“Family mode” is what Sandy calls what happens when you live with someone for a while. She lives with three housemates in an apartment in downtown Brattleboro. She says, “I’ve been co-housing all my life. In my early twenties I had an open marriage. We lived with people we loved. My parents had an open […]
Read More...I’m Not Ready Yet to Share Housing
“Oh no, I’m not ready yet” is what she said to me when I called her. Shirley (not her real name) is ninety-two and a member of my extended community. She lives in a two-floor condo, but because she uses a walker lives only on the first floor. The second floor is unused. She has […]
Read More...How Kara Selects Housemates She Loves
“I wouldn’t live any other way!” says Kara. She’s had different housemates over the last ten years. “I always want to have a housemate. I enjoy it and it’s such an easy way to supplement my income. I always make sure I have enough space for another person.” Benefits She likes the companionship — being […]
Read More...Can You Spot the Mistake Kathy Made?
Here is a story about a mistake Kathy made. She had a disaster of a housemate. It is what many people are afraid of when they think about sharing housing. Read it and see if you can spot how and when Kathy stumbled in selecting this person to be a housemate. Kathy says, “When I was […]
Read More...When Genna Met Sally — Furniture and Meals
This is Part 6 of the story. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Sally shook her head as she contemplated the idea of her four-bedroom house full of furniture, books, pictures, and the assorted accumulation of a life lived raising children. “I’ve got so much stuff!” Genna lifted her hands and […]
Read More...When Genna Met Sally — Dogs and Holidays
This is the fifth part of the Genna and Sally story. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Sally took a sip of tea. “That might be just fine. I see so many dogs at the shelter. Every now and then there’s a sweet older dog that someone had to give up because they’re moving. […]
Read More...When Genna Met Sally — Their Exploratory Conversation
This is Part 4 of a story. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Getting ready for their conversation, Genna settled into the chair at the head of the table and said, “How about we start at the beginning and work our way through the items. We can talk about each one as we go. What did […]
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