Moving...it's chaos, joyous change, incredible work, not enough time...all this and more. It's made this issue late, put me behind on my already bug-ridden schedule and tired me to exhaustion. My car decided it didn't want to move, so it died instead..my hands are absolutely gnarly from cleaning the mess left by the previous tenants, my head aches from contemplating the moving of the 72 cinder blocks that make up my giant bookcase, my just purchased used washing machine has decided it's time to kick back and wait for repair...and I can't wipe the grin off my face.Crazy? Maybe..or maybe not. My last two years have been spent in a three room apartment on a very busy main road. I fell asleep to the "toot of the angry horn" and the sound of sirens. My writing was constantly interrupted by the merry sound of crashing fenders and the happy sharing of passing motorists rap music. At night I was serenaded by the partying neighbors and once was even treated to the witnessing of a robbery across the street. It was the day that we saw the SWAT team down the road that the decision was finally made. I wasn't staying there anymore. Mike and I set off to find new digs.
Our funds being what they were...meaning sparse...we were less than optimistic about what we would be able to achieve by moving. We decided that a trailer might be doable, so we set out to look at a few for rent, with maybe an option to buy. When we walked into our present place, I was appalled by the condition it had been left in. The dirt was a living presence and the entire building and lot around it was battered and broken. We wandered through the length of it, taking note of the holes and the old rugs and the broken linoleum. We might have just walked away...but all of a sudden, I heard a mockingbird...yodeling to beat the band. And suddenly another answered..and another. The entire park was filled with birdsong.
From there, it was no great leap to realize that this was the ONLY noise in this end of the park. We looked out front, and noticed that there was no development at all across our little street..only woods. The lady showing the place told us that if we walked one way down the street, there was a public park...and if we walked the other way, we would come to a river that met the ocean...with a place to launch a boat. The trailer had two bedrooms and two bathrooms..and a nice large lot..with neighbors only on the one side.
We started to ask questions, and discovered that because the trailer had been so badly used, we had carte blanche as to decorating and landscaping. Cats were welcome here...another plus...and we noticed that our neighbors took pride in their well kept and well planted lots. I sat on the sad little deck, and saw an oriole out in the bushes...we found skunk tracks and watched a ground hog in broad daylight scavenging the neighbors clover. The rent was within our means, and an option to buy was possible. We took a deep breath, put down a deposit and haven't looked back.
I have been cleaning now for five days, and sleeping here for four nights. This weekend we will be bringing in the furniture, and settling in for good. In this time, I've discovered that folks here all go in and stay quiet by ten at night, there is NO traffic at all, and there's a wonderful breeze that comes in during the evening. I've seen our friend the skunk, peaceably ambling through the grass, and discovered a neglected but doggedly growing clump of daylilys and hostas. I have been able to envision the possibilities, and have sampled only a few of the gifts it has to offer...and I'm very, very happy that we decided to make this our new home.
So...color me crazy...but be sure to do in happy colors. After all, what's a little soap and elbow grease compared to peace, quiet and nature's own companionship? :>
Denise Ruiz
Editor - Seeker Magazine