Jonny and I are in home improvement mode, and we both kind of love it. After two years in this house (the first year we were renters) we are making some changes. Part of the reason that it took so long to get started is that I couldn’t make up my mind about paint colors! I am not good at making decisions. Right now, we are working on a new homeschooling space, in Jonny’s old home office. We are jokingly calling it the family learning room, though that really is what it will be. We moved Jonny’s office into my basement studio and this arrangement is working. It’s hard to work amidst the chaos of family life and the basement allows for a little more quiet. (He’s not working full time yet, but doing some freelance work.)
Last week we closed on the sale of a piece of land we owned next door to our old house. (You can see the old house peeking out above the bushes in one of the photos above.) It was the second lot we purchased over the course of a couple of years in an effort to keep the land around our house from being developed. The first we were able to sell a couple of years ago to neighbors who also didn’t want a house built on it. This lot we had hoped to sell along with our house, but it didn’t work out that way, and we’ve been struggling to make the payments ever since. Our kids loved this land and we all spent a lot of time on it over the years, even before we purchased it. My older boys built treehouses there, our goats lived there, and we took many a walk on that property. It was a big part of our lives. We took one last walk over there on Friday before Jonny went to sign the papers. Jonny and I both felt some sadness over saying goodbye, as did our girls. Wanting to bring a living piece of it home with us, the girls gathered moss to plant in Mulberry, and Beatrix dragged a small hollow log that they thought would be perfect for planting things in. For Jonny and me, I don’t think the sadness was so much over saying goodbye to that land, but saying goodbye to a really good time in our lives. It’s hard not to look back at happy times without a touch of sadness, because those times are past, and knowing that there is more happiness to come doesn’t alleviate the pang. But ultimately, boy am I glad that the deal is done.
I don’t know what the future will hold as far as this new home goes, but for now, I am going to enjoy making memories here, and working to make it truly our own. I am so excited about the new homeschooling room and it is coming together really well. We bought a matching couch and chair on Craigslist (you are either going to love or hate that vintage orange and olive-ha!) and we love them. The price was right and they were hardly used, sitting for decades in a grandmother’s living room. Yesterday we picked up a half dozen houseplants for free, all in really nice pots. Today, I’m hoping to have time to paint a little bookcase to house field guides and other favorite books.
p.s. I posted that photo of Jonny and me (taken by Beatrix on the lot we sold) over on Instagram, and several people asked about my overalls. They are (affiliate link) Carhartt overalls that are lined and super warm. I wear them every (cold) morning to do my farm chores, and they are so wonderful. I had a hard time spending the money on them, but it’s been well worth it. I am very cold natured, and knew I needed something to get me through the winter as I’ve taken over chores this year from Seth who has better things to do. 🙂 I pull the overalls on over my clothes, so I don’t have to worry about getting dirty. And while they are pretty heavy, I do wear them on walks as well when it’s cold and they really help keep me warm. They are definitely one of my favorite things!
p.p.s. I have been asked about my gift guides, and I know I am late getting to them, but will hopefully post them Thursday and Friday!
Dana Michigan says
Our livingroom is filled vintage (1970’s) furniture that we got for FREE from my oldest daughter’s boss! They do not have children or pets and this furniture has sat unused for 40 something years! I’m loving the vintage look and you cannot beat the quality (compared to furniture today)
Stephanie says
Congrats on the sale! Changes like that are often bittersweet, but there are still so many lovely memories to be made with your beautiful family. 🙂
GretchenJoanna says
Are your overalls lined with flannel? When I was a little girl, one didn’t wear pants to school, but in the winter, waiting at the bus stop in cold fog, we girls would freeze without something on our legs. So, many times we would wear flannel-lined jeans under our dresses.
In recent years I have often thought of buying some flannel lined jeans. I’m glad to see that someone is still making some warm work clothes like that 🙂
So happy for you to have that land deal completed! There are good things in your future, for sure. But as Molly wrote, we still have to grieve.
Jenny says
So glad you sold the land! And I love the sofa – seems perfect for a learning room. Hope to catch up soo!
Jenny
Leanne says
Everything looks so nice! And I LOVE the couch 🙂 Hoping for nothing but good memories and happiness in your home.
Martha says
The schoolroom is looking so good! Excited for the adventures and changes ahead. May it be a sweet and blessed Christmas season for you all!
Molly says
Aww! Great post. It is a strange thing that we move on from one good thing to the next yet still have to grieve.
Eileen says
Congrats on the sale of your land, from all your pictures over the years that land looks beautiful! It’s funny to me, when I think of the East, I think high density and no land! Yet, you and your family live on open acres of land, and beautiful land at that! Love your overalls! Think I need a pair for my town walks!