When my dad had a tight-fit car/garage situation, he hung a tennis ball on a cord from the garage ceiling so it just touched the windshield when the car was pulled in exactly far enough. It worked like a charm.
Thanks, Deb! I don't need a tennis ball. I just nudge right up to the wall, and all is snug and fine, as long as I remove the receiver for the trailer hitch before pulling her in. Good thing Rojita isn't an inch longer! :)
How lovely is your sweet abode! The perfect size too. Large enough to hold your life, small enough to be cozy and safe.
I love the green roof and have always admired you glass prayer flag sculpture. And it looks right at home!
It's hard to believe I've been in the magical little cottage for almost 5 years. Our happy-home-iversary is Sept 2. I was just telling Bob that the gardens are as I had always hoped...they look mature and lived-in and just right.
I wish you days of wonder, joy and beauty in your new home. And nights of peace and starlight.
Five years! I am surprised it's been that long, and I am so glad you two found your magical little cottage. And five years is about right for a garden--I will keep that in mind as I work on weeding and pruning and expanding mine. Patience, I tell myself. (And sometimes I even listen!)
Thank you for that lovely benediction. The stars are gorgeous here, because Paonia is an official dark-sky town, so there is very little light pollution. I love that!
Oh, I love that too. That is one of the few things I miss now that we are living near a city again...being surrounded by the nights darkness and seeing the stars. K
That awesome view into the vastness of space is so precious, and so much a part of our birthright as a species. I hope your area improves in terms of light pollution.
Thanks, Trevy! I had to scrub a lot of grime at first, but I'm making headway on that, and on the fixing little things that need attention. The house and yard are definitely worth the sweat and creative effort.
Thank you, Kathryn. I am relieved to be in a place where I fit at last, and looking forward to continuing to restore its shine over the years.
Isn't that a great reminder? It's not the great big visible events that make the long-term changes, it's the small, steady shaping and spreading, the wearing away here and adding nutrients and soil there. A heartening reminder, seems to me.
Glad you've found a place that feels like heart space; it's such a gift to have. I wish for happy shaping of your space ahead!
We have two small houses in very different places, one a modern cottage in a vibrant mountain tourist city and the other (a historic schoolhouse turned cottage) in a rural edge of a city in eastern Quebec, near the St. Lawrence River. Their interiors are dramatically different as well. Both feel like home.
Lisa, thank you for that good wish! I am fascinated that you have two spaces that feel like home, and I'm glad you found them both, dissimilar as they are. May they continue to nurture you!
Susan, your home shines with light and beautiful energy. In such a short time, you've truly transformed it. It's warm and welcoming. A sacred space to love you back. What a marvelous space to call home. May blessings and beauty (not the skin deep kind) surround and fill you and your home always. 💗💞
Mary, thank you for that insightful comment and the enriching blessing! I do think this house loves me back, and I feel very fortunate to have wandered long enough to recognize it as home, and allow myself to make the leap to buy it. I am going to soak up my time here with joy, for however long it lasts.
How fun that your house is the same age! And this one lost its wood floors I don't know how many years ago. These are good-quality laminate planks with the look for wood. I'm sure yours shines too with all of the love you've given it over the time you've been there. Thank you for being good stewards of a place that is fortunate to have your love and care.
Oh Susan, this new-to-you home is so lovely. You turn every home you move into a beautiful art project and this one is your pinnacle. I’m so happy for you and for your homecoming. ❤️🤗
Thank you, Lindy! It reminds me of some of the lovely brick houses I always admired in Salida, just not as big. ;) I enjoy making a house an artful home, and I am fortunate to have so many lovely belongings that have survived my too many moves. And they all fit here, which makes me feel like this was meant to be my home.
I'm glad you love this home! I bet the energy in and around it will rebound so quickly with your love. Ah, and I know what it's like to have a tight garage. Mine is tight side to side as well as front to back. I managed 5 years before I knicked one of the side mirrors backing out. Oof.
Karen, thanks! The energy of this place has already turned the corner from sad and needy to open and welcoming. There are still some pockets of the former here and there, but I'm giving them time. As for your garage, oof indeed! I'm sorry about that side mirror. I told a friend that the first time I dent the back wall of the garage with Rojita's bumper, I'm going to trade my beloved truck for a Subaru. That's not really a joke either. But I'm going to make the garage work for Rojita for as long as I can.
It is a beauty, Jill, and thank you for recognizing that! I actually think it's a bit big for me, but that's because the guest space and the garage (together in a separate building) are bigger than the house. And they both have suffered from neglect, so they need some work. Which I'll do, in time. :)
Welcome home!
When my dad had a tight-fit car/garage situation, he hung a tennis ball on a cord from the garage ceiling so it just touched the windshield when the car was pulled in exactly far enough. It worked like a charm.
Thanks, Deb! I don't need a tennis ball. I just nudge right up to the wall, and all is snug and fine, as long as I remove the receiver for the trailer hitch before pulling her in. Good thing Rojita isn't an inch longer! :)
Your home looks cozy, definitely a good place for writing.
Cozy it is, and also a very fertile creative space. I'm fortunate to be able to live here. :)
Susan, what a beautiful, calming space. So wonderful that you have rooted in a fertile and supportive place.
