of dust bunnies, the stovetop and sink are sparkling, the dish towels are ironed (!!).
I feel a little guilty. My mother-in-law is 82. I haven't washed a dish since she arrived.
In fact, there hasn't been a dish sitting out since she arrived, since not only does she wash them, but dries them and puts them away...immediately.
This just doesn't feel proper. She is our guest.Yet she would be extremely unhappy if she couldn't help, couldn't keep busy. She doesn't enjoy reading (and her eyes don't allow it). She is a talented artist, but the mood has to be just right. Cleaning and organizing are among her many gifts and one of her favorite hobbies. At home, she is so efficient that there is little to do. Thankfully, we have quite a bit to keep her occupied.
I long ago gave her free reign to rearrange, sort, organize whatever she wishes on visits.
And I benefit tremendously from it. Time to read (for myself and to P'tit Minou Deux--we are continuing our Mark Twain kick with A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court). Time to jog. Time to blog.
I am lucky.
Sometimes I wish I were a person who loves to clean.
Or who cleans while stressed (instead of lying around eating cookies, for example).
I appreciate and enjoy cleanliness.
I just would usually much rather read a good book or take a walk than actually cleaning.
This is neither good nor bad, it's how things are....
and while we do have a lot of animal hair around (due to a lot of animals), a hygienic standard is met.
Perhaps this standard would be a little low for some. But high for others! Everything is relative.
Where I'm going with this is that I am very, very lucky to have a mother-in-law who loves to clean.
Seriously. She really, really enjoys it. And she is very good at it.
She thinks of lovely touches that give new meaning to the term "domestic arts".
And our house is free of dust bunnies, the stovetop and sink are sparkling, the dish towels are ironed (!!).
I feel a little guilty. My mother-in-law is 82. I haven't washed a dish since she arrived.
In fact, there hasn't been a dish sitting out since she arrived, since not only does she wash them, but dries them and puts them away...immediately.
This just doesn't feel proper. She is our guest.Yet she would be extremely unhappy if she couldn't help, couldn't keep busy. She doesn't enjoy reading (and her eyes don't allow it). She is a talented artist, but the mood has to be just right. Cleaning and organizing are among her many gifts and one of her favorite hobbies. At home, she is so efficient that there is little to do. Thankfully, we have quite a bit to keep her occupied.
I long ago gave her free reign to rearrange, sort, organize whatever she wishes on visits.
And I benefit tremendously from it. Time to read (for myself and to P'tit Minou Deux--we are continuing our Mark Twain kick with A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court). Time to jog. Time to blog.
I am lucky.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
fresh slate
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before
It wasn't spontaneous, but I didn't anticipate that I would get as much help as I did, or that we would paint the kitchen, living room, half the entry, and both boys' rooms.
We are tired.
.JPG)
we're having fun
But it was fun. What was good was that we worked together. There was very little losing tempers or harsh words. There was a lot of patient helping. Also chocolate chip cookies, and brotherly teamwork. I am so thankful.
painting party
I had been going back and forth on colors for a while. After several years of the warm, bright colors you see above, I wanted a change. And so did P'tit Minou Un, who strongly lobbied for white. Not sand, not taupe, not greige, but a clean, bright, white.
So we went with it. I remembered a post from Miss Minimalist about white walls, in which she said that in every house she'd ever lived in, she painted everything white right off the shelf at the home improvement store. That's what we did. We got the big cans of Ultra White. No color mixing required. No agonizing between cloud, marshmallow, or palest wheat, but WHITE. I wasn't sure if I would like it.
after
P'tit Minou Deux was not sure how he felt about losing the colors, but he said afterward, "It's like we live in Italy!" I'm not sure why that association came to mind, but I'm happy that he likes it too. And his room is now a lovely deep spring green, accented with the wood window trim. He was going for a forest effect.
We will create our color downstairs with art and fabric, but right now I'd really like to leave the walls bare.
I'm looking forward to getting a tree and decorating it for the Christmas season.
The only issue now is the books. What to do with the books?
The P'tit Minous voted not to have the massive bookshelves in the living room now (they were made of recycled gym bleachers, sanded down)...and again, it feels much more spacious.
While Minou and I made a run to the home improvement store, they began cataloguing our collection.
We will have to see where they can be stored. I have always dreamed about having a home library...
I can't believe the weekend is over! What did you do, the last two days?
Friday, November 30, 2012
happy at home
It is so nice to have some time to be home.
This last week I have been struggling with a cold that just won't go away.
In an effort to heal and boost my health, I have been trying to sleep lot and lots
(propped up on pillows to breathe), have been swilling green tea by the gallon (& little coffee),
and drinking green smoothies for breakfast every day.
Fresh pressed apple juice, frozen blueberries, bananas and peaches, and big handfuls of chard or kale.
Delicious. So nutritious. I love to start the day with something green.
