move « Robin Writes

Due to certain, er, issues, we’re stepping up our game a bit.

Let the move begin!

Ha—this is the second house I’ve lived in that I’ve stated, vehemently, that I’M NOT MOVING AGAIN. NOT.

Ah, well. Things change, right?

And for those wondering about all the actual work posts, well, school started and so our schedule changed. We can only work at the farm on the weekends now, which gives us approximately 50 days to finish the prep before we fully make the move. That’s not counting “snow” days when we can’t travel down there.

Remember last winter? We bought the place sight-unseen because we couldn’t get to it and were afraid someone else would snap it up. So, there’s that . . .

As we reviewed our leave-in-a-hurry plan the other day, I realized that sure, we’d get out of the metro area with our lives, our pets, and most necessary items, but what about other needed things and, too, some sentimental pieces?

So that’s where we sit: packing.

Yes, most of my friends and family think I’m nuts. It’s always a possibility. But what we’re packing are things that we don’t need between now and spring, but are nice to have around, and the things that I want to keep but, if the leave-in-a-hurry plan is implemented, probably won’t be able to.

Think about this for a moment. At best, leaving your possessions behind may cause sorrow and regret after the fact, days or weeks later; at worst, the idea of doing this is a distraction while you’re in the midst of LIAH.

Not everyone will have this problem, of course. Right now, though, I’m in my office looking at the manual typewriter my grandmother used in 1930, and the rocking chair that my great-grandmother used to put babies to sleep since 1915. What can I say? These things are important to me.

Just because we’re going to live in a cabin in the woods doesn’t mean it’s only going to be furnished with sticks and rocks.

And now, I’m off to make a fashionable tinfoil hat . . .

For all you tiny house and downsizing enthusiasts, I’m going to talk a bit about the reality of both these things. Not necessarily going off-grid; that presents its own set of challenges. But the idea of “tiny” is much more palatable than actually doing it . . .

As I’ve discovered.

Originally, we were planning to have a 640 square foot cabin and shed-like outbuildings for different purposes: pump house, food storage, fuel, general storage, tools, etc. What we ended up with was a 900 square foot house and a 40 X 60 barn. And a pump house, which is NOT outside the back door, or large enough for my deep freeze and washer and dryer and extended pantry.

So, we adapt: we’ve built two units inside the barn, and there’s a lean-to on the back of the house which might fit the washer/dryer and a freezer. Might.

The house presents more issues—lack of wall space. You know those pictures of homes with all the open areas? They look great, right? Of course, model homes always do. You’ll rarely find a litter box or clumps of dog hair lying around. But take a look around your home—how much furniture is designed to go against the wall? A lot.

We started with two rooms, and are adding three walls, or partial walls, for a total of five rooms. Sort of. One wall is just a break between bedroom and office; one is a 6-foot wall to divide off the bathroom; and one is 5-foot wall to divide the living room and kitchen. Or maybe a bar. I haven’t quite decided.

As for furniture, we have to get creative. I have several antique pieces that I’m simply not willing to part with, including an armoire and a dresser from 1850. On the other hand, our bedroom suite is easily 20+ years old and has survived 15 moves, so it’s time to get rid of all that. And it’s easy, since we won’t have a huge L-shaped living room with three seating areas OR a guestroom.

Sorry, folks, if you come visit, you’ll have to camp!

So back to the furniture and furnishings: what to keep, what to get rid of, what to store? Thank goodness for that barn! This way, I can keep some things that I might’ve had to part with, the things you keep “just in case.” And I’m not talking about survival items.

Like the Mexican pine dining room table and the six chairs my husband built. I mean, what if the kids actually visited? We’d need space to seat everyone, even if it was outside in the yard. Or my grandmother’s electric organ? Granted, I don’t play it often, but she bought it in the 1940s and I’ve had it since 1989. And do I really need a six-foot partners’ desk, or will the antique table suffice? Or could I fit both in my office?

Should we get a new loveseat and recliner? Or use the old ones—they aren’t that old, but they aren’t what you’d call high quality either . . . The bookcases, well, they’ll fit! One way or another . . .

My current office is about 12 x 12. My new one is 8 x 14. That’s a downsize of 32 square feet! For the entire house, we’re going from 1800 to 900. Half. Yikes!

And it’s really not even all about the furniture—think of wall space, again, and the pictures you hang; or the items you display on shelves or wherever. The new place has lots of windows, which is great—in fact, my new office has two entire walls of just windows, which means I’m losing four of nine bookcases, with no wall space to spare.

What in the heck am I going to do with all this stuff??