Good morning! Another Monday has rolled around. How do the weeks fly by so quickly? Time really does seem to go by more quickly these days. I’m not sure I have a lot to show for it, but there you go.

I’m so excited about the new series that Brenda and I are starting, “Defending the Small House.” My neighborhood consists of quirky, individual houses, many of them quite modest, along with some McMansions. The quirky and small have the edge, thank goodness. There was a building boom around here a few years ago. As more and more New Yorkers either sought a refuge away from the city or could no longer afford to live in the city, the population in our neck of the woods increased. There are a few newer McMansion communities that are unfinished. No one can afford these houses. Construction has halted.

We have 3 of these newer homes across the road from us. One of them, which is huge, is only used on the occasional weekend. While I am impressed by the money this young couple must have, I can’t help thinking what a waste that is. Really? You need all that space for the weekend? Hard to believe.

I grew up in a very small house. It was part of a suburban community of bungalows that sprang up after World War II. The houses all looked alike. I was young and school filled my days but I still knew that every house looked like the one next door. I longed for something different.

Nevertheless, my parents managed to raise 4 children in our tiny bungalow. That’s not to say we wouldn’t have loved more space. But none of us grew up traumatized from living in a small house. And I loved our modest, middle class community, which now, after 60 years or so of existence, looks old, established and has beautiful tree-lined streets.

Many of us are downsizing for a variety of reasons; empty nests, the economy, a too-high mortgage. And in the end, do we really need all that space? How many trees are chopped down so that the land around these new houses can be flat, boring and clear of any natural beauty? How many animals have lost their natural habitat and are displaced because everyone has to have a bigger home?

There is a movement happening. Much has been written about the small house. Sarah Susanka has been a strong advocate for the small house and its smaller footprint. For an even tinier footprint, visit Tumbleweed Tiny House Company.

I’ve really never had a choice as to the size of my home. Modest income = modest house. I’d love a wee bit more space for a laundry room and a downstairs bedroom. It may never happen. And we’ll be just fine. We have learned to live in a small space that leaves a small imprint on the land. Along the way, I’ve learned a lot about living comfortably in a small space.

Our house is small and charming and unlike any other house I’ve seen. It’s cozy.

That does it for me.

Our series starts tomorrow. Please join us!