It was, simply put, fascinating to me. I was captivated, intrigued, and I found myself imagining a life free from possessions. Thus freed, I’d have boundless hours to spend pursuing a carefree lifestyle. Oh, the ease with which my mind wandered through tiny spaces as I watched the cutest cubes and rectangles metamorphose into comfortable tiny homes. Turning to my husband as we watched yet another episode of a show about tiny homes on our giant-sized flat screen TV, I said, “I could live in a tiny home.” Without missing a beat he retorted, “Go ahead.”

The tiny home movement is a growing phenomenon. Young adults, people in transitional stages, senior citizens, and all sorts of folks are embracing a less traditional lifestyle. Yes, it seems tiny houses are the new McMansions only in miniature.

Watching DIY TV programs featuring tiny homes has inspired me to clean out closets, give away unused clothing, and donate books to the library. I find myself standing in the kitchen eyeing pots and pans and thinking, “Do I really need these?” or wondering, “Is that clutter?” Massive plastic bags of all manner of stuff, material possessions, have gone out the door headed to who knows where.

That’s what happens when you go small. You have to look at your stuff and consider what is really essential. It’s like packing for a long trip you plan to take but never return from. I mean, how many tee shirts does a person really need … or blue jeans, or shoes, or hair products? How little can one live comfortably with versus without?

I guess maybe the thing that fascinates me the most about these tiny homes is the creative use of the interior spaces. Storage under narrow stairs that lead to a sleeping loft are a feature, as are tables that fold open from where they rest along walls, sinks that double as small tubs for washing infants or clothing, and book shelves above door jams or hidden in under-bed crevices shared with a collapsible desk.

Oh, and then there are the designs. Tiny homes can be contemporary, modern, cottage, Tudor, cabin. Yes, just about any style except large. The more I watched the shows about tiny homes – some of which are located outside the U.S. – the more I fell in love.

And then it happened. A realization like a very deep, very real déjà vu washed over me as I realized: been there, done that. I had already experienced the tiny-home lifestyle, only that’s not what we called it back in 1980.

From 1980 until 1990, my son and I lived in a mobile home trailer complete with wheels hiding behind the skirting.

In those days, it was the most economical housing option I could find; one that fit with my income and my desire to not live in an apartment or sub-par rental home.

My father knew of an older couple retiring to Florida who had what he termed as a “cream puff” trailer. They were looking to sell. I was not really looking to buy and certainly not a mobile home at that time, but I was willing to humor my father.

Now, let me be clear. Living in a trailer park isn’t for everyone. The units are packed closely together and there are a number of rules one must adhere to in order for the property to function within the confines of the permit the town has granted. Also, humans packed closely together need rules for civil occupation of limited space. Enough said on that.

The whole unit was about 70-feet long from end to end. When I walked into the home, it was comfortable, clean, and certainly large enough for my son and me. The kitchen was about 15 feet long by 12 feet wide, with built-in cabinets, full-size appliances, and a new linoleum floor.

To the left was a living space with room for a sofa, a side chair, coffee table, and cabinet TV (flat screens had not yet been invented). Continuing on down a corridor that ran nearly the entire length of the structure was one tiny 8-foot by 8-foot bedroom. There was a nook where a washer and drier could be placed, and then the bathroom immediately after that. The rear end of the trailer was the ‘master bedroom’ with space for a double bed, built in drawers, and a closet. Plenty of space. No problem. Huge!

I purchased the home. It served us well for 10 years. But as my son grew into a young man, not only was space an issue, but also the structure was showing serious signs of wear and tear. It was by then more than 25 years old. Time to go.

We moved to Mattapoisett in August of 1990 into a real house for the first time.

Twenty-five years later, as I look back, I recall many happy years in that little place and I laugh because, in many ways, it was much more like camping out for a decade. No wonder a kid didn’t mind it. But I also remember the harsh winters when pipes would freeze or summers so stifling hot the dog would lie with his head practically hanging out a window in the hope a breeze might happen by.

Anyway, the issue of storage cannot be overstated. If you have stuff, even a little bit of stuff, then tiny living isn’t for you, nor would a tiny house suit me at this stage in my life. Even a double-wide couldn’t coax me out of my comfy nest, my first home, the one my husband and I have enjoyed all these years. But hey, wait a minute – he might have seemed a bit too willing to let me go.…

By Marilou Newell

It’s all the rage these days. It’s on TV, you read about it on social media, and researchers are even doing studies on its benefits. Adult coloring. Who would have guessed that a gentle regression of sorts back into childhood would not only be accepted, but be encouraged?

Remember the thrill of a brand new box of crayons? The sight of all those colors lined up in the order of the color spectrum. The smell. The choice of which one to pull out first and bear down gently onto the chosen page of a brand new coloring book.

Admit it. You love it when your child or grandchild asks you to color with them. Sitting there, the two of you focused on your “work,” calmly chit-chatting and commenting on what a nice job you each are doing staying in the lines. The intent, the stillness, the focus, the “being here now-ness” of it all. There’s just something to it. Coloring.

Until I heard about the adult coloring craze, I hadn’t thought to reconnect with the crayons, markers, colored pencils, and Barbie and Strawberry Shortcake coloring books I remember so fondly from my youth. Coloring was a big part of my daily life. I did it all the time.

I remember coloring for what seemed like hours while my two older brothers were at school. Even during Mr. Rogers I would have a crayon in my hand, pressing lightly back and forth over a set of lips with a red crayon, or brown over a tree trunk. Sometimes I would color the entire sky blue, and sometimes I wouldn’t. In the world of coloring, like Bob Ross told a young Jeannie Perry, “You can do anything you want to. This is your world.”

