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Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by mama_goose (My Page) on Tue, May 11, 10 at 22:44
Hi, Loretta, pleased to meet you, too. I live in Southern Ohio, just a few miles form the Ohio River. I'm 52 (already admitted that in the Kitchen Forum), married 32 years, three grown children and one grandson. We live on a small section of what used to be a dairy farm. I recently came across gardenweb while searching for 'vintage kitchen images', and I'm so happy so find so many interesting, talented people, especially the DIYers in this forum. I don't have a picture that is blurry enough for me to post ;). BTW, I love your lavender walls! Anita |
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Wed, May 12, 10 at 0:59
- Posted by desertsteph (My Page) on Wed, May 12, 10 at 2:58
hi gals! I live in the desert 30 miles or so outside of Phx. I moved out here a few decades ago to get away from the cold, damp and humid weather in my home state. It was horrible for my health. Loretta - there you are in that lavender and green bedroom i copied into a folder so I can paint my future bedroom something like that! I'd already planned on green and purple of some kind... I don't think i'll be able to separate it with a chair rail but maybe I can do 2 walls green and 2 walls lavender? moccasin - what a wonderful love story! so glad you guys met up again! I'm 60 and live alone w/my animals. I've been divorced a long time and the kids are all grown and on their own. My dbf was going to bring me out a doublewide last fall but there was an accident and he was very seriously injured. He is just rather recently starting to get around on his own again. They had to amputate his right foot and he just got the prosthesis foot about 2 months ago. He's had a lot of rehab and life adjusts to make. He hasn't been up to getting the land ready and hauling it over here yet. With the heat of summer coming I'm not sure I'll see it very soon. I want him to have someone else do the work and let him just bark orders at everyone. He's really good at that part! There's a lot of cleaning up to do on the 'new' place and I'm anxious to get it done and settle in. It's about twice the space I have here. More space for the furbabies to run around and get in trouble! |
- Posted by shades_of_idaho (My Page) on Wed, May 12, 10 at 10:07
Hi I am Chris, on the down hill side of 60 now. Been with DH for 25 years and married for 18 of them. We live in a tiny town of 150 to 170 people. Not thousand just hundred. Waiting for new census to find out the real numbers. LOL We bought this new manufactured home of 1300 SQ FT plus the porch in 2008 and started out with bare ground. Hoping this will be the last move for us. We flipped houses for years before this and tired of that and with the economy the way it is that is not to lucrative any longer. Besides I am tired of fixing up a house for some one else to enjoy. I have an artistic streak in me and do slightly out of the ordinary decorating. This house I am allowed cart blanch to do whatever I would like. Taking advantage of it. I have had to restrain myself before. Need to get a new photo as I just got a lot of my hair cut off. It is just shoulder length now. Still gray. Hehehehe I have been gray since I was in my early 30's Was premature then. Chris |
Here is a link that might be useful: My facebook picture.
- Posted by mama_goose (My Page) on Wed, May 12, 10 at 10:48
LOL, here's a picture of my hand with my gardener's hang-nails--just so you'll know me if ever we meet in person! |
Here is a link that might be useful: Clematis
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Wed, May 12, 10 at 12:01
Chris, your shot is "unavailable" at this time. Whatever that means. I think your town must have made you the city clerk because you obsess over getting things done. You do have a unique artistic streak. Isn't it wonderful to approach a project with reckless abandon, anything your heart desires? MamaGoose, your hangnails look pretty well kept to me. And so do your flowers. My Zepherine Drouhan bloomed first time this spring, and had a lovely scent. If those poppies are invasive, how about sending some to Alabama? I could use some here. I think our nights too hot and humid, but they might live at least. My tiny little scraggly clematis with 4 bloom petals per flower is intense deep purple, and this is the first year its bloomed too. I'm so proud of it. Loretta, I thought about a color which goes with the lavender, and that would be a pot of the chartreuse sweet potato vines. Lavender and a bright soft green were my favorite crayons as a child, come to think of it. Desertsteph, do the bedroom with only one wall green. Somehow having colors equal makes the space close in on you. Three walls lavender and one green will open it up more. Maybe the green wall for your headboard wall? Or your closet wall? My chosen color for our back bedroom (soon to be a master) is called SMOKED OYSTER by Behr. It looks like pale gray until it dries, and then it is a very soft grayed lavender. I'm looking forward to painting the room. We sure do come from a variety of places, many backgrounds. Yet here we are expanding our horizons together. Isn't the Internet amazing? |
ML, 73 years old? Truly amazing! Where do you get the energy? I'll bet if they could test you, you would be one of those people who are physically younger than their actual age! You sound like you have the energy of a 30 year old. Odd, you don't look like the boat captains I see on "The Deadliest Catch". lol Steph, it is good to hear your DBF is recovering nicely. I know you are looking forward to being in your new place. Does living in the desert mean there are snakes? And no rain? But if the trade off is better health, its worth it, right? Chris, it must be nice to work with the 'hot mayor', lol. How short did you go on your haircut? Mama, I think I saw that hand in the bank yesterday! What a beautiful flower. My Clematis is now in full shade so I get small blooms. |
- Posted by shades_of_idaho (My Page) on Wed, May 12, 10 at 13:25
Sorry I should have commented before hitting send and then the picture not working. Was on the phone to my Mayor and more big goings on in this silly city. This is a tough ruff neck drop em down and drag them kind of place. Sheese. For the most part it is fun until that dang bad boy fires up. Guy is a loose cannon.So my morning has been a wirlwind already. LOL Loretta you are darling and love your skirt. I am totally a skirt and dress person. I even garden in dresses. Go to the very last bit when snow starts to fly before putting on jeans for the winter. LOL One lady even asked me if I owned long pants. ML I too am amazed you have so much energy. I get things done but it is not usually in an energetic way. It is more of a hammer it out thing. Today I am resting and sewing and enjoying the day. I am so worn out.I could easily curl up and take a long nap right now. Really would like to get the last two curtains done. Mama_goose your hands and Clematis are lovely. My nails are broken off. Broke two Thursday at the office. File drawers are hard on nails. That Clematis is just stunning. HUGE. Added the same picture to my other album and it will show up for you. Will get a newer one when my hair is not all wind blown strings like it is today. More serious wind going on here. Chris |
Here is a link that might be useful: Me last picture of the album
- Posted by flgargoyle (My Page) on Wed, May 12, 10 at 17:27
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Wed, May 12, 10 at 19:34
- Posted by desertsteph (My Page) on Wed, May 12, 10 at 20:11
"Somehow having colors equal makes the space close in on you. Three walls lavender and one green will open it up more. " oh that is good to know! I'll post the room when it gets here (don't hold your breath on it tho - unless you look good blue!) the headboard wall has 2 windows and the 'wall' opposite of that is open in the middle - the hall to the closets and bathroom. yes. ain't it fun? "Does living in the desert mean there are snakes? And no rain? But if the trade off is better health, its worth it, right? " yes on snakes. I've only seen 2 in 12 yrs out here tho. Thank God. Not much rain most of the yr. we did just come thru a season of a lot of it tho so stuff is growing everywhere. Will be a fire hazard in 2 months! we also (usually) have monsoons in July/Aug. Last yr only a few of them. It's usually dry here - that helps the old bones, aches and pains. Seldom very cold. "For the most part it is fun until that dang bad boy fires up. Guy is a loose cannon" hey, here we have a guy who does have a cannon - and shoots it off sometimes. Sounds (and feels) like we've been attacked! the whole place shakes. I didn't mind so much after I found out what it was... hi Jay! hope you keep us posted with pics when you start building! we love pics. |
Fun seeing pics. But I hate them of myself, so you won't get one. I live in a 50s ranch cottage, the oldest house ever bought. 1100 square feet and large yard, located in one of the oldest neighborhoods with mixtures of cottages and multi-million dollar homes. All privately built and such a wonderful mixture of styles/architecture. Located in Colorado, spending time catching up with yard work. Love my gardens, chalk pastels, diy projects. This house has been a bear to upgrade, but am getting comfortable with it. A bit off the subject, but I was looking at some of the new builds. Aside from walk in closets, which would be wonderful in our little homes, the rooms are much smaller than what I have in the same sq.ft. Including the living rooms, but they seem to add a family room in all of them too. I'm not sure I get it with the new house layouts. And having both a living room and family room seems like such wasted space. On the other hand they have 2 baths, dining rooms, etc. But I don't feel like my house is that small anymore looking at these. More than one bath would be nice though. Plus the prices sure haven't gone down. |
What a neat idea Loretta. I am Marti (obviously) and live in the DFW area of Texas. I met hubby 40 years ago and we'll be married 35 years next month. Two grown daughters who have both left home, and in fact, left the state. Talk about spreading their wings. I like to garden, though I don't think I'm very good at it. I also like genealogy and quilting. I don't seem to be able to do all those things at once though, so I rotate. I need to get into garden mode before it gets away from me, but I'm on a roll with genealogy right now. lol My house started out at 1406 sq ft but we enclosed the garage so we consider our house to be 1800 sq ft, even though we haven't added heat or air to that room yet so it's not part of our official square footage. It gets pretty cool in the winter, but almost too hot to stand in the dog days of summer. Some day. We will add air when we build the dining room addition we have planned on the side of the house. Our house is a little over 25 years old, and basically a cookie cutter type beginner house even though it was a "custom". We think it was thrown up by the builder to get something on this lot. The rooms, closets and bathrooms are all small and not really a way to change that even though we are on an acre. We would have to build onto the back and that would mean moving the septic, and moving the septic would mean changing from lateral lines to aerobic and we don't want that. So, after 14 years here, we've finally decided to live with the space we have. No picture of me, or my hands, because they don't look as good as Anitas. But here is a picture of both our beloved dogs, may they rest in peace. |