Now: the start to the weekend. A Friday evening grocery trip with Minou to replenish the bare cupboards, and a plan for cozy cooking tomorrow: leek and potato soup, pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, homemade pizza, and blueberry pie. I love to bake, and like to bake several things together when the oven is hot.
Keeping these p'tit minous fed is a constant job. P'tit minou deux has been requesting a second supper every evening, usually at lights-out time. Unless I'm on my own way to bed, I don't argue; we go back downstairs and it gives me a chance to get a vitamin and another fruit and veggie into him as well as another serving of dinner or a pbj. We have worried a bit over this one and his light appetite over the years, so I enjoy watching him eat. He is 13 now. I'm expecting to look up and find him as tall as me any day now.
This weekend I will also be making a trip to the home-improvement superstore with Minou when he goes to buy supplies for the attic. Drywall is next. We'll be sleeping there soon. I'm planning to buy painter's tape and get our downstairs ready to paint before my mother-in-law arrives for a visit in three weeks. We have had had warm, bright colors in our living space for several years now. It was my choice, an antidote to the winter gray here. The living room has a long red wall (dark brick red) and bright sunflower yellow walls. I'm tired of it now. I want a look that is more serene, peaceful. Our ceilings will stay white, and the floor downstairs is an off-white tile. For the walls, I have been going back and forth between a true white, off-white, and a pale tan/taupe.
What do you think? What would look more serene?
This last week I have been struggling with a cold that just won't go away.
In an effort to heal and boost my health, I have been trying to sleep lot and lots
(propped up on pillows to breathe), have been swilling green tea by the gallon (& little coffee),
and drinking green smoothies for breakfast every day.
Fresh pressed apple juice, frozen blueberries, bananas and peaches, and big handfuls of chard or kale.
Delicious. So nutritious. I love to start the day with something green.
Now: the start to the weekend. A Friday evening grocery trip with Minou to replenish the bare cupboards, and a plan for cozy cooking tomorrow: leek and potato soup, pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, homemade pizza, and blueberry pie. I love to bake, and like to bake several things together when the oven is hot.
Keeping these p'tit minous fed is a constant job. P'tit minou deux has been requesting a second supper every evening, usually at lights-out time. Unless I'm on my own way to bed, I don't argue; we go back downstairs and it gives me a chance to get a vitamin and another fruit and veggie into him as well as another serving of dinner or a pbj. We have worried a bit over this one and his light appetite over the years, so I enjoy watching him eat. He is 13 now. I'm expecting to look up and find him as tall as me any day now.
This weekend I will also be making a trip to the home-improvement superstore with Minou when he goes to buy supplies for the attic. Drywall is next. We'll be sleeping there soon. I'm planning to buy painter's tape and get our downstairs ready to paint before my mother-in-law arrives for a visit in three weeks. We have had had warm, bright colors in our living space for several years now. It was my choice, an antidote to the winter gray here. The living room has a long red wall (dark brick red) and bright sunflower yellow walls. I'm tired of it now. I want a look that is more serene, peaceful. Our ceilings will stay white, and the floor downstairs is an off-white tile. For the walls, I have been going back and forth between a true white, off-white, and a pale tan/taupe.
What do you think? What would look more serene?
Sunday, November 25, 2012
we've got windows
Look! Up in the sky! It's so exciting....
We are going to feel like birds in the trees from our attic perch.
And now...
The first one is in!
(Minou had to look away as our friend W. gesticulated and leaned way up there...I'm thankful that he isn't the one climbing that high ladder. Our friend's wife came to lunch mid-day and even she didn't like to see W. up there, comfortable as he is 30 feet in the air).
.JPG)
Do you have any home projects going on these days?
The windows are here!
And now...
The first one is in!
(Minou had to look away as our friend W. gesticulated and leaned way up there...I'm thankful that he isn't the one climbing that high ladder. Our friend's wife came to lunch mid-day and even she didn't like to see W. up there, comfortable as he is 30 feet in the air).
Do you have any home projects going on these days?
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Attic Addition
Here are those photos of our future retreat under the eaves...
before:
after:
Notice the framed-in window, new light boxes, insulation batting, and the beautiful pine decking.
Doesn't it look more spacious now? I am so grateful for the help we have had to create this space, from friends who are generous with their times, skills, tools, and support.
Here's the next step:
before:
Notice the luggage, the sentinel Nutcracker, and the piecemeal fiberboard flooring.
Doesn't it look more spacious now? I am so grateful for the help we have had to create this space, from friends who are generous with their times, skills, tools, and support.
Here's the next step:
A truck full of rigid insulation waiting to be cut (yucky job) then fitted into the ceiling.
I will have to be patient this week, as Minou is busy with other projects.
