I apologize for the lapse in posting, but the last month of getting to the closing of the house, coordinating the actual move and moving has been taking up most of my time. Of course, I still need to do some work for Accidental and my consulting, babysitting duty and preparing to celebrate our first holiday in our new home. Election drama and challenges to democracy, despite my trying hard not to be, are still distracting.,
In this photo, I’m walking along the back of our property. The beautiful fir trees and the expanse of green are my back yard. Bordered by other lovely trees and bushes, the green is waiting to become secret gardens, fragrant with herbs and flowers. I envision beds of fresh vegetables to serve our guests. The space is open to suggestions, daydreams, and my imagination. I’m wearing an outfit that is hand-knitted by rural women craftspersons and made from natural wool. A natural fashionable.
I am learning about chipmunk holes, composting, and the names of the many trees, plants, and bushes that adorn our property are. Not so much the newest technology or fashion news. I’ve done my research and found that our land is under the care of the Kitchawanks, a now extinct tribe that summered near the river about a mile away so they could harvest oysters and wintered in what is now the Blue Mountain Preserve which abuts the back of our property. I’m learning that neighbors look out for each other, arrive on your back porch as a group with a plant and a cake to welcome you and that you always wave when you look out your window and catch the eye of someone raking leaves, checking mail or passing them on the street.
The same emptiness, yet pregnant with possibility, exists inside our home as we moved with little or no furniture and deliveries are taking longer because of the surge in the number of COVID cases. We have our new bed, a comfortable eco mattress, foundation and frame, no headboard. I’ve been scouring online auctions, antique, and used furniture sites as I want to honor the age of the house. I just found a beautiful rug for our front hallway.
With the engineer’s report in hand, we’ve been starting with minor tasks and repairs and planning for the bigger jobs. Determined, we’re in no rush and want to do as much as we can ourselves. There’s something lovely about living in the emptiness and seeing what will feel like it’s right. I learned how to live with stillness when I was sick this summer. Now I’m learning to just be in a space and hold the urge to fill it until it tells me what will make us comfortable.
So that’s what I’ve been doing, and I’ll share as the adventure develops.
I’m interested to hear how your projects and adventures have grown and welcome your thoughts about gardening, home renovations, old houses, decorating or any other ideas you’d like to share. Or how you’re doing since we last connected. I’m hoping you are all keeping safe and well.
Love your knit sweater and pant. Were they locally made? Good luck on the house renovations!
It’s a brand called The Knotty Ones. Designed in NY, hand made in Lithuania by rural women craftspersons. Check out their website if you love knits.
What made you decide to move?
Are you going to live here permanently?
Ready for a change, wanted to be closer to my daughter and granddaughter, really missing nature and greenery. Yes, we are here permanently. Only an hour from the city so I will return often when I need to.
My husband and I have nearly completed a year long renovation of our home in Pleasant Ridge, MI. The project should not have taken this long, but with the virus I’m lucky it hasn’t taken longer. If you decide to do a renovation find a contractor or independent craftsmen that care about your home and have an eye for small
details. It will save you money and rework.
Good luck in your new surroundings.
D
Thanks for the advice, we hope to do a good deal of the work ourselves as much of it is cosmetic. The kitchen will need a higher level of expertise so we will keep your suggestions in mind.
looks lovely. Where did you move? Did you have covid? I hope you are feeling better and a fresh start with home is always energizing. Please be careful gardening though, your immune system may be weak. I picked up a serious fungal infection that way as I had lyme disease and did not know it. Wear gloves and mask, always. be careful with mulch and any soil. i still garden but i am cautious.
Thanks for your concern. Not COVID but a serious colon infection. I transformed my eating and lifestyle habits and feel quite healthy and recovered right now.
It’s so wonderful to have all these new experiences and discoveries. I look forward, as always, to your posts.
Stay warm & healthy please! Enjoy every moment of your new home.
And you as well!
when i saw your IG post, i wondered if that was your property…so glad to hear that it is! so green and reminiscent of my growing up not too far from there in sullivan county. i often think about venturing back. wishing you all the peace and time you need to create a home for yourself and Calvin. and…if you have a specific question – post it or dm me. i was an interior designer for 35+ years and would happy to throw my nickel in the hat:)
Thanks for your kind offer, I will definitely take you up on it!
Congratulations, gardening is addictive and so meditative. I have always gardened in the Chicago area until just recently when my husband passed away and I have relocated to Amelia Island. When I was gardening I loved the books and blog by Margaret Roche. She gardens in upstate New York and is very informative. My son has bought a home in Staatsburg New York and I have recommended her books and blog to him also.
First, sorry for your recent loss. Thank you for the recommendation, I will look her up.
I’ve found that my old beauty eventually reveals what she needs so we can live in harmony. Sometimes a lick of paint, a loving mend or quiet acceptance of her wrinkles.
Just like how we have to be with ourselves lol
Rubbing and Rubbing … I am in the last throes of refinishing the paneling in my den. It’s the old dining room, but we can’t be said to dine, so it became our den. The paneling front the 1918 build was getting darker and redder every year. Could I remove the finish and do something more natural … in such a way as to avoid upheaval? So, for the past 3 months, I have stripped the finish off the head-high paneling. The best stripping pads happen to be makeup removal pads from the dollar store. Now I am rubbing in lemon oil followed by lemon wax. It’s beautiful. No more plastic shine; just quarter sawn oak that glows in the afternoon sun. In a year I will reapply the oil and wax. That practice will continue each year. Perhaps not time-efficient but certainly a better use of my time than staring at the old finish and hating it.
