OUR STORY Part 71: WHEN THINGS DON'T MEASURE UP

It has been difficult to describe the impact of the changes taking place in our lives right now.

Everyone has their daily routines and habits to which they become accustomed. This is especially true as we begin to approach and settle into middle-age, and on in to our senior years. We gravitate to a favorite chair we like to sit in while we read; or perhaps it's the firmness of a mattress necessary to facilitate a bad back.

For Mike, it's always been about accommodating his large stature. Standing at 6'4" and approximately 280lbs, Mike faces many challenges with regard to "fit"; whether it be leg room in a vehicle or desk or simply the height of a seat back. 

So now we find ourselves transitioning from the comfort and privacy of a 5 acre lot and 2,800 square foot home to an estimated 200 square foot travel trailer; and are doing so with two 50-60 pound dogs, a mini shower stall, and a bed measured at 4 inches shorter than Michael.

I lived for years in a 900 square foot home with a family of five, so I know what it is to live in a more humble environment; both of us have most of our lives. Humble Acres was an exception to the norm, using our entire savings acquired over many long years of hard work.

But that pipe dream has been stolen; and as such we are now forced to downsize to a living space approximately 1/14th of what we have had available to us over the past four years. This means that every single facet of our lives is being radically changed from cooking utensils to bathing and sleeping; to the simple needs of storage space for clothing, toiletries and personal files etc.

A couple of the most significant changes are the shower, bed and kitchen; which I guess in reality would be just about the entire contents of the trailer.

The shower stall in the trailer has a slightly raised dome, yet even that allowance barely fits Mike's height when he stands up. In fact, when he stands in the shower the dome presses down on his head like a snugly fit cap. His head is approximately 6 inches higher than the shower nozzle, which doesn't allow for much flexibility even with the nozzle being detachable. So this week we searched online and in stores for a small stool to set inside the micro shower so that Mike might perhaps be able to sit. All of the stools we found were too broad at the base. As a result we ended up purchasing a 30 quart Hefty trash can that will be turned on end for a make-shift stool; Hefty tough being a key factor in this decision! =/

We still have no remedy for how to deal with the fact that Michael's feet hang off the end of the mattress, but it is what it is and we feel blessed to have a roof over our head and one another.

Our meals have primarily been about eating healthy, especially since we have no health insurance. Probably 80 to 90% of our meals are oven baked; but that's not an option for us any longer. Propane being a bit costly, we are forced to change our cooking habits to an occasional use of a Smokey Joe barbecue; most meals being prepared on a small electric panini grill press.