It's moving forward. At least once a day, I pull down the ladder and poke my head up into the Attic Addition to breathe in the pine smell and dream about a peaceful space of our own up there.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
november, and home projects
Is anyone else having trouble believing that it is already November?
The season has changed here. Chilly rains have set in, and most of the yellow leaves have fallen.
This leaves our predominant Pacific Northwest winter colors of green and grey.
Tonight we set the clocks back--Fall Back.
I am looking forward to that extra hour of cozy, restorative sleep under the patchwork quilt.
Amazing, since I last wrote here, the progress toward the Attic Addition.
I always forget to document projects in progress, but I will keep you updated.
As we move along, a few more parts have been added: another window at the opposite side for views and cross-ventilation, and a decision to move the access to the space so that it is not directly in front of the boys' bedroom doors.
A friend asked Minou, "Does she want the project not to be finished?" No. I do not want it not to be finished.
What I mean is, I cannot wait for this project to be finished. It has been a lot of work, almost all of it done by Minou. With the help of some good friends, generous with their time and skills. P'tit Minou Un has also used his brawn to lift down many, many boards and planks. It was good that we started this now--we discovered, among other things, a carpenter ant infestation up there! They were hidden under the former insulation.
It is going to be beautiful, and simple. Spare and serene. All white. A bed, a place for our clothes, and a little altar/meditation cushion. A little treehouse loft with a sloping roof. I will be able to just stand up in the very center. Minou will have to bow his head. That's OK.
This process has got us excited about other changes that will make it more comfortable to live in our little house. Late nights in bed there are a lot of whispers about "What if we...". The thing is, these are not expensive changes. Well, the materials of course do have a cost, and our time is valuable. But what I mean is that starting projects, especially with so mch else going on in life, is daunting and can feel overwhelming. Yet fairly small changes (like adding a little storage) can make a big difference in daily life. I think overcoming our resistance to starting and seeing how fantastic it will be to have the Attic Addition has given us a new sense of what's possible.
(Of course, this is all very easy for me to say... I am not the one who has been making all the trips to the home improvement superstore and dealing with the ants and insulation upstairs.)
Did I mention that Minou and I sleep on a futon couch in the living room? It's actually very cozy--there's always a cat at our feet. But tricky when someone (me) needs to stay up late working at the kitchen table.
Anyway. I look forward to a day when there are not so many competing responsibilities. Just eight more months to go to complete my BSN degree. I hope to have our home renovations all finished this winter (the next steps will be painting,dealing with water damage in the upstairs bathroom flooring, and creating a storage closet under the stairs). And of course, more decluttering, so that what is in our little home is only what we love and use.
This is a busy season of life, but it is not forever.
The season has changed here. Chilly rains have set in, and most of the yellow leaves have fallen.
This leaves our predominant Pacific Northwest winter colors of green and grey.
Tonight we set the clocks back--Fall Back.
I am looking forward to that extra hour of cozy, restorative sleep under the patchwork quilt.
Amazing, since I last wrote here, the progress toward the Attic Addition.
I always forget to document projects in progress, but I will keep you updated.
As we move along, a few more parts have been added: another window at the opposite side for views and cross-ventilation, and a decision to move the access to the space so that it is not directly in front of the boys' bedroom doors.
A friend asked Minou, "Does she want the project not to be finished?" No. I do not want it not to be finished.
What I mean is, I cannot wait for this project to be finished. It has been a lot of work, almost all of it done by Minou. With the help of some good friends, generous with their time and skills. P'tit Minou Un has also used his brawn to lift down many, many boards and planks. It was good that we started this now--we discovered, among other things, a carpenter ant infestation up there! They were hidden under the former insulation.
It is going to be beautiful, and simple. Spare and serene. All white. A bed, a place for our clothes, and a little altar/meditation cushion. A little treehouse loft with a sloping roof. I will be able to just stand up in the very center. Minou will have to bow his head. That's OK.
This process has got us excited about other changes that will make it more comfortable to live in our little house. Late nights in bed there are a lot of whispers about "What if we...". The thing is, these are not expensive changes. Well, the materials of course do have a cost, and our time is valuable. But what I mean is that starting projects, especially with so mch else going on in life, is daunting and can feel overwhelming. Yet fairly small changes (like adding a little storage) can make a big difference in daily life. I think overcoming our resistance to starting and seeing how fantastic it will be to have the Attic Addition has given us a new sense of what's possible.
(Of course, this is all very easy for me to say... I am not the one who has been making all the trips to the home improvement superstore and dealing with the ants and insulation upstairs.)
Did I mention that Minou and I sleep on a futon couch in the living room? It's actually very cozy--there's always a cat at our feet. But tricky when someone (me) needs to stay up late working at the kitchen table.
