1/16. Something about cleaning out a room. Probably good advice. No way I’m starting it on a Tuesday in a week that has presented me with the reality that I will be changing jobs & throwing my life & my family’s life into a bit of an upheaval. It’s marked as keep in my bloglines & I’ll get to it eventually. Or mark it as read & let it go.
1/17
What would qualities would you like your home to have?
Think back over the places you lived. What was great about each of them? What didn’t you like and want to avoid in the future?
Among the things I’ve loved have been a yard in which to keep my distinctly feral roses & rosemary bushes, where the huzzleband can dig plots & grow tasty things, where the girls can plant picked flowers, dig holes, and in general make huge nasty annoying muddy messes because that’s what little girls do. I think every person having a space that’s their own is important & it’s not something we’ve had the luxury to do here so much. Or in any of the apartments, smaller houses we’ve had. That’s something I would like to figure out, maybe in this space, maybe in a new space. I like my personal space to kind of “oversee” everyone space — my space, but not isolated, if that makes sense. I really appreciate houses that are build with “home” in mind rather than a temporary escape from work. I loved the old house in Olympia, my Gramma’s house in Laurelhurst, I even appreciated the 800 sq foot house M1 was born in (if for no other reason than the kitchen was big enough, even if it didn’t have enough counter space & the bathroom was off it). Still working my way through The Not So Big House. Some of the houses in there make *everywhere* I’ve ever lived seem mansion-like. Not so big my ass, but I can see how the principles might apply to a *real* not so big house. Been a while since I picked it up, I should do that again. That said, personal space aside, I think we do a pretty good job of making home feel like home. More beauty, less clutter though… which is part of why I’m engaging in this all…
Write until you’re pretty sure you have captured the most important stuff to you.
Now look it over. What do you have in your currrent place? What could you add here? Or do you need to start thinking about a move to bring you more in line with your dreams?
Yeh, a move is in order — a two bedroom house & four people, two of whom are children? I know the pioneers & countless vast generations of humanity have made do in [your favorite small living space here], but… I really want a bigger kitchen. A third bedroom so M2 can have her own space away from the pestering of M1 & vice versa. A second bathroom would be nice but maybe not necessary. A space to eat that doesn’t encroach upon the front door… And with a new job, I feel like maybe it might be realistic. Not a move into grandeur or anything, but hopefully into something with space that’s better arranged. There are things I’ll miss about this house too though… but I’m pretty sure our best bet is just to find a house with better arranged space than this one…
What’s the most important thing to you of the changes you want to make? What’s the first step towards that? Write that down. Everyone having their own kind of personal space. I think that might be a new house…
What’s the easiest thing? Do it right now if you can or make the arrangements to do it as soon as possible. I think maybe the easiest thing to do right now is literally discardia — getting rid of excess stuff just so that there’s room to get personal stuff out to work on without everyone else’s stuff toppling on to it…
That said, my answers to all this are liable to be entirely different at another time of day… (except the yard & architecture & personal space stuff…).