Amazing that makeup remover pads are good for stripping. It sounds like a beautiful color now.
Such a sweet post!
Thank you!
Interesting. I’m in the city. I’m applying to the FIT MFA program in fashion. I’m going to write some creative pieces about the connections between sociology and fashion.
How wonderful, there are multiple intersections, congratulations.
I love seeing this post and seeing that a city dweller found happiness in the country. We too are making the move out of the city to rural lands. It warms my heart to hear your descriptions because amidst all of my anticipatory excitement I do also have some urban-exit trepidation and anxiety. Enjoy it all!
The city is part of my attitude and style, it comes along but this will be a new edition which is as stimulating as the city
Hi Lyn,
Congratulations on your new home. Its sounds beautiful and magical. NC? Since you mentioned Blue Mountains. Have you moved out of NYC altogether? What a great adventure this new home! It will be lovely to commune with nature and receive her downloads.
Love reading your posts and hearing what youre up to.
Xo Karina
It’s actually about an hour north of NYC, still in NY. The Blue Mountain Preserve is what is next to us. Thamnks for your good wishes.
Hi I live in Ireland
I have moved to a new build on 12 acres of pastureland
Most will stay as pasture for cows but I am making a bed by the house into a Stumpery ( see Highgrove House, UK)
It sounds like you could do the same
I will check that out, thank you!
you certainly are on a new adventure – and you will love it especially in these trying times – i live on a beautiful vermont farm and find that although i looked at your city posts with envy, i could not live without my gardens, fields and woods – they provide such peace of mind – and of course lots of work – my advice, go slowly and enjoy
by the way your post made me smile when you said “fir”trees – the trees in your picture are white pine trees
I am going to have to develop my new botanical lexicon lol. We are going slowly and it’s like savoring a good meal and making it last. The city is an hour away if I want some urban vibe but for now, this feels so very, very right.
I’m so happy you found yourself a home you love and your incredible skill for treasure hunting. I spent my pre and post thanksgiving helping my babysitter deconstructing / removing all my parents belongings to the dumpsters. It’s both a celebratory yet sad moment.
My parents had decided to make Vietnam their permanent retirement resident. Imagine that, their dream of america to give us a better future and their dream of returning to their homeland with a closer density of community support both are realized. And the feeling of deconstructing their home would feel more a tragic lost if it was under this circumstance, which is unavoidable. I’m finding my silver lining and jealous at my oldest and youngest siblings who cried and is upset by our parents’ decision. That closeness is beautiful even when being around my parents aren’t easy.
Repainting a big house is a commitment and exhausting. Tearing down old cabinets to allow open shelves on the kitchen / stove side while leaving the abundant on the opposing wall make the space feel less top heavy and allow the sun dim lighting to come in more dispersed. She went against design concept to position the tv in family room the opposite wall from the fireplace. Told her she is deliberately neglecting to acknowledge the “child” (fireplace) in the room. That didnt work. I told her to paint or dark stain her banister as it looks like “showing your old panty” in a newly painted house with new carpet and new wood floor. Luckily she listened and i’m helping.
Lastly, she is a gardener and all of my siblings are struggling with squirrels eating all their goods. They tell me to plant my own garden, and i replied “misery sure love company.” They responded wittingly, “we want you to plant your own garden bc otherwise, you are just another squirrel in our garden.” Lol.
Families are full of joy and at times frustrations. You convey the complexity of family life quite well!
So good to hear from you! I’m in North Florida. Found out in September I have stage 3 ovarian cancer so I’m receiving treatment, chemo, and hoping the tumors shrunk enough for surgery. Staying totally isolated to be healthy. We just decided to build a small garden home and I’m excited to be looking forward. I really resonate with letting the space tell us what we need. Thank you
My prayers and best wishes for a good outcome and recovery. It’s a;ways good to have something lovely to look forward to.
Your property is quite beautiful. It sounds like it is the right place for you to be right now — to wait out the pandemic in relative peace, and to write your next chapter. I also live in a vintage home — built in 1920. It’s quite small — a ‘workers cottage’ style home outside of Chicago. I too use the home inspectors report I received when I bought the place to work my way thru projects, large and small. I find that the priority is driven by my relative comfort…first replacing the HVAC, then staircase handrails, then insulation, then flood control…with the wish list items: paint, decorating, gardening, popped in between, as time and money allow. It’s nice having neighbors that are friendly. I moved to this house from a condo, and it’s different having neighbors in a neighborhood vs. a big urban building. With condo living, we were all so close to one another, we put up extra walls that were not necessary. I hope, like me, you find one or two neighbors you like enough to spend time with and invest in friendships, on their porches, at the kitchen table having tea. Congratulations on your new home – may you be happy!
Sounds like how we are planning to move forward too. Your cottage sounds charming and thanks for the good wishes.
Check with the neighbors about the deer population, as it will inform many decisions about plants and gardens; I’ve learned this the hard way. Also, although Disney made chipmunks seem friendly and desirable, they too have a shadow side and can be very destructive and burrow into places you would rather they avoid. They are to the landscape, like rats are to city dwellers; rarely your friend. And for aging backs and creaky knees, you may want to consider elevated garden beds as they will be easier to till and harvest. Good Luck! Working with nature is always gratifying, regardless of the surprises in store. Have fun. M2
Yes right now we have two holes and have been researching humane and non-toxic ways to deal with the small furry friends.Raisded beds are definitely in the cards for vegetables and some of the cutting garden.
Consider taking a local Master Gardener course. You’ll learn about your soil, native plants, plenty of things to reign in and focus your daydreams.