Anyway. I look forward to a day when there are not so many competing responsibilities. Just eight more months to go to complete my BSN degree. I hope to have our home renovations all finished this winter (the next steps will be painting,dealing with water damage in the upstairs bathroom flooring, and creating a storage closet under the stairs). And of course, more decluttering, so that what is in our little home is only what we love and use.
This is a busy season of life, but it is not forever.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
holding down the fort
I have been on my own with my boys for a few days a Minou is off in the wilds, somewhere near Seattle, hob-knobbing and cavorting with a bunch of eco-builders and designers.
He left us hidden chocolate. That man is so sweet.
As are my boys: I loved watching them be playful, gentle, and encouraging with a little one we know. P'tit Minou Un used his Big Boy influence to encourage Finishing Dinner, while P'tit Minou Deux spent time building Mr. Potato Head and roughhousing on the floor despite being tired. I am so, so proud of them, watching the young men they have become.
Anyway, we are holding down the fort. We bought massive amounts of groceries (two teen boys in the home), we bought chicken feed, we bought cat food and dog food. Our entire household will be well fed (me perhaps a little too much so: see hidden chocolate above, plus some amazing chocolates sent by a dear friend in a surprise package). I'm also hearing a buying theme here. Let's hope (for Minou's sake) that we don't buy a house too.
We're going to an open house today, just to look.
P'tit Minou Un reminded me that this was how our big brown dog Sawyer joined the family--a weekend that Minou was out of town, and the guilty parties went to the Humane Society just to look. Ahem.
In other news, I have discovered some affordable non-code (oops) tiny spiral staircase options that could solve our attic loft access problem. And I have a big week coming up at work, with two events I am excited about. Sometimes I don't recognize outright that I am feeling a little nervous about something--until the behaviors I am employing to cope with the feeling undercurrent trigger me to notice.
Such as: why am I eating too much chocolate? Why am I spending so much time on real-estate websites and driving around town to look at houses, when we are planning to fix up our little urban farmette homestead and make it work for us? And why can't I be motivated to scrub and clean, and go on long-distance runs, instead of these other behaviors?
Oh well. Related to news, I also have several academic deadlines coming up. I had promised myself that this would be the year of No Procrastination--I am tired of the disruption this bad habit can create, as I work feverishly last minute to gallop in and deliver the goods in time for a deadline. As interesting as my online coursework is, I am really, really ready to no longer be a student. So many years of this. And here I am, procrastinating again. It's challenging, with this tendency, to study online, since there are so many built-in distractions--such as blogging and real-estate websites!
Therefore, I'm going to take a little blogging break. I'll plan to check in and post weekly on the weekends as a self-reward for getting my coursework done. I'll fill you in with my decluttering progress, which is proceeding at a slow and steady pace. Thanks to a suggestion from a reader (thanks Sue!) I have been sticking with a set amount of time per day--15 or 20 minutes. When that is done, that's progress.
Have a lovely week...please leave me anote and let me know what you're up to!
He left us hidden chocolate. That man is so sweet.
As are my boys: I loved watching them be playful, gentle, and encouraging with a little one we know. P'tit Minou Un used his Big Boy influence to encourage Finishing Dinner, while P'tit Minou Deux spent time building Mr. Potato Head and roughhousing on the floor despite being tired. I am so, so proud of them, watching the young men they have become.
Anyway, we are holding down the fort. We bought massive amounts of groceries (two teen boys in the home), we bought chicken feed, we bought cat food and dog food. Our entire household will be well fed (me perhaps a little too much so: see hidden chocolate above, plus some amazing chocolates sent by a dear friend in a surprise package). I'm also hearing a buying theme here. Let's hope (for Minou's sake) that we don't buy a house too.
We're going to an open house today, just to look.
P'tit Minou Un reminded me that this was how our big brown dog Sawyer joined the family--a weekend that Minou was out of town, and the guilty parties went to the Humane Society just to look. Ahem.
In other news, I have discovered some affordable non-code (oops) tiny spiral staircase options that could solve our attic loft access problem. And I have a big week coming up at work, with two events I am excited about. Sometimes I don't recognize outright that I am feeling a little nervous about something--until the behaviors I am employing to cope with the feeling undercurrent trigger me to notice.
Such as: why am I eating too much chocolate? Why am I spending so much time on real-estate websites and driving around town to look at houses, when we are planning to fix up our little urban farmette homestead and make it work for us? And why can't I be motivated to scrub and clean, and go on long-distance runs, instead of these other behaviors?
Oh well. Related to news, I also have several academic deadlines coming up. I had promised myself that this would be the year of No Procrastination--I am tired of the disruption this bad habit can create, as I work feverishly last minute to gallop in and deliver the goods in time for a deadline. As interesting as my online coursework is, I am really, really ready to no longer be a student. So many years of this. And here I am, procrastinating again. It's challenging, with this tendency, to study online, since there are so many built-in distractions--such as blogging and real-estate websites!
