Time to look backwards — and forward

As I like to remind people (yes, I can be annoying that way), January is named for the Roman god Janus, who could look forward and backwards at the same time.

I think that’s important, and this is about the right time of year to do it.  The hustle and excess of Christmas is over, and we have a few days respite before the hustle and excess of New Year’s Eve.

2013 was a real year of transitions for me and for mine.  As the year began we had to get ready to sell our condo, while we were getting ready to build our laneway, and I was getting over the blow of my mother’s sudden and unexpected death.  Tough times.  But we got through them.

Spring came. We sold our condo.  My father passed away (another emotional blow).

And we broke ground for our house.  Everything seemed to take so long!  Waiting for the inspectors, waiting for the suppliers, waiting for utilities connections.  But bit by bit the house went up and we moved in right on schedule. When the footings went in we kept saying “How can we live in such a small space?”

And we said that again when the foundation walls went in:

And when the wooden structure was built:

We just couldn’t see ourselves and our stuff in such a small space.  But when we moved in it was clear that the place is exactly the right amount of space and roominess that we need, and anything that does not fit in here is just extra stuff that we don’t need.

We love our little home so much.  We are so comfortable.  And we are so happy when friends and family come by and we can show them around.  Everyone says they love the design and the feeling of cosiness, and we have to agree.  It’s also nice that it takes us about 10 minutes to tidy up the place for visitors.

There are still a few deficiencies to be addressed.  But we are super comfortable and find our neighbourhood to be perfect for us.

So what is ahead?  This blog was built to chronicle the building of the laneway home.  And now that is done.

But I still find things to write about.  Our life and our move to a more minimalist lifestyle.  Other small houses, the tiny house movement.  So the blog will go on. (yes, that is Celine Dion you hear in the background).

Besides, laneway housing is still news, as was shown in this recent story in the Toronto Star shows. The Dunn-Roy family finds

“This has been such a fun experience. I absolutely love my little house,” says Dunn-Roy. “It’s functional, it’s forced us to totally declutter and we’re no longer rattling around in that big house.”

And other people are still interested in living the small life.  This architect built a 200-square-foot home.  In Idaho.  By herself! After a divorce and losing her home to foreclosure (sounds like she had kind of an up-and-down year herself —  she broke her back falling off the roof.)

So you’ll be hearing from me.  And I hope I hear from you, too.