Welcome to the Tree House

And that is just the point... how the world, moist and beautiful, calls to each of us to make a new and serious response. That's the big question, the one the world throws at you every morning. “Here you are, alive. Would you like to make a comment?"  --Mary Oliver

Ever since I moved out of the house where I'd been for 11 years, I've been stressing about where to live.  When I moved out, I needed something right away and made the best decision that I could for the kids and I.  But then I've stressed about it since.  How long to make my lease for?  Is the stress and instability of moving again worth a little more space?  How to make this apartment feel more like a home so that I won't want to move? 

The small space worked when the boys split their time between Robb and I.  It felt cavernous when I was alone and crowded when I wasn't.  But the balance was acceptable.  But with Kyle with me full-time right now, I feel like we're on top of each other.  On one such night last week when I was putting a post on Criagslist for Eric giving guitar lessons (anyone want any?), I just happened to stop by a page where a woman had a post entitled "Unique Octogon TREEHOUSE for rent" with this picture.  I was hooked. 

In the last 48 hours, we've been back and forth with the landlady and her daughter, but I think we are very close to having a new home. 

What I love about this house:
*The house SCREAMS Christine--it is unique, it's set almost in the woods, it's spiritual, it's funky.
*It's just 2 miles away from where I was before, and still a short distance to the kids' school and Robb's house. 
*It is a place the kids (and I) can look back on and remember fondly as the quirky cool house where we spent the last few years of the kids' high school. 
*All three of us said that we were going to be having people over asap.  I LOVE that we all want to share where we live with others. 
*It is just a middle finger to the typical cookie cutter houses here in Central Florida.  I thought I'd have to settle for one of those and I'm delighted that I don't.

*I HAVE MY OWN SPACE.  An office/reading room/meditating room/altar room.  YES!
*It is actually essentially the same price as my apartment now! 
*I've always felt most alive when I'm outdoors and scold myself for not being outside more--this will bring the outdoors in and get me outdoors more!

So it is hard not to look at this as fate.  I was waiting for the perfect solution to come before me, while I was in our "transition home."  And it was waiting for me to be ready.  But it is time.  I'm worthy of a home that delights me.  I'm ready for more stability than an apartment complex creates.  I'm deserving of an office and space that is all mine. 

So I don't have it yet.  And some may say I'm jinxing it to put this up before it is mine.  But I'm going to be crushed whether I share it with you or I don't, so I'm just going to assume that it is mine and put all of my energy towards that.  Please share that energy and let's make it so!

So to paraphrase Mary Oliver, the universe just woke me up and I made a comment.  I said "YES!"

[As an aside, it seems that every where I turn, I find a Mary Oliver poem that is just perfect for me.  So I looked her up in Wikipedia to find that she is still alive and was with a female partner for forty years.  I knew I loved that woman!]