Therefore, I'm going to take a little blogging break. I'll plan to check in and post weekly on the weekends as a self-reward for getting my coursework done. I'll fill you in with my decluttering progress, which is proceeding at a slow and steady pace. Thanks to a suggestion from a reader (thanks Sue!) I have been sticking with a set amount of time per day--15 or 20 minutes. When that is done, that's progress.
Have a lovely week...please leave me anote and let me know what you're up to!
Monday, October 15, 2012
woke up
What a rollercoaster ride of emotions this last week has been.
Thankfully, I woke up from a dream of a Japanese house to realize that, although I long for space and beauty,
there are many, many, ways to create them in my life...
and that I do not want to be saddled, weighed down, leashed, or chained,
to an enormous mortgage or any other debt.
Whew! Am I the only one who has these fade in/fade out moments?
Seized with a new passion for something, swept by emotions that temporarily overcome the rational parts of my brain.
I live in both the rational and emotional parts.
I have discovered, though, that the "middle way" of living is more sustainable.
Slow and steady. I keep coming back to that theme, because I have found such stability and comfort in it.
Not to mention progress.
I'm back to the "ten a day out" decluttering system. This sounds like it would move quickly, but many of the things are too tiny to be noticable. Still, it keeps me moving forward.
So, no grand sweep of the house (the attic avalanche is sadly still piled on the couch). I'm having the hardest time making progress with the baby clothes and little-kid toys. My preference would be to keep a few of the classic, favored toy sets, like the wooden train and Playmobils (I'm hoping for grandchildren some day far in the future, and we do have younger kids over to play occasionally). Also to keep just a few of the cutest, most memorable outfits...and pass the rest on to some other adorable baby or toddler to wear and make their own memories in. Most of these clothes were passed on to us from little Bastien, Tasman, and Zane. However, here is where I must defer to the P'tit Minous, who are inexplicably attached to their three-month old outfits and two-year old coats. Sigh.
We are (I'm claiming some credit, but really I should say Minou is) making progress on the attic remodel too. He pulled out all the rough flooring over the weekend and installed a new ventilation system to deal with moisture from the shower upstairs. I'm so excited to imagine this as our cozy little sleeping loft space (shhh...I mean, "storage space", since we aren't installing a legal staircase at this time. The City does not like lofts with ladders, since the fire marshal couldn't get up there). We live in the rainy Pacific Northwest, and I can just imagine falling asleep to the lullaby of rain on the metal roof just over our heads.
And in other news, I'm back to jogging, tonic for my soul and mood (there's nothing like a good run in the pouring rain), and I love my new job and co-workers. Life is good.
Thankfully, I woke up from a dream of a Japanese house to realize that, although I long for space and beauty,
there are many, many, ways to create them in my life...
and that I do not want to be saddled, weighed down, leashed, or chained,
to an enormous mortgage or any other debt.
Whew! Am I the only one who has these fade in/fade out moments?
Seized with a new passion for something, swept by emotions that temporarily overcome the rational parts of my brain.
I live in both the rational and emotional parts.
I have discovered, though, that the "middle way" of living is more sustainable.
Slow and steady. I keep coming back to that theme, because I have found such stability and comfort in it.
Not to mention progress.
I'm back to the "ten a day out" decluttering system. This sounds like it would move quickly, but many of the things are too tiny to be noticable. Still, it keeps me moving forward.
So, no grand sweep of the house (the attic avalanche is sadly still piled on the couch). I'm having the hardest time making progress with the baby clothes and little-kid toys. My preference would be to keep a few of the classic, favored toy sets, like the wooden train and Playmobils (I'm hoping for grandchildren some day far in the future, and we do have younger kids over to play occasionally). Also to keep just a few of the cutest, most memorable outfits...and pass the rest on to some other adorable baby or toddler to wear and make their own memories in. Most of these clothes were passed on to us from little Bastien, Tasman, and Zane. However, here is where I must defer to the P'tit Minous, who are inexplicably attached to their three-month old outfits and two-year old coats. Sigh.
We are (I'm claiming some credit, but really I should say Minou is) making progress on the attic remodel too. He pulled out all the rough flooring over the weekend and installed a new ventilation system to deal with moisture from the shower upstairs. I'm so excited to imagine this as our cozy little sleeping loft space (shhh...I mean, "storage space", since we aren't installing a legal staircase at this time. The City does not like lofts with ladders, since the fire marshal couldn't get up there). We live in the rainy Pacific Northwest, and I can just imagine falling asleep to the lullaby of rain on the metal roof just over our heads.
And in other news, I'm back to jogging, tonic for my soul and mood (there's nothing like a good run in the pouring rain), and I love my new job and co-workers. Life is good.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
moody
I'm in a mood.
I shed a few tears over the Japanese house last night, then let it go.
Its sale is pending. It was snapped up once the price dropped--so low, but too high.