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Thu, May 13, 10 at 13:21
Marti8, are both of your dogs gone now? Waiting for you at Rainbow Bridge? Their coloring is like myy shorthair dachshund, Dixie, who is the apple of her papa's eye. I would say they are long haired doxies, but the one leg I see is much too long for that. And the muzzle is not as pointed. So what breed of dog? They really are beautiful. |
- Posted by desertsteph (My Page) on Thu, May 13, 10 at 18:13
marti - those are beautiful furbabies! sorry to hear they are gone now... are you planning to get another one or 2? I always think the best way to honor my 'gone' babies is to give a home to another one in need. I figure when one of mine goes she puts word out in the area - 'wait til my mom finds you, you'll be spoiled rotten!' lol! I have one behind me now on the bed - snuffling and rolling about. ah... she just woke up from a nap. i 'spect she wants a 'cookie' now. no milk tho! as I get older now I'm not sure how it'll work out to get another one. |
They are Gordon Setters. If the right dog finds us, we'll have another dog, but with our hateful neighbors, I'm kind of afraid to have a dog right now. A cat adopted us, so I guess we are cat people now. |
Marti, I long for my dogs too. This is always the hardest part of having animals. Not one will ever be forgotten. Knowing my "Alee" was very sick, I just couldn't be without another friend. I knew at my age a puppy wouldn't work and felt I really should have a trained friend. My chocolate lab is from a prison program called Canine Companions. They train for the disabled. The ones that don't quite make it (9 out of 10) are adopted out. all are from pounds or other resources of pets needing homes. My guy knows everything he should, he just has a ball thing and loses focus if he sees one. I hide them until it is playtime, but driving/walking past kids playing basketball or anything with a ball means a discussion between us. |
Great pics everyone! It's good to put a 'face' to our virtual buddies. Just on this board we have people from, Flordia, S. Carolina, N. Carolina, Maine, Canada, Australia, Coloroda, Texas, Virginia and Arizona! Wow, what did we do before the wonderful world wide web! lol |
- Posted by desertsteph (My Page) on Sat, May 15, 10 at 1:26
and Idaho! |
- Posted by prairie-girl (My Page) on Sat, May 15, 10 at 12:17
Oops! I knew I would leave someplace out or get it wrong! How could I leave out Idaho (hi Chris) and I have Nancy in the wrong NE state (should be Michigan) Must be the painkillers |
- Posted by trancegemini_wa (My Page) on Sun, May 16, 10 at 1:24
I'm Carm I work in retail and live in oz. Our small home is 900+ sq ft and was very run down when we bought it (it still is lol). I have a very handy DH who is very capable but has no interest at all in home reno so I realised the only way this old house was ever going to be a home was for me to pick up the tools and do it myself usually without telling him my plans ;) I have a feeling I'm going to be chipping away at this house for a long time. I have a cat, and two little dogs who are very spoilt, badly behaved and create constant chaos in the house. |
- Posted by trancegemini_wa (My Page) on Sun, May 16, 10 at 1:33
I meant to include a pic of my dogs. This is what they look like after a long session of chasing each other around and wrestling hehe |
- Posted by flowerlady6 (My Page) on Sun, May 16, 10 at 14:30
This is a great thread. It is really nice to be able to see people instead of just using our imaginations. Loretta ~ I love the colors on your walls. I'd love to be able to see a closer picture of your necklace. I also love to wear skirts with colorful tops. Love your big smile. Chris ~ I saw your picture yesterday I think, and saved it to your folder. :-) I love it. MoccasinLanding ~ You look younger than your 73 years. I am getting more silver as days march on. You are an inspiration with all that you do. MamaGoose ~ I see no hang nails, but a lovely gardener's hand with a spectacular bloom. DesertSteph ~ So sorry to hear about your DBF, and hope he continually does better with each new day. Jay ~ Nice picture. My DH has a full beard, has had it for probably close to 36 years now. Sandy ~ I sure don't know why you don't want to be seen, as you are a lovely lady. Sweet looking critters also. They do know how to worm their way into our hearts, and become family. It is nice learning a little about each of you and I look forward to being in here more, I've been rather slack. I am 61, DH and I have been married almost 41 years. We live in our tiny 50's cottage of around 725 sq.ft. We live on 1/4 of an acre, on a busy 4 lane road. It used to be two, but imminent domain took a depth of 25 feet into our property. Anyway, besides our cottage, we have a workshop, a small enclosed barn, a good sized shed, and two smaller sheds. We also have a screened room off the back of our cottage, where we have our jacuzzi, claw foot bath tub, an outdoor shower, and a swing. I love to garden, cook, do needlework, garden, oh yea I said that already. But, my online name of FlowerLady was thought up by DH because he said I'm always out in the flowers. I work part time managing an antique shop, I've been there 13 years. I also enjoy blogging and taking pictures. We have 4 feline girls,3 live in the barn and love it, the other lives outside and in the screened room. Hope you all have a great week. FlowerLady |
Here is a link that might be useful: Plum Cottage and gardens
- Posted by shades_of_idaho (My Page) on Sun, May 16, 10 at 15:24
Oh Trance your babies are so cute. Our two also wrestle and then crash for a few hours and do it again. Usually when I am on the phone. Hi Flower Lady so glad to see you. You have such a lovely house and yard. Your energy puts me to shame. I really have enjoyed this thread too. Chris |
- Posted by desertsteph (My Page) on Mon, May 17, 10 at 0:59
"I see no hang nails" I didn't see any either - thought it was just my bad eyes. even tho I had my glasses on. I can't think of a pic of me recently. I'm always behind the camera. I should really train those crazy dogs to work it... |
Should we have a "hangnail" thread? I wish my hands looked as good. Flowerlady, it has always been hard for me to post a photo of myself. You know what I look like and thank you for saying such a nice thing. I am trying a new photo album program for posting pictures. Maybe your push will get me to show myself. |
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Mon, May 17, 10 at 11:30
Emagineer, if you are reluctant to show yourself, do like Mama Goose. Remember the song, "Put your right hand in, you take your right hand out, put your left hand in, you shake it all about.....do the HOKEY POKEY and turn yourself about....that's what it's all about!" Of course I am not exact in my recall. FlowerLady, I am very pleased to make your acquaintance. I do hope you come here more often now, because us smaller homes folks use our gardens like extensions to our indoor living spaces. It looks like you do the same. Loretta, you forgot to put in ALABAMA and MASSACHUSETTS to your list of states or geographical regions. I'm assuming AB Canada is ALBERTA? LOVELY group of people here. I'm so pleased to be among you. |
Okay, we are trying this. I chose a new photo software and hopefully have it figured out now. My mind likes to make things complicated and this was really simple which is why I chose the site for pics in the first place. Photo of my oldest son and me. He was on his way back from Kuwait and we had 3 hours to visit at the airport. SAndy in Colorado |
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Tue, May 18, 10 at 10:16
Emagineer, don't tell me that I've had WEBSHOTS all these years and did not realize I could upload my photos directly from THERE? You know, I would never have gone through the agony of another upload site if I'd known how to make Webshots work on here. Yes, I've used Webshots for umpteen years, and I like it the best because you can add really long comments about your own photos, as well as comment on folks you add to your "friends" lists. Before I chose MoccasinLanding as my online persona I opened the account as CaptGrisGris. Folks from Louisiana will know what a "grisgris" is, and I chose that during my years as a boat captain so I would be feared as well as respected...perhaps. So, emagineer, please be my Webshots friend? It is a good place to upload your photos. I see now that it also has the HTML code which is required for Gardenweb photo uploads. What a great photo, Sandy! How happy you both look. Are you and the FlowerLady friends and neighbors? I don't think any of my Girls Night Out buddies understand that I have developed charming relationships within my online communities. First it was my parrot buds, and now my gardening/decorating buds. Let me try uploading direct from Webshots too. |
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Tue, May 18, 10 at 10:21
- Posted by mama_goose (My Page) on Tue, May 18, 10 at 17:11
Hi, Everyone, thanks for the compliments on my hands--I must have been having a good day! LOL, if you do a HOKEY-POKEY thread, I have a nice pic of my barn boots that I'll post. They match Loretta's lavender walls. We've had several days of off-and-on rain, so not much gardening going on here. flowerlady, I enjoyed your blog and yard pics. You have many talents. emagineer, I used to live in Grand Junction, and I also have a soldier-son. Just seeing a pic of a handsome young man in a uniform makes me teary. That's a beautiful picture. |
Oh Emagineer, what a beautiful picture! You must have been so happy to see your son! (He looks just like his mommie). I hope all is going well for your son and for yours too Mama Goose. |
Trance, your furbabies are adorable. My next door neighbor has a dog who looks exactly like the one in the doggie bed. She is so sweet, and so soft. emigineer, I had a totally different idea of you. I do remember now that your son is in the service. I know you must be so proud of him. Kudos to him for serving our country. |
