It's official. We closed on the sale of our Massachusetts home yesterday and are officially New Hampshire residents. The last three months have been exhaustingly full with activities related to the sale of one house and the renovation of the other.
I won't bore you with the detail but I will share one lesson learned. PEOPLE listen to me: get rid of your extra STUFF! One day you will need or want to move and you will regret you didn't heed my advice! Simplify, eliminate the clutter, donate, recycle, work a little at a time but get rid of stuff! Your children do not want your stuff. Even when you try to shove it into their houses!!
Leaving the town where my family has resided for almost 100 years and the home we raised our boys in was emotionally difficult. The change was made easier by our joy (dramatic word but true) with the "new" home. The renovations came out better than expected and we couldn't be happier with the feel of the home, updated yet comfy. We have so much to be thankful for and, believe me, we do not take these blessings for granted. A little champagne toast on a Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the final transaction...
As you know, I have a new sewing room (one of the major requirements of the renovation) and I will share that with you in another post. I finally was able to take a break from the unpacking, cleaning and entertaining (my favorite activity up here by the way!) to go for a little practice run in the new room.
The house is beside a little cove on a large lake and we have converted a screened-in porch to a year round sunroom with lots of windows and comfy seats and a new window seat that is long enough for sleeping on. The furniture in the room is rugged and covered in Sunbrella as part of the dog/kid/bathing suit friendly environment. What a pleasant surprise the current offering of Sunbrella outside fabric is with a wide variety of colors and patterns and a soft, fabric feel. Joann Fabrics has an extensive supply of outdoor fabrics and I was able to pick up enough yardage on sale to cover this 7 foot long window seat.
So much fun to have a finish! I cannot wait to get back to playing with my quilting cotton to make a few more pillows for this window seat!
We have a loon family hanging out in our cove this summer. Mom and Dad appear to be teaching Baby Loon the necessary skills to survive. What a lovely sight and sound most mornings and evenings.
More new neighbors down the road to get to know.
It's safe to say that we are embarking on a MAJOR new chapter of our lives. Moving full time to a house on a lake in New Hampshire that is one half hour away from a place to just to buy socks is a little different compared to our home in Massachusetts where we could be in downtown Boston in less than a half hour! I'm so excited about the adventures ahead, not to mention all the time in my new sewing room!
Kathy
Your new home sounds very inviting and exciting. I hope your delight continues on as you settle in.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new home, I am so trying to talk my husband in to the cleaning out of his "stuff" and he is not budging! I one the other hand have been purging all summer. I think in all the purging that the dogs leash somehow made it into the goodwill pile and is gone, so I did have to go out and get him a new leash, LOL! Looking forward to seeing your new sewing room.
ReplyDeleteWonderful Kathy! Welcome to your new home!
ReplyDeleteGosh what a beautiful spot you've chosen to live. My son and dil live right on the New Hampshire border in MA. Can't wait to see your new sewing area...we are TRYING to de-clutter and de-stash
ReplyDeleteour home here--which is really getting to be way too big for us two...in our 70's now, the thought of having to move is scarey...good luck hugs, Julierose
Welcome to NH! I did the same as you, now living on Northwood Lake and loving it. My daughter and a friend are renting our home in MA, but we will sell it next year. Our house on the lake is a huge downsize and I loved getting rid of everything we got rid of. It's so freeing. Glad you have a loon family, I hope they do well. I hope you do well! What lake are you on?
ReplyDeleteI know you are so ready to be settled in! I am proud of you for doing what is best for YOUR family. I think it's going to be a fabulous adventure. And what a treat to wake up with that view every morning :-)
ReplyDeleteI guess the only thing to do when there is nothing to do is sew :) Good luck on unpacking all those boxes!
ReplyDeleteI am so jealous! I would love to downsize and live in a new home, but my husband won't budge. I too like to get rid of stuff, fully aware that none of my children will want it. When we lost my mother-in-law it literally took years to get rid of her stuff. And yes, her old stove is still in my garage because my husband refuses to part with it. Congratulations and very best wishes for a wonderful life in your new home!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!!! It looks lovely... I hope you can relax and enjoy these last precious days of summer:-)
ReplyDeleteYes congrats on the start of your new chapter. (I always think of life in chapters too) I think you'll adjust quickly....looking forward to seeing more of that sewing room!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on making over the big hurdle of moving. Your new home looks wonderful! Soon you will be at a point that you can relax and sew. =)
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