For about a month now we've been a one-car family. We used to have two cars. Last Thanksgiving (the day before), The Writer was coming home from work and another car crashed into him. One of the great blessings of that Thanksgiving was that even though the impact was great enough it spun the car around, he was not hurt at all.
We went through the rest of the school year with just the van. It worked out OK. Thankfully, we don't live too far from work so on the days I needed the van, dropping The Writer off at work was not a big deal. Also thankfully, The Writer has a somewhat flexible schedule that allowed him to come home a bit early if needed.
With summer approaching, I wanted a vehicle of my own so that I could do stuff with the children. We were able to borrow a car from The Writer's parents. They warned us they would need it back in October to take to their winter home in Arizona. So since the first weekend of October, we have been back to just the van. Again, things worked out great. JJ's soccer practices were near our home, then when they were moved to a field farther away, his coach (who lives in the next neighborhood) picked him up. CM needed to be driven to practice but she was not too far away either. It was on the way to The Writer's workplace so I could drop her off then go pick him up. AD didn't have practices after the first 3 weeks. And the games were all at separate times so we didn't have to worry about being in two places at the same time.
With soccer done, the only evening commitments are swim practice (3x/week) and Mutual/Scouts (Wed nights).
I like to get all my shopping, errands and "running around" done in one day as much as possible. So I only need to have the car one day a week. The other 4 days of the work week I don't have a vehicle but that doesn't bother me. We live close enough to school that I can walk AD to preschool, with NW in the stroller. I get my exercise and some fresh air.
I like being home. I like doing the things that keep our house running smoothly. I like having snatches of time here and there to work on my own projects. Staying home keeps me out of the stores, which keeps me from spending money. It also keeps me from wanting things that I don't really need.
I am a member of a homemakers' forum (Homemaker's Homestead). The woman who owns the website, Crystal, also has a monthly newsletter. In her October newsletter, she talked about discontentment. At one time in her life she had 7 children plus herself and her husband in a 1100 square foot home. She taught herself to be contented with what she had. She said that yes, they did need a bigger home but until she and her husband were in a place that they could get that house, she would be content with what she had.
I like my house. Yes, I wish the kitchen were a big bigger. I'd like to have one more cupboard and another "stack" of drawers. I'd like to have one more bedroom. I wish the fireplace was centered on the wall instead of being over on one side. I wish my lawn looked better. But in the several years that we have lived in this house, we have made it work. That doesn't mean we don't have plans for the house and property, but if those projects never happen or happen 10 years down the road, I can be content with what I have right now.
My house isn't the newest, cutest or most trend-setting. But it is warm and comfortable. We have central heat and air conditioning. We have beds to sleep in, a table and chairs to use for meals, working appliances and clean water. We have a garage large enough for our van and some storage. We have enough yard space for our children to run around in. We live in a safe neighborhood close to many conveniences. For that and more, I am grateful.
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