Mommagoose...Grand Junction? Where? We lived there for 5 years in Palisade, 1993. Gads do I miss those bing cherries. And I am an Ohio baby, Hartville farm. Family of yore worked at the Pottery mills along the Ohio river. Moccasin, I'm not sure now about the photo site. What I liked was it was so easy to upload photos in an album. Quick and easy. The problem is I can't just post a photo, you get the tag which takes readers to their site and this isn't what I want to happen. I think I need to join the darn thing to inbed a full photo as the HTML for forum use doesn't work for me...am cheap and don't want to pay. I know many do use other sites and I have another too, but this one seemed so easy. What was it that made you consider Flowerlady and I were friends? We have been GW friends for 2 years, never met, and completely across the states from each other. She is the sweetest, most patient lady with many talents. Has put up with my aches and pains, I always feel like I'm getting a hug when she writes. Our gardening is totally opposite, I'm stuck in snow when she can be outside and she is enjoying AC when I am gardening. Her garden is wonderful...or I should say gardens. She has little secret ones all over with the neatest stuff hidden and many reclaimed projects. Everyone...enjoy her site. Marti, isn't it funny how we have an image of our smaller friends? Now I'm curious what image you had of me. Admission I am 67. Yes I am very proud of that "kid". He called me in the morning of that day and I had an hour drive to get to the airport. Somehow the schedule got changed and we were given this time together. A memory both of us will always remember. He has retired now and also have another son who was in Desert STorm. Yes it is almost like magic seeing them in uniform, proud yet knowing there is a piece of our lives we have absolutely no control over as moms. I live near Ft. Carson and there are soldiers everywhere one goes here. Always thank the guys, sometimes they are really surprised, especially if I catch their name on their uniform and call them by it. This war is a tough one and has many mothers, wives, fathers, family with aching hearts when they leave. I for one am ready for it to be over. Hope I didn't miss anyone. Cloudy days here, but we need more rain. |
- Posted by mama_goose (My Page) on Wed, May 19, 10 at 13:08
emagineer, SMALL WORLD! We left Colorado in 1992, but we had lived in the old farm cottage across from 'Cross Orchard Farm' on Patterson Rd, near Clifton. Then in a ranch (in the architectural sense of the word) home on F 1/2 RD. Our last home in GJ was on 26 RD, near St.Mary's, where my husband worked. It was a 1910 craftsman, with the most beautiful built-ins and hardwood floors. Oh, I remember the cherries...and apricots. Do you know Ghigliano's? We had an apricot tree in our yard on 26 RD, and shipped them back to Ohio by the boxful. My husband has an uncle who lives in Sedalia--must be near you, now. We have relatives who have worked in a steel mill on the Ohio River--I can see a hill across the river from my front porch. Loretta, thank you for the good wishes. My son called this AM, to catch me before I saw the news, to say that he is safe. This is a GOOD day. |
emagineer, for some reason I had you pictured as tall with very short, black, very coiffed hair. Why? I have no idea, I guess because emagineer sounds so professional. lol Loretta, where did you get your jewelry organizer? |
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Wed, May 19, 10 at 21:43
Emagineer, I may have read something wrong, because I imagined that Flowerlady knew what you looked like. For me, no leap is too long to make, so I jumped to further conclusions. :) For you mamas with sons and daughters in harms way, I wish to say thank you and God bless your children and keep them safe. When my DH flew down last December to Mobile, I waited with several families who had soldiers returning from the wars. One little girl was about 3, and she was so excited. They had a long view down the incoming passenger walkway, and when she saw her big tall Daddy coming toward her, she bolted straight toward him. The security guards blocked her, and they were pretty sober about it too. So she was swept into the arms of her grandmother (her mother was very pregnant), and almost in tears with her confusion. I watched this with a big lump in my throat. Her daddy gathered his loved ones in his arms and kissed everybody all at once it seemed. In a war where even children could have concealed explosives, even homecomings are different. |
- Posted by shades_of_idaho (My Page) on Thu, May 20, 10 at 1:08
Yippieeee Sandy So glad you posted you and Michael/ Such a great picture of both of you. Not even going to get into the state of my manicure or NOT. I have half long nails on one hand dirty from gardening and all broken ones on the other also pretty grim looking. Tomorrow I must deal with all of them it is making me crazy. This really has been a fun thread. I will try to get a picture of me up with my hair cut off. Not sure I am grazy about it being this short but it will grow back. I keep telling myself. Chris |
- Posted by shades_of_idaho (My Page) on Thu, May 20, 10 at 1:09
Loretta please do tell where you found that hanging jewelry holder. I am totally loving that. Chris |
Marti...Flowerlady has seen a photo of me. That is why she pushed to make me post one. I still hate them and never think they look like me. She knows I am hesitant doing this. Momma Goose....how interesting about GJ. We lived at 333 33 1/2 road. For those that don't know the area, most of the roads are a grid with the alphabet or numbers. That address is exactly what it was and relates to acreage locations. So you and I were very close to Clifton and Palisade. Forgot about the apricots. We have thought often of taking a drive there to taste all again. But there is nothing like neighbors to let you pick right off the tree. Did you know this is now one of the largest wine producing areas? There are wineries with International Awards for their products. And in actuality wine production was what brought GJ into fruit production. Then there is the corn! You would not believe what the towns look like now and mass amount of new home areas, shopping centers. As with all, things change. Downtown is still the same with those wonderful homes you remember. The train station sits empty but still has all the stained glass windows and interior furniture, etc. I hope they choose to make this a historical entity. As for images of people. My name is the artist/engineer in me. I taught computer graphics for years (CAD/CAM) and still into art, currently soft pastels. No I was never "coifed", but my job did require professional attire. I don't think anyone met during my career would even recognize me now in my sweats of everyday attire. Thanks to all for your nice comments. I sent a couple to Kid #1, knew he would enjoy it. But he is probably a bit surprised I had the nerve to post. |
I needed to figure out if my new photo album would work. One of my favorite photo subjects is sand prints. Since I use Photo Shop, decided to see if they have the right options for me. Guess it works....finally. |
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Thu, May 20, 10 at 11:52
Aha, so FlowerLady had "seen" you a la photo, not in person. And I was thinking the derivation of your screenname Emagineer had to do with creativity and engineering it. I like your choice. I know grid streets make it easier to find your way around, but not so very romantic as really good street names, with streets/roads that meander here and there. I find it fascinating that you lived at 333 33 1/3 Rd! What an address! When we drove to Iowa, the 900 mile drive went flawlessly UNTIL we got to the fine details of making our way through all those corn fields with all intersections looking just alike. Man, they grow some tall CORN up there! I was not getting any visual cues to my location because we were like a rat running through a maze. Pretty soon, I am driving back to Iowa by myself, and this is what I think about. Emagineer, how about putting a link to your new photo album site? You tested a sand print, now show us your other stuff. |
Chris, I've had that jewelery organizer for years. It came fron Wal-Mart. It holds 40 pieces on each side and hangs on the closet rod (takes uo no space). |
Here is a link that might be useful: Hanging organizer
- Posted by mama_goose (My Page) on Thu, May 20, 10 at 20:32
ML, time to get a GPS! My husband loves ours, but I hate it. I like maps and atlases, and I'd rather ask for directions at a gas station, than listen to a GPS tell me to "TURN AROUND AS SOON A POSSIBLE--TURN AROUND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!" The main streets in Grand Junction have a name as well as a number. Patterson Rd is also 'F' RD. I remember small side streets with lyrical names like Kokopelli Lane, Lodgepole St, even a Hudson Bay Ave--go figure. My son went to Thunder Mountain Elem school. emagineer, I spent part of this afternoon looking at satellite images of GJ. I haven't been internet literate for long, and I'm still amazed every day at all the info available. There is a new street of large homes on land that we used to rent, and it looks as if the irrigation ditches have been diverted and filled in. What struck me is how arid everything looks compared to our current yard. LOL, when we moved back to Ohio, my then 5 year-old daughter looked out the car window in western KY, and asked "Mommy, why is there grass everywhere?" The view of the Mesa is the same--I hadn't seen it since 1992. We have wonderful memories of Colorado. Loretta, thanks again for the stove info. While I was at it, I also cleaned underneath the stove--that's how I spent the rest of my afternoon. :) |
Moc, Actually I stole that name...sort of. My husband got to go to the Disney Studios and see their designs in miniature for all of the parks. Their designers are called Imagineers. So I did a version of it. Now there are dozens of the same, which wasn't the case 8 years ago. Mamagoose, Have any of you looked at the 3D maps of places you once lived? It is a fun adventure and I've been able to go back to when I was 3 yrs old. Sometimes what they have done to the area makes one sad, but still an adventure. |
I don't have any other photos on that site. Was testing to see if it was better than what was. I will get there as a lot of my shots need organizing too. If I were to load all my photos you would never get through them..... Maybe suggest a subject matter and I could do that. I want to take photos of the little houses around here and all their colors. Maybe a good start to make my new find worth looking at. Everytime I drive someplace I see houses that remind me of Christmas, Valentines Day, Spring... Flowerlady was pushing me because I'm a tad shy. You wouldn't know it now with all my posts lately. |
- Posted by shades_of_idaho (My Page) on Sat, May 22, 10 at 12:00
Oh Thanks Loretta. For sure going to get one of these. What a perfect use of space and so neat and tidy. Can grab clothes and jewelery to go with and out the door. Chris |
- Posted by flowerlady6 (My Page) on Sun, May 23, 10 at 21:04
MoccasinLanding ~ Emagineer and I have been chit-chatting for 2-3 years now and shared photos, so that's how I know what a lovely lady she is. It is something how we can have images of how people look in our minds. To me, it's never how they truly look. We all are unique creations, all have our own beauty or handsomeness. Have a great week. FlowerLady |
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Mon, May 24, 10 at 1:55
