Packing and downsizing

Yesterday I started packing linens and filled a large tote box. There are three bathrooms in this house and I live alone. Do I need so many sets of sheets in various sizes, towels, facecloths, and curtain components? Do I need a pile of cloth napkins and placemats? I prefer cloth over paper, but I am one person and the couple of times anyone is over for a meal, we usually use paper napkins at that point.

I do not do this packing/downsizing well. How can I get rid of items without knowing where I’m moving? I don’t know what colors will be in my new home and I can’t afford to buy all new items. (Oh, I’d love to buy all new items if I could.) Do I need a myriad of curtain tie-backs and an odd panel here and another with a different pattern there?

Last night during TV time, I re-went through that box and pulled out items and the extras that I definitely do not need. I can’t let myself think about cost or the condition of the items. That doesn’t matter. What matters is the downsizing! At the moment, I’ve only filled two bags that will go bye-bye, but it’s a start and is something that will not go to the new home.

Another consideration is renting a pod to put all that I’m keeping. Cleaning out this house will help me see (I have a problem visualizing space versus the size of items) what can go to the new home and what needs to be disposed. Unfortunately, that rental is at a cost and I have to be very aware of my finances. What if the two months extend into four or six? And if I have to rent a place to live until my new home is ready, there goes money that would go towards the new home.

Oh, if I could be a Jeannie and blink my eyes and nod my head and everything would be magically all set and ready. (That’s a reference to an old TV show “I Dream of Jeannie”). 

Visualizing versus seeing actual size

Yesterday was a total crash and burn emotionally. Today I am determined to remain upbeat. I woke up thinking about getting the new home and trying to picture the various places we looked at on Friday. It helped having Don and Carol with me. Friday was a quick viewing and I mostly looked at layout, woodwork/cabinets, counter tops, storage/closets, and bathrooms. I was pleased to see that most master bedrooms had an en suite – something very important to me although I have no use for a garden/soaker bathtub (just a big dust collector). I have to have a good-sized walk-in shower. Hmmm, maybe I could use the tub for all my plants as there will be little space in the rest of the home.

This morning I am thinking about how dark the homes were. Was that because the building were mush smaller? It could have been because curtains were closed to keep out the sun, other buildings were close which blocked the light, or the windows were smaller than I’m used to. I am also considering how my furniture and possessions will fit in a much smaller space (something I’ve not been able to visualize). Now that I’ve seen actual space, I’m doubtful my current furniture will fit. I will have to downsize the king-sized bed to a queen and get rid of all my bookcases unless I get a third bedroom. I’m getting rid of most the books anyway so I don’t need the bookcases.

I want to make another trip up to Camelot in Tilton. That’s not saying I’m definitely getting one of those homes, but being able to see the layout and space will help me figure out how much I need to get rid of before I move. This time I will not only pay attention to the layout, but I’ll be more focused on how my things will work in the room.

One thing I disliked about the storage spaces was the use of the wire shelving. We had that in our Barrington home and I hated it. I want real shelves and I want built-ins in the closets so I can get rid of bureaus. This is a big leap going from a 3,000 SF home to 1,000 or under. Yes, I will be getting rid of a lot, but I still have to live and have accommodations for art supplies and clothes.

I am so ready to move out of this house. I’ll miss the view, but with all the shrubs cut down by the new owner, it just doesn’t feel the same here. The joy of sitting in this space while working is gone and it now depresses me.

That is a good thing, in a way, because this sealed the deal almost more than the signing of the papers. I am done here and now can’t get out fast enough.

I see an estate sale in the near future.

House Hunting is Discouraging

I don’t handle this well. I don’t like shopping and to be shopping for a home is 100 times worse. I’m at the point where I’ve put off my writing and art so long that it’s affecting my health. Yes, I write for the newspaper, and I love what I do, but it’s not the same as writing my travel stories and working with the photographs taken during the travels.

This morning I started checking other modular home places online. It’s so tedious and depressing. I also checked realtor.com for homes for sale and only got through two towns before I had to give up because I was stressing too much.

I need to be happy and excited. I’m starting a brand new chapter in my life. I know what I want. I really don’t think I’m asking for much, but perhaps I am because what I want does not fit the average Joe. I’m not an average Joe. I am planning my forever home and because it will be my last home, I want what I want. I don’t want to settle for less-than as I have in the past two homes and I don’t want to spend the rest of my life fixing up a place to fit my style. 

