Tag Archives: home

moving to simplicity.

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and so I have sold the cottage 

the place where I have lived the longest

 where I have spent some of my best years

after a whirling roller coaster ride of a sale

each grandie takes a fairy house

to begin a village at their own home

family and friends help with the first steps

to move the things that I most want to keep

into a small space

(some of my grandies working hard)

then arrive at a daughter’s house

for a short stay

with olive the cat not the oil, in tow

while I await my new home

still to be in ann arbor

as I move to simplify my life

and live near what matters to me most

 family, friends,

the natural beauty of a park, the water, a garden

and a town which is only a short walk away.

(not my new home, but pretty comfortable)

in what can best be described as a ‘math miracle”

there is room to spare after filling this small space

with only my favorite things.

interesting to consider how much space

we would each need

to store

only those things that we really want to keep.

the adventure continues

along a path that is never a straight course

but always exactly right where I need to be.

“all deep changes are preceded by chaos.”

-deepak chopra

in spring.

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olive is not quite ready yet for our move from the cottage

and then suddenly 

she is. 

more on our adventure soon.

“in winter, i plot and plan. in spring, i move.”

-henry rollins

four walls.

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when hiking in the winter woods,

we came upon this dwelling.

house, fort, cottage, hideaway, castle?

“home is any four walls that enclose the right person.”

-helen rowland

 

 

a good place.

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what a lovely little place

discovered on a walk in the woods

nestled beneath the old trees

resting on a blanket

of the softest pine needles

open to all who happen by

who lives here?

“when you’re wide open, the world is a good place.”

-sharon salzberg

 

 

 

 

 

nichols arboretum, ann arbor, mi, usa. november 2018

bridge.

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how lovely it would be

to walk across this little bridge each day

 leave the busy world behind

to enter once again

 the quiet calm called home.

“praise the bridge that carried you over.”

-george colman 

 

 

 

 

 

ann arbor, mi, usa – on geddes road

friendly.

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when out walking

it’s so nice to see my friendly neighbors waving hello.

makes me feel at home.

 

‘be nice. the world is a small town.’

-austin kleon

tiny houses.

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if i were really, really, ridiculously wealthy,

i wouldn’t buy a mansion,

just tiny apartments in every city i love. 

-mara wilson

 

 

 

 

ann arbor, michigan, usa – summer 2018

 

 

 

 

living room.

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and on the last night they’ll ever spend

in the only house they’ve ever lived

before moving to their wonderful new location for their wonderful new adventures

we celebrate by finally getting to eat in the living room without sneaking.

“your journey never ends. life has a way of changing things in incredible ways.

-alexander volkov

and along came olive.

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tiny olive

with green eyes of two different colors

just six pounds never to grow any bigger

came into my life

quite unexpectedly 

found in the caboose of a train

a teenage mother

rescued by kind humans

and

soon to move

into to my home and family

with patience and time and space
in the little cottage
olive the cat not the oil
so sweet and playful
met
glenn frey the cat not the rocker
so reserved and timid
and they soon found a way
to peacefully co-exist
watching the world go by together.
“peace puts forth her olive everywhere”
-william shakespeare

laughter is the sun.

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as the snowfall arrives

there is a soft quiet

a world of white outside

while inside

 the cottage is filled with color 

 the center of the snow globe

 i’m clearly drawn to whimsical animal art

and yes,

that is the wing of a  peacock kite you see in the upper left corner.

“laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.”

-victor hugo