The history behind how I ended up in this 600 sq. ft home

Let me begin first with the Park Model trailer

at Lake Seneca Resorts

near Seneca Lake here in Ohio.

It is a year-round campground.

We had bought a lot with an old trailer on it

that was just right for staying a night or two

here and there

throughout the year.

We did not want to stay with family

every time we visited from Cincinnati, 

especially when we were coming up a lot

because of Mike's Dad's cancer.

Then a job opening occurred and I got the position

at a small, rural school

near Seneca Lake

and my hometown.

We had three ill parents

and our first grandchild

all living up here,

while we remained four hours away in Cincinnati.

With me being the one responsible for my dad,

the distance was simply not working for dad or me.

Mike's parents needed him also.

And of course, we wanted to be closer to our darling granddaughter!

This trailer was for sale in the resorts.

We traded our old one in 

for this one (a company owned it).

Then we bought the lot next to us,

and had a barely used two-year-old trailer

that looked new,

facing the road on a double lot.

We moved me up here

and Mike stayed in Cincinnati

with the intention of moving up in two to three years.

{Our original plans got changed 

when both Mike's parents died within 14 months

after I got the job and we set up this trailer.

He no longer had a burning need to move up here,

and he was making three times in Cincinnati

what he would make here.}

As you can see, it is small, but cozy.

We still have it

and use it in summer.

There are two lofts and this one overlooks the dining and living area.

However, an adult cannot stand up in either loft.

This one is simply a sleeping loft and even the grandkids have to crawl into it.

The bathroom is a little bit bigger than our bathroom here.

The bedroom.

It is a queen size bed.

The second year I lived here, there were three floods in a row.

I had to literally drive through someone's farm

to a two lane dirt road that was more like one lane.

It had deep ruts on either side.

Then I went on New Gottengut Rd., 

where there was a small settlement of

Amish and Mennonites. 

That road was paved in places.

That led me to a somewhat main road

that led me to a definite main road

that led me to the road that wound me through even hillier

hills than my normal rt.,

and finally I arrived at school.

It put a whole new meaning to the expression:

"Going 'round Jack Robbin's barn!"

By the third flood, my car was taking a beating 

and I worried about ending up in one of those ditches.

Sooooo---

I moved into town into my parents-in-law's home.

It had been sitting empty of humans since my mother-in-law's death

the previous Oct. (this was Feb.).

People knew the home and barn were filled with antiques.

It was a win-win situation for my husband's sisters

and for my husband and me

as now there was someone living on the premises.

Next, I got laid off and returned to Cincinnati

for a year.

When the time came that I was called back to school,

no one was sure they wanted me to return to the resorts.

Our lot was isolated, esp. in winter

when only six of the sixty-some trailers were occupied.

It was gated and thus not easily accessible.

That was both good and bad.

Our fantastic caretaker had died of throat cancer.

 The new guy was young with small children,

and Mike was worried that he wouldn't always be available

to help me.

My father was beside himself with worry.

But I would not ask Mike to buy a house in our hometown.

So I told God it was up to Him.

He had to lay it on Mike's heart.

Within two weeks this house came up for sale.

It was right next to close friends of Mike's.

He called me all excited

and said he really thought I should come look at it.

{I remember saying to God, "Wow, that was fast work!"}

My husband had been devastated by the death of his closest friend

and I believe to this day

that God saw this home as a means of healing for Mike,

which it turned out to be.

Mike and our next door neighbor

became much closer than they were before

we moved here.

Also, Denny and Becky looked after me

and helped fix broken stuff.

They came to my rescue a lot.

It was small, but Mike would only be there on weekends.

In two to three years 

(already three years past our original date), 

he would move up here and we would rent this one

and buy a bigger home.

Or so we thought.

Dad was thrilled.

I was safe.

Here is the place in November after we moved into it in August.

The curtains and blinds belonged to the previous owner.

She left them for us.

It was the only time my father was there.

Dad died less than a month later.