I digress a little.

With this renaissance of coloring for grown-ups, coloring books have taken on a new look of complex patterns, delicate details, of geometric designs that turn monochromatic monotony into a multicolored meditation.

Libby O’ Neill, library director at the Taber Library, knows exactly what I’m talking about, although at first the concept eluded her.

“I think it’s a lot of fun,” said O’ Neill. “It does help people to de-stress because they’re focusing on … coloring. It’s a lot more complex than just kids’ coloring books.”

A while back during the summer, one of the trustees at the library suggested to O’ Neill that she start an adult coloring group at the library, “And I was kind of like, no … I don’t know. It really hadn’t caught on yet.”

“And then after he mentioned it, it was all I would hear about.” At library conferences, O’ Neill said, many librarians were talking about how they established adult coloring groups in their own libraries.

“It was like the only idea librarians could talk about,” said O’ Neill. Her next thought drifted toward the Taber trustee who first suggested it. “He must’ve been right!”

Just to see what would happen, O’ Neill scheduled a series of adult coloring sessions, holding the first one back in November. Eight people attended, ranging in age from 20 to late 70s, O’ Neill said.

The library provided the markers, crayons, colored pencils, intricate adult coloring books, and the sacred space to use them. There were also snacks.

“It was great. We just sat around the table and there were coloring books to kind of inspire people, and I had a whole kit of coloring materials and we all shared from that and it was all kind of peaceful,” said O’ Neill. “We had some snacks and we all just sat and colored and chatted about the upcoming holidays and happenings at the library. It was just a really great atmosphere.”

The Taber Library will host another adult coloring session on January 13 at 11:00 am. O’ Neill said the feedback she received was that many would have liked to attend but could not in the afternoon. O’ Neill said she decided to switch the time to the late morning to see if that would make a difference for those who wanted to come but couldn’t before.

“I wanted to hit different targets (of people). I want to sort of include everyone that wants to participate,” said O’ Neill. “I’m still sort of mixing the times to see what works.”

If you are thinking about trying out some adult coloring with some of your neighbors who are also looking for a relaxing time, you can register for the coloring group by contacting the library at 508-748-1252 or email eoneill@sailsinc.org. You could drop by, too, but registering will ensure there are enough materials and snacks for everyone.

“I really just want people to come and enjoy themselves at the library and realize that the library is more of a community center,” said O’ Neill. It’s a place to have fun and socialize, she added. “Although the books will always be there, it’s not always about the books.”

By Jean Perry

They are just a couple of average kids, horsing around, playing baseball, video games, and hanging out together. But for one boy, life in America is a stark contrast to the life he has known in Malawi.

Andrew Chanya, 10 years old, currently lives in Wareham with his mother Celeste, who is originally from the U.S., and his father Stephen, who is from Malawi. Andrew’s parents are missionaries.

From the time he was 2 years of age until he turned 8, Chanya lived in Chitipa, Malawi with his parents and extended family. The memories this young child has of the country and the living conditions have been eye opening for his local pal William Gouveia, a second-grader at Center School.

William’s mother Stacey Gouveia said, “They play together all the time. William has been surprised at some of the things Andrew has told him.”

Gouveia wants her son to appreciate that not all children live as American children do. As a mother, she wants him to understand there is a big world with many different types of cultures and challenges. “I want him to know it isn’t easy everywhere,” she added.

On December 22, Andrew had a chance to see William’s school and what life is like for his pal. Andrew noted some big differences between schools here and schools in Malawi.

“Well, for one thing, they don’t have cafeterias in Malawi,” said Andrew. “No desks and about 200 kids in a class.” He explained that all the children go home for lunch and then return for afternoon classes.

When asked if American children would have a tough time adjusting to life in Malawi, Andrew, with his eyes very wide open, emphatically replied, “Yes!” And what would be the biggest adjustment? “The food,” he stated with equal emphasis. Andrew thought American children would have a hard time with “cow intestines, tomato soup, and soya pieces.”

Malawi is an impoverished agricultural country that is struggling. Disease and political strife, along with long periods of severe drought, have plagued the African nation. Located on the southeast portion of the continent, Malawi is landlocked but has a huge lake simply named Lake Malawi. It is divided by the Great Rift Valley. A quick visit to any number of websites provides some harsh facts.

Of the 17 million Malawians, 53 percent live beneath the poverty line. There are 10 distinct ethnic groups, yet English is the official language with the local language Chichewa also spoken. The median age for both males and females is 16 while life expectancy is only to age 60.

As the Center School bell rings, all of that is very far away for the present. On Tuesday, Andrew enjoyed shadowing William through the halls of Center School, watching the holiday show and eating lunch in the cafeteria.

Andrew said the best part of this holiday season in the U.S. is snow. It doesn’t look like he’ll get that white Christmas this year, but he is hopeful there’ll be snow sometime this winter so he and William can play in it together.

The best part of this holiday in Malawi, he said, was a tradition Andrew described as, “Children come through the gate and ask for coins to be put in their boxes.” He said the money would be used to help their families in the coming year.

The Chanyas will be returning to Malawi in October 2016. And what about Andrew and William? Well, for now, there are those play dates and another full summer waiting for them to play baseball and eat hot dogs.

Do they plan to stay in touch once Andrew travels back to Africa? You bet they do.        “We’ll write letters and Skype,” they said. When the Chanyas return to Malawi, they will be gone for three years.

“I might go visit him when I grow up,” William stated as the Christmas chocolate was tossed back and forth between the boys like a baseball. Clearly, theirs is a friendship for life.

By Marilou Newell