Great advice and I am seeing that native planting is very important.
Gosh this is inspiring! You are a step ahead of me as I have sold my city house and am searching for a country one. I will be following along with interest 🙂
Good luck with the hunt. An incredible realtor makes all the difference in the world.
Your adventure takes me back to fourteen years of living on three acres and a house with property sorely in need of a makeover. I encourage everyone to once in a lifetime take on a similar challenge. It will test your physical & mental fortitude, question your sanity, throw your marriage/relationship into a death spiral, deep six your finances, hone your negotiation skills with trades people, give you a diploma from the school of What the Hell was I Thinking, and when finished give you immense satisfaction that you created a dwelling space truly your own. Life outside of city limits has its own rhythm. Here are a few fond memories:
The veggies you planted & can’t wait to harvest….the wildlife are just as excited as you to dine on fresh produce.
Good tradesmen are your new best friends. Some will become part of the family. Only hire licensed professionals. Yes, they do need to explain to you what they are proposing, why, and how it should be done. Just google “open splices” under electrical……enough said.
John Deere and Steele make the best tools.
It never hurts to invest in a whole house generator.
Always have batteries for flashlights, TecNu for poison Ivy, Oak & Sumac, duct tape for god knows what, yearly pump your septic system, know the tank gallon size and where the finger field. Never allow anyone to drive over the finger system. Well pumps last about 3 years and the best have 1 horse power capacity. Chain saws are best left in the hands of professionals unless you possess a specific skill set. A first aid kit, sunscreen, mosquito/tick spray, muck boots & gloves and several fire extinguishers are not luxury items.
Have equipment to plow your drive in winter. Shoveling is insane and a health hazard.
Do not feed the wildlife near your house.
It’s best not to work outside during a lightening storm.
Know the zoning regulations for your county.
A good cry is always the way to start or finish a project.
I am always available 24/7 for consultations. Just reach out.
This is fabulous, a little daunting, but fabulous
Your email is just what’s needed on a gloomy day in Wisconsin. I’ve been A+++ about the Covid Crap, which includes no family get-togethers. Just my cat and I. I’ve only visited on the phone, with people going past my house when I’m working outside and neighbors. Very (very) lonely. I used to think I could happily live as a hermit, but I no longer believe that! I can imagine how you’re feeling, facing a “blank slate” with your new home. I always thought it was best to wait a while to get the feel of a place before furnishing it if possible. I’ve found the chipmunks to be so very entertaining in my yard. Your knit outfit is lovely – a true treasure. So, take care.
Ah so sorry this is challenging. I will be posting more and there are many delightful companions here. It does not take the place of real human contact but at least there are interesting conversations!
What era is the architecture of your home?
I love mixing things up, like having atomic mid century and Italian modern in an arts and crafts home .
It’s actually called a transitional victorian builtin 1912 so less ornate than classic Victorian but not as plain as Arts and Crafts. I also like to be eclectic and am very inspired by English gardens and homes right now.
Working to make a home evolve into a thing of beauty and a place that makes you exhale when you walk through the door is the only escape many of us have right now. No vacations. No visits with friends. Meanwhile home is a canvas, and a lot of fun to create. Have fun.
Thank you, that’s exactly how I see it too!
HI and congrats on the new abode! You are doing it right – sit in the space and let the ideas and decor come to you. I live in a 100 year old house in Portland, OR and I know that there is more maintenance than most people are used to and you just need to keep up with it. I have always lived in older homes and love the stories they tell me and I cherish their patina! This summer, I did more in the garden (because we weren’t traveling) and it made all the difference in the world to create a lovely outdoor space. Outside lighting was also key to creating the outdoor spaces!
We need to build an outdoor seating area and know where it needs to go but not what it looks like. We will go slow because we want to do as much of the work as we can ourselves. Thankfully Calvin is a jack of all trades and knows a good deal about many things. We had an engineer go through the house with us and we have a 35 page manual of what we need to do to keep the good condition the house is preserved. I saw many beautiful old homes in Portland when I visited. Calvin and I love to wander and walk through random neighborhoods when we travel, I wonder if we walked through yours?
It was so uplifting to hear from you again! Thank you for bringing your usual contemplation and engagement into our hearts and minds today! Good luck on your remodeling! Exciting! Stay safe and may you soak in the joy and hope of Christmas!
Thank you so much, I can breathe in the pine from my yard and put a big fresh wreath on my front door. Wishing you a safe and happy holiday.
Happy housewarming. What a change for you and the land you are caretaker of will reward you. All the best for the future and looking forward to reading of your adventures in wonderland.
Thank you so much, I want to be a good caretaker.
I would suggest that you begin planning your garden first. It takes time to develop and may shape how you furnish your home so that you can enjoy your garden. I changed my front door to a French door so that I can see my garden first thing in the morning and put French doors in my office so that I can open them while working. I planted most of my garden first so that it could grown and develop while I figured out the inside.
I love that idea. That is exactly the process I want to be in where the outside is helping me shape the inside. I am even thinking about furniture based on where I can place a beautiful vase of cut flowers.
I love this ‘Comment’ …
Now I’m learning to just be in a space and hold the urge to fill it until it tells me what will make us comfortable.
It so resonates with my Spirit ?
Thank you for sharing your new chapter with us and having enough Faith to walk with Intention and Peace!
John 14:27
New International Version
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.(A) I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled(B) and do not be afraid.?????♥️
Beautiful words, I thank you for sharing them.