I have two months to get out of here which means I’ll probably have to store all my possessions and rent a small place for me ‘n Pele for a short time until I find my new home. I keep hoping something will pop up in time, but time’s running out.

I still have lots of packing to do and will be getting rid of lots.

There was a bit of excitement on Friday as Don, Carol, and I went to look at modular/manufactured homes in Tilton. It was fun looking at the different places, floor plans, configurations, cabinet styles and all that. I could do something like that. I don’t need granite counter tops or hardwood floors or anything fancy. 

Art on the Back Burner

Art on the Back Burner… and falling off the stove

Many of you probably know I sold my house. I’ve not found a new place yet and the new owner is letting me stay here until the end of August. He started clearing up the yard. Yesterday he trimmed up trees out back and cut down all the shrubs along the back of the house - rhododendrons, azaleas, yews, etc. The house looks naked.  

It is his house now and I have no say. It does look nice, but it’s a big change and I feel  exposed sitting in front of the window. Where are the little birdies going to go? He’s also convincing me to throw stuff out, which, those of you who know me and knew my mother, know it’s hard for me. Yeah, in some aspects, I am my mother’s daughter.

I’m in a bit of a panic about finding a new home. I know what I want, but it’s looking like I can’t find it in the area I want. I love the Sunapee/Kearsarge region and want to stay in the InterTown Record reader area (for my job as editor). Plus, I do love it here and I have more friends now than ever before.

Then there’s the packing and the squeezing of 3,000 SF to under 1,000. My goal is to find a home under 1,000 SF. It’s a struggle because my art mind kicks in and I always think I can make something out of everything. I keep joking with friends that I need someone to go behind me and when I put something in a box, they could move it to a garbage bag. It’s hard for me because my mind jumps to how much something cost and to just throw it away feels so wrong. But I have to let go.

My art has taken a back seat with all this and I’ve always been one that if I am not drawing, taking photographs, writing, or painting, I start feeling like I’m losing my mind. I haven’t worked on my new book for months. I’ve got other stories to write and drawings to finish. But that can’t happen for awhile and I am sad.

Yes, my job allows me to write as I pick up stories and interviews (along with the editing and the community calendar and weekly column), but it’s not the same as writing my travel stories. 

All the stress saps my energy. I’m so tired all the time. But I believe in miracles and a new home will come.

Writing Styles

It’s not an easy job being an editor. I am constantly learning something new about writing. There may be hard rules in some aspects but other areas are a little gray. Just when I start feeling confident that I know what I’m doing, something comes along to keep me humble.

I came across the word en dash. What’s an en dash? I looked it up. There’s also an em dash, both of which are different than a hyphen. Oh dear, what have I gotten myself into?

A hyphen is the shortest of the three and the only one with a designated key on a computer keyboard. It’s basically used to link a compound adjective such as well-known man. An en dash is a little longer than a hyphen but not as long as an em dash. The en dash usually goes between ranges of numbers or scores. The em dash is used to take the place of commas, parentheses or colons depending on the effect desired.

The above is just a basic description of the three. However, other issues come into play. Not all computer keyboards and processors are the same. In Microsoft Word, if I put a space on either side of the hyphen, it lengthens it to a dash. That doesn’t work on the MacBook, though, where typing two hyphens together creates a dash. (Of course, I don’t know if in either of those two cases it’s an en or em dash.) Further reading said operating systems may require going into symbols to insert a dash. Gosh, this is getting complicated.

I went to an AP Style website to research further. This site compared that style with the Chicago Manual of Style of writing. Now I’m in even more trouble. I’ve been using the AP Style while writing my book. Should I be following the Chicago Manual of Style there? It’ll be back to the drawing board with my book and looking up different rules.

I woke this morning with the topic again on my mind. There is writer’s preference. I have so much going on right now that to learn another style on top of learning Mac, packing up this house, and finding a new house is too much to take in. 

Most people aren’t even aware there is a difference in writing styles. I never did or, at least, I never thought about it. I read a book for enjoyment and the style doesn’t matter if it  is consistent, well-written, grammar and spelling are correct, and it’s easy to read. My style will be my style and as long as I follow the major rules, that's all that matters.

Of course, this is how I’m thinking today. Next week may be a different story.

