And on this day. in A small but passable life.

And on this day nine years ago was the first of five trips out here to check on Mom or to save her from being kidnapped from the hospital and placed in “rehab”. The fifth trip was May 2017 after which I just didn’t leave and return to the Ozark’s, but made myself useful and at home out here in the “shed”. The first four times I just slept in the trailer on the fold-out twin-sized sleeper in the living room. Three or four feet away from the frig making gurgling noises all night, light from the LED stove and microwave clocks and the light seeping in from leaking blinds, and Mom’s TV in her bedroom on until the wee hours of the morning with her always open bedroom door. Remember this is a 11 X 38 foot park model trailer, 418 square feet.

After I got settled in out here in 2017, revamping what used to be Dad’s half (his little wood carving shop) of this 7 X 14 foot, 98 square foot building, I was surprised and pleased how dark I could get it at night and how quiet it is out here. Mom bought a new A/C w/heat option to replace the window A/C and portable heaters. Mom bought me two sheets of plywood and a new circular saw and I built a bed platform and Mom bought me a brand new $100 twin sized mattress and a nice swivel rocker from Goodwill for $15 (she wasn’t pleased with the orange color). That was it, all I needed. Suited me fine.

After she died and the girls (oldest niece and daughter) cleaned out the other half (Mom’s sewing room), I brought in the big rolling tool chest of mine that had been just sitting out in the carport and I remodeled the cabinetry down to just a 2 X 5 foot desk. I also built a small nightstand/bookshelf for between the bed and chair. And I kept her $300 sewing chair to use as a desk chair. It has no arms, but oh well, it works.

And this is where I’ve been sleeping and sitting for the past six years. Now, of course, I’ve thought of switching things up. I could sell Mom’s $400 still brand new twin-sized mattress and that goofy too tall platform it rests on and replace it with a queen-sized bed all for me. I’ve also never actually tried to sleep in there, to shut the door to see how dark and quiet it really is. So far it has only been a thought experiment.

I attribute my reluctance for change to a life long annoyance at having to bother with anything unnecessarily. Like moving the van when I lived in it for over five years. The grocery store parking lot was just fine for what, two years? Or parallel parked across the street from my old apartment building for an additional couple of years. Or staying down by the river until I needed more groceries.

I’ll either stay here forever or I’ll return to the Ozark’s to a piece of purchased land to build a house. That’s the plan. That’s an upcoming fork in the road that I may not ever get to.

But right now I’m just waiting for the day to warm up so I can scooter five miles to return the last book, “The Other Emily” by Dean Koontz to the library and stop by the grocery store. I ran out of milk a couple of days ago.

Anyway, I’ve got some retirement to get on with.

Be well my friends!