Samain New (Moving) Moon
When people ask if this is a downsizing move, my first response is no. And it isn’t in terms of total square feet when you add in the spacious loft study above the garage. There are two ways though in which that response is misleading.
We’re making a huge change in the amount of outdoor work. There is no yard on Black Mountain Drive. Hallelujah. Just rocky soil, moss, lodgepole pine, a few aspen, and a small patch of green over the leach field for the septic system. The two small garden beds are both close to the house. Yes, we will put in a couple of raised beds, but that will be it. The bees will be no more than two colonies. Much simpler.
The second way in which that no misleads is in the distribution of space in the house itself.
Black Mountain Drive is an odd hybrid, a tri-level. It has a walk-out basement with a master bedroom, a full-bath, living room, laundry room and utility space. Up five steps is the main living level with a fireplace, what we’ll use as a reading room, a small dining area, a small kitchen and a closed in garage perfect for Kate’s sewing and quilting. Up seven steps from this level are three bedrooms and a full bath. One bedroom we’ll use as an office. The second, with its wonderful murals of the forest, will be for grandkids and the third, with its balcony overlooking the back and the pines, a guestroom.
Our current house has a very large basement area, 1,900 square feet, of which we use 
about half. The rest gathers stuff. It also has a too large for us living room and a long kitchen. The Andover house is not only bigger than Black Mountain Drive, its space divisions make it less useful to us. Black Mountain Drive has less square footage and the various spaces will each have a clear use. Too, the grandchildren’s room and guest room will get little use most of the time.
So, in terms of outside work and in terms of the economical use of space Black Mountain Drive does represent less responsibility for us. And we’re glad about that.