Emagineer, if you are posting more now, could it be you feel in good company? Really an amiable group here. Cannot say ladies, or we'd be ignoring Jay! And I love taking pictures too. Not good at it, but I sure click a lot. If you are a mission oriented sort of photographer, I can understand that. While I was working in Texas, I was fascinated by the style of their houses, and the way they used shutters. So for two days while my car was being painted, I stayed in a motel and walked around town taking pictures of houses with all sorts of shutters. It was in Freeport Texas. So maybe you'd be interested in window styles? Or maybe entry doors? Or interesting ways porches are used or where they are located? Or color combinations? And I'm so pleased that FlowerLady is among us. And where in the world did TranceGemini get off to? It's wintertime down there, wonder how it is going? Well, a friend is coming to work in my yard tomorrow, so I better get some sleep. He knows his plants and will be clearing our "back forty". He found some Florida anise growing on our lots at the river, which is endangered in Florida he said, so now I know they are too good to lose. |
Moc, My past creative involvements included building historic scale models, interior/exterior. Plus working freelance for a mag, creating, writing and photographing how to projects. My passion is photographing close-ups of architectural elements, aged wood, metals. While in PA last summer I too took pics of shutters and hardware. Plus doors, the hardware was fascinating. I've posted for a long time in SH. It has always been a friendly place and look forward to our ongoing amiable status. I started out on GW in the Rocky Mountain Garden Forum. Tis' other forums I stay away from, sadly. Just lurk a lot. |
- Posted by desertsteph (My Page) on Mon, May 24, 10 at 19:45
sounds like my ds and dil taking pics! old wood, rust, metal, signs etc. me? it's usually dogs, cacti or rainbows! |
- Posted by flowerlady6 (My Page) on Mon, May 24, 10 at 20:13
MoccasinLanding ~ Emagineer, Shades of Idaho, Jay, myself and a couple of others who are still involved, have been here since the beginning of this forum which started in 2006. I did not fit into other home forums here, and was really glad when they started this forum. Our little cottage is only around 700 sq ft. It's been slow going in getting people involved here but it seems to have more activity lately. Have a nice week ~ FlowerLady |
Flowerlady, I didn't know we all started the same year on SH. Can't remember how I found it now, but have been hanging around GW since 2002. Things have really changed, especially for living smaller, GW at the time was really the only place to go. Now there are so many blogs too. We still can't get people to go over to the conversation side, sort of humorous in a way. No one cares either, we can say and post whatever/wherever we want. This is why SH is nice to hang around. I agree it is nice to have more people share and post. Good to have you guys keep this going and joining in. You have sort of jump started us again. Don't go away please. I am enjoying the chatter. And I forgot to say thank you for the kind comments. |
- Posted by mama_goose (My Page) on Tue, May 25, 10 at 14:18
LOL, I'm trying one thing at a time, and I never think to check conversations. I did happen across 'Kitchen Table' recently, and I've checked a few other forums. I hate to keep sounding as if I've had my head buried in the sand for the last decade or two, but I can't believe all the info available. I recently found that Craigslist has forums, too, but too much nonsense, there. |
- Posted by mama_goose (My Page) on Tue, May 25, 10 at 14:30
emagineer, I forgot to say that I found the spot on google-maps to see 'Street View' on an address, and spent (too much) time looking at the houses we lived in GJ, and looking at landmarks I remember. Did you ever buy milk and ice cream at Graff's Dairy? The drive-thru is still there on 29 RD. I showed my husband the pics, and he is ready to move back! |
- Posted by desertsteph (My Page) on Tue, May 25, 10 at 17:25
i don't remember any of the addresses where I lived growing up... street names - yes, but not the street #s. |
Sounds like you guys are having all of the fun. Incredibly, I have never lived more that 8 blocks from where I am now! Everyone on this board seems so nice and helpful. What I like best is that everyone tries to be helpful to others, even though they have very different decorating styles. I guess the best way to explain it is that on this board 'I feel at home'. |
I don't remember addresses either. Usually the street or a major street nearby and can find the house from there. Although we lived in GJ for 5 years, I wasn't delighted to be there. All the irrigation meant mosquitos, which we do not have on the east side of the mountains. It was rare that we could eat outside and missed enjoying such. Funny, but when we were looking for property there the realtor told us there was a 10 degree difference in temps from Denver. We had no clue that meant 10 degrees higher in the summer "and" lower in the winter. |
- Posted by desertsteph (My Page) on Wed, May 26, 10 at 20:18
wow... I didn't know that. thought I'd need the exact street number! I have to give it a whirl and see if I can find places i lived as a kid! |
- Posted by shades_of_idaho (My Page) on Thu, May 27, 10 at 1:04
WOW I must be so weird. I remember many addresses where I lived. Even in the Brooklyn Naval Yard the address was R4C at the Flag circle. then 445 Boynton Ave Berkeley, CA and there were 156 steps up to the front door. Old spanish style house. Was really fun living there. Then 420 Harrington Court, Los Altos, CA Ranch style house in cultasack Gads how do you spell that?? Then 1957 7th Ave Sacramento ,CA From there is gets vague. I too enjoy visiting here and feel bad when I get so tied up in work and trying to catch up in the yard I am not around for a few days at a time. Then try to play catch up. As far as different decorating styles. I do not think it really matters. Heck I have different styles in my own house even same rooms. And that can be a little weird. Hehehehe Chris |
- Posted by soinspired (My Page) on Thu, May 27, 10 at 9:10
Hi, there! I've been a lurker on this forum for just a couple weeks. I usually visit the garden forums as I love gardening. We live in central Indiana, I'm 58 years old and been married for 32 years. We built our small ranch out in the country on an acre of plain ground 30 years ago and we just love it. We have planted all the trees, shrubs as there was absolutely nothing here but weeds when we started. I've worked as a secretary the last 17 years at a university and so look forward to retiring so I can fully enjoy our home and garden. To me, there's no place like home even though it is a small ranch style house. We do have two grown sons who both have smaller homes as well. We live with three fur babies: two dogs and one cat that we adore and they seem to adore us too. I just love this forum and so appreciate your ideas on decorating. I love antiques and just "junk" transforming it into a piece of art for our home and gardens. And, like many of you, we have outdoor living spaces as well. I will try to post more often so you can get to know me as well. You are all so friendly and inspirational. Thanks! |
HI, my name is Brenda. I'm nearly 59, married for nearly 39 years and have a 35 year old son that lives next door. I've always been into interior design and gardening and used to teach crafts. I have huge gardens that take up most of my time in the spring, summer and fall, and as i said in another post i just am nearly finished installing a new food forest garden a couple hundred feet north of my house, the last of the trees and shrubs should arrive this week and i have well over 50 packets of seeds planted of herbs and vegetables and a few flowers in it so far this spring...as well as all the trees, shrubs, berries, grapes, and perennials. My husband has a head injury and sleeps most of the time, so i do pretty much everything my way and myself. I was just told i was prediabetic, so I can no longer eat much of my fruit or whole grains like I used to, so i'm in the process of changing my life over..and trying to keep from going full fledged diabetic, naturally. I've always been into whole grains, fruits and vegeteables with very little meat or fat, but now i have to eat the meat and the proteins and no more of my homemade whole grain breads. glad to meet you all, i used to be on here more but have kept off for a while, but thought I would post again. |
Hi Soinspired. Welcome to the conversation. You'll find that this is a really relaxed and laid back group of homeowners. We welcome any and all info, advice, suggestions, etc. I know you have seen this phrase more than once - "we like pictures", lol (we really do). Ronbre, what is a food forest garden? It sound like you both have beautiful gardens. Do you have any pics to share? |
- Posted by mama_goose (My Page) on Thu, May 27, 10 at 22:29
Hi, soinspired, we're almost neighbors (Ohio), and we seem to have a lot of other things in common. I'm looking forward to hearing more about your projects--do you ever post on 'Junkmarketstyle.com'? Brenda, I already said on another thread, that you are a very ambitious gardener. Your plans for your yard and gardens sound wonderful! Hope you can find a diet that you enjoy and will help keep you healthy. Can't wait to see lots of pictures from both of you! |
- Posted by prairie-girl (My Page) on Fri, May 28, 10 at 17:31
- Posted by shades_of_idaho (My Page) on Fri, May 28, 10 at 17:35
Hi Soinspired. Welcome. So glad this forum is picking up lots of new people to share ideas. Your place sounds lovely.Seems a lot of us spent time in our gardens. Maybe it is a smaller house thing. Chris |
- Posted by nancy_in_mich (My Page) on Sat, May 29, 10 at 21:06
Hi everybody! Thanks to my DH, who gave me a Nintendo DSi for Christmas, I have a few photos of me that I like. (Some of the games encourage you to take pictures of yourself.) Click the link below. You all pretty much know my name is Nancy and I live in Ohi...Michigan! Just north of Detroit. I also have lived in New Brunswick, New Jersey and in Baton Rouge, Louisiana back when I was married to Exxon twenty years ago. I am 51, married and never had children. DH is a very nice man who trained as a musician and works as a computer guy. I work in mental health after I got my degrees after my divorce 20 years ago. We have a nice brick ranch home in suburbia and are on a corner lot. We have three dogs that you can see in my pbase page below if you go to their gallery. I enjoy creating things. I have a nice garden out front (the allium just finished!) and I usually grow veggies in containers out back. This year I did not plant veggies because I have been too busy with the kitchen planning. I make jewelry -glass and real rock beads- for fun and I really do need to figure a good way to sell them. I make other things for the house on a whim. Now I am covering wooden boxes with stone, ceramic, and glass tiles to make little plant stands to keep pots off the carpet. I sew, but only to make easy things. If I loose some weight I have lots of fabric for making skirts and I have a half-finished first try at pants I put aside three or four years ago. I also have a baby blanket I started knitting at age 19 that I have not finished! |
Here is a link that might be useful: Here I am!
