#4102… first floor, corner unit with two bedrooms; my new home.  It feels pretty much like a small cottage.  This is the first place that I have decorated with only myself in mind.  I brought the things I love into the ‘flat.’ I like that word so much better than apartment. (Way to go Britain)!

My furniture is a mixture of old and new, but mainly pieces that belonged to one of our families, so sentimental me hangs on to them.Truthfully, I love the old beds.  Mine is so tall that I feel like I’m sleeping in a queen’s bed.  You know like the Princess and the Pea.  My room is still a work in progress, but it’s coming along

The kitchen is beautiful.  I’ve never had granite counters and I like the way they look and feel.  Always cool to the touch.  Pippin, my cat, does too because the island is his favorite place to spread out and imitate a rug.  

The walls are the basic cream color that is found in every apartment, but I’ve tried to bring color in.  The kitchen cabinets, which seemed plentiful when I looked at the apartment are full.  Looks can be deceiving because they aren’t very deep.  The quality of the appliances and cabinets could have been improved, but I’m sure they replace appliances frequently in apartments. The refrigerator runs loudly to my ears in the small space.

The windows attracted me to the place.  They are very tall.  Even though it’s small, the view visually makes me feel not so enclosed.  The ceilings are tall and give the illusion of breathing room.

I have a small balcony facing toward the grassy area.  My swing managed to fit on the balcony….just. It was a Mother’s Day gift from John.  I’ve spent many of an hour swinging and there’s something so soothing about being rocked.  I’ve put mesh around the railings, so that Zoey doesn’t squish through the bars and Pippin hasn’t tried to jump over…yet.

So, I’m settling into this new world of mine.  Walking Zoey three times a day is one of my highlights.  Luckily, she loves walking on a leash.  Whenever it’s time for a walk, I pull the cord out on the leash and she starts dancing around in excitement.  We’ve walked the apartment complex where we’ve met other dogs and people.

 Zoey is afraid of all dogs and tucks her tail between her legs when meeting them, no matter what size they are.  Silly dog!  We’ve walked to the Target shopping center.  It’s an easy walk to the land behind Mobberly to the ponds.  The church keeps it mowed and there are picnic tables.  We’ve seen deer, ducks, and geese.

When I first moved into the apartment, I was tentative about hanging pictures on the walls because I knew that this wouldn’t be a permanent home for me and I knew that whatever holes I put in the wall would need to be fixed when I moved out.  I was really aware of the first two or three nails that I
pounded into the wall, but tonight as I hung a picture, I didn’t give it a thought.  After I hung the picture, I simply admired how it looked in conjunction with the rest of the room.

I’m walking through this life like most other people; planning my future, and taking each day for granted.  I’m unpacking boxes and finding new places to put familiar things.  I’m settling in.

One of my favorite parts of living in this apartment life is opening my blinds at night before I get in bed.  I turn off my lights and open the blinds, so that I can see the apartment building across from me.  I love laying there watching the lights glow, the occasional person walk past a window, the flickering light of televisions, and sometimes I see the lights go out before I too, fall asleep.  In the morning, there are lights back on greeting me for the day.

Alone, but very near people.  I like that I’m living in a community where I can step out on a balcony and see life going on around me.  It’s reassuring.  On the second floor across from me, I watch two people with a dog on the balcony.  I smile, knowing that when I’m outside with the pets, I am someone’s entertainment also.

Right now…this place is home.