Adjusting to a one-butt Kitchen

So we did it. We made it through the downsizing experience. We somehow kept our sanity and now look forward to summer when we'll celebrate another anniversary. The last six weeks weren't easy, though. The decisions regarding what to keep and what to re-home might haunt us for a few months. But, so far, a month into apartment living, we haven't 'needed' anything that we've given away. That's a good sign. And right now, the only item we've been searching for and wondering about is the round, glass pyrex pie plate. I still need to shop for the ingredients for spinach quiche, so there's time. I am 99% sure the pie plate made the move.

Which brings me to our kitchen. A lot less cabinet space than the house we vacated, but it's certainly doable. It's all about sticking to Mom's mantra "There's a place for everything, so keep everything in its place." With limited room, there's no letting dishes pile in the sink or sit on the counter. Finish one project THEN move onto the next task (ie. prepare Suzy's meal, feed her, while she eats, clean up, and then begin to prepare supper). Not enough room to multi-task and certainly too crowded for both of us to be in the same area at the same time. Every once in a while we find ourselves slow dancing around each other, balancing plates or glassware. And that's fun, too.

Suzy is adjusting nicely. She's keeping a good routine which helps us with appointments and fun activities. She hasn't been in the mood to play with her toys, so we bought a new squeaking duck and after some serious squeaking, Suzy fell asleep with the duck under her chin. I think she senses the stress of moving and adjusting to new routines like using an elevator and stairs. She's a trooper.

Time to get ready for this year's book events. Stop by for a visit. www.judykiehart.com/events Later this month I'll be chatting with Sammy Downing at Orca Books (open to the public) about her new release When Darcy Met Lizzy -- described as a 'queer Pride and Prejudice remix.' Fans of Jane Austin and the Bridgerton series will find the book an enjoyable read, as I did.

My second book, Mixed Shorts, will be launched on June 1st. I'm excited about this book and hope to hear from you once you've read it. Currently, it'll be available through Amazon and my website. Yes, I am aware that many are boycotting Amazon, but for Indie Authors, Amazon is the best -- and sometimes the only -- way to promote our books, so please reconsider this when you shop for Mixed Shorts!

A final thought: No matter how spacious your kitchen, take a moment to slow dance with your partner while preparing a meal—because cooking together is more than just food; it's connection.

The Big 'D'

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The Big D

Eileen and I owned several properties over the almost 30 years we've been together. For the past seven years, we've had the luxury of a 1500sf house with a huge attached garage -- the largest space we've ever shared. We used every inch of it, never giving a thought to the stuff we accumulated on top of the stuff we owned. After all, we planned to stay in the house for another seven years or maybe more.

Maintaining a property is a huge responsibility, and, a huge expense. More recently, we've had THE conversations: "What happens when one of us dies? How does the remaining person deal with all of this and where would the survivor go?" We couldn't imagine leaving the Pacific Northwest.

For several reasons, we decided to take advantage of an opening at a Senior Living Apartment Complex. Early in March, we signed a lease for an 850sf apartment. We rented a storage locker for larger items that we knew would not fit in the apartment and would eventually find new homes.

For three solid weeks, we worked 15-18 hour days sorting through closets, drawers, cabinets, and shelves while asking the same questions: "When was the last time we used this?" and "How many sweaters/shoes/boots/tee shirts does one person really need?" and "We haven't had a CD player in five years, so why do we have all these CDs?" and "Do we still need 36 rolls of toilet paper and two dozen coffee mugs?"

Our new space has made us realize Mom's mantra of "There's a place for everything, so keep every single thing in its proper place." Days of jamming linens on a shelf and tossing miscellaneous items in junk drawers are over. Think "tiny home" with cruise ship amenities." The furniture and knick-knacks from our last three residences owe us nothing. It's all good!

We sold what we could through local 'marketplace' sites meeting buyers in parking lots and greeting others at our front door. We made countless trips to various charities. The move-into-the-apartment happened without a hitch. Until the house sells and we give up our garage space, we'll be sorting through the remaining items---maybe doing a quick Garage Sale--an excuse to say 'bye' to our neighbors.

In the meantime, we are meeting new people at the complex, enjoying evening swims and hot tub soaks in the complex pool, and looking forward to the many other activities available. Without the responsibilities of home maintenance like power-washing the house's siding, moss treating the roof, and high property taxes, we will plan day trips and week-long adventures.

And, Suzy? What a trooper she has been. She overcame her fear of the elevator's movements and finds her way to our apartment door. Many residents have dogs and she hasn't barked at any of them. She loves all the sniffs around the complex and the adjacent trail where daffodils in clusters bloom and birds chirp happily.

A friend told me that downsizing was intimidating and yes, downsizing is a challenge---but not impossible!

As we begin a new chapter in our lives, we wish you success in the next chapter of yours.

Cheers!

My Head Hurts

For the past three months, I feared my creative muse would never return from vacation. I couldn’t get excited about writing or even tackling my winter ‘to-do’ list. January and February found me dealing with the shingles virus (yes, I had been vaccinated and it was probably because of the vaccine that the rash was extremely mild). Following shingles, I suffered from a terrible cough/cold (tested negative for flu and COVID). Both health issues prohibited me from my regular swims at STAC, and I’m not even mentioning the political climate. My head hurt.

All of that added to my apathetic mindset.

My head hurts!

I generated games to play with my dog using boxes, paper, and toilet paper rolls. I worked on jigsaw puzzles while listening to audiobooks (mostly mysteries, however, Cher’s memoir was quite good). I browsed Netflix for fantasy movies and comedy series.

I tried to stay away from the headlines. I made grocery shopping exciting with a digital coupon app. But headlines are everywhere and prices keep rising steadily. My head continued hurting.

On the evenings of days when I felt healthy, I reprimanded myself for not writing. But the muse was not to be found and my head still hurt.

And then, well, a fellow writer said, “That’s what THEY want.” And I thought about it. All the headlines, all the crap that was happening, yes, it was more powerful than the shingles' virus. But only because I allowed it to become more powerful.

So, I began with www.5calls.org .  My first two calls went to voicemail and I breezed through the script. Then a call to my House representative’s (Marilyn Strictland) office where someone answered the phone. I stumbled through the script and probably sounded like a dummy. But the next day, I was ready for a live person and when I called my senator’s (Maria Cantwell) office and got a live person, my voice was smooth, my speech clear. It continued to get easier with the bullet points given to me through the 5 calls website. And just today I spoke at length with a staffer in Senator Patricia Murray’s office. I signed up to receive notices about what these three women are doing. I am now following their official websites. I checked Olympia Indivisible and other sites to see what I might be able to do in the coming months. I feel empowered.

THEY (and you know who I'm talking about) aren’t going to win.

Within a couple of days, I dove back into Mixed Shorts, my second book. It will be launched on June 2, 2025. In fact, ebook preorders are now possible at www.amazon.com/dp/B0DY2JQZ2N. This week I’ll take a train to Seattle and spend time with my son as we finalize the cover for Mixed Shorts and then I’ll work on designing and ordering bookmarks because, by June, book events will be underway. My head stopped hurting....until...

Until last night's televised shit show starring our administration. And my headache (and heartache) returned.

Despite today's headlines, the sky is blue and cloudless. I’ll continue the phone calls. I’ll take my dog to the dog park. I'm back at the pool. ’ll finish editing Mixed Shorts so that it’s ready for you!

I won't let THEM win.

Look out, Here I come!