Janice M Cali
Moving - Sane? Unsane?
1890 Cottage Needs Help
To certify that I am unsane, I've decided to move. Before I can do this I have to sell the building I live in, which is an historic 1878 commercial building on the main street of the small town I live in. Now I like my building but I want to have some things that only living in the country can bring. Like chickens, ducks, geese, goats, donkeys, and space. Mostly space. I love to play in the dirt, always have, always will, it's one of the reasons I took pottery classes at college, mud you see. I made mud pies as a kid and I loved doing that, my instructor at college didn't settle for mud pies. but I digress.
Space, lots of space. Jerry owns eight acres about six miles out of town, I love his property, I love his old house, but I don't want to live in it. We have an understanding, we like each other, a lot, but we don't want to live together or with anyone for that matter. We are both somewhat reclusive. But he has this land, it's lovely land, pasture, trees, and most importantly a stream, that almost never goes dry, and this stream has lovely glades around it. I love this land. So Jerry and I made a deal, I can put, build or do whatever I want with six acres of his land, on the condition I leave it to his kids in my will. Now this won't be a problem, I don't have any heirs, except my sister and she's older than I am, and she wouldn't want the land anyway. So, it's a deal.
Now, the thing is I found this great old cottage, 926 square feet, built in 1890 and historic in that it was a stop on the cotton consignment trail, whatever that was. This lovely little cottage is a mess. Some one remuddled it, badly, instead of remodeling, they are asking a ridiculous amount of money for it, and it sits on 1/2 acre in a town that is lovely but I don't want to live in, besides not wanting to live in a town, period.
So, I came up with the idea of buying this house and moving it to Jerry's property and then restoring it. I figure, what the heck, gut it to the framing, and restore it, adding some space on one side because the bathroom has to be entered sideways, really that's all the wider the door is, and the shower will not hold a person over 5'5" and 100 pounds, really, it is tiny. But the side of the house the bath is on can be extended without ruining the looks or layout of the house and it will enlarge the living room at the same time.
Now, why is this unsane. First, I don't have the money to buy this house, much less move it until I sell my building. Secondly, remodeling makes me crazy, I've lived through it in my building twice and went just a little crazy, OK, more than a little, but I did live through it.
Third, I'm planning on doing a lot of the work myself. Why? Who the hell knows? I'm unsane remember! And I'm figuring Jerry and a couple of other friends can help too. One has offered and she swings a mean hammer, she's a nurse and she can do almost anything she sets her mind too. She doesn't think I'm all that crazy to want to do this, my therapist is a whole other story. Haven't asked the shrink what he thinks of it yet but I'm willing to bet he just shakes his head, makes reservations for me at the crazy house an d lets me get on with my unsaneness.
All right, anyone out there want to buy a lovely 1878 building, almost 2000 square feet, in a small East Texas town, population around 1850? I'm not asking a whole lot, really, and it has living quarters, a nice kitchen, a lovely bath with a whirlpool tub and retail space in the front. The back yard, such as it is, is nice, it also has a garage, so you can park undercover. So, any bidders out there? I have this little cottage I want to move to a very nice spot near the stream. Oh, I'll also have to put in a studio but I figure I can buy a prefab storage building and make it into one. Now how's that for unsane thinking?
TTFN have a very unsane week.
Potter in a Harry
I and Me
Just Writing
Thank you for reading my blog, I wish to clear up something however, I'm not insane, I'm unsane. Slight difference, read my first blog in this series. I also have a question, on exactly what are you not wiser? I'll be glad to help clear up any confusion.
Thank you again, and have an unsane day, if that is your want.