(I stopped tears quickly as P'tit Minou Deux said "Mama you're making me sad...")
The open, empty space. The Shinto temple aesthetic. It was lovely and unique.
I hope that whoever bought it will love it and live in it, not leave it as a university rental.
Here we are. Dreams aside. This is my home... la Maison des Minous.
And it is a sweet one. Well-insulated, wood-framed windows, trees all around, and the garden.
Also lovely and unique, in a warm, friendly, simple, crowded, cluttery way.
We built it from the ground up. (not really, but designed and watched it built)
Warm and friendly and simple is good. Crowded and cluttery, no.
I'm ready to part ways with Things. I want less of them. I crave open space.
I need fewer posessions than I own. I desire to break the emotional ties to them.
Expect to see progress on that Attic Avalance within the next week.
Tonight, I want everything to go.
I shed a few tears over the Japanese house last night, then let it go.
Its sale is pending. It was snapped up once the price dropped--so low, but too high.
(I stopped tears quickly as P'tit Minou Deux said "Mama you're making me sad...")
The open, empty space. The Shinto temple aesthetic. It was lovely and unique.
I hope that whoever bought it will love it and live in it, not leave it as a university rental.
Here we are. Dreams aside. This is my home... la Maison des Minous.
And it is a sweet one. Well-insulated, wood-framed windows, trees all around, and the garden.
Also lovely and unique, in a warm, friendly, simple, crowded, cluttery way.
We built it from the ground up. (not really, but designed and watched it built)
Warm and friendly and simple is good. Crowded and cluttery, no.
I'm ready to part ways with Things. I want less of them. I crave open space.
I need fewer posessions than I own. I desire to break the emotional ties to them.
Expect to see progress on that Attic Avalance within the next week.
Tonight, I want everything to go.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
house hunger, again
Oh, as if there is not enough going on right now...
I went and fell in love with a house.
And I didn't pine in silence and privacy, either--
I dragged each of my family members to see it, one by one.
It is sitting empty, a little Japanese-styled jewelbox
half a mile from my boys' schools.
Full of windows, soaring ceilings, tatami mat room, an office studio for Minou
and yes, three bedrooms.
No yard to speak of--but between full time work (at a new & wonderful job), finishing my BSN nursing degree, and helping P'tit Minou Deux with homework, I am not finding much time for farming these days.
And it just dropped $50,000 in price.
To be what we could just ever so barely afford.
With a personal loan for the down payment offered by a dear family friend.
What to do.
Stretching financially like that goes against everything I believe in and feel comfortable with.
I don't believe in debt, I don't carry debt (except a small mortgage).
I like the security of an emergency cushion.
To know that even if the worst happened, we would be OK for a while.
Yet--it's a great investment, close to the university and a park, sure to appreciate in value.
It is a gem of a home.
Not for everyone--no storage and no carport (or garage).
Perfect for a minimalist!
(a real one).
My boys could walk to school.
And did I mention how beautiful it is?
Sometimes it's handy to have an architect in the family.
While I rhapsodized about the light, the lines, the Japanese soaking tub, the open floor plan,
Minou noticed the cracks in the major beam, the water damage on the ceiling,
and crawled under the house to see the falling insulation and floppy HVAC pipes.
My bubble was burst.
I still want to buy it, though...for someone with the money to put into fixing into it, it would be a wonderful investment.
The problem is, we don't have the money.
But we almost do. With no cushion.
What do you think? What would you do?
I went and fell in love with a house.
And I didn't pine in silence and privacy, either--
I dragged each of my family members to see it, one by one.
It is sitting empty, a little Japanese-styled jewelbox
half a mile from my boys' schools.
Full of windows, soaring ceilings, tatami mat room, an office studio for Minou
and yes, three bedrooms.
No yard to speak of--but between full time work (at a new & wonderful job), finishing my BSN nursing degree, and helping P'tit Minou Deux with homework, I am not finding much time for farming these days.
And it just dropped $50,000 in price.
To be what we could just ever so barely afford.
With a personal loan for the down payment offered by a dear family friend.
What to do.
Stretching financially like that goes against everything I believe in and feel comfortable with.
I don't believe in debt, I don't carry debt (except a small mortgage).
I like the security of an emergency cushion.
To know that even if the worst happened, we would be OK for a while.
Yet--it's a great investment, close to the university and a park, sure to appreciate in value.
It is a gem of a home.
Not for everyone--no storage and no carport (or garage).
Perfect for a minimalist!
(a real one).
My boys could walk to school.
And did I mention how beautiful it is?
Sometimes it's handy to have an architect in the family.
While I rhapsodized about the light, the lines, the Japanese soaking tub, the open floor plan,
Minou noticed the cracks in the major beam, the water damage on the ceiling,
and crawled under the house to see the falling insulation and floppy HVAC pipes.