Hi, I'm Rose, 58, single. Have an itty bitty toy poodle named Cased. He's my little Buddy. We live in a Co-op in Queens, NY. I did most of the gardening for our building. 2 years ago I bought a small bungalow off the Long Island Sound in New Haven, CT. The back yard is gorgeous which was why I fell in love with it AND THEN I decided to redo it!!!! Go figure except I love to garden. I love Garden Web. I'm all over the kitichen, small homes and gardening threads. Can't get enough. LOL |
- Posted by trancegemini_wa (My Page) on Sun, May 30, 10 at 1:13
welcome soinspired, nancy you sound a lot like me, I'm always making something for the house. rose your little buddy is sooo cute! dont they look so pathetic when they're in the bath as if they're thinking "why are you doing this to me!" hehe he's a cutie |
- Posted by shades_of_idaho (My Page) on Sun, May 30, 10 at 1:21
hi Nancy. So nice to See you. You are undertaking a huge project with your kitchen. I just know it is going to be wonderful. Hi Buddyrose and Cased. so glad you have come in to join the fun. Wow Cased is a tiny one for sure.Would that be the evil eye he is giving you? LOL Buddy you are walking in my footsteps. I liven in West Hempstead and New York, Brooklyn Naval Yard, and relatives in New Haven when I was a child. Ummmmmmmmmmm wispering. That would have been about 55 years ago and then some. So glad every one is chiming in so we can all get to know each other. Chris |
- Posted by wantoretire_did (My Page) on Sun, May 30, 10 at 4:11
Hi all - Nice to meet all of you :-) I'm one of the original SH posters. This forum sure has been a breath of fresh air from the huge home forum. That just gets too overwhelming at times, tho I still check out the pics once in awhile. I grew up in So. Calif., and have lived in NY state, RAF Bentwaters England, Tucson, and now, I'm finally settled in upstate NY (eastern), still trying to sell our small Cape Cod to downsize into a 55+ mobile home park. DH and I decided that if we are to spend another winter in this house, we should fluff it up some more, so that's what we have recently done; new doors, paint and a new kitchen countertop. Should have done all that earlier, but with his heart surgery saga, plus losing our dog from health issues NY Eve, it just didn't happen. Thanks to lots of perennials, my small gardens are pretty much self-sufficient; good thing since I'm going to be 70 before too long and just can't manage like I used to! Yikes, how did that happen??? My boys are grown men, my hair is gray.......... I just don't feel that old!! Guess that's a good thing. |
This is great. I recognize a few of you from other forums. Pleased you wandered over here. Mostly I lurk at those, but find some wonderful ideas through photos posted. Especially the decorators gallary forum. Otherwise most of the house forums are far too expensive options. Now I'm curious about our ages. We all seem to average a bit in the late 50s/60s. Which of you are our SH kids? And wonder if our re-dos, creativity of smaller, has to do with backgrounds or environment. |
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Sun, May 30, 10 at 11:12
Ronbre, SoInspired, BuddyRose,......wow, it is so GOOD to have you join with us here. Ronbre, I am a full-fledged Type 2 diabetic, and it was a bitter pill for me to swallow. I spent a year in denial, at least, and went through the classes at the hospital twice. First time, I was still in denial, so it went in one ear and out the other. The second time, I was beginning to understand what this terribly invasive disease was doing to me. Keeping your weight under control will help you stay off the pills, and postpone the damages done to your vital organs. I do not give up carbs, but I do control how many of them I eat. I also love breads. I don't have to give up fresh veggies, but cut back on the fruits which have sugars in them. Dry skin will be an issue, I had to give up my beloved grapefruits for breakfast, since they contribute to skin problems...yeast can break you out anywhere it seems. SoInspired, great to have another gardener among us. Some here have large properties to deal with, others tiny, but we all use the space available to live more fully inside and out. BuddyRose, your little Buddy is like a lump of coal with button eyes, and I know you must adore him. I have a B&T dachshund girl, and I swear that black dogs are the hardest ever to take pictures of....just black lumps, no detail show up.. I like your sink, big and deep. My new one, not yet installed, is also stainless,10" deep, and will be my staging area for house plants and wintertime doggy baths. It occurs to me that with this thread we are having an OPEN HOUSE for the Smaller Homes Forum. SO good to see so many folks sharing the virtual space. |
Buddyrose! He is adoreable. I have be fighting off the urge to get a new pet, but I've seen so many pics of them that I feel like I'm losing the fight! I remember the post about your home redo. It is lovely. ---" I'm going to be 70 before too long and just can't manage like I used to! Yikes, how did that happen??? "--- Wantoretire, I know what you mean. My hip says I'm 58, but it doesn't seem possible! Where did the time go? |
- Posted by desertsteph (My Page) on Sun, May 30, 10 at 17:14
---" I'm going to be 70 before too long and just can't manage like I used to! Yikes, how did that happen??? " boy, ain't that the truth. most days i feel like I'm a lot older than my almost 60 yrs. still, how'd i get to 60? yikes! buddyrose - what a beautiful smile you have! and your little guy seems a bit concerned in that pic. he is sooooo cute! |
- Posted by flgargoyle (My Page) on Sun, May 30, 10 at 17:21
My mother used to raise black dogs (Flat-Coated Retrievers) and the secret to photographing black dogs is to intentionally over-expose the shot. The background will be a bit faded, but it's the only way to get a good picture of an all-black dog. Don't ask me how to do it with today's new-fangled automatic cameras! I imagine good photo software could get the same effect. |
- Posted by mama_goose (My Page) on Tue, Jun 1, 10 at 20:15
Welcome, buddyrose and Cased. Nice to meet another gardener. Hi, wantoretire, I wish my gardens were self-sufficient! I don't have time to take care of them as I used to, and they are sorely neglected. We have friends in Bourton-on-the-Water,UK (ret.RAF). This is my favorite forum. |
- Posted by prairie-girl (My Page) on Tue, Jun 1, 10 at 21:13
Great tip on photographing black dogs, Jay. :o) |
- Posted by columbiasc (email@example.com) on Wed, Jun 2, 10 at 22:13
Hello all, I'm Scott in (duh) Columbia, SC. I'm 49 and divorced 5 years now, have two sons, 15 and 12. Great kids! My 15 year old has recently been living with me full time. Sorry, I didn't take the time to find a hosting site and post a photo. Maybe later. Three years ago I decided I had enough of apartment life (after the divorce) and bought a fairly inexpensive 1024sf three bedroom, one bath brick home built around 1950 something. I fondly refer to it as my divorce shack. Being a banker and financial coach, I could not allow myself to be house-poor. Although there are many things I want to do/need to do, I think I am pretty comfortable here. My biggest regret is not holding out for a home with a second toilet. When we are all three here, it can be a problem. Funny, when I grew up in a 900sf 3/1 down in Florida with two parents and 3 siblings it never seemed to be a problem. I have been fascinated with small spaces for a very long time. I have followed Seaside, Florida since it's inception. I still have one of the original catalogs pitching the Dreamsicle Cottage and other tiny beach houses. My dream house would be about 900 to 1000sf, two bedrooms, with a fantastic screened porch deep enough to sit and watch the rain without getting splashed. My goal is to live here another 5 years then take a serious look at western North Carolina. As a banker, I am constantly perplexed by people's perception of adequate space. The common theme is bigger is better. Imagine where we might be today if the country hadn't got caught up in the "Flip It" frenzy or McMansion Mania that drove house prices up at an unsustainable rate. What if "less is more" was the prevalent theme and people actually bought homes they could afford and had real equity in those homes? The answer to that question is that if that had happened, it would have been many more years before the general public learned words like One Trillion Dollars! As a Financial Coach, I am constantly asking people to re-evaluate their true needs. Part of me feels like I am rambling and part of me has much more to share. Like some really interesting books I recently borrowed from the Public Libary on Japanese desgn and philosophy, or my love of gardening, cooking, canoeing, hiking, biking (pedal powered), and on and on. I'll wait for comments and go from there. Scott |
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Wed, Jun 2, 10 at 22:45
Hi Scott. Looks like I just signed in a minute or so after you posted, so I take great pleasure in saying WELCOME TO THE FORUM!!! You've covered a lot of bases to let us know where you are coming from, and we can fill in the blanks, and also figure what kind of house projects you'll be contributing to....as well as the reason you might feel as you do. For one reason or another, most of us (and I am being presumptuous here) are by choice living in a smaller home. We each put our personal imprint on the style of our small spaces too. We've had one poster here who was after a minimalist esthetic, which is easier to attain with more square foots but it is possible with determination. If you've read our personals, then we'll press on. I know they say maximize the bedroom count, but IMO, having two BR and 2 toilets (and maybe a sink and a shower) would make the house a whole lot more comfortable. A lot of folks maintain a free photo upload account at places like Photobucket.com and tinypic.com or even webshots.com ( I have albums at the last two places)and that makes it easier to share photos on GardenWeb. I have not been that attentive to Seaside as it developed, but I'm very familiar with Hwy 98 as it goes between Mobile and Panama City. Many folks use the Seaside cottages as second homes but what you find with us, we live year round in our cottages and bungalows and farmhouses, etc. We are very pleased to add you to the round table discussions. Please don't hang back. Jump right in! |
- Posted by desertsteph (My Page) on Thu, Jun 3, 10 at 2:10
yep, glad to have you join us Scott! "Funny, when I grew up in a 900sf 3/1 down in Florida with two parents and 3 siblings it never seemed to be a problem." that's so true. we never had more than 1 bathroom - for a house of 5 females! I'm hoping to move on up from my about 700 sq ft to about 1400 sq ft. I'll think I'm in a mansion! I'll be glad to have walk in closets, a shower without climbing over a tub edge, a room with a door to put crafts and the exerciser and space for the dogs so I don't trip over them - or step on them. plus a/c and heat. |
- Posted by columbiasc (firstname.lastname@example.com) on Thu, Jun 3, 10 at 7:15