Hi Lyn–Love that name… Kitchawanks. I’m in a similar mode, closing on my home in Massachusetts mid-December and moving to New Hampshire. It’s partly a reaction to Covid and partly wanting to live in a more scenic, walkable place. Moving takes lots of patience, planning and letting go. Looking forward to having that part behind me.
The call to nature and simplicity seems to be attractive to many of us right now. But yes certainly happy the closing and moving part is done. Every step took so long as the banks are overwhelmed here as are the lawyers, engineers, title folks city building inspectors and everyone else who has to sign off since so many people are leaving the city. Worth it in the end but yes it takes a great deal of all of the above.
How wonderful to read your life Update! Although this election and its aftermath have truly worked on my spirit I will survive this, too. Cannot help but feel for Joe Biden’s mishap with a stress fracture in his foot. I also experienced this in August which kept me from my daily walk. Thankfully it healed rather quickly and no boot for me. Wishing you and Calvin fun escapades in your home development.
A stressful time indeed with an extended waiting time. But we are there soon. Thanks for you good wishes and stay safe and well
Dear Icon,
I hope you will share pictures of your new place as it evolves into your home. I think we get to know who we are — as well as one another — by the space we keep as much as by the clothes we wear.
My home has been ebbing and flowing since moving here two years ago from a two-story century place that was beginning to own me instead of the other way around. This new one is just a few blocks away so I am not missing people or the lovely little town I love.
Look it up if you like and you will see what I mean. Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
My son and grandson were he two weeks ago to help with a long list of put-off tasks. The artwork I cherish done by friends and people I do not know is on the walls and I finally feel home.
My large front-facing bay window looks across the road at the river visible between two home, an A-frame from the 60s and a vintage split level. There is a park next to them.
Outside the birds and squirrels are busy doing what they do this time of year and this reminds me it is time to arrange the feeders and order their favorite seed and suet or they will be tapping at my windows.
The weatherman is calling for our first significant snowfall of the year and its nice to know my presence is not required anywhere except to walk Mim my mixed breed little dog. We rescued each other about five years ago.
I am so relieved this awful year is coming to a close even though my mother is up there somewhere saying what she always did when I would say such things. “Do not wish your life away, you will be sorry later.”
If I could wish one thing for women of our age, dear icon, it would be all women would acquire friends younger than themselves. I have two who keep me in the loop of today and without them, I am not sure I would be as smart as I am. Joking.
Stay well, carry on, write soon, include photos. Smile, you are alive.
A lovely descrip[tion, I can see it and I love the name of the town. I do have many younger friends and the one thing I miss about being a professor is being around many young people on a regular basis. I think in our new town there are younger artists who are developing it so I will have to see what they have going on.
I have followed your posts and related . Loved seeing the fashion especially. Now reading this feel more connected. I have recently moved from london to Bath . Even though called a city seems small to me but interesting architecturally and friendly. But I now have a garden . Bliss . Having lived overseas for years the first English garden since the early 80s . Like you learning all a new . Can’t wait for spring .
I am following many English gardeners and decorators on Instagram as my favorite book, The Secret Garden is my inspiration. How lucky we are to have a garden!
I am so happy for you settling in your new home! As a fair newcomer to the country/rural life, I too have been struck by the neighborliness that does not exist in the same way in our crowded cities (though I had a lovely support network in the cities I’ve lived in as well). As to old homes, well I’ve owned a few, and right now am in the process of overseeing the remodel of a 1989 master bath in my family’s mountain home in the WV highlands. Choosing fixtures, tiles, hardware, and all that..and I am a lawyer by trade not a designer or architect, but I have those folks among my friends and they are game to help consult by phone or skype. What I want is to have the bath, with its large picture window overlooking the valley from its 4,ooo foot vantage p0int, to be a reflection of what is outside the window: the gray-barked wild cherry tree with its bright green lichen markings, and the browns, golds, light greens of the native stone, much of it shot through with pre-historic plant fossils. You will find so much to love in this new life you and yours are creating…so much happiness to you both!!
What do you mean you are not a designer! The way you described the colors and how you want to incorporate the outside inside is brilliant. We are all creative on some level, just not with official titles! Thanks for the good wishes, I already feel that this will be life changing.
Your hair and color of your beautiful outfit look stunning against the green.
Thank you so much.
I was thrilled to find you in my in-box. Congratulations on your new home. We moved 3 years ago from Los Angeles to Cuenca, Ecuador. Loaded the container and unloaded it at our new apartment. We moved from a good-sized house with a three-level terrace garden in the back to a lovely apartment. And I love it. We’ve downsized to an herb garden on the terrace!
You look beautiful, and I adore your knitted outfit – I want one. It’s chilly up here in the Andes!
Wishing you love, happiness, and abundance. xok
The knotted outfit is from a brand called The Knotty Ones. They employ rural women craftspersons and stay at home moms with a more than living wage and the wool is all-natural. Check out their website for some very cozy hand knots.What an adventure, Ecuador!
As you consider your new yard, think about planting more natives. Reading Doug Tallamy’s works, BRINGING NATURE HOME, and NATURE’S BEST HOPE, helped me realize that there is SO MUCH that we as individuals can do to stop the current decline of wildlife all around us. Native plants have evolved over centuries alongside our local wildlife, and when we plant imported exotics we break the support cycle and create a “dead zone”, where the plant feeds no animal around it. Dr. Tallamy advocates for HOMEGROWN NATIONAL PARK, where as many of us as possible create zones of support for wildlife around us, and if enough of us across the country do it, we may stop the collapse of the ecological system. We’ve started converting our yard to natives, and the birds have FOUND US! It’s amazing how many gravitate to the simple formula of native shelter, food and water. We look forward to the return of the native bees and butterflies as we continue to improve the native smorgasboard available for them.