My bubble was burst.
I still want to buy it, though...for someone with the money to put into fixing into it, it would be a wonderful investment.
The problem is, we don't have the money.
But we almost do. With no cushion.
What do you think? What would you do?
Saturday, October 6, 2012
attic avalanche
Oh.My.Goddess.
I had been feeling, dare I say it, just a tiny bit smug about all the decluttering progress I have been making. Watching things going out the door that aren't loved or used, even parting with emotionally charged things like my father's book collection and folders full of prior course material, feeling very proud of myself.
Well, I still am, but I realized today exactly why the house has been looking so spacious.
There's this little thing called an attic.
And ours was completely emptied today, to make room for some renovations--ripping up the flooring and insulation to make it into (eventually) a finished sleeping loft.
And that attic space was full. It didn't feel full, but there you have it. Bring everything in it down the pull-down stairs into the upstairs landing/office area, and there is a horrific, piled-up mess.
And if I thought prior items were emotionally charged--here we are talking baby clothes, baby toys, boxes of papers and cards.... How will we do this?
I had been feeling, dare I say it, just a tiny bit smug about all the decluttering progress I have been making. Watching things going out the door that aren't loved or used, even parting with emotionally charged things like my father's book collection and folders full of prior course material, feeling very proud of myself.
Well, I still am, but I realized today exactly why the house has been looking so spacious.
There's this little thing called an attic.
And ours was completely emptied today, to make room for some renovations--ripping up the flooring and insulation to make it into (eventually) a finished sleeping loft.
And that attic space was full. It didn't feel full, but there you have it. Bring everything in it down the pull-down stairs into the upstairs landing/office area, and there is a horrific, piled-up mess.
I'm not sure that P'tit Minou Un will be able to get out of his bedroom to come down for dinner.
Monday, September 17, 2012
house hunger
Every so often I am seized by an irrational desire to move (or move house as the British say).
When it strikes, I often can't resist looking at real estate websites for my city.
I love our little house, the garden, the light and trees around, the proximity to my mom (next door), good friends (scattered all around), and the feeling of being in a community. It is a really good situation in so many ways. I am fortunate.
But but but...more space, and somehow the promise of something different, a new way of seeing and experiencing the world that comes with being in different surroundings, are so appealing. It takes us off of the auto-pilot of routines, opening our perceptions and senses, just like travel.
I also would like (if we could, which we can't, now) to invest in property and rent out homes. So sometimes I justify my desire to look at real estate that way. Just in case there are any super bargains in super neighborhoods, you know.
Anyway, yesterday I was seized by one of those moments. I have to learn to resist--it's like window shopping. I read somewhere that we take ownership of something when we try it on, making it harder to resist the purchase. Therefore, when sticking to a budget, find other forms of entertainment besides windowshopping! It makes sense...and the same is true for the house photos. I start imagining us living in them. More space! An office for Minou! A third bedroom! And then, when I come back down to earth and realize the financial and practical infeasibility, I feel extremely grumpy for a while. Well.
Minou kindly pointed out to me the immese stress and amount of work moving actually entails--as evidenced by our good friends who recently went through the process and are still working on both houses, new and old. Which led me to my new resolve. I'm going to organize our home as if we were moving. Putting like things together, grouping and culling and cleaning. It will make it a much more comfortable place to live, now, and for the future...who knows?
When it strikes, I often can't resist looking at real estate websites for my city.
I love our little house, the garden, the light and trees around, the proximity to my mom (next door), good friends (scattered all around), and the feeling of being in a community. It is a really good situation in so many ways. I am fortunate.
But but but...more space, and somehow the promise of something different, a new way of seeing and experiencing the world that comes with being in different surroundings, are so appealing. It takes us off of the auto-pilot of routines, opening our perceptions and senses, just like travel.
I also would like (if we could, which we can't, now) to invest in property and rent out homes. So sometimes I justify my desire to look at real estate that way. Just in case there are any super bargains in super neighborhoods, you know.
Anyway, yesterday I was seized by one of those moments. I have to learn to resist--it's like window shopping. I read somewhere that we take ownership of something when we try it on, making it harder to resist the purchase. Therefore, when sticking to a budget, find other forms of entertainment besides windowshopping! It makes sense...and the same is true for the house photos. I start imagining us living in them. More space! An office for Minou! A third bedroom! And then, when I come back down to earth and realize the financial and practical infeasibility, I feel extremely grumpy for a while. Well.
Minou kindly pointed out to me the immese stress and amount of work moving actually entails--as evidenced by our good friends who recently went through the process and are still working on both houses, new and old. Which led me to my new resolve. I'm going to organize our home as if we were moving. Putting like things together, grouping and culling and cleaning. It will make it a much more comfortable place to live, now, and for the future...who knows?