First, let me say I've been a fan of this site for two or three years now. Haven't visited in a while but am an "old timer". We've had some interesting exchanges here. Moccasin - Because I only have a five year window and because my neighborhood is marginal, with very limited appreciation, I'm going to have to be very selective about any improvements if I expect to get any kind of return on that investment or even break even. I will mainly focus on preventative maintanence. I addition to that, I am trying to make smart staging choices to minimize the perception that this is a small space. It's an older house with limited upgrades. The kitchen cabinets are are on their last legs, not to mention a current layout that needs help. However, my only electrical breaker box is a small, old, outdated box that is mounted between the counter top and upper cabinets. The lower edge of the box is almost level with the counter top and less than three feet from my sink. Not a great location, not up to current code. If I replace the cabinets I have to replace the countertop. If I replace the countertop, I have to relocate the breaker panel. If I relocate the panel, all the lines coming in to the panel have to be moved. If an electrician starts moving electrical lines, they will probably have to make other changes to meet current code. Big bucks, slippery slope. Then there is the small, outdated bathroom. Someone put in a ceramic tile floor around the existing toilet a while back without lifting the toilet and tiling under it. As a result, if I try replace the existing toilet, I would have to replace it with a new toilet with exactly the same size and shaped base. Impossible to find. Alternative, rip out the tile. If you do that, why stop there? Why not replace the old, yellow colored tub and tiles and.....and..... Again, slippery slope. Make these improvements and you might increase marketability but not overall value, the neighborhood just isn't appreciating. Over the ten years prior to me buying the house, the neighborhood appears to only have appreciated about 2 to 3 percent per year. That limits return on improvements. So, you pray nothing major breaks, slap a bandaid on the minor stuff and live with it. So why didn't a banker and financial coach see this? I did, but I had an area I needed to stay within and I had a price point. Sometimes you have to take what you can get. Off to work, more later. Scott |
- Posted by flgargoyle (My Page) on Thu, Jun 3, 10 at 16:45
Hey Scott- Haven't heard from you in a while! I'm still contemplating our move to the SC upstate. We'll probably get started next spring unless A) We win the lottery, or B) The gummint somehow makes things worse than they already are. We all love to chat here (in case you hadn't noticed) so go ahead with whatever you want to talk about! Jay |
- Posted by trancegemini_wa (My Page) on Thu, Jun 3, 10 at 23:18
Welcome scott. I do agree with you that often the improvements we do don't necessarily add value (it's a bonus if they do) but definitely make it easier to sell if the time comes. I'm on a very limited budget, we have some big ticket items that I want to do but I'll have to save up for quite a long time to do them, things like replacing the roof tiles and all new guttering. as much as possible I try to do things in stages (it doesnt hurt the hip pocket so much) and do a lot of DIY to stretch the budget further. I'm really not about getting into debt to update my old house but I also feel that we may as well make our homes more comfortable for ourselves, even if you plan on selling in 5 years. I have the opposite problem to you, the land that my house is on has increased in value so much that the house no longer has any value in this area. Every dollar I spend on it is money I'll never get back because if I ever sell the only people interested in buying are the developers so they can knock it down and redevelop the block. It doesnt stop me though because I want to be comfortable here. :) Just another way of looking things I guess. |
- Posted by shades_of_idaho (My Page) on Fri, Jun 4, 10 at 1:01
Hi Scott, Welcome back. I think most of us understand the start one thing leads to another and another. Phew. I had three rooms tore up here at one time for awhile. Nothing big deal . Paint and furniture swapping. Did redo the kitchen cabinet facings to real wood. Five years will fly by for you and you can move on to the dream home for you.I remember you shared lots of great ideas and thought provoking article to read. Chris |
Trance, my sister is in the same situation as you. Her house has not real value, but the land! She's in an area that used to be all farm land 20 years ago. Now there are several million dollar gated communities a couple of miles from her. The taxes on the land have sky rocketed, which makes it difficult for them. Her husband is 80 years old and does not want to move of course. |
- Posted by trancegemini_wa (My Page) on Fri, Jun 4, 10 at 4:13
idie our area was always a working class area with a lot of public housing as well going back to the 60s when the original houses were built so when we bought this house it was dirt cheap to buy here. In the last 7 or so years the land prices have gone crazy because it's all rezoned now so the developers can knock over one old house and put 3 bigger ones up in it's place. They dont have any yard or anything but people still buy them. But like you said with your sister the taxes go up with the value so it just keeps getting more expensive to live here. It sounds good on paper I guess but you dont get any benefit unless you sell (which we dont plan on doing either). In 20 years we might be the only original house left in the neighbourhood surrounded by all the new two story places - I can almost see that happening and it's quite funny to think about but then again we might have to move someday if we cant afford the taxes! :/ |
- Posted by columbiasc (firstname.lastname@example.com) on Fri, Jun 4, 10 at 7:34
I still have regular communication with friends and relatives in Vero Beach, Florida and they tell me that some years ago they passed a real estate tax measure that only allows the taxes on a primary residence to rise at something like 2 or 3 percent per year. If the title changes hands or if the status changes to anything but primary residence then the county can play catch-up and boost the taxes to the current rate. It's meant to help people hang on to their home and not be run off by escalating taxes. I think it's a great idea. I definately pursue the DIY route any time I can but I know my limits. I'll flip through my notes and post the titles of the two books I recently read on Japanese Design and Traditional Japanese construction techniques. The one book explores an American who moved to Japan fresh out of college and was able to study traditional Japanese construction techniques which are similar to Post and Beam construction but with a lot more attention to detail. 30 years later and he is back in the US building these structures for Americans. One of the themes that cmae through for me in that book is how the Japanese use the same room for multiple functions throughout the day allowing the room to morph whereas we in America have multiple rooms to serve similar functions like a Living Room and Den and Family Room or multiple rooms that serve a single purpose. The other book explores modern homes built in and around Tokyo where the average building site, not the home but the entire site is 6.5 feet by 19.5 feet! Granted, they go vertical and three stories are common but still, it's an entirely different mindset of what "adequate" is. In the past I have shared my perspective on space with friends and co-workers and often get the comment back that "I'm not going to live in a closet". Although I'm not very enthusiastic about recent trends such as Smartphones, Facebook and total dependence on GPS devices (does anyone read a map anymore), I do see how electronic miniturization is making it easier and easier to comfortably live in small spaces. Your computer can be a miniature office repalcing filing cabinets with a hard drive. That same computer can be your entertainment center serving as your main music device with no records or CD's in sight or it can replace your TV, even many radio stations can be accessed with the computer. TV's can be merged with your computer and your flat screen TV can become your monitor. MP3 devices like iPod are much smaller than even the portable devices of just a few years ago. eReaders or eBooks can reduce an entire shelf of books to a device the size of my old Daytimer, which has been replaced by my Outlook calender. It's an interesting era which lends itself towards us shrinking our physical footprint. See, get me rolling and off I go. BTW, as for the photo, I do have a MySpace page that a friend set up for me a few years ago. The photos are about three years old but pretty accurate. Search Columbia, SC or zipcode 29209, male, 49, you'll find me and my plants and my sons. Or you could visit my Coaching website but I don't think I can give links to that here. Off to work again. Scott |
- Posted by sjharris53 (My Page) on Tue, Jun 22, 10 at 9:53
What a fun thread! I am on GW way more than I should be (as my less than clean and organized house attests to!)but just can't resist all the interesting information. This forum though, seems tailor made for me. I am 56 and have been married to DH for 37 years and have two married daughters and a son who is single. We live in a 1952 ranch house that we moved back in 1979 to our property 50 miles north of Atlanta. We added on a master bedroom wing in 1989, and since then have slowly updated other parts of the house. I think the addition put our square footage somewhere between 2000-2100, so ours isn't as small as some, but still not huge. Still waiting (and saving) for my major kitchen remodel, and of course the master bath, going on 21 years, needs to be redone too. I teach 6th grade (and love it) at a wonderfully small country school, and while most of my friends have retired, I will keep going for another 3-4 years at least. LOVE to garden, and tell myself that's why my housekeeping suffers! We have a wonderful rescue dog, Noah, that is a beagle/English setter/Brittany spaniel mix. At least that's our best guess, and Noah's not telling. I also have a new equine addition, a palomino quarter horse mare I bought to replace my much missed paint mare I sold several years ago. Lily is the most aloof horse I have ever met; trying to figure out what to do to have her bond with me, other than a bucket of feed! Years ago I naively told my husband that if we created planting beds, we wouldn't have nearly so much grass to grow and yard work time would be cut back. Add to that being older, and it's a good thing I have summers off to tackle the garden and yard. |
Here is a link that might be useful: FB page
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Tue, Jun 22, 10 at 12:08
