The New Digs
After a long, arduous buying process, we finally moved into our new house last weekend. And it took rearranging a couple of times, but we have the studio set up (it’s tiny), and have basic furniture placement working now in the rest of the house too (read: the couch is actually in the living room! wahoo!). But of course we’re still wading waist-high in boxes and totes of things I’ve forgotten about, they’ve been in storage so long. Each one is like opening up a box of treasure — colorful objects, linens and artwork I’ve collected over the years. It just takes a while to sort it all out and find a place for it. (And figure out what we can get rid of… this house is smaller than the last one.)
But that’s all background… what I’ve really been wanting to tell you about is where we’ve chosen to live.
Remember before I was dreaming about living out in the country? A little farmhouse with lots of land, a big garden, space to roam. The kind of house that pushes you outside and then invites you back in with hot tea and ginger cookies when you’re good and ready.
But that dream kind of fizzled with the current economy and the idea of our child having no one around to play with. So then we swung the other way and started looking at houses in the city. Walking distance to galleries, restaurants, bookstores, and different yoga studio options. Children’s museums. Farmers markets. And all that good stuff.
Well, we actually ended up picking neither.
Instead, we bought a house in a teensy weensy little town in the northern part of the state. In fact, the town is so tiny that it’s actually called a village. And the house we bought we have christened “The Sharing House” because it’s a big ol’ house built in 1902 (creeky wood floors… tall ceilings…) that has been split in half to form two reasonably sized houses.
So we are sharing the house with a family next door. Also, the house has no “yard” whatsoever, but instead sits on a huge grassy green park with giant oak trees, fountains and random pairings of adirondack chairs scattered here and there. So we are sharing the greenspace with anyone who visits the park. There’s also a beautiful lake within walking distance and long, winding trails through the woods nearby. So basically nothing is “ours” but instead we share the whole deal with the whole village.
Sounds nice doesn’t it? There are a few concerns though, I have to admit. First of all, the town is tiny. Just a handful of restaurants. No art scene to speak of. And really conservative. The only yoga class I’ve found is offered through the YMCA (maybe it’s good though. I will suspend judgment before actually trying it.) This is a big change for us and it’s almost like culture shock. Not that we’re from giant cities, but we’re not used to this kind of dinky.
I’m also worried that there won’t be anyone else like us here. I miss my small community of friendships and alternative places in South Carolina a whole lot, and I’m hoping to find a small pocket of that here. Maybe it’s hiding and I just have to wait to discover it. (One good thing is that I do have a kind of built in community here because my family is very nearby!)
All in all, it’s a choice we made. A choice to go for walks through the woods instead of in dense neighborhoods. A choice to cook at home instead of eating out. A choice to slow down the pace instead of keeping up. And we’re excited about all those things. Creating this new life here.
And who knows, maybe we’ll love it. Maybe we’ll find that small town works very well for us, thank you very much. And maybe we’ll find out that there’s more here than we think and we’ll just have to seek it out. It’s certainly an adventure. And I’ll let you know how small town living progresses. :)
Until then, I’m going up for a nap on the porch where I have a good view of the leaves changing colors.
That sounds wonderful, even though the challenges sound very real. The house looks darling :), and I smiled at the thought of you sharing the house with anyone who wants to visit the park. I hope you two enjoy walks in the woods, sitting on the porch, and learning what it’s like to live a sharing, smaller kind of life.
Your new digs are bee-eauty-ful! Congratulations on finding this lovely place, and best wishes on your grand experiment. Small-town living will be an adjustment, but there’s such a sweetness about it. I hope you’ll love it!
Penelope,
I am sure you think I am crazy, but you speak to my heart so much. How is it that a total stranger someone I have never met, sometimes pleaded for ideas on “making” it in illustration, but otherwise never talked to could say so much that resonates with me.
I really pray that your home is just that a home that fosters happiness and creativity and that your new village is wonderful.
Goodluck with everything! :)
If you want the ultimate artsy, small-town mama to inspire your new adventure, read this blog: http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/ She makes me want to move my family to the edges of the earth every time I read an entry.
P.S. So excited to be giving a home to your wonderful seated girl with a red shirt:-)
Oh, I so hope you love that little village. When I heard that was were you were moving I thought it was a perfect place for you two (now three!). I always thought of it as being artsy fartsy but I could be wrong. My step-uncle owns the glass shop there. I can try to find out from them (they also live there) if there is any other yoga around. As a matter of fact, we even thought about getting married in that wondeful park :) Anyway, I’m rambling. I’m sure you will fall completely in love and make this your sanctuary very soon.
Congrats on your new place…Sounds so nice to be living near woods, and being able to slow the pace down.
I can heartily endorse the “village near a lake” style of living. :) After three years back in the Valley of Enchantment, there’s a lot more that I appreciate about this place.
