Here are some personal updates!
Happy spring!
As we transition from winter to spring, I thought now would be a good time to write some life updates! Many of you have asked me one by one how I’m doing. In short: I’m doing well! I liked living semi-alone (the contrast between when I’m alone and when the boys are here is about 100 decibels!)
According to Google: “Two children shouting typically produce sound levels between 80 and 100+ dB, easily exceeding the 85 dB limit where hearing damage may occur with prolonged exposure”. HA!
But seriously, I love having all three of our bedrooms so close together. I loved when Birch comes into my room at night and I have room for a queen size bed for him. Cooking for 1-3 was interesting, and I have an upcoming post on that topic! I love having my own bank account, YNAB program and goals. That’s not to say that everything was easy. But most of the time I’m fine!
Here are some updates:
Our House
The biggest update is that our home is under contract for sale. Yes, this is devastatingly sad. But it’s also aligned with my path to simplicity and peace. Our home is beautiful and we pay so much attention to detail when renovating. I really thought I would live there forever. It was a wonderful place to raise our family during those years.
It was also big and expensive. It brought a level of responsibility and unpredictability that always low-grade stressed me out. There were times when I wanted to sell everything and rent a small place.
I remember back in 2010 when I sold my first house before we moved here to Charlottesville. The day after the closing, when the last of our utility bills were canceled, we moved to KK for a month before our Cville lease started. During this month, I finished my dietetic practice, passed my RD exams, and did a lot of yoga. After selling a house, packing up all our stuff, and finalizing my schedule, it’s been one of the most liberating months of my life. By the end of it, I felt unattached.
While I do think there is a certain level of grounding and stability that comes from owning a home, I don’t think it should be the end-all-be-all. This article by JL Collins it’s both funny and true. Read the section on a house being the worst possible investment. “What if we ended up with the worst possible investment we could make? What would that look like?” The dots made me laugh. Another favorite economics professor, Ramit Sethi, constantly preaches the positive side of renting.
- Your rent is the maximum you will pay monthly
- Your mortgage is minimum
And while the houses certainly box you make money (as we are), you only make money when you sell! I can only agree with these two at this point in life where I crave simplicity.
Do I think I will buy a house again? Yes, I’m sure I will. When I do, I want something new, smaller and low maintenance with a small yard. (No more expensive tree trimming!!)
But I will really miss the house I spent 11 years of my life in. I know the boys will be missed too.
Update substack
Switching gears, earlier this year I experimented with starting a newsletter called Substack Unprocessed. I was excited about the idea of a fresh platform and a new format to share my thoughts on real food and nutrition.
But as I started planning posts, I kept thinking, “This should be a blog post.” After writing here for so many years, I really appreciate having everything I write live in one place — archived, searchable, and housed somewhere I own. This blog has always been my favorite platform and the one that feels most like my home.
In addition, this year’s theme is simplicity. What was I thinking about adding a new platform? I think I had too much energy for the New Year and was too excited to try something new.
So for now, I’ve decided to take a break from my Substack and continue to focus my energy here.
This isn’t a dramatic shutdown – just a deliberate pivot to the platform that works best for me.
Women’s football
Another axis of movement in women’s football! I’ve been itching to switch from co-ed to all women’s for a few seasons now. Playing against 22-year-old men fresh out of college football isn’t all that fun for this 43-year-old. I switched to the women’s league in the winter and will continue in the spring. It’s a plus that all the games are played close to my new home!
I slept with my old co-op the week before the women’s opener and met a giant dude who sent me to the ground. I feel lucky I didn’t break my leg! This just confirmed that I am making the right choice. (I scored a lucky left-footed goal in that game though, so I can still play with the kids!)
Before the bruise appears:
Watching + Reading + Listening
Monitoring: Fleabag. A really funny two season show set in the UK with a creative spin on storytelling. I learned that it was first a one-woman play that was turned into a show, and the creator is the star! Watch it on Prime!
Watch: Survivor Season 50. So far so good, but I didn’t know that tea to Stephanie and you don’t care about her anymore.
Reading: Atmosphere. I’m having a bit of a hard time getting into this but my friend Helen has the same taste in books as I do I swear it’s really good so I’m on!
Listening: Very well (it’s on repeat all year) and Brendan James (I saw him in concert!!!)
About Simplicity
My goal for this year is to feel lighter, calmer and simplify anything and everything I can. I’ve been downsizing some of the things I own (especially as we clean out the house), focusing more on the blog (per the underpile section above!) and cutting back on unnecessary expenses so I can focus my money on what I value most.
My parents are here for my mom’s birthday and they had a great time! More to share in a post later this week. I am so excited for spring and summer weather. Every time winter ends I think “we survived!!”
Thanks, as always, for being here to follow along.
Cath