In so many places, the "natives" can no longer afford to stay in their home towns due to property values rising. Like in Tahoe, with the influx of outlanders, the property taxes are up so high, average families had to sell out. Or so I'm told. I have not been there. I'm sure it is the same way up in NC coastal region for the same reasons. And in Florida, the explosion of building along the lovely beaches near Destin and Ft. Walton and even over to Panama City is erasing the signs of the casual old style of life there. It looks like something from a home decorating magazine. And I am really saddened to lose the original flavor of the region, and have it replaced by a synthetic fantasy interpretation of that lifestyle as seen from the top story of a high rise condo building. Preserve the environment? Hmmm, that is not really what I'm seeing. Even in Mobile when they encircle a wetlands, all that is left of the natural area is a round spot of reeds you could toss a rock across. I'm also totally against building any permanent structures which would be insured against hurricane loss....on any barrier islands. Those islands belong to the ocean. They belong to the mainland, which it is there to protect. It is a sacrificial piece of sandbar thrown up by the ocean currents and it keeps the shoreline of the continent from sustaining heavy damage by the storms coming from the ocean. I was interested to note when we went to Costa Rica, the beaches and the shoreline belong to the people--I suppose the state--and all resort properties stop short of owning the beaches. For us in the US, I think the ownership of barrier islands should remain public as well. Along the coastline in New England, the old houses on some of the islands cannot be rebuilt unless ONE PART OF THE ORIGINAL house is left standing. Likewise, the buildings cannot be sold, only bequeathed to a family member. So it is reverting to public land in that area. I'll have to ask DH where that is, but it seems to be a way of dealing with a return to public domain. |
- Posted by mama_goose (My Page) on Tue, Jun 22, 10 at 12:51
Tell him to buy me an acre of land... between the blue water, and the sea strand... ML, as a 'land-locked', adequately insured citizen, I agree with you, but how to displace those folks who have been on the shore for generations? And, if I live in 'Tornado Alley', should I not build a home? I just don't know where to draw the line! Oh, I don't usually make political observations (I'm too un-PC sometimes, I fear.) Scott, and sjharris, Welcome! |
SJ, welcome to the small homes forum! Ah! The lure of the 'dream home' balanced against 'mortgage-free'! I know the financial gurus tell us (maybe rightly so) to pay off all other debt and keep the mortgage since it probably has the lowest interest rate and is tax deductible. But I can tell you that I still breathed a sigh of relief when I paid my mortgage off AND IT WAS MINE! lol I gave up the dream but I'm happy and excited for those who can still persue it. Loretta |
- Posted by desertsteph (My Page) on Tue, Jun 22, 10 at 17:01
"They dont have any yard or anything but people still buy them. But like you said with your sister the taxes go up with the value so it just keeps getting more expensive to live here." boy, that's what happened here. the developers bought up cheap country land and put in cookie cutter houses by the 1,000s! ugh. small yards. i swear some of those houses don't have 8' between them! (I need to take pics of some of them). "then again we might have to move someday if we cant afford the taxes! " i understand that! I bought out here to be alone (ha!) and it had cheap taxes. now there are houses everywhere and taxes have more than doubled! it's a good thing I don't have a mtg to pay. Ecclesiastes 6:9: "Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don't have." i love that! I'm going to print it up and post it around here. think I'll print it on stationery. (emails?) that is so what this world has gotten away from... I noticed yrs ago that I'd buy something I JUST had to have. couldn't live without. then about a month later it was 'that 'ol thing'. yikes. the thrill wears off very quickly. I don't do that anymore. my sister tells me every time she has a 30% off coupon for Kohl's (and I appreciate it) in case I want to get something. I seldom do. last yr I needed a new mattress pad (mine was like 30 yrs old...and fell apart!) so I got one. paid less for it than I did the one i bought 30 yrs ago. it was a total of 70% off. So if I need something like that I wait til she has a coupon. that's how I want to shop now. lol! Then too, since she merged 2 households (she had one here and one in IN) she has lots of duplicates/extra stuff and continually gives to me. that's where I got my beautiful purple and green comforter for my future purple and green bedroom! So as she continues to unpack I continue to get 'stuff'. only stuff I can use or need. a lot of things i've still been using are well over 30 yrs old and hardly usable anymore. I use things till they DIE. lol! btw, does anyone remember shopping so much/often (other than groceries) when growing up? I sure don't. we didn't live by any stores - there were no kmarts, W etc. (our town got the first 1 when I was in HS - Mr Wiggs!) We had a dime store about 10 blocks away and would walk there for a mother's day card, spool of thread etc. |
- Posted by desertsteph (My Page) on Tue, Jun 22, 10 at 17:04
I forgot - welcome sj! and scott - I'd look you up on that page but i don't go to those things. no facebook or mypage or whatever. I haven't the first clue on how to do that! |
Welcome sj and scott. sj, I love that verse and like you have had the plans made for a new home but I rather like being debt free, and now that the kids are gone, the house seems a lot bigger. |
- Posted by carljohn113 (My Page) on Tue, Jun 22, 10 at 22:53
Nice to meet you too |
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Wed, Jun 23, 10 at 0:42
The table guy is back. |
- Posted by shades_of_idaho (My Page) on Wed, Jun 23, 10 at 1:06
WOW Lots going on on this thread. Welcome to every one new. so happy to have others joining in. Love all the options put out to every one when we ask questions on projects. Chris |
- Posted by columbiasc (email@example.com) on Wed, Jun 23, 10 at 7:50
Regarding my dream of building a small space from scratch, because I am recently divorced and starting over, I am either lucky to be able to have the ability to start fresh or unlucky because I now have to get SOMETHING paid off as soon as possible. A daunting task. I guess it depends on your perspective. Because I want certain features, features not likely to exist in an older, existing home, I think it will cost the same to buy and renovate as start from scratch. Finding available land in a place I can build a small space will be the deciding factor. Until then, I will enjoy my current small space and continue to edit belongings so transitioning to a different space will be a snap. As for limiting where people can build, that's a big, sticky tar baby. We currently live with traffic laws, building codes, zoning restrictions, etc. In most places you can't build on the top of a mountain or only so close to the waterline so making such rules more restrictive seems plausible but at the same time, I am a huge believer in limited government. Where does one draw the line? I picked up my latest book request from the Public Library last night. Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways by Debra Prinzing. I'm saving this one to read next week. I'm taking a few days off from work and enjoying some "stay-cation" time. I thought I had run everyone off with my last post, the thread went inactive right after that. I do love this forum and wish there were more new posts. That's one thing we can change. Let's resolve to keep the dialogue going! Scott |
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Wed, Jun 23, 10 at 13:09
Scott, you did not run anyone off with your posts and your opinions. A dialogue should be able to tolerate/accept differing opinions or it is not worth much. I've been told that I am an aggressive woman, and perhaps so. I do push people who seem to be "cloudlike", who are wispy and do not give me a sense of their presence. I keep pushing until I FEEL they are there, and sometimes they have to push back--then I know I am communicating with a real person. The Debra Prinzing book is one I truly enjoy also. I may have been the one who mentioned it in a thread about reading materials. Another good book is SHED CHIC: FROM GARDEN ROOMS & WORKING SPACES TO CREATIVE DENS & PLACES TO POTTER. It is a Country Living magazine book, written by Sally Coulthard. Look for it too. Sometimes adding on to the house does not look possible, but turning an out building (shed, garage, barn, whatever) into a living space is wonderful. Then you spend your "stay-cation" out there. :) |
- Posted by shades_of_idaho (My Page) on Wed, Jun 23, 10 at 16:09
Love the Stay-Cation name for staying home. Guess we have mostly been living the Stay-Cation lifestyle for many years now. We rarely go on vacation and people ask us why. Ever since we moved to Idaho we have pretty much felt we are always living the vacation life. We are in the mountains in a place most people GO TO to vacation so there really is no need for us to leave. Not that our little town is the destination for many but we are close enough to be on the lake in 20 minutes or so or a five minute stroll down to the river or local swimming pool. Short drive to national forest to have a picnic if we choose to or just take that picnic out on our front porch so we are closer to the couch and recliner for nap time. Heheheheh For a short time I had my out door shed set up as a guest house and it was going to be my studio. I never really used it for a studio. My loom was out there but I have sold it since. Well the shed stayed with the last house too. Anyway It really was nice to have that shed to use as I choose and I always kept a really comfortable chair out there if I just wanted quite to go out and read. Say Hubby had guy friends over and I was not needed to serve coctails, that is a joke, I woud happly retire to my shed and read or even be on the internet since we had wireless within the house and lap tops. AND that falls into your technology ideas Scott. It REALLY changed our life style with the laptops and wireless within the house. We can go anywhere with the laptops. And company too. I have a couple of extra old ones here and usually put one in the guest room if company do not bring their own with them. My husband takes the old Itronix out to the shop when he is working on something and needs to be looking up parts. The Itronix is a real tough laptop. Shock resistant drop resistant water proof and all. And it has a handle. LOL Anyway Scott do not feel you have killed a thread. Sometimes they just move on down and get missed. I am guilty of seeing the title and thinking I have already responded and in a hurry move on to another. And lately I have even had troubles getting my posts to go through. Anyway Glad to see you back posting you have been a great contributer. Chris |
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Thu, Jun 24, 10 at 11:35