I love yours and Colin’s distant silhouettes on the water. :)
I am so happy for you & Colin, and little baby bean. :) From moving from a super-populated suburb, to more of a farm community I can say one thing: you save money. For us there are not many restaurants (and only 2 that are up to our standards of yumminess), and the shopping is very basic. Farm & Fleet & Target. No Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, Marshall Fields or any of the other places that were right outside our door in the last town. I like it. Half of those places we never went to anyways, or we did not need them that close. We cook at home lots more and try to keep it simple. City, suburbs, country… there is always something to lose & something to gain. It is just weighing whats important to you at this point in your life. Oh, and I have a story about YMCA/Park District yoga classes, email me and I’ll tell you all about it. :(
Congratulations! Here’s wishing for tons of blessings for you and your family and also to the other family who is sharing the house with you.
This is so beautiful!
Seems like a great blend of everything. I can understand the angst of living in a village-town after living in a bigger city.
I’m certain it’ll all turn out really well :)
Congrats! It sounds like you’ll have a wonderful Autumn settling in – the location looks so comforting and peaceful!
Big congratulations on your new home! Ditto on what Beth says about the ‘burb to farm switch. It sounds like an interesting area, I’m sure you’ll make the most of what it has to offer. And when you’re antsy, a day trip to a city will give you and your growing family a chance to soak in some culture. And no yard work sounds like a dream to me (especially with a park just outside your front door!)
Mama-Lope! your new home looks like a little paradise. those trees are amazing and peaceful and beautiful. it reminds me of the big city parks in south st. louis near my grandma’s. they were the best place as a kid. your little girl bean will loveLOVElove her new home and walks among the trees. i’m so happy for you. as for your small village, just love it up and think of it as another adventure on your path. i never thought i’d live in such a tiny ‘village’ (we are just houses in the mountains, no restaurants or anything) and i am in heaven here. communities take time to build no matter where you are, i’m sure you’ll be surprised… big hug and have fun nesting up your new home. xoj
It sounds simply incredible! Congratulations. And just in time for Autumn, how lucky you 3 are!!
I think the house looks wonderful! There will be many challenges, and sharing and all, well, lots of good things will balance what might come with it. I loved my urabn condo days, and then my hipster cool earthy in-city days, but I love being remote. I only give one bit of thought [not asked for I know!] – give it time. I was very out of sorts here for many months. In fact, I am still, and will always be an outsider to many of the ‘town ‘ and county here. It is very conservative, renogade here. While I always feel at home on my farm, the county is another story. At some point I quit trying so hard and relaxed back into who I know and love, me. I think it really took one year to calm down, and another 2 years to really ‘settle’ in such a different type environment. But I wouldn’t change it for the world. Good luck with it all. Squeeky floors are good.
Love it! And you.
I wanna see more!
xo C.
sounds like you found a space that is right for you at this time. i think that is wonderful.
I am so thrilled to see the new place and to hear that it is immersed in nature. I love thinking about you and little-girl bean romping in the grass amongst the trees…
Congratulations! We moved into village life last year and I am the only artist in the village lol but it’s wonderful, you will soon get to know everyone, nothing beats a bit of community spirit! Good luck!
Just gave you an award, sort of silly, but fun all the same, if you want to play come see the rules here.
http://elaynaalexandra.com/notebook/2008/10/threads/
hi penelope,
i am a new reader, i went to high school with alison & found your blog through hers.
your new home looks so much like those in the village near where i live that it can’t possibly be anywhere else. i thought i might encourage you by saying that when people who live around here want a place artsy to go we head to that very village you live in. artists & art students from the college like to hang on in the sushi restaurant on the lake where the walls are covered in local artists work. you will find that for this area, this town can be enchanting. check out villageat(town you live in).com to get acquainted! :) welcome to the neighborhood.
Your new sharing house is supercute! And you know, I can imagine you somehow fitting it into an illustration.
As for finding your peeps in the village, you and Colin might find your kindred spirits here. Often in hindsight, I’ve found myself in places or in situations which seemed so out of the ordinary but lead to the biggest changes in my life. For example: me, an art student, joining the army and meeting my husband. My eighteen year old self would have gaped in disbelief. Anyway, I bet there’s someone in that village who has been longing to meet a creative person like you.
it looks and sounds like a perfect place for new beginnings.
xoxoxo
Wow, congratulation! Your new home looks beautiful. It will be great to live there, espescially with a kid. We moved a little bit out of the city center when our daughter was born and it was the right descision. Taking long walks, being outside (no matter what kind of weather) is a wonderful thing to do. We think about moving to the “real” country, too, but we havn’t found such a nice home yet.
hey lovely…
that sounds absolutely tops darlin… ROCK ON bebe!
:)
big hugs to you
xoxo
Leonie
Oh, this sounds so nice ~ congratulations on your new home! The nursery looks amazing by the way. I too dream of a slower pace of life and wonder it would feel to live in a smaller town.