We are very slowly reorganising our study - which is, or could be, our fifth bedroom - with the thought of installing a bed in it for times when we have a lot of people staying. This is currently a distant dream, but even if Son, his wife and two little ones and Daughter 2, her husband and little one were all staying, then the current three spare bedrooms wouldn't really be enough. So we thought (well, let's be honest, I thought - I specialise in having thoughts that involve Mr L in quite a lot of work and expense) that if we shared a desk and desktop computer rather than having one each, then we could fit a bed in the space occupied by the other desk. This meant that he would get rid of his desk and we would share mine. He usually uses his laptop or iPad anyway, in the living room. So far we haven't made huge progress, mainly because I've been frantically making quilts during lockdown and partly because he watches a lot of television. But we've got rid of the big chest of drawers in which I kept unsorted archives, and moved this bookcase from the hall to the study - so that we could move the grandfather clock which arrived with my mother 9 years ago (and has been dumped temporarily in the study for most of these years) into the hall.
Mr L has cleared the filing cabinet, I've made some inroads into sorting the archives (see above) and Mr L has installed a little extension to the left of my (our) desk so that the printer, which used to live on top of the filing cabinet, can sit on this new set of shelves. We haven't yet disposed of his desk or the filing cabinet or acquired the new bed. This would require organisation and we haven't quite rallied ourselves enough for this. It seems daft in a way to buy a new spare bed at this time of our lives, but with distantly-located children and grandchildren, the otherwise attractive idea of downsizing isn't really an option. I do wish they lived nearer, for many reasons of which this is only one. However, they don't and this won't change.
If I would stop spending hours making quilts, it could all be finished within a few... well, maybe weeks. And I will, just as soon as I've done the current and the next cot quilts (neither for our family): babies don't wait to arrive! Normally we would have the deadline of Christmas to spur us into study action but the incentive to prepare for visitors who have no immediate prospect of arriving is somewhat limited. I'm definitely not going to start another quilt till I've sorted the study and the archives. You read it here first.
And drew pictures and played with Brio.
These are the biscuits. They're not awfully exciting but I think they would be improved with a bit of icing. Which could be a metaphor for something if I could think exactly what.
The knock on effect of what starts as a modest reorganisation! I am going through a similar thought process regarding an extra bed. We have enough rooms but all allocated to purposes other than sleeping. I’m not making quilts but still there is not enough impetus in the present situation to make things happen.
ReplyDeleteI can sympathise entirely. We are at the stage of having two sons at university and yet find ourselves having bought a new house during lockdown. A bigger house. Because of course they may have to return to live at home now and again and we hope they (and the future partners they do not yet have) will want to come and stay. So more bedrooms it is!
ReplyDeletePerhaps the muffins are symbolic of our lives right now which need some sweetness and are decent but are missing the full deliciousness. Are Mr. L and you moving all that stuff yourselves? It seems like it would be hard on the back. Thanks to Ashley and Ryan, I now have two guest rooms which is nice if my girls are visiting. I prefer to say WHEN. Sigh. I want to get rid of my entertainment center but it will require a lot of getting rid of things and going through everything. It will be an emotional mine field.
ReplyDeleteDownsizing isn't an option for you, and it creates its own problems anyway. We've done the 'retirement house' thing, and now have a much smaller spare bedroom. We don't often have more than one person to stay, so one bed seemed adequate, but now two grandchildren need somewhere to sleep and the bedroom really isn't huge. We finally found a solution - a Queen sized bed that unzips to become two narrower singles. Perfect for the children and generous for a visitor. It did require new bedlinen, as all beds seem to be longer these days. That bed might be a solution for you, AND give you a reason to make more quilts!
ReplyDeleteI've never really understood the concept of downsizing. I do understand the concept of wanting to have many fewer things to have to take care of (and that one's children will have to dispose of, upon one's demise), but, families are expanding and it seems like one would need MORE space for when they all get together (bigger tables upon which to dine, more places to sit in family room, more beds, etc.) So, even though I wake up in the middle of the night worrying about the mess that my children will have to clean up (I mostly have fabric nighmares - you're somewhat lucky you're new to quilting -- imagine what 35 years + inheriting a mother's stash does to your fabric storage LOL) there are no plans to downsize in our future. And, I suppose, by the time there are plans, the problem will be too big and we'll be too old to deal with it. I hate the thought of burdening my children, on the other hand, even though it took us two years to clean up my parents belongings, it made me very happy to know that they could enjoy their space and belongings until the end. So, maybe I'll be providing my children with a little happiness??? (One can rationalize most anything ... )
ReplyDeleteI do so love reading your posts! I thought my husband was nuts when we bought our last home (before this one) as it was the biggest house we had ever owned, and we had no one but the two of us living there! However, we did end up with our younger son returning to live at home for a couple of years after he finished college, and our elder son married and started a family, so when they visited we needed the room! We now live within 5 minutes of our elder son and his family, and younger son is the one who must stay overnight to visit, and he is not married. Our smaller house still house has 4 bedrooms, but husband and I each occupy one, another is my sewing room, so the fouth is the only "guest bedroom", and it is full of.... well... archives? hahaha! Mostly furniture and quilts that won't fit anywhere else!
ReplyDeleteI will be making holiday cookies with my eldest grandson this coming week and expect a mess as well! ;-)
I have not worked on a 'real' quilt in so long that I might have forgotten how... but I DO have plenty of
WIPs to finish and another design stirring around in my mind. WHEN I get through my Christmas gift sewing, I might just start on one.