A Sufficient Life
We live in dark times on many levels. On a recent visit to Door County I stopped nearby at my mother’s gravesite (I’m Irish, it’s what we do). Given our times I found relief in her headstone marking:
“Live Tenderly, Act Justly”
With Peg Holloway in mind I thought I’d take a break from everyday real estate matters and write about another graceful, useful and sufficient life.
Elmore Leonard on writing: “Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.”
The real estate equivalent? Try not to buy the stuff you don’t need or pay for space you think you’ll use – but won’t.
Leonard’s concept is beautifully captured in the story below, a tale about “leaving out the parts you don’t need” (life and real estate) and how a sufficient house can provide for an efficient space and a sufficient life.
 The home turned 52 this year. Elaine lived to the age of 102. She built the home 1973 in a small mid-western town and then decided to enter VISTA, at age 60, joining volunteers recently graduated from college.
As a Vista volunteer she worked with poor families in Oklahoma on business quilting projects, nutrition and other basic living skills.
The home housed Elaine until the end. From a design standpoint, it may have been the perfect home because it “left out the parts people tend not to use.”
Situated on a quiet street backing up to a secluded wooded area the home is a one-story structure with a stained wood exterior.
The rear outdoor deck faces the woods and holds feeders that provide grub to birds. Adjacent to the deck is a 3-season room that provides a quiet, restful area – welcoming you to become one with nature. It was Elaine’s reading room.
The kitchen is galley design and opens to a combined dining and living area serviced by a natural fireplace. The combined space has a full wall of windows that open to the wooded area. This space served as the staging area for Elaine’s weekly bridge and scrabble games.
 Two bedrooms provide sleeping accommodations with a full bath between them. One bedroom serves as a guest room while the main bedroom is large enough to have comfortably held Elaine’s computer. (She played online scrabble.)
If a master bath and third bedroom were added the home would still be less than 2,000 square feet.
Years ago I asked Elaine why she lived there. She replied, “Having travelled the world, this is where I ended up. My friends are here, it’s a University town and I volunteer at the University. It works.”
That was Elaine. Traveler, bridge player, scrabble player, volunteer, chef to her local birds and architect of her home and life. It’s why Elaine’s home was perfect for her life – providing 1,500 square feet of functional living space at an affordable cost. Yet, dark times.
For my part I’m going to listen to Peg and try to Live Tenderly and Act Justly. For yours? Maybe ponder Peg or Elaine or someone you value close to you and, to quote a friend, “Do the best you can.”
 In the coming days give some thought to having a coffee (or tea) and try to enjoy the Zen of digging life.
If you want to quietly learn something about real estate our coffee mugs are at the ready.
Please forward this newsletter to at least one person who needs it.
Thanks for reading,
Michael D. Holloway
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