Making the Move

Six years ago, I wrote on my blog, cooler-by-the-lake.com about the lessons we learned while moving our dad from his darling cottage to "the big house" at Lake Forest Place.    It was a remarkable experience, mainly because we had to figure out how to downsize from 3000sf of space to 1500sf in less than two months.    One of the solutions was moving quite a few family items to my basement... it was the expedite decision at the time, but has become my dilemma now.   In case you missed it, you can read my post, Things.

(FYI, update: I have been tackling the basement and have made some progress.   A friend had an estate sale, and I was able to move a number of furniture items, etc. over to her house and sold more than I expected.   It was a great relief to begin clearing things out the basement.   Still a ways to go...)

After much reflection, I have decided to now make my own move.   People ask me where I'm going... the answer is pretty simple ... I haven't a clue at this point.   All I know for sure, is I want to live in a maintenance free environment with a lot less square feet ... something like Conway Farms.  While I have adored my house and treasure my neighborhood, I'm at that stage in life where less is more.. and I definitely want less to maintain, less the manage, and less to keep clean.  I want a less encumbered life.    After all, the final lesson I learned from moving Dad:

"The heart of the home lies in the heart of its owners.  When a house is empty, it's no longer a home.   It's best to keep our memories in our hearts -- not our houses."  

Thus, I have begun the journey, that my clients have to make of clearing the clutter, repairing the loose hinges and improving the curb appeal.   Hope you'll follow me on my journey, as I Make the Move!