Moving ahead

I had drafted this post a couple weeks ago to start out saying “Today we signed a contract for a little house here in Grand Island.” That was supposed to be Friday. Instead, closing has been delayed until Monday because an appraiser couldn’t spell. We moved in anyway with an early occupancy document since we’d already arranged for help moving.

This post isn’t about the house, but since this blog often deals with architecture and living spaces I’ll elaborate just a little. Keyword here is little, 720 finished square feet bungalow built in 1940 with a very usable full basement. It’s not something we’re in love with, but it’ll do Donkey, it’ll do. It was the best home we’d seen for the money in a few months of looking: Newer roof, AC, water heater, electrical, some flooring. It needs paint but I can take care of that in my sleep. Kitchen also needs to be updated.

There are a number of practical reasons that make this move into our own place a good one (and, yes, we’ve thought of renting, but it’s just not as cost effective or practical considering both my wife’s and my creative pursuits). One of those is our puppy, another is our own kitchen in light of my wife’s dietary needs.

But the reason I’m most excited about, and this may not make sense to anyone else but me (which is OK), is that it’s marking time, marking a moment in time when we begin to move forward in earnest on the artist retreat idea. Moving forward on the retreat isn’t directly related to buying this house, but I hope this space becomes the place that leads to the retreat.