My retired Navy family is hitting a major milestone this summer as we approach the two-year mark for how long we’ve been in one house, one home, one spot on the globe–and we’re going to stay here. After 13 moves in 26 years, you can imagine my relief. Even though I know we’re done with the Navy moves, and hope no other moves are in the near future, my brain seems to have a special compartment that must be labelled “Navy Move” or “PCS” (permanent change of station). I found myself restless about a month ago, thinking I needed to purge the house of junk, accumulated clothes or papers, books, etc. But wait–I did that when we moved in. And before we moved from Russia. And before we moved to Russia…
What do normal people, i.e. people who don’t live tour-to-tour, do?
Remodel! But wait, there’s the college tuition to consider for the eldest kid, and younger kid will be in college soon enough. What’s more economical?
Curb appeal! (HGTV junkie, full disclosure).
But we’re not selling, so who cares about the front of the house? I spend close to three seasons writing on my laptop or iPad on the patio. Shouldn’t it be a place of serenity and escape for me?
I am no gardening expert. After living in so many different places I’ve learned that if I want to have any success I need to stick with native plants. Lucky for me there is a local gardening expert who also happens to write a column in our paper and, for a very reasonable fee, make house calls and landscape design charts.
This has been a spring of deadlines and looming deadlines, and the excitement of attending a particular writer’s conference I haven’t been to before. But somehow the plans were drawn up, I limited myself to one side of the house per year (or every 5 years!) and besides the start of a wonderful garden I also have a second paver patio from which to write my novels.
How lucky can a girl get?
Geri,
I can so relate to your blog post today. We’ve lived in our house now 21 years I and need to purge a ton of stuff. After the first three years in the house, I told the boys, “We need to get rid of stuff.” I was so used to tossing stuff out before each Air Force move. I need to hire a bulldozer now. 😉
Love what you’ve done to your yard and how you’ve created a serenity garden where you will create more characters and scenes for your readers. I’m sure the Dogwood will offer much inspiration.
Thanks, Kathleen. I need to credit my husband for digging out tree holes; one for the dogwood and one other that I’ll have to post later. The clay soil where we live is a bear to dig, and then to rototill…I’m lucky I found affordable help for it all! I can’t wait to see the perennials in another year or two…
Geri,
Congratulations on staying in one place for a while. I am hoping that the longer I stay put the more I will accomplish my goals. Since we came back to the states in 2010, I have cleaned out my closets at least three times and I still have stuff that I do not use and should give to Salvation Army. The good thing is that I can actually see my desk now. My husband takes care of the yard although I have flower pots on the sundeck. I have work to do in the flower department. Enjoy your time in one place.
Oh Jan, I have a pile of stuff in the middle of the garage that really needs throwing out. But I see a stuffed animal and blankie of my daughter’s peeking out from it, and an easter set of plaster bunnies I painted 25 yrs ago…
Thank you!