Sunday, May 22, 2011
House Dreams
I often dream of houses--always have. Sometimes I wake up from a dream of living in a different house, or different space, with a feeling of calm; sometimes with a feeling of intense longing. I remember reading somewhere years ago that a house represents the self in a dream. For me, I think it has something to do with the possibility of different lives (that Gemini nature!).
I love our little house, which was designed and built for our family in the spirit of the most intense practicality--with a little bit of fancy thrown in. We have big, beautiful windows that let in a lot of light and views of trees. It is very energy efficient and airtight. We have an on-demand hot water heater, and radiant floor heat, though cooking in the kitchen pretty much heats the downstairs in the winter. And 950 square feet is plenty of room for a family of 4 who likes to hang out together, though I sometimes wish it was configured a little differently (one more bedroom, please!). It was also designed to be inexpensive to build, by then-designer, now-architect Minou--carefully measured so that there was no waste of time or materials. Our mortgage is on par with renting a student apartment in our area. Plus, I think I've mentioned how wonderful our neighborhood is, filled with family, good friends, and nice people.
All this to say, moving is not something we ever seriously think about (unless Minou is missing his homeland). However.
I have a thing for houses. Mostly sleek modern condos, old Craftsman bungalows, historic foursquares, or those that convey cozy family life. There is a house I have been eyeing for years in our neighborhood, right across the street from the local park, that attracted me because it was an older bungalow with a big front porch and yard overgrown in a mysterious and charming way. A bamboo forest visible in the fenced back yard. Big windows. High ceilinged rooms with dark wood trim visible. Well, a few days ago I spotted a "Coming soon for sale" sign in front of it. Since it looked uninhabited, I prowled around, peering in the windows and admiring the terra cotta walls and sunny little mudroom. Imagining the backyard garage turned into an architecture studio for Minou. I wanted that house. But somehow, I also wanted to rewind the clock and redo my children's preschool days in that house. I could imagine saying "Yes, you can go play at the park together 'til dinnertime--I'll watch you from the front window".
This obsession went so far that I took G2 by to look in the windows on the way home too, and even called the real estate agency to find out how much it was being sold for. Apparently, someone made a very good offer before it was even officially listed, so it's not going to go on the market. Which is just as well, because we could never have afforded to buy it. But maybe it's time for me to paint, or rearrange again, or something to make this, our own (sweet) living space different somehow. As much as I crave domesticity and putting down roots, I also am realizing that I enjoy some kinds of change. I'd like to spend a year living in a minimalist loft in a city, then a year in a rural farmhouse. Just to experience it.
What would your ideal living situation--or house--be like?
I love our little house, which was designed and built for our family in the spirit of the most intense practicality--with a little bit of fancy thrown in. We have big, beautiful windows that let in a lot of light and views of trees. It is very energy efficient and airtight. We have an on-demand hot water heater, and radiant floor heat, though cooking in the kitchen pretty much heats the downstairs in the winter. And 950 square feet is plenty of room for a family of 4 who likes to hang out together, though I sometimes wish it was configured a little differently (one more bedroom, please!). It was also designed to be inexpensive to build, by then-designer, now-architect Minou--carefully measured so that there was no waste of time or materials. Our mortgage is on par with renting a student apartment in our area. Plus, I think I've mentioned how wonderful our neighborhood is, filled with family, good friends, and nice people.
All this to say, moving is not something we ever seriously think about (unless Minou is missing his homeland). However.
I have a thing for houses. Mostly sleek modern condos, old Craftsman bungalows, historic foursquares, or those that convey cozy family life. There is a house I have been eyeing for years in our neighborhood, right across the street from the local park, that attracted me because it was an older bungalow with a big front porch and yard overgrown in a mysterious and charming way. A bamboo forest visible in the fenced back yard. Big windows. High ceilinged rooms with dark wood trim visible. Well, a few days ago I spotted a "Coming soon for sale" sign in front of it. Since it looked uninhabited, I prowled around, peering in the windows and admiring the terra cotta walls and sunny little mudroom. Imagining the backyard garage turned into an architecture studio for Minou. I wanted that house. But somehow, I also wanted to rewind the clock and redo my children's preschool days in that house. I could imagine saying "Yes, you can go play at the park together 'til dinnertime--I'll watch you from the front window".
This obsession went so far that I took G2 by to look in the windows on the way home too, and even called the real estate agency to find out how much it was being sold for. Apparently, someone made a very good offer before it was even officially listed, so it's not going to go on the market. Which is just as well, because we could never have afforded to buy it. But maybe it's time for me to paint, or rearrange again, or something to make this, our own (sweet) living space different somehow. As much as I crave domesticity and putting down roots, I also am realizing that I enjoy some kinds of change. I'd like to spend a year living in a minimalist loft in a city, then a year in a rural farmhouse. Just to experience it.
What would your ideal living situation--or house--be like?
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