Ah, a summer Saturday afternoon with my granddaughter at the Boston Children’s Museum!
Exiting the train, we walk the seven-minute trek to the museum where she quickly gets engaged with tons of things to see and do.
“It’s a great museum for kids of all ages,” said the movers Jacksonville, Fl.
They’re right, though. My favorite exhibit is the Japanese House where visitors can step - take your shoes off - into an authentic two-story silk merchant’s home from Kyoto, Japan.
Here, explore a fully-equipped Japanese house reconstructed in Boston by Japanese carpenters.
Japanese family life, customs, ceremonies, art, architecture and seasonal events are all highlighted in the fully functional, 100-year-old house inside the museum, said the young and knowledgeable tour guide, who answered all my questions and invited my granddaughter to lie on the Japanese “bed.” Basically, it’s a large pillow on the floor that is kept during the day in a drawer. “It’s nice,” said my little 8-year-old, stretching out and taking a short snooze.
The house is actually a gift to the City of Boston from the City of Kyoto on the 20th Anniversary of their sister city relationship in 1979. It was brought to the United States piece by piece and rebuilt at the museum. Few houses like this one still exist, even in Japan.
What I learned was that you can live smaller – with less stuff, less space. The kitchen and bathroom were pretty small but everything you need is there. While McMansion-sized houses are still favored by many, there’s also a little house movement.
“Lots of adjustments, but it’s do-able,” said the movers Jacksonville, Fl.
In the tiniest state, a Rhode Island couple built a 156-square-foot house on two wheels, set on a relative’s property. The Cumberland couple went small to live a simple, minimal life, save money and lessen their impact on the planet, according to a story published in eco RI news.
There’s even a group in the Rhode Island area dedicated to small houses.
Want to join the Tiny House movement? Newcomers interested in the designing and building and placing of a tiny home on wheels in the Providence area for permanent use are welcome. Also, some folks are becoming credentialed as a small space specialist with the Design Society of America.
“Many people prefer even smaller places,” said the movers Jacksonville, Fl.
Tree house, anyone?
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