The next photos show the living and dining rooms

after I had the floors refinished.

We took up the carpet

and salvaged the original wood floors.

We painted the deer scene paneling and the awful wall color in the dining room

before we had the floors done.

These two pictures show the original back windows in the dining room.

We entered the back porch from the kitchen.

We had to completely gut the bathroom to the outside wall.

My sister-in-law and I installed the insulation,

then Mike built the new walls.

He eventually put the 1920 claw foot tub back in

and hooked up a shower set up.

A tub and sink does fit, but it is tight-fitting--definitely a one person

at a time bathroom.

The green colors are Craftsman house colors.

The wood baseboard and door trim had not been put back in yet

when I took this photo.

I found this photo.

It doesn't show the bathroom well. 

However,

you can see how cramped it is

and get a bit of an idea of the tub and shower set up.

This is looking into the dining room from the living room

before Christmas festivities.

The table is not set yet.

You can see where we replaced the back window with French doors.

We now enter the back porch through these doors.

In the right-hand corner is my grading corner

with my comfy recliner.

In the left-hand corner is my computer armoire.

I have to be where I can't see the TV in the living room,

because my peripheral vision is always active---

thanks to mischievous teen-agers in the class room.

Here are two views of the kitchen

 before my kids and their families arrived.

Mike installed the cabinets.

He bought them off a friend who was upgrading his kitchen cabinets.

We did not want to spend much money 

since we were planning on renting 

and renters might 'destroy' nice stuff.

The door to the right leads down to the basement.

There was no dishwasher and just a small white metal cabinet and sink combination

where the present sink is.

I liked the old metal cabinet and white porcelain sink, 

but they were in bad shape,

and it was easier to replace them.

I still sort of regret that decision.

Here is looking into the kitchen from the dining room.

The refrigerator is where the door to the back porch was.

I showed this photo after Christmas to highlight how much

grandson Aaron loves cake.

As you can see, everyone was watching.

(He does not get sweets much.)

Here are the two adjoining rooms

after presents had been opened, the meal had been eaten,

and the food put away.

Furniture had to be crammed against the walls 

so there would be room for everyone to sit in the living room.

The floor to ceiling cabinet to the right in the tiny hallway

is one of my favorite features in this home.

They are in the kitchen also

across from the newer ones.

My very favorite features are the built-in cabinets with glass doors,

which are on either side of the opening

 between the living and dining rooms.

There is an exact copy on the other side in the dining room.

Here you can see into the tiny hallway.

The closed door is to the tiny bathroom.

To the right, just out of sight

is the door to our bedroom.

You can see how a young grandchild

would have trouble taking a nap

so close to the rest of the activities.

There is no other bedroom.

Here you can see the screened-in back porch 

to which we enter from the dining room.

The patio area has all been redone

and looks much nicer.

However, I will save that for another time.

It has now been seven years that I have lived in this house.

Mike moved up two and half years ago.

The company he worked for in Cincinnati

kept offering him raises to stay.

However, we were both tired of living apart,

so he refused the fourth offer, 

despite the nice chunk of money.

We put the Cinci house up for sale.

It sold in about six months.

So that's how we ended up here.

The house actually has 1200 square feet

when you count the full basement.

However, the basement is unfinished

and used mainly for storage and laundry,

although Mike does have his office

in a corner down there.

We have been looking for four years for a bigger home.

That story has been told before

in various posts.

We are still looking.

Meanwhile, I have realized how blessed we are 

to have this adorable home.

If we had a bedroom big enough for my recliner,

so I could shut myself away

after a particularly noisy and visually stimulating

school day,

and if we had a yard big enough for a big dog,

and if we were not on the busiest street in town,

where coal, gas, oil, and lumber trucks

rumble quickly by and could kill big dog in seconds---

well then---

I could be quite happy.

However, I am still happy as it is.

It's all in perspective.

I hope this post answers some of the questions

I have gotten about us living in this house.

Sorry, but I am not known for my brevity in writing.