And so it begins...

This article was first published on the Tumbleweed Tiny House website.

Do you remember the first time you threw a blanket over a card table or clothes line and crawled inside? That supremely satisfied feeling of being in your own small space? That’s how I feel in my Tumbleweed house. It’s especially true whenever I climb up into the sleeping loft and peer down at the cozy space below. I had a small house before this one – less than a thousand square feet - but there were rooms I seldom entered. It seemed that the dog and cats and I spent most of our time together in the kitchen, the bedroom, or the living room. Now we must share a smaller space, which, of course, has meant that we’ve all had to make some adjustments.

Both cats have finally learned to climb the ladder. I’m working on a shelving scheme that will allow them to move up and down without the ladder, so I don’t have to play elevator or move the ladder when I’m at home. Rosebud, my standard poodle, is very patient at taking indoor traffic direction from me, but he sometimes prefers to stay outside, supervising activities in the RV park. I’m always surprised when he tries a new spot for snoozing or cat and dog share a space - new behaviors for them!

Everything has a place and needs to be in that place. My stainless steel cookware is a decorative accent over one of the windows and cloth covered boxes keep my personal items at hand but out of sight. No letting my mail pile up for days before dealing with it. Dishes get done at the end of the meal. But I can spend a good hour and the house is spic and span, while in my bigger house, an hour would’ve barely made a dent!

Even in this small house, I still can sit in the living room, curl up with a book on the bench in the office, sit on the porch steps for some sun, or climb upstairs for a nap. I feel like Goldilocks who found a space that is just right!