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| Norwich, NY |
When choosing where to move when I left my homestead I chose the small city of Norwich (NY) because I was familiar with it. It is more like a small town than a city but everyone refers to it as a city and it is the county seat. My apartment building is centrally located so I knew if I lived there I could get to stores, library, restaurants, movie theater and the county office building without a car. I knew I did not want the expense or headache of owning one. It has a county bus system and one of its stops is right at my building. There are a couple of taxi services as well. So having that in mind when I moved really helped me choose this apartment building. I wanted to have as much independence as possible.
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| Norwich Senior Housing |
Even though the apartment building I live in is called senior living (which includes disabled people of all ages as well), it is not the same as assisted living. Sometimes I think the people living here want it to be that way. No, you are renting an apartment just like any other apartment building. It is subsidized which the amount you pay for rent is based on your income. There is also assistance available for utilities and food but you have to apply for those yourself. It has nothing to do with the building. Lately they have rented apartments to disabled people who break rules because they cannot read the notices or understand them. Makes me think this was really not a good choice for them or they need a little assistance getting settled in. Sometimes such a person is embarrassed to admit they can't read or understand something so it is hard to offer help to them.
Living here gives me the choice to do what I want when I want. I don't have to take part in any activities if I choose not to. Though the activities in our building came to a halt back in 2020. Occasionally we have Bingo but not on a regular basis. I have always been an introvert so spending my time alone is what I like to do. I am always busy with something and I never have that feeling of loneliness. I admit to spending a good share of time on the computer but have been making an effort to get outside more often. Especially while we have nice weather. Some other senior apartment buildings around here offer many more activities to their tenants. I believe that is due to their management company being more interested in their renters than our management is. I would be thankful if they would just keep our elevator running and replace the washing machines and dryers in the laundry room.
I watch decorating shows on YouTube constantly and love making changes in my apartment. Since the tiny house movement started some years back there are a lot of new options for anyone choosing to live small. Some of the tiny houses are smaller than my 338 square foot studio apartment. I love open floor plans and that is what I have here. It was perfect for me and my house bunny, Rabbit. Even though it is a small studio apartment, it has a kitchen for a serious cook. That was important to me and I use it daily. The bathroom is quite large for a studio also. I have room to keep my mobility chair in it. So I really have no complaints and work hard to make my apartment a home, not just a place to sleep and eat.
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| Peaceful Forest Homestead |
Yes, I never dreamed I would be forced to leave my homesteading life. There were so many factors that forced that decision and I am sure I have mentioned them on previous blogs. Debt was one of them. Also the decline I was having in my ability to walk made me dread being immobilized and living without running water among other things. I never felt secure there. Now I do. I was thrilled to move here a little over five years ago and I still am.
Copyright © 2023 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2023 Kathleen G. Lupole
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