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Archive for February 7th, 2023

Diary #658

Posted in Diary, tagged , , on February 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »

One of my reasons for building an addition onto my house is to make it easier to host company; ever since I was very young I’ve always wanted a place big enough for guests to visit without being cramped.  And though I’ve never been wealthy enough to buy such a place, I have a lifetime of experience at stretching my money to buy things most people would never have imagined I could afford, and stubborn enough to do what was necessary to modify it to my liking.  And even though I’m not yet completely done, the cottages have been habitable for a year and a half now, and a number of friends and friends of friends have enjoyed our hospitality.  At holidays it’s wonderful to be able to say, “You needn’t drive back to Seattle tonight, just stay in the guest cottage”, and when friends have wanted to just get away from the city for a few days, I can make that available for them.  There’s a quiet, serene energy here at Sunset which is very conducive to such retreats; animals seem especially sensitive to it.  I’ve seen nervous dogs calm down marvelously within hours of arrival; last weekend we dog-sat for a friend, and though she’s normally a fairly high-strung animal she spent most of her time just lounging around with our Annie.  Some of it is just the ambiance of the place itself, which I felt the first time I set foot here six years ago.  But part of it, I think, is due to my own influence; for the first time in many years, I really feel completely at home.  And for what may be the first time in my life, my prevailing mood while in residence here is one of peace and contentment.

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