start of the fourth quarter

Yesterday marked five years since my mother passed on.  I took the day off work two years ago to set up this site because I knew she would have been excited and supportive of me making time for something creative again. Since then, I’ve welcomed the new ritual: take the day to write and reflect, in honoUr of my mom. 

The blog turns two-years old this week and, with simpler living semi-retirement planned for spring 2017, my math shows I’m now starting the fourth quarter.  I created the blog at Point A to document my life as I try to get to Point B.  I’m looking forward to writing about my adventures in SLSR but I didn’t want to start there—if I started writing from Point B, with my lousy memory I’d risk a smugness akin to I-left-the-rat-race-behind-early-in-10-easy-steps-and-you-can-too.  While I’m between points, it feels neither easy nor early.

I enjoy reading my older posts as a record of what I was working through.  The big changes since July 2014 are putting the original business plan on hold and pushing out the goal from fall 2016 to spring 2017.  And after two years of working toward that goal, I still want a tiny house … but instead of a permanent residence to grow old(er) in, it will be a part-time meditation and writing retreat.

The 24 by 8 foot trailer has been ordered, we’re finalizing the layout, and the company plans to start building in August.  With stress that at times has felt overwhelming since the spring, I’ve occasionally wondered if I’d bitten off more than I could chew by starting the design process early.  But it has been good to have this part moving forward amidst the stress, this oasis to look forward to becoming more real.

I frequently daydream of being in the tiny house, listening to birds, looking out at the water, watching the wind move the trees.  I imagine having the tiny house in one spot closer to the existing house for a couple years and then perhaps moving it back toward the woodland.  Planning to be off-grid, I’m excited to learn how to work better with earth’s natural resources—like water conservation and position of the tiny house, windows, and solar panel.  As for the existing house on the property, renovations are TBD but my daydreams include a desire to help give all the property some love again, including creating incremental gardens.

I expected the last bit of the timeline to be toughest but I didn’t expect how much I’d just want to be back home already.  Like many people I talk to these days, I am just plain tired.  Seeing my tiny house dream become real is a huge motivator now.  Eight months to go (deep breath)—time to finish strong.

References and related links:

• SLSR: simply living semi-retirement
• TBD: to be determined
• previous post: tiny house dreams
• previous post on thinking big and small

A few more details on the tiny house for the curious:

• 192 square feet.  4 season.
• Kitchen: sink, small fridge, two burners.
• Washroom: sink, composting toilet.
• Energy: solar, wood stove, propane.
• A loft for the sleeping area.