I'm back in Seymour in Mathom House. I'm here to go to the Burger Fest balloon rally with Chris, Tisha and Evan, my little family. Gary is still at the campground. I'll join him on Saturday. These two days, I've been thinking about our home here and wondering what our future is here.
This past week, Gary and I looked at a possible house that we could move to in a year or two, a house in the north woods. It wasn't the house we want, but we agree we would like to live in the woods. We have to agree on our requirements. I think at our age (we're both 69) we should have good access to health care. That means living closer to a metropolitan area than Gary would like. I have a long list of my requirements: a good office in a quiet part of the house, a good walking path, a workable kitchen, and at least some gardening space. In the north woods, it would mean raised beds with good wire fencing to keep the deer away.
Seymour is pretty conservative, but there are pockets of liberals that make life bearable for environmentalists and political junkies like Gary and me. I don't want to move to Tea Party Central. If we pick an area, I want to go for a visit during an election year and look at the yard signs. That works well with our schedule. Gary and his family must sell a farm in Illinois before he'll have the money to buy our new home and that won't happen until the probate from his aunt's will is complete sometime in 2014.
I moved here thirty years ago. I wanted Chris to have family and a good school. He got those in Seymour. For a while I worked here as a choir director but that is past. I did a certain amount of volunteer work but I decided two years ago to stop volunteering and devote myself to writing.
I can keep track of friends wherever we move and once a month, I would drive down for play dates with my grandson. I would reverse the order by camping in High Cliff Park or Hartman State Park during the summer and stay in motels in the winter.
It would mean selling this house, the house I've lived in for about thirty years. When I moved in, I told friends that I have no intention of letting this house own me. I've never invested much in it. No new carpeting, very little paint.
So....am I ready to move on? The answer is yes. I never meant to live in Seymour as long as I have. Besides, some people fear change. I crave it.
This past week, Gary and I looked at a possible house that we could move to in a year or two, a house in the north woods. It wasn't the house we want, but we agree we would like to live in the woods. We have to agree on our requirements. I think at our age (we're both 69) we should have good access to health care. That means living closer to a metropolitan area than Gary would like. I have a long list of my requirements: a good office in a quiet part of the house, a good walking path, a workable kitchen, and at least some gardening space. In the north woods, it would mean raised beds with good wire fencing to keep the deer away.
Seymour is pretty conservative, but there are pockets of liberals that make life bearable for environmentalists and political junkies like Gary and me. I don't want to move to Tea Party Central. If we pick an area, I want to go for a visit during an election year and look at the yard signs. That works well with our schedule. Gary and his family must sell a farm in Illinois before he'll have the money to buy our new home and that won't happen until the probate from his aunt's will is complete sometime in 2014.
I moved here thirty years ago. I wanted Chris to have family and a good school. He got those in Seymour. For a while I worked here as a choir director but that is past. I did a certain amount of volunteer work but I decided two years ago to stop volunteering and devote myself to writing.
I can keep track of friends wherever we move and once a month, I would drive down for play dates with my grandson. I would reverse the order by camping in High Cliff Park or Hartman State Park during the summer and stay in motels in the winter.
It would mean selling this house, the house I've lived in for about thirty years. When I moved in, I told friends that I have no intention of letting this house own me. I've never invested much in it. No new carpeting, very little paint.
So....am I ready to move on? The answer is yes. I never meant to live in Seymour as long as I have. Besides, some people fear change. I crave it.
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