You are the second person recommending this and since I want to honor the history of the land and its inhabitants this is a perfect way to do so. I will get the book and begin researching, one of this former professor’s favorite pastimes! My granddaughter will be delighted, as will I with an abundance of butterflies and birds.
Your new home sounds wonderful. I started gardening when I was 50. I have learned a lot in the past 10 years. Highly recommend that you go with Native plants. There should be a Native Plant Society nearby that can help with advice if you need it. Since I switched to Natives, my very large English-style garden has been much more successful, with a smaller amount of effort, water and expense. So a better garden to enjoy, and more time to enjoy, not to mention that Natives support caterpillars that support birds raising their young. Sometimes it is hard to find Native plants at the local garden center. There are specialty nurseries that focus on Natives and also some really good mail order options. Best wishes in your new home.
Thank you so much for these ideas. I will definitely see who is knowledgeable about native plants here. I absolutely want an English style garden so I will follow up on your good advice, thank you.
I love the Blue Mountain Park in Peekskill. I grew up in Pleasantville but spent many weekends in Peekskill with my grandparents who lived on Crompond Rd overlooking the Hudson. My grandfather was a civil engineer who surveyed the Blue Mountain Preserve in the early 1920s.
What a gorgeous time of year for rest and recuperation. I certainly hope it will be that for you. Space is a beautiful feeling and place to be. Just to be while we dwell in possibility, as Emily Dickinson described her state of being.
Some of my favorite Autumnal things in Westchester County are apple cider, maple syrup, apples red, and yellow leaves blanketing the soft ground.
There is a wonderful outdoor barn and small market just east of Peekskill on Crompond Rd. where I buy deliciousness when in town.
I now live in Utah and dream of northern Westchester often.
As a retired professor of Women’s Studies I continue to relate to your posts.
For me, this slow down during the COVID pandemic has been a time for inner reflection while answering the questions about life, how I really want to spend my time, and what is most important in my heart. Perhaps I am more thoughtful this week and taking time to ponder and be grateful as I celebrate my 75th Birthday this weekend.
Sending Blessings to you as you heal and renew. Ellen
First, Happy Birthday! Thank you for the Northern Westchester tips, I will look up that market for Christmas goodies. I too have been engaged in a process of reflection as many others who come to perch here. The enforced slowdown has made many thoughtful people reconsider priorities and values and most especially what is truly meaningful and important in regard to how we want to live our lives. I think creativity, the kind that is simple and every day, like changing one small ingredient in a recipe is undervalued. I aim to explore much more of it. Enjoy another turn around the sum and stay safe and well
I’m finding it hugely lovely that you have such a reverential outlook on participating in as well as developing your land. With that sensing it’s going to be splendid.
Just divorced at almost 80, I’m going to be moving, and am deeply downsizing. I’ve some oak furniture I’m “letting go” to supplement my future income. One piece in particular is a 5′ oval 3 pedestal support dining table. It has 3 additional leaves so it’s ‘company’s in town’ final size is 8′. There are a few other pieces too . . . a secretary, a ladies dressing table, a china cabinet with curved glass sides and a lyre mirror form on my personals storage chest.
Early November I thought I’d be an Election Official for the first time. Other things were in play, and my ex took me to the ER on the 5th of Nov. for an 8 day stay. I was in a state of sepsis, a life threatening bacterial infection from a tick bite, and almost died. The miracle wasn’t my recovery . . . it was my ex’s choosing to advocate for me. I’m so grateful and ever so blessed.
What a challenging experience but silver linings nonetheless. Your pieces sound beautiful, are you sad to let them go? Downsizing opens up spaces for some new beginnings, it sounds like you will be starting to have some soon.
I’m so excited to see your new adventures on your beautiful property, there’s so much nature can reveal the hidden gems most people walk right by.
I’ve been getting some good advice here to wait and see what emerges in the spring to see what I might want to add.
What a beautiful yard view, you will get plenty of exercises just keeping that yard maintained. While the trees (except for the pines) are not covered with leaves hiding the branches, check them over for areas that look overgrown and may need trimming. You don’t want branches or trees coming down on your house. Glad to hear that despite having big yards between the properties, your neighbors are close enough to wave to from your windows,(I gather that you have big windows that hopefully let in natural light from all angles.
You moved out of the NYC area just in time, as COViD-19 rates are rising again. I live one city up outside of NYC itself but which is right near the Bronx borough border, so we have a lot of transit movement of workers who need to be at work, along with those who feel that the hours after 11 pm on is party time. I miss my daily 10000 step walks around my neighborhood but I manage to utilize my alleyway as a private track since it has a double set of small 5 step stairs and I also spend time outside when the weather permits sweeping up the leaves that are still falling. I have finally gotten my sleep cycle back in place so that I am up early again, despite the fact that it doesn’t get light until after 7 am. I would rather use the morning light to get up than relying on the alarm to wake me. I have less than 8 books to read to make my reading goal for the year. (101 books).
Looking forward to seeing more about your new house/home.
What resilience we find when we need to! We only have one tree that is near the house, it is a Japanese Maple that is in the front and safe enough distance from the house. I do have big and extra plentiful windows throughout the house and the natural light is beautiful. Congratulations on that epic reading goal. I continue to rise early, I am most productive then.