Thank you, Beth! It was a big leap of faith (especially financially), but I feel very fortunate to be able to root here.
How lovely is your sweet abode! The perfect size too. Large enough to hold your life, small enough to be cozy and safe.
I love the green roof and have always admired you glass prayer flag sculpture. And it looks right at home!
It's hard to believe I've been in the magical little cottage for almost 5 years. Our happy-home-iversary is Sept 2. I was just telling Bob that the gardens are as I had always hoped...they look mature and lived-in and just right.
I wish you days of wonder, joy and beauty in your new home. And nights of peace and starlight.
Kathleen
Five years! I am surprised it's been that long, and I am so glad you two found your magical little cottage. And five years is about right for a garden--I will keep that in mind as I work on weeding and pruning and expanding mine. Patience, I tell myself. (And sometimes I even listen!)
Thank you for that lovely benediction. The stars are gorgeous here, because Paonia is an official dark-sky town, so there is very little light pollution. I love that!
Blessings to you, Kathleen.
Oh, I love that too. That is one of the few things I miss now that we are living near a city again...being surrounded by the nights darkness and seeing the stars. K
That awesome view into the vastness of space is so precious, and so much a part of our birthright as a species. I hope your area improves in terms of light pollution.
Very lovely. Congratulations❣️
Thanks, Trevy! I had to scrub a lot of grime at first, but I'm making headway on that, and on the fixing little things that need attention. The house and yard are definitely worth the sweat and creative effort.
A lesson in not settling and settling at the same time!
Good point, Phyllis! Thanks. :)
Thank you for the tour! I can almost feel the soul of these rooms and yard as you make your home here. It makes me so glad to know you are there!
And I love the wisdom from from water…the most effect comes from the small consistent work over time.
Thank you, Kathryn. I am relieved to be in a place where I fit at last, and looking forward to continuing to restore its shine over the years.
Isn't that a great reminder? It's not the great big visible events that make the long-term changes, it's the small, steady shaping and spreading, the wearing away here and adding nutrients and soil there. A heartening reminder, seems to me.
Glad you've found a place that feels like heart space; it's such a gift to have. I wish for happy shaping of your space ahead!
We have two small houses in very different places, one a modern cottage in a vibrant mountain tourist city and the other (a historic schoolhouse turned cottage) in a rural edge of a city in eastern Quebec, near the St. Lawrence River. Their interiors are dramatically different as well. Both feel like home.
Lisa, thank you for that good wish! I am fascinated that you have two spaces that feel like home, and I'm glad you found them both, dissimilar as they are. May they continue to nurture you!
Susan, Thank you for including me in such juicy company! Can’t wait to read the whole piece. 🩵
I always love your writing, and am happy to be able to share it with more folks!
I appreciate your support, Susan!
Susan, your home shines with light and beautiful energy. In such a short time, you've truly transformed it. It's warm and welcoming. A sacred space to love you back. What a marvelous space to call home. May blessings and beauty (not the skin deep kind) surround and fill you and your home always. 💗💞
Mary, thank you for that insightful comment and the enriching blessing! I do think this house loves me back, and I feel very fortunate to have wandered long enough to recognize it as home, and allow myself to make the leap to buy it. I am going to soak up my time here with joy, for however long it lasts.
I adore your house! Ours is the same age but no addition, sadly, or wood floors. We love it and have done many improvements/upgrades in 11 years.
How fun that your house is the same age! And this one lost its wood floors I don't know how many years ago. These are good-quality laminate planks with the look for wood. I'm sure yours shines too with all of the love you've given it over the time you've been there. Thank you for being good stewards of a place that is fortunate to have your love and care.
Oh Susan, this new-to-you home is so lovely. You turn every home you move into a beautiful art project and this one is your pinnacle. I’m so happy for you and for your homecoming. ❤️🤗
Thank you, Lindy! It reminds me of some of the lovely brick houses I always admired in Salida, just not as big. ;) I enjoy making a house an artful home, and I am fortunate to have so many lovely belongings that have survived my too many moves. And they all fit here, which makes me feel like this was meant to be my home.
I'm glad you love this home! I bet the energy in and around it will rebound so quickly with your love. Ah, and I know what it's like to have a tight garage. Mine is tight side to side as well as front to back. I managed 5 years before I knicked one of the side mirrors backing out. Oof.
Karen, thanks! The energy of this place has already turned the corner from sad and needy to open and welcoming. There are still some pockets of the former here and there, but I'm giving them time. As for your garage, oof indeed! I'm sorry about that side mirror. I told a friend that the first time I dent the back wall of the garage with Rojita's bumper, I'm going to trade my beloved truck for a Subaru. That's not really a joke either. But I'm going to make the garage work for Rojita for as long as I can.
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Morgan. Hugs to you!
Congrats again! The house is beautiful and full of light.
Thanks much, Christina! I can't live in a dark house--I must have been a plant in some earlier life. :)
Perfectly sized home for one. What a beauty!
It is a beauty, Jill, and thank you for recognizing that! I actually think it's a bit big for me, but that's because the guest space and the garage (together in a separate building) are bigger than the house. And they both have suffered from neglect, so they need some work. Which I'll do, in time. :)