Simple Woman Scribblings, January 27th

 

A Settling Worries Journal 

Looking out my window...

Me. Snuggled and scribbling. No rats.

There's a watercolor gray sky and snow still patching the ground in mysterious patterns (like: why did the snow melt over in that corner of the volleyball field, while the ground is completely bare in this corner of the volleyball field?). I haven't been out the door yet this morning, but it looks cold out there. I think I'll just stay in here. It's nice and snug in my little corner of the "tiny house!" (I like to call the RV the "Tiny House" nowadays -- in contrast to "the Big House" next door. It sounds homier than "the RV.") 

I am thinking... 

Worrying, actually, that the idea that we "gave up" the Big House to Dominic's family is causing a worry for some of our loved ones who think we are getting the raw end of the deal. Dan and I have talked to several of the children, one on one about it, but I want to set it down officially here, too. For the record: We love living in a smaller house with a smaller footprint! Less fuss, less muss, less to clean -- while still living on the "forever home" property where everyone can gather. How can you beat that? 

We thought it through -- and decided
to downsize -- sorta.

 Now that pretty much all of the children have moved on (with the two youngest only home in summer), all those rooms in the Big House were wasted space and more time and work than we want to deal with in our retirement. Two aging people don't need a four bedroom house or three acres of lawn and gardens to take care of. By themselves, 😬 and, though we were reconciled to the possibility, it was sad to think of selling our little paradise in the hills. We put the idea out to the children to take it over and were thrilled when Dominic and Monica decided to jump in on the adventure of a multigeneration cooperative! It's seemed to be the answer to everyone's prayers. Dominic and Monica were at a crossroads, ready for a move to a rural environment, safer and more economically feasible than where they started out (Denver). and Dominic almost immediately found a job that he loves and that pays well here in rural Iowa. I probably don't need to mention that we love having them and the little girls as our close neighbors! And we love their enthusiasm and energy for revitalizing the old homestead. My goodness, they are hard workers! The old place has needed some hammer and nails kind of love! And we love not having to be the ones to have to do it! 😉 (Heaven knows, we've BTDT enough times over the last 37 years!)

The Big House, winter. ❅

And here's the other win-win of the equation: the Big House fits the children's needs, providing space for their growing family, while the financial settlement we've arranged with them allows us to build a shelter for the RV that will have plenty of extra space for us.  We really like the coziness and simplicity of the tiny house and no longer having to yell across all that square footage at each other: "What?!" 😅 And with some extra living space behind the RV, we'll get to stretch out a bit and bring over the old familiar statues and pictures and pieces of furniture that will feel like "Mom and Dad and Home" to everyone  -- and will provide more space to entertain. Plus, we

Summer. (sigh) The view from the Little House

get an amazing view of the countryside from this side of the property, as we're further up on the hill. 

Summing up: we've been able to work out a financial plan that we can build the small efficient living space that we've always wanted that will wind up leaving us with almost no financial liabilities into our retirement - with the security of having family literally right at our elbows. How can you beat that? It's a very good thing!

I am thankful...

That God ignored all our prayers eight years ago to move to those other places that we now know, in hindsight, would have lacked the many blessings we have found here in Iowa. We wound up close to three of our children's families (and one a fairly short drive away in MN) -- and are so grateful to belong to a thriving and dependable church, with so many priests and Sisters and like-minded Catholics -- who we know will have our backs, no matter what. Being here at the hub of CMRI guarantees that we'll not only see our Religious children at least once a year (at holidays, vows, ordinations, and priests' meetings), but we get to see practically everyone we know periodically for those same reasons -- and have a network of friends who can fill pretty much every need you can think of in practically any emergency. In this world, there is absolutely no greater blessing and privilege. Proof positive that God knows best. Deo Gratias!

I am creating...  

Nothing much new right now, though I'm wanting to get out my needle-felting again to have another try at it! I've been slowly (very slowly) editing the old novel that I may never be satisfied enough to hand over to my beta-readers waiting in the wings. More than anything, I've been trying to organize and weed out the flotsam and jetsam of thirty-seven years of collecting... What is good to save in case of possible need -- should inflation continue to rise or the market crash or whatever? What might someone else see as useful, even if it's not something I might need -- and what is really just junk? Not always an easy distinction!

I am wearing... 

Long navy skirt, patterned with little shell pink flowers; matching pink cardigan; navy turtleneck, leggin's, and socks. 

I am reading...  

Three Religious Rebels, by M. Raymond, O.C.S.O

One more picture thought for the day...

Cathy last week with Chloe at her first birthday party.
(The Mother of all mothers looking on.)