MERGING TWO HOUSEHOLDS INTO ONE NOT FOR THE FAINTHEARTED

Dear Readers: Awhile back, Mr. HandyPerson mentioned that he had moved in early 2007 from his previous home here in San Francisco and "merged" households nearby with his good friend Hannah. He promised that he would write about the move itself eventually. This is that attempt, in the words of Mark A. Hetts.

It was a sensible decision Hannah and I made to combine households. We are both single, getting on in years, and there are many efficiencies to be gained by combining shopping, cooking, house cleaning, and efforts at general maintenance and repair. I've been working on her 1893 Queen Anne Victorian for nearly 25 years. We are close and devoted friends, and we cared for her late mother here in the last months of her life. We've been walking partners for 20 years and took turns making dinner for each other once or twice a week. Still walking ...