 

Another opportunity at learning

My morning writing has me thinking about the lessons learned over the weekend. I’m always excited when I learn interesting things. I’m willing to admit when I’m wrong, even when embarrassing. If I make a mistake and I am wrong, I’ll own up to it and do what I can to make it right. 

For instance, one of our rules with the newspaper is in only covering local news. I wrote about an event and left out names of those who did not live in “our” area. Someone sent a letter. I feel bad. It’s a wake-up call. Sometimes in my trying to be fair and do things right, I do not look at the entire picture. I’ve been trying to make rules and guidelines stricter than needed. 

1. I realize even though there’s a “rule,” we have to be flexible. Sometimes I need to look at a bigger picture and see all who would benefit from the information. 

2. Trying to be fair and treat everyone (and every town) exactly the same is unrealistic. I was afraid that if we allowed something in one area, it would open it up to others expecting the same. I now understand that each instance and story needs to be treated as its own moment.  

3. I’ve also come to realize that treating everyone the same is not fair. Some people need more molly-coddling (and yes, I fit that category) especially dealing with artists. This is how it is. We are all humans and need to be treated with respect and not put in a box designed to make us all alike. We are not all alike. We may have similarities, but we also have differences and all aspects of a person deserve respect. 

4. One of the reasons I love my editor job at the newspaper is that we pride ourselves in being small-town/local. All of the above has to be realized to maintain the type of integrity we want with the InterTown Record. We want to be able to recognize individuals and not just see a group of people as a whole or entire town. When people are no longer seen as individuals, the individual no longer matters and they become numbers and statistics that are easily written off. 

This is what has happened in this country. Individuals no longer matter and the “good of the whole” has been swallowed by big business marketing and the country’s leaders protecting an elite few. “Good of the whole” is now just a term to benefit whoever or whatever group or business is saying it.

It’s up to us to keep our local flavor and protect our people by giving them recognition when they deserve it and by telling their stories. (And that’s impossible when an organization gets too big which happens with buy-outs and all that... but that’s another subject.) Most people living in the smaller towns do so to have that community-mindedness. We love to walk down the street and have neighbors and passersby wave. It’s great to know that should something happen, neighbors will step up to help. 

I love the opportunity to tell people’s stories and to give them recognition they deserve. Everyone has a story. Everyone has an interesting life. All the media-hype and sensationalism are not needed. Instead of focusing on all the negative going on in the world, how about we tell individual stories of the wonderful people who live around us?

 

 

A new and different project

I was asked by personal chef, Barbara Bridgewater, www.feastofnh.com, of Bradford to shoot photos to update her website. Many of you heard me mention how I love watching the cooking shows on TV, but I’m a fussy eater and don’t like to cook. Meeting Barbara was a great opportunity to learn more about cooking and food. 

Yesterday I did my first stint at photographing food. I’ve heard about spraying food with something to make it look more vibrant and pleasing in photos. My mind struggles with that as I’m a photographer who works hard to make a photo look real and Barbara is a chef who promotes healthy eating. (The spraying of a chemical to make the food look better just doesn’t sit so well with me… of course, I could be wrong.) 

We had an enjoyable couple of hours. I got to taste-test, too, which added to the enjoyment, and she provided take-home containers giving me a delicious meal for later. I never eat asparagus because I didn’t think I liked it, but she made it look so good, I decided to try it. It was yummy and I will be eating asparagus again.  

The first round photos came out OK; not great, but passable. This is a learning experience for both of us. We both have ideas on how to do better. I got up this morning with my mind overrunning with suggestions and I couldn’t wait to get to the computer to email her. We are inspiring each other. Hey, I’m willing to work for food! We’ll need to work out details so we are both satisfied.  

What’s interesting about Barbara is she’s a vegetarian, her husband prefers meat, and they have relatives who require special diets. This means she has the expertise to create tasty meals to fit any client’s tastes and requirements. Also, her prices are reasonable and she is planning to offer delivery in the local areas. She does all the grocery shopping, prep work cooking, and she provides directions on heating and storing leftovers. Imagine having your meals cooked and delivered! 

I’m excited about this direction. I totally believe that we all have something we are good at and it’s great when a barter-type system can be worked out. In this case, I can take photos and help with writing a blog/articles and I’ll make a little money and get some delicious meals in return. What’s also good about this type of work is that it isn’t something that requires specific times, so we work on the project when opportunity or timing allows or as needed.