One Car Family

We have talked a lot about being a one car family. Right now it's not possible, as we live too far away from Brendan's work so he can't bike or take the bus. And we live too far away from any stores for me to be able to walk there. Before we moved here, though, for three years we lived about five minutes away from his work, so he biked every day, or on really crappy days I took him and picked him up. Today he grabbed my keys by accident, so I am without a car and unable to leave the house! And it got me thinking how much I depend on having that car, and how I need to get over it. We would really love to have only one car, but I know I am the one that feels she should have one at her disposal. I feel kind of bad about that--I'm so selfish!

Anyway, today Brendan called and said he had my keys and I panicked. Even though we had nothing going on today, I felt like I was stuck at home and couldn't go anywhere and of course that made me want to go somewhere. But then I took a deep breath and realized it was raining and my plans had been to sew and bake bread, neither of which necessitated me leaving the house. So...I made three dresses and did two loads of laundry today by noon! It was kind of nice knowing I was home, we were going to have to make it work.

I also started reading the Little House books last night. I haven't read them since I was a kid, but man, they are great! I'm excited for Ingrid to get a little older so I can start reading them to her. I'm reading Little House in the Big Woods right now and it's all about them canning food and smoking meat and getting everything together for the winter. And I just feel so cozy reading about them making paper dolls and making bread and churning butter. They don't need two cars in the Ingalls family! And they live in the middle of nowhere! Obviously I'd have a tough time adjusting to life as a pioneer, but for a little bit while I was reading it it sounded so nice. Then I thought of depending on Brendan to shoot my food and the daydream crumbled. We'd starve.

But to get back to the one car family--I really think we can do this. Depending on where Brendan gets a job, we will try to look for a place close to his work, hopefully close to shops and things as well for me. And I will have to try to be okay with the times he needs the car and I'm left at home. It somehow just seems like such a big deal to me and I have to get over that. It's really not! There are days I never leave the house, weeks where I don't use the car for two or three days in a row. But the knowledge that I *could* use it if I wanted keeps me from hyperventilating.

Does anyone else have only one car, and if so, how do you deal? Or do you think you ever could do it? For us it just makes sense, as Brendan is at work all day and I only really use the car for errands and running to play dates. I feel like we could make it work. I hope we can!