Shredded Documents

We’ve been checking things off the master list of things to do here at the Ponderosa this spring. And, I’ve got to say…it feels pretty good. The end of the house that we painted and put a new storm door on looks great! The electric line over to the deck is going to come in very handy. We had the kids over Sunday evening and plugged a fan in and it made all the difference sitting out there. Plus, the market lights are so pretty. 

New Paint and Doors

Mr. FixIt had things to do in town today and I elected to stay home and get some things done here. I had all kinds of plans, but ended up sitting for five hours shredding documents. We’d been putting it off, and since I’ve been doing some deep cleaning and organizing, today was the day. I still have some to do, but managed to get the most of it done. Now, to file the papers that weren’t shredded. Oy! The work of life is never done, is it?

Irises Blooming

I remember when I was a new widow, sold my house and 95% of personal belongings…I felt so incredibly free and liberated. There was none of this accumulating, organizing, cleaning, purging, and re-accumulating that life seems to be filled with. My time was my own, to come and go as I pleased. Now, my time is full….but I’m incredibly happy. Not so much with the clutter, but we’re dealing with that…slowly, but surely.

A Room Always Looks Worse Before it Looks Better

Change has been a big focus in our lives the last few weeks with the sale of the farm. And, it has come to change our priorities in a way I didn’t expect. For the last couple of years, we’ve been giving serious consideration to selling the Ponderosa and moving to our acre lot near town. The driving had become cumbersome, and the responsibilities and upkeep seemed to loom large as we begin to wind down toward our sunset years. 

The Butterflies are Coming Back

Living near town had great appeal to me. Our friends and family are there. We’d be closer to medical facilities and shopping. And our outdoor chores would be minimal compared to here. However, knowing the farm was always there to commune with nature and get our “country fix” made it easier to think of letting this property go. After going through what I’ve experienced with the farm selling, I gained a greater insight to Mr. FixIt’s attachment to this place.

Mama Box Turtle in the Far Field

I know how I feel losing my lifetime home. This weekend when we were driving home from mowing at the farm, I asked him how committed he was to selling out and building on our other property. He’s lived here on the Ponderosa for 45 years or so. That’s a long time to put down roots. We discussed all the pros and cons and what it would take to even get the lot ready to build a house on….all huge considerations.

Milkweed…Waiting on Monarchs

In the end, we’ve decided to just stay put where we are for the time being. For a lot of reasons, really. Neither one of us are ready to give up farm life yet. I love waking up to the neighbor’s rooster. I love the mockingbirds in the hedgerow and the lightning bugs in the field. I love the little town we live close to. I love having a garden and a pool and a place to see the stars. I especially love having a place to “camp” on our own property. It’s what I moved to West Virginia for in the first place…to live in the country.

The Near Field by the Road

Mr. FixIt agrees. This is home to him. And, somehow…after going through the farm selling…it’s suddenly become more “home” to me, too. Besides, Covid showed us we don’t need to drive to town as often as we were…merely out of boredom. We’ve saved money on gas and dining out and extra shopping. And, we’re getting this place fixed up and more like “ours” and less like “theirs”.

Sunset Over the Far Field

I’m feeling more settled this week than I have in a long time. Having the sale of the farm dangling over my head for the last few years has been difficult for me….like waiting for the ax to fall. Now that it’s here, I know where home really is. It’s wherever we are…so, it might as well be here because it’s what we are blessed with. Sometimes the best things in life are right under our noses.

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“By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.”

Proverbs 24:3-4 ESV