OK, here’s the thing, as bad as it sounds, it’s way better than it could’ve been. I decided last April that I would be out of the RV in a house by October at the latest. I can’t do another winter with this bunch in an RV. My physical and mental health at this point is too fragile to be in such close quarters with ANYONE anymore, I was and am done with trying to get people to grow their wings and fly by living in such a cramped space. I wanted a house by this fall, for this winter. I wanted my studio area back, being a frustrated artist is just too FRUSTRATING. I wanted to start making bigger stuff again and working on vintage and revamp things and open my shop and gallery back up. I wanted internet research and the etsy store back open. I wanted my stuff out of storage and I wanted room. More than I had. Way more room. I wanted a kitchen so I can cook without the frustration that accompanies the major cooking I sometimes can not stop myself from doing. And I wanted a full size bathroom with a shower and a bathtub. A full size living area. In Mason County, closer to family.
Tricky thing with my minuscule steady income and unique household. And dogs. And cats. And motor vehicles. And…and… OK, anyway. Quite a list to accomplish for the less than six months that I “allowed”. Remember, not just finding a place, also having it accept all my household’s idiosyncrasies and me being able to come up with all the deposits involved with moving into a new place in a new county. House hold deposits, PUD and other utility deposits, not to mention the vehicle issues and juggling the transport and storage fees for moving and everything else etc.
So, did my research, ran my figures, made my plans and started looking. I made the bold move and followed through on this plan that seemed crazy to many. We moved to a primitive homestead and we deliberately went without power, hauled in our water and literally camped the entire summer. By mid July we had found this place but still didn’t have enough saved. It was better than I could have hoped for so I didn’t have the money but I still went ahead anyway and wrote up the proposal. After going over it the owners were thrilled to accept it and were willing to work with us.
I found this place on a fluke and it fit exactly what I was looking for. Actually better than what I was thinking I might end up having to settle for. The location, the building itself, the large multiple lots, the lakefront. The view. Oh yes. The view. Every morning I have a cup of coffee and enjoy that view. A combination of careful planning and some well placed luck got us here, but we are here and it’s pretty damn sweet. Looking forward to something again is sweet too. This summer is going to be awesome.
I’ve also got the store back up and running, the studio is half completed but half is more than none, meanwhile I’ve been working where ever I can find table space and I have more room than I did. I’ve got some major works and work coming up. We aren’t starving and the pantry is almost full (yes!). It’s mid November and I’m not afraid to look at the wheel chair in the corner. The walker is in storage and I’m not even using my cane. I’m warmer than I have been in a long time.
Six months ago we were down to one vehicle (barely running) living on a primitive homestead with no power, water, indoor plumbing (used camping septic ug!) and of course no TV, internet etc. We were cooking outside the RV (no matter what the weather) and were going to the local state park and friends’ & family’s places for showers. Saving all the money we could and still feeling like we were dirt poor and going to be stuck in the middle of nowhere forever. It paid off though. Here we are, out of the RV (for the price of an RV lot without utilities) and we’ve got some room. I ‘ve got the start of a kitchen, a full size bathroom, space to work, space to sleep, space to relax, inside and out. Things are still rough but some things are so much better. And it’s only going to get better. Forward and up.
Yep. Forward and UP!
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