So lovely to see you again – surrounded by nature and wearing WOOL . Here in New Zealand farmers fret at the lack of wool used and many cutting back their herds of sheep. The joy of knitting with wool during a winter evening stays with me.
Every day I offer gratitude for our ease of life here at this time, but also the acute awareness of how deeply I feel about the universal family not as
blessed. Having this connection is so special.
Thankyou Lyn – there is so much Hope in your writings.
Kathy M(New Zealand)
I am so inspired by your country and your leader. I just received another beautiful wool sweater from New Zealand, it’s the silver color that matches my hair! I’ll wear it soon. My grandmother and mother were both knitters, my grandmother exquisitely talented in the matching sweaters and skirts she made including a beautiful lavender suit she knotted with ribbon.
Dear Ones,
Even during decades of love-addiction, beautifying land and structures eclipsed all else. I find in this lavendar-woollened Woman a similar bent. Today I bought a tuff-shed!! First time ever buying something made of fresh lumber, but in mid-seventies time is of the essence. Shed will become a tiny studio for my paintings. It will be open on weekends and the sign will read: “Open… to suggestions” even though I rarely act on anyone’s suggestions; but I listen. Maud Lewis inspired.
Recycle your vacuum cleaners for parts and buy good brooms. Sleep with minimal ambient heat, and while the water is set to boil for your coffee in the morning, sweep the floors, no matter what covers them. For rugs, sweep in the direction of the pile. Better than a yoga warm-up.
Lyn, do you want some arugula seeds? perfect window greens for winter, sprout and grow fast and gorgeous. You have my email adddress. How I love your posts.
Thank you so much I would love them! I will send an email. Wonderful tips. and you just made me think to plant some lavender too.
How wonderful! I am nearly in step with you. We bought a 120 year old Victorian house in the country, in a beautiful part of Canada. We are moving this week, and we too have some repairs and projects to retain and restore the historical integrity of the home. I need to find rugs and fitting furniture as well! And yes map out my garden. The neighbours have already extended their welcome and we are so excited to get involved in supporting the community. Knowing that we may be able to directly have impact. And of course excited for friends to visit. I lucked out having an attached (heated!) workshop in the back where I plan to set up my studio. I will share with you any extraordinary tips
I learn along the way. I will DM you and share another account in Instagram, a friend in LA also refurbishing some heritage gems around the city, and learning as she goes. Enjoy your beautiful space and nature and community ? Pamela
I love this, how fun to have companions on the journey! Right now the community is on pause due to the virus but I am exploring ways to participate when it comes to recycling, supporting small businesses, and other community initiatives so I can give back as well. I can’t wait to get to the historical society and research even more about my house and the others on my street most built-in 1912 and 1913. I just got a beautiful rug for the front hall from Chairish, a great site. Congratulations on your new adventure.
Congratulations on your new adventure. Oh ! How exciting to be still in a space and just have the ideas come and go and then come and go again, until the right one just will NOT be denied. I long for that adventure in the next few years. I hope your health improves and your new space develops into everything wonderful.! Blessings from Indiana.
Thank you for such lovely words. I seem to have learned the fine art of patience throughout this last year. My health is improving daily and my microbiome is flowering once again. Starting a daily yoga practice was life-changing and when the warm weather returns in the spring I will be doing it outside.
We recently moved to a new state ( California) and a new home to welcome a new baby, our first grandchild. We arrived during the Pandemic and the wild fires in California. The smoke was horrible and the damage breathtaking. Our house was in escrow as the owner was evacuated due to the nearness of the fires. What a start to a new chapter in our lives.
The smoke has cleared, the skies are blue and the fall color is magnificent. We have a beautiful garden that is still producing roses and a few tomatoes. Boxes have been emptied and removed to the garage. We can move on to repairs and renovations. I feel a kinship with you as you start your new chapter. I wish we had some empty spaces. How smart to get rid of so much before moving. Good luck!
Well, this was home well earned. Fires and pandemics before getting to the door, how crazy is the world right now? But as we know this too shall pass as you are experiencing now. It feels good to be in this with others so I look forward to hearing about your repairs and renovations. Congratulations on your grandchild they are magical humans that make life so much fun.
It didn’t take long to go from “silk pajamas” to “chipmunk holes”, eh?
Such is life!
Oh but I still wear my silk pajamas to bed!
This post takes my heartrate down a notch, in a good way. Greenery, handmade wool clothing, and friendly neighbours. Empty spaces outdoors and in, waiting for you to play. I’m on the brink of maybe ratcheting up a notch, something rumbling, still ill-defined, but in a good way.
I think my blood pressure is as low as it ever was, something about nature, space and moving away from concrete to earth. I can’t wait to see what you’ve got planned as you are one of the most creative woman I’ve encountered.
Lyn I am so happy to hear from you! I was a bit worried, since it has been a while since your last post. I’m thrilled that you have moved to a home with land and space! You are inspiring, wonderful, insightful, and you enrich my life. I am especially grateful for your thoughts, which often crystallize my own, during this very isolating time. As a progressive/liberal in a very red state, I crave such connection. Please know that what you do makes a difference in many lives. You create community across borders, gather kindred spirits, and inspire us all to be brave, seek joy, and welcome change. Thank you.
Oh my, I am blushing right now! Thanks for your kind words. I so appreciate the community we have built here and I am equally inspired all the time by all of you.
I have been waiting to hear from you again. I very much enjoy your reflections on different topics. We moved from the 2nd largest city in Sweden three years ago to large house in the countryside. We fell in love with the house the moment we saw it and bought it the following week, moving 2 month later. The house is overlooking a lake and we have got a small forest to go with it. Nice neighbours and another way of life. You have got a lot of exiting things to look forward to, enjoy
What a wonderful adventure, I look forward to hearing more about it and the ways that it may have changed your life.
