I know the feeling that you have so beautifully evoked here! We live in a small house that turned 100 last year. It's not our dream house, but it's cozy and has a small backyard that's an oasis in our urban Oakland neighborhood. And we feel so lucky to have a house here at all! I often get house envy, not just of bigger houses but also of more beautiful ones with pitched ceilings. But we have so much more than many people. I always think of George Bailey's annoyance with his house in It's a Wonderful Life, till he realizes how good his life is.
Did you ever watch Frontier House, a PBS reality show in which several families have to live for a while like 1880s homesteading pioneers? The well-off family from Malibu gets much closer, and when they return to their fancy, sprawling house the mother ends up missing the kids, because she doesn't see them as much.
I know, just having stable shelter feels like a luxury these days. We were so lucky to buy right before the housing market here got insane and it irks me to no end that our financial stability has far more to do with fortunate timing than any smart choices we made on our part. I haven't watched that PBS show, but I've heard of it and am intrigued!
Lovely! The fact that it squeezes me outside if one of the reasons I’ve loved my foray into living in a van as well. Bigger isn’t necessarily better. And neither is “better.”
That's what I love about the tiny home and van life movements! I know I probably romanticize aspects of them, but I think we've lost so much by disappearing inside needlessly ginormous homes...
What a beautiful ode to your old, small home. I also live in an old, small home. Actually I've always lived in small, old homes LOL. Some smaller, some older, but similar nonetheless. It's funny how staying in an immaculate air bnb gave you appreciation for the home you had. There really is no place like home.
I'm envious of your screen break. What a brilliant idea. I'm sure you had much more joy from spending time with family and going on hikes than any screen could ever provide. When we first moved to Oregon we went on all kinds of hikes but since buying our house, we have had so much work to do around the house we haven't been on any hikes. One of my goals for 2024 is to get back into hiking.
Oh, there are so many amazing hikes around here! Our proximity to awe-inspiring nature has been my saving grace during challenging times. Good luck getting out there!
I know the feeling that you have so beautifully evoked here! We live in a small house that turned 100 last year. It's not our dream house, but it's cozy and has a small backyard that's an oasis in our urban Oakland neighborhood. And we feel so lucky to have a house here at all! I often get house envy, not just of bigger houses but also of more beautiful ones with pitched ceilings. But we have so much more than many people. I always think of George Bailey's annoyance with his house in It's a Wonderful Life, till he realizes how good his life is.
Did you ever watch Frontier House, a PBS reality show in which several families have to live for a while like 1880s homesteading pioneers? The well-off family from Malibu gets much closer, and when they return to their fancy, sprawling house the mother ends up missing the kids, because she doesn't see them as much.
I know, just having stable shelter feels like a luxury these days. We were so lucky to buy right before the housing market here got insane and it irks me to no end that our financial stability has far more to do with fortunate timing than any smart choices we made on our part. I haven't watched that PBS show, but I've heard of it and am intrigued!
Lovely! The fact that it squeezes me outside if one of the reasons I’ve loved my foray into living in a van as well. Bigger isn’t necessarily better. And neither is “better.”
That's what I love about the tiny home and van life movements! I know I probably romanticize aspects of them, but I think we've lost so much by disappearing inside needlessly ginormous homes...
Hear, hear! It’s what takes place in a house, not the structure itself, that matters!
What a beautiful ode to your old, small home. I also live in an old, small home. Actually I've always lived in small, old homes LOL. Some smaller, some older, but similar nonetheless. It's funny how staying in an immaculate air bnb gave you appreciation for the home you had. There really is no place like home.
I'm envious of your screen break. What a brilliant idea. I'm sure you had much more joy from spending time with family and going on hikes than any screen could ever provide. When we first moved to Oregon we went on all kinds of hikes but since buying our house, we have had so much work to do around the house we haven't been on any hikes. One of my goals for 2024 is to get back into hiking.
Oh, there are so many amazing hikes around here! Our proximity to awe-inspiring nature has been my saving grace during challenging times. Good luck getting out there!