Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Chickens...and stuff

My mind has be all a-clutter for the past few days. The Mister and I have been weighing strategies for wrapping up the next few years in the desert and moving away from this Crazy Town in the Desert. We are anxious to move from here! It is not a very good fit for us, although my job here is great. Much better than the job situation before I was transferred.

I think I have mentioned that we bought our house the very last month of the housing 'exuberance'. The very next month the prices began to fall. And they have fallen very, very far. In order to leave here, we need to get rid of this house. We will never be able to sell it for what we owe. Not even close. So, we are thinking of alternatives.

One option that we are considering, is to downsize and live in a yurt with no running water and an outhouse.

Not really.

But we are thinking of reducing our housing expenses by living in our camper for awhile. Then we could save up enough to pay someone to take the house off our hands. Maybe a slightly bigger camper than the one we currently have, but not much bigger. Probably a total of 350 square feet of living space.

People in big cities around the world live in smaller places, so I think we can too. But it will take some adjustments.

For instance, I will have to stop buying things, because there will be no room to put anything extra. So no need to clip the coupon for Jo-Ann that comes in the Sunday paper. No shopping for yarn or fabric, and no craft books from the thrift store. Everything except the essentials would be stored for the duration.

And we will have to only buy food that we intend to eat within a few days.

I would have room for my little featherweight, and maybe a small box of fat quarters and another one of solid color fabrics. I am thinking that I could transfer embroidery designs to a few dozen squares of flour sack fabric and keep busy with embroidery.

And then we decide that it does not make sense, financially, to do it.

Then, one of us will say, "something else we could think about..." and off we go again, planning and trying to foresee the future.

It has been one of those things that crowds out any creative impulses, so I haven't had anything to share, lately. And, we still have more 'looking into' ahead, so it might be awhile.

So, here is a little chicken family that we saw at a car show in California.

Just something to get off the topic!



Just Mom, Dad, and the kids, enjoying a day in the park!


Teaching the kids which bugs are tasty!

And taking turns at keeping watch.

Maybe we could have chickens if we lived in the yurt...

10 comments:

Gaynell said...

Decision making can wear you out! I like the chickens!!

~Niki~ said...

sounds like a great plan!

Iron Needles said...

One thing I thought of (because it's all about me)...

where would we stay when we came to visit? Does the yurt have a guest room?

Gaynell said...

Silly Iron Needles...she forgets that her wonderful step-daughter has connections for guest rooms!

Martha said...

For me, it's uncertainty that causes anxiety. I feel much better formulating some kind of a plan (or two) -- even though I know the plan(s) might have to change at some point. Lots of things can happen in a couple of years and the housing situation may not be nearly as bleak.

Adjusting to a trailer would be challenging, but it would also be sort of an adventure.

Roy said...

Being that you are the most centrally located of all the sibs you are hereby informed that your plans of downsizing run contrary to your assumed responsibility to provide a place for family gatherings. You are instructed to cease and desist in all such endeavours. Besides the trailer is booked for 2/2011.

Allie said...

My mom and I used to talk about buying a houseboat. Then when the bills came due we could up anchor. Not really - *G* - but I'd still love a houseboat.
Alone, I could live in a very small space. I'd love to deplete my stash, and only have on hand what I'm working on at the moment. I like your idea to transfer designs ahead of time, I've been doing that myself and I'm not moving.

Saying a prayer for you that it all works out, hon.

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Yurts - believe it or not - are becoming quite fashionable here in Utah. I was invited to dinner in one and was kind of amazed at how pretty it was... right up until I started searching for the bathroom and they handed me a flashlight and sent me... outdoors.

Marjorie said...

I realize that I'm really off-topic...but if I design a Hawaiian style chicken block for you...will you applique it? Biker Dude won't let me have back-yard chickens in the city, so I need to live vicariously.

KG said...

option B (or C or D) I have observed 'what brown can do for you' out here. and also...your offspring lives nearby...and also we get a lot of rain....and also you could live with me and save up money.........

plan C (or D or E) Didnt someone leave a car abandoned in your block a few years ago? can one do that with a house? ;)

anyhow, the east coast could be fun :)