It's going to be a crazy month or two. We are moving to Ashland, Oregon as soon as the painters can paint the interior of the house and the movers can pack us up.
Here's the new, scaled down digs - a lovely antique craftsman house our son and daughter-in-law have made available to us.
This is a huge scale down for us since this darling cottage is only a bit over 1,100 square feet. It's 2 bedrooms and one bath, decent size kitchen and and a good sized living/dining room space. It has a lot of windows a lot for a craftsman house of this age. The one bath has to be addressed, so we will put in a powder room/laundry room in what I hope is an ideal existing, unused, small space in the house. It will probably have the smallest sink every made; but should work.
The house is very close to downtown and the beautiful Ashland park, and we will no longer be so isolated from the services and goods we need right now. There is great food shopping in the town, including a once a week farmers market about 6 months of the year, and a lot of restaurants that will deliver; or those that don't all close enough by, so I can call and pick up whatever I need and be home while everything is still hot. Even the local Taj Indian restaurant delivers!
With Jim not being well, and me having to now do everything as well as care for him, it's all been just too much. With this new place I won't have to walk Bodhi, he'll have plenty of established trees and shrubs in the fenced yard to make his mark. We just have to alter the garden gate which has slats too wide. He'd be through those in a shot!
The three hundred plus square foot garage is just going to be a repository for all the things that won't fit in the house including all my pottery supplies until I can deal with them. The garage is really not suitable as garage since I think it's a small barn/shed that someone put a big wood door on to use as a garage with a dirt floor - very rustic. So we'll build a car port in front of it if zoning permits.There's natural air conditioning in that garage with all the holes and spaces in the boards, so needless to say the only time it could be used to make pots may be between May and September, so if I want to get back to pottery in the future, I will have to make some changes either in the building or find some studio space elsewhere in town, if such a space exists. I may in the future tighten up part of that garage so I can extend the time I can work in there.
That's the update for now. If the painters get in this week and we can hire movers this time of year, we will be moving in a couple of weeks. Our son and Jim have convinced me to have the movers do the packing and this time I'm not resisting. Once we're out of here, we can get this current house ready to be put on the market. I'll only get do enough unpacking to get the house itself organized and then take a break and plan on a huge garage sale late fall or next spring.
Tomorrow I have an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon about a new hip replacement, hopefully late July or early August if they have an opening then. That will be time enough for me relax for a few weeks with our daughter-in-law and daughter here during that time to tend to Jim and I until I'm up and around and back in the kitchen.
Here's the new, scaled down digs - a lovely antique craftsman house our son and daughter-in-law have made available to us.
The house is very close to downtown and the beautiful Ashland park, and we will no longer be so isolated from the services and goods we need right now. There is great food shopping in the town, including a once a week farmers market about 6 months of the year, and a lot of restaurants that will deliver; or those that don't all close enough by, so I can call and pick up whatever I need and be home while everything is still hot. Even the local Taj Indian restaurant delivers!
With Jim not being well, and me having to now do everything as well as care for him, it's all been just too much. With this new place I won't have to walk Bodhi, he'll have plenty of established trees and shrubs in the fenced yard to make his mark. We just have to alter the garden gate which has slats too wide. He'd be through those in a shot!
The three hundred plus square foot garage is just going to be a repository for all the things that won't fit in the house including all my pottery supplies until I can deal with them. The garage is really not suitable as garage since I think it's a small barn/shed that someone put a big wood door on to use as a garage with a dirt floor - very rustic. So we'll build a car port in front of it if zoning permits.There's natural air conditioning in that garage with all the holes and spaces in the boards, so needless to say the only time it could be used to make pots may be between May and September, so if I want to get back to pottery in the future, I will have to make some changes either in the building or find some studio space elsewhere in town, if such a space exists. I may in the future tighten up part of that garage so I can extend the time I can work in there.
That's the update for now. If the painters get in this week and we can hire movers this time of year, we will be moving in a couple of weeks. Our son and Jim have convinced me to have the movers do the packing and this time I'm not resisting. Once we're out of here, we can get this current house ready to be put on the market. I'll only get do enough unpacking to get the house itself organized and then take a break and plan on a huge garage sale late fall or next spring.
Tomorrow I have an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon about a new hip replacement, hopefully late July or early August if they have an opening then. That will be time enough for me relax for a few weeks with our daughter-in-law and daughter here during that time to tend to Jim and I until I'm up and around and back in the kitchen.
Another move when you were just about settled in your current place. I surely don't envy you that. The house does look adorable though and it looks as though you might have more options on how you use the land around it than in a retirement community home. Best wishes for your move, and remember to care for yourself as well as for Jim.
ReplyDeleteThanks MIke! Yes I will have many more options and freedoms with this house. It will be challenging since the grounds are in terrible shape. My friend Kay who is a great gardener is coming over with me on Thursday and I told her to be prepared to cry when she sees my garden and she replied "I have vision". She certainly does!
DeleteJune, I hope this all goes smoothly and works out for the best.Good luck to both of you.
ReplyDeleteThank you Dennis!
DeleteBest of luck with your move. I have a feeling you will enjoy living in town and having everything you need close by. I love a craftsman style home, and hope you will share some photos of the interior when you are settled.
ReplyDeleteThanks Michele. I will share some photos. Right now I'm in a mad rush hiring painters, working with the gardener my son hired to clean up the yard (it's a huge mess after 6 years of renters who obviously didn't care anything about gardening!). The interior is getting painted later this week, so things are moving quickly and need to since the movers said they could move us on the 24th.
DeleteAs always, I just don't see where you get all that energy! We are also looking for a new place, not so easy around here, too many buyers not enough properties....
ReplyDeleteLove your new place, you will make it adorable.
Tracey, we have a lot of properties and not too many buyers. Come west! :-)
ReplyDelete