Pleased to read from you and to learn that all is well.
Your silence is loud!
Enjoy the journey establishing your dreams and garden and remain healthy and safe.
Blessings
The same to you!
So happy for you. We compost, have a good sized organic garden and enjoy eating our beautiful veggies. I love growing herbs!!!!
Herbs are awesome. My favorite is rosemary. Our garden loves growing parsley, oregano, sage, cilantro, chamomile. I wish you the very best in your new home. It sounds like a slice of Heaven. God bless!
Thanks for the inspiration I want to grow all of those herbs plus basil and am going to research herbs to make tea.
Lovely to hear how and what you are doing. . . That handknit outfit is beautiful! Making and wearing handknits has long been a passion of mine, so I love seeing them on others too.
My life has been on a parallel yet different path. My husband and I sold our family home of 31 years and moved around the corner (literally) into a lovely condominium two months ago. It is a small development (17 units) built in 1965. Our new home is barely smaller than our old house, but there are less rooms so they are generally much more spacious. Slowly, we are settling in, and finding the furnishings that fit this new space. . . We have a lovely walled patio of a decent size in front, that eventually I will replant with more desert-friendly (i.e. using less water) plants, though all the flowering shrubs are lovely. Best of all, we have the most wonderful, interesting and caring neighbors in the complex. And we have not left our beloved neighborhood.
There is joy among us that we were able to help turn Arizona towards the blue side in the election. . .Worry about the terrible rise in the pandemic. . . And sadness, for those of us with children and grandchildren far away that we may not see them for many more months. That is personally a huge struggle these days.
What a wonderful bonus to stay in your neighborhood but gains something new in your new home. Yes, thank you, Arizona! The pandemic seems to be relentless and a very big part of my move was to be 10 minutes away from my daughter. She is very responsible and vigilant about keeping us all safe so unlike before I can still see her, I am lucky. I know how heartbreaking it was when I could not. I pray we will have important lessons learned and all increase the meaningfulness of our lives when it abates or vaccines are available.
We moved to a small island last year and love our remoteness from the seemingly mad stuff going on in the world. We downsized so i had to leave/sell much of my treasures ( husband calls crap) behind but managed to bring all my whimsical props for photography. Enjoy your planning and making your new home
Kind Regards
Lynda
Thank you, perhaps you can give some home photography tips, I want to document all our processes.
So glad to hear from you as I so look forward to your posts! Happy you are adjusting and making your home yours.
Your outfit is lovely and looks so comfortable.
Thanks so much. It was actually given to me by a brand called “The Knotty Ones”. They hire rural women craftspersons and stay at home moms and use all-natural wools. Each piece is hand-knitted and they pay a decent living wage to their garment workers so they can better support their families and rural communities. Check out their site they have some very beautiful sweaters. Really sweet sweaters for kids as well.
Hi Lyn
Your evergreen world is beautiful. I am hoping that your shoulder is feeling better, too. Emptiness is an interesting topic to pursue. I always seem to rush to fill in a vacuum. Careful, considerate thought and purpose should be taken when I fill a space. Is it beautiful? Is it useful? Does it give me joy? All good questions to ponder when accumulating furniture and belongings. Taking my time. Experiencing and enjoying the emptiness before rushing to fill the space. I like that you are taking your time and finding just the right items for your joy. It is a blessing to have caring, kind neighbors welcoming you to your new community. Thanks for posting. I have been wondering about your move.
I am waking up full of gratitude every day. Each new one reveals something charming and unexpected. We did our due diligence and hired an engineer so we know the big important things like the furnace and foundation are solid. We want to keep the house much the same as it is, just lots of cosmetic stripping of old paint and restoring. No pulling down walls we love the coziness of having an assortment of small rooms upstairs and a lovely parlor and dining room downstairs. The biggest job will be in the kitchen. My granddaughter says she loves all the “nooks and crannies”
Hello and congratulations on your new home. What a lovely adventure for you. I found when moving into a new place, or rather a place new to me, that it was best to give the house a year to reveal itself in all weathers, all seasons, etc. Everything from daylight, the neighbourhood, local wildlife, emerging plant life, evolve through the seasons and it takes time for you to fully appreciate what you have and what you may need. Even paint colours you thought you wanted may not be what the house needs. Decorating our first home in central Ontario, Canada, in the early eighties, didn’t every young couple crave pale grey walls and carpeting? Turn out that house, with me in it, required a sunnier palette to feel cheerful in our northern climate. Take your time and enjoy the process. Best wishes,
Susan
What wonderful advice. Calvin and I have been watching how the sun moves across our house and yards as we are thinking about next summer. I am doing no painting at the moment as there are a few ceilings to be replastered and walls that need some plaster repairs so I will surely be waiting to see what colors suit. I love the thought of fully appreciating what you have before you even think about what you need.
Thank you for the update. I almost emailed to make sure you were okay.
I envy your making home activities. I’ve done it many times and so enjoy it.
I admire your courage to totally reinvent yourself.
Thanks so much for your thoughtfulness, I can’t imagine not trying something new.
Give your land the opportunity to show next spring what this year’s fall/winter hidden treasures are awaiting longer days. (But don’t wait too long to at least plant some fritillaria bulbs! And a couple of 5-gallon sized pots of variegated hollies in lovely planters set at the house entry really brightens gray days.) You are so enviably and wonderfully far ahead with those mature trees – your journey of discovery will be so much fun. On the blustery days when being outside for more than a few minutes is a challenge, sit down for a marvelous read, The Hidden Life of Trees.
What a wonderful suggestion, waiting to see what is already there! I love the thought of hollys. we have one bush behind our detached garage. Thanks for the book suggestion too.
Thank you for sharing the beautiful photograph.
You are wise not to be in a hurry to fill up the house. It will tell you what it needs. It would be lovely to have more photos as you move forward.
You mention that you have learned how to live with stillness since you were sick. In a similar way, I think we have all learned to live quieter lives as we hibernate during COVID. For me, the anxiety of feeling that I need to fill up my days in a flurry of activity has receded during this time.
“Getting and spending we lay waste our powers,” as Wordsworth wrote in his poem, The World is Too Much With Us.
Thanks for sharing that lovely quote.
You look amazing! I am so happy for you and hope that you have a wonderful Christmas. I am glad to hear that you are doing well. I have been working from home for the university as a professor. All of our classes have been on zoom. I am however, changing my career path and have accepted a job in the VA as a clinical nurse leader. I am very excited to be working with our veterans again and doing research within the VA. God bless you and your family.
Congratulations on your new position it’s very exciting.
Be sure to consider a large breed dog for a companion as you explore and search your curiosities! We have a GP, Cotton, and he is a protector, a guard, and as curious as we are! They are great alarm systems! And reflect the love and kindnesses of their owners!
Stay well and continue to be an Icon for us through fashion and the Blue Mountain Preserve and your new property!
Risê
Will hopefully continued to be inspired by all of you so I may inspire in return
THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL PHOTO OF YOU!
I LIKE THE SOUND OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD!THAT IS EXACTLY HOW IT SHOULD BE!
WAVE, bringing FOOD………..YOU have landed in THE RIGHT SPOT!
ENJOY EVERY MINUTE!
XX
Thank you, I feel very grateful.
Enjoy your new home. Hunting through antique stores (post COVID, I imagine) will be so much fun. I am in love with your outfit. Can you direct me to the women who made it?
The brand is called The Knotty Ones.They have a website.
How nice to read this. I can imagine that this new challenge involves a lot of work, but I want to say that you need to tackle it in peace and tranquility! Reading that way, you live in a fantastic environment and I hope you get a lot of satisfaction from that. Furnishing your new home will give you a boost to place and buy everything according to your wishes, it seems fantastic and enjoy it to the fullest !!!!! Many greetings Griet Baeten
I’ve started the furnishing very slowly. I have challenged myself to find recycled, consignment, auction and flea market finds. It’s been more fun than buying new!
The house and yard will eventually speak to you over the months and you will know what to do. In the meantime you can wander around your neighbourhood – check out library books – online garden sites – join a garden club (lots have their clubs posted online and show member’s gardens) – go on garden tours in the city/town – get catalogues from seed/bulb companies etc.
Yes wait and see what will come up. I now have our front/yard garden low maintenance. Hostas, hydrangeas – many I started from cuttings – roses – some too were started from cuttings and Rhodos. I also have some flowering plants for the bees.
We have a hedge in front of this – I invited a neighbour to come and see the garden – she said this is like a secret garden! – as you don’t see it from the street.
I have created a path in the garden to wander around in a small circle. This is so refreshing – it’s nice to be right inside the garden.
Have a spot in your yard/garden for moon viewing. Don’t forget to have a fairy garden – children love these.
Best of all just enjoy nature.
I love each and every suggestion! Thanks for sharing them.
Ha! Chipmunks, Squirrels, Deer, and Groundhogs, the nemeses of gardening. The most difficult part of gardening for me is coming to terms with the fact that I view my yard as I do my inside space, where I have control, but do not have the same control outside. It’s a constant battle between my vision, and the needs and wants of nature. It’s a wonderful challenge. I’m excited for you to begin that journey.
I always like a good challenge as you seem to!
Congratulations and all the best in your new home!!
Happy holidays
Be sure to plant a VIBURNUM bush, I think Carlissi is the one. Just ask for fragrant one, and plant near your sitting porch or bedroom window. It is VERY fragrant ❣️ Glad you have recovered from illness. Enjoy your writings very much.
I love all these wonderful suggestions.
Hello
May the holy spirit caress your new home Congratulations!!! Nature provokes the peace that a heart is ready to receive and it seems there is a beautiful lady standing still looking, feeling the greenery and some yellowish leaves with their own story., continue yours. On another note, I love old furniture that perhaps needs a little love; chalk paint and new legs looking for a special place. As always you look super nice and the background I’m pretty sure will be a “divine garden” waiting to happen, oh a butterfly mini garden would be nice too. God bless Geselle
We live in missouri on five acres. I am currently sitting at the kitchen table enjoying breakfast and watching the birds on the feeders. I see mr and mrs cardinal several couples, blackbirds that bully the other birds, a woodpecker, a little bird that looks as if he has a tuxedo on I have yet to identify. There is scant snow on the ground. Of course in my view is my chickens. Locked in their extensive run. They dart out long enough for food and water only to climb back in their roomy coop. It has heat lamps set Accordingly to temperature. On a cold blustery day such as today it is toasty warm in the coup, I have no doubt. This year we will start on a waist high raised beds to have our vegetable garden. I am active yet unable to get on my knees anymore. That dreaded arthritis. We are hunkered down waiting for vaccinations so we can once again join humanly life. I know you will thoroughly enjoy your new home and property. Congratulations! Don’t worry about us we know life gets in the way.