Scott, how about starting a thread branching off from this one. Something about the features you want to add to your new small space....and the issues you might encounter in achieving your dream. Like....sometimes, cities make it necessary to meet certain square footage requirements. Which precludes a small creative space. Alternative style...are you into that? How about some of the Japanese construction methods, will they be approved by our building codes if you choose to use them? I am quite fond of houses that look like houses, and I am put off by the ones that look like an oyster reef with little organized growth. Add a little here, a little there, it just does not look peaceful to me. To contain all those soaring ceilings inside, they make a hulking monstrosity outside. Don't get me wrong, I like the feeling of spaciousness....but I also enjoy the look of graciousness too....a house that sits well on its lot. And Mama Goose, I've been thinking about your point of view re allowing building on barrier islands. That is not the same as building in Tornado Alley. Tornados are a weather pattern which can change and it does not affect the shape of the land. Well, maybe eventually, but not totally take the land out from under the house. But with a barrier island, the land either leaves or goes elsewhere. Barrier islands are essentially big sandbars which have somewhat stabilized and grown trees and grass and such, but when the big storms come, the waves and high water split the islands into pieces and there is no longer a land mass. One of the problems up around Hatteras is the land is leaving on the ocean side, and it is building up on the land side (meaning toward the mainland). And even on the mainland, like between the Sabine River and Galveston TX, there is a strip of the highway which has been closed for years because hurricanes reclaimed the whole length of it. The same thing is happening to the oceanfront highway from Galveston down to Freeport TX too. When I used to drive home to Alabama from working in south Texas, I loved to travel the beach road. But after some of the storms, the ocean was already lapping under the beachfront homes of Surfside Beach and they had rocks piled up to shore up the highway which had once been safely inland. Folks who were on the beach lands for generations generally had durable or expendable homes. They knew what they were up against. But the homes going up on the barrier islands are high dollar confections that are lovely to look at. Also, these days, I know of several which have been insured and destroyed and rebuilt even grander. I think that the barrier islands should be considered community property. NOT private property. There is precedent for phasing out the dwellings up in New England. They will allow the existing homes to be bequeathed to family members, but not to be sold out of the family. When the last one dies, the property reverts to the state, and is then part of the public lands. I haven't asked my DH where this is in effect, but he told me about it as a way to deal with existing development. Also up there, the owner can remodel to their heart's content, as long as ONE PART OF THE ORIGINAL HOME is left standing. A friend of my DH rebuilt, and they left ONE POST of the original house. They will never be able to sell it, but they have a big family and someone will carry this house forward for another generation or two. All around them, though, the land is reverting back to its natural state which can keep it in place and doing its job of protecting the shoreline. The barrier islands are subject to extreme runoff after hurricanes. Dauphin Island off Alabama coastline has been split in that way. The lighthouse which was once connected by land to the island now stands isolated with only a pile of rocks surrounding it. Deep channels run all around it. A friend of mine has a house down there. It was positioned on the back side of the island with a boat dock and deep water of the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway)until a hurricane took the ocean sand of the island and deposited it behind the island--and then their dock was about 100 feet away from the nearest water. That is the normal way of a barrier island. This will continually be happening forever. It is not an aberration, a single event. It WILL happen again. John D. McDonald wrote a novel BARRIER ISLAND about the development along the Mississippi coast. And he wrote another one called CONDOMINIUM about the Florida west coast. He is the author of the Travis McGee mysteries that I so adored and read the entire series. If you have a chance to read those books, they dramatize what happens. I've strayed from the original topic, but this is who I am. You have to know that I am a resident of the Gulf Coast, and I am dying inside because of the damage being done to my beloved coastal region with this ugly oil disaster. I worked for 20 years in the oil field. They did not want a woman there. I endured though. It was only a matter of time before this kind of thing happened, given the culture of the oil companies, their lack of respect for the native cultures where they make their money, their lack of respect for the people who work for them. Ahhh, I cannot go there. |
- Posted by columbiasc (firstname.lastname@example.com) on Thu, Jun 24, 10 at 18:54
Moccassin, good idea, I'll start a thread and describe my wish list for my small space. Watch for it. I was born in Vero Beach, FL. The town extends onto the barrier island down there. Although the "islanders" consider the island as "their domain" and would really prefer if the "poor folks" that reside on the mainland would stay on the mainland except during the day when they could come over and do the meanial chores for the elite. Grow up and face that attitude on a daily basis and it's hard to have sympathy when their little piece of paradise collapses into the surf. I lived there for 29 years and watched the beach slowly disappear. Global warming, climate change, whatever you want to call it, the truth is oceans rise and oceans fall, and they have since the earth was formed. If you go inland from the coast in Vero Beach, about 2 miles inland, there is a natural sandridge that was the dune line at one time. My point? The only thing constant is change. The oceans will move, new deserts will be born, others will disappear and become lush forests. Mountains will rise, then crumble. We are looking at things that affect us in our lifetimes and only see how it impacts us. We forget that if we viewed things from the perspective of the "earth's clock" (think dog years), the changes we see as monumental are mere seconds on the earth's clock. We can't control the earth, we are merely along for the ride. Some of us will get off that ride with our homes and lives intact and others will pay the price of fate. Live close enough to the water to hear the waves and see spectacular sunrise/sunsets and you pay the price of weather and erosion. Live among nature's giants in the forest and you risk fire. Every location has it's own allure and it's own price. It's just the way it is. Wow, that was an unexpected detour. I promise to be less philosophical in the wish list post. Scott |
- Posted by columbiasc (email@example.com) on Thu, Jun 24, 10 at 20:27
Buddyrose, I got carried away on that last post and forgot to comment on your breathtaking views. I guess that explains that exuberant smile of yours. Scott |
- Posted by mama_goose (My Page) on Fri, Jun 25, 10 at 0:08
buddyrose, something about that first pic makes me think of 'BaaBaa Blacksheep!' After seeing your yard pictures, I believe you don't like weeds--couldn't find one weed in any of the pictures. Oh, I'd love for you to come pull a few around here! Like shades, I have discovered laptop technology, and that's why I still have lots of weeds that haven't been pulled. ML, I understand your feelings for the coasts. We visited the Outer Banks in 1983, and again in the late 1990's with our children. It's a beautiful area. I recall hearing that one of the lighthouses we visited in 1983 had to be moved because its footing was being eroded. I don't know what to say about the situation in the Gulf. I'm so sorry for everyone that loves the area, and everyone whose livelihood and way of life depends on the industry there. God bless you all. |
- Posted by shades_of_idaho (My Page) on Fri, Jun 25, 10 at 0:55
OH Buddy Rose I have total back yard envy!!! So pretty and your view is stunning. Not to mention your little Buddy. ML I am with Mama. So sorry about this oil spill and frustrated it is not getting any better.So sad. So many people affected. Chris |
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Fri, Jun 25, 10 at 2:15
Buddyrose, my little black/tan doxie girl is the hardest thing to photograph! Just a black blob. She is also a doggy who goes under the covers, and sometimes I look for her and find a lump in my bed. She likes her comfort. I love your house. I note the windows are casement types, which open out and catch the breeze. You must be a cleaning fanatic as well as a weeder, because those are mighty clean windows, lady. They SHINE. And your views are fantastic. The way you did your stone path is perfect, narrowing it as it extends further away from you, forces the perspective and makes the distance seem greater. I read that another way to fool the eye with perspective is to put the large leafed plants NEAR you, and the smaller leafed plants further away. It gives greater depth. I think about that sometimes, usually too late. |
- Posted by desertsteph (My Page) on Fri, Jun 25, 10 at 19:24
buddyrose - what body of water are you on? that is a beautiful view! the Gulf is just so sad. I wonder why the gov let that rig stay operating with the many violations it had against it. |
mama goose, my gardeners and I just recently pulled a gazillion weeds and laid a ton of mulch. I got my cottage two years ago. Last summer, by mid-summer, my yard looked like a jungle. Weeds were knee high. thought I'd cry. I swore this summer I would get ahead of the over night weed horror. So every morning, coffee in hand, I wander and pull! ;-0 thank you Scott and Chris for the kind words. mocassinlanding, tonight will be the first night I sleep on my porch. Opening those casement windows, turning on the ceiling fan and hoping no spiders eat me. ugh. and yeah I'm very clean. But it's a new house and I'm still madly in love with it. I like your idea about smaller leafed plants and depth of field. I inherited some of my perennials and added others. I love stones and rocks. I put river rocks at the beginning of the path near the water fountain and then went down in size to pea pebbles. I pretend it's the ocean leading to a river. Yes I have a vivid fantasy life. ;-) desertsteph, that's the Long Island Sound on the New Haven, Conn. side. I never get tired of turning the corner and seeing the Sound. I walk my dog along the water, rain or shine. I also sit in my yard under the pergola all year long. I pinch myself that I found this little place by the water. I don't think I've ever been happier then when I'm here. |
- Posted by trancegemini_wa (My Page) on Sat, Jun 26, 10 at 0:06
buddyrose I love your photos of casey, he is just too cute lol. thanks for sharing your gorgeous garden photos too. the trend around here is for manicured minimalistic gardens now and I really dont like them. to me a garden with two or three plants mass planted around some lawn is so sterile, sure it looks neat but somehow so cold and unnatural. your garden is more my style, I love gardens that look free and meandering and useable at the same time. |
- Posted by wantoretire_did (My Page) on Sat, Jun 26, 10 at 4:45
buddyrose, I love your yard :-) The side yard looks tropical but being in CT, I can't imagine that. Are you willing to share your secret to an eastern NY upstater? |
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Sat, Jun 26, 10 at 10:45
Trance, I like your style of gardening too. My DH is more atuned to trimmed hedges and mass regular plantings--straight lines of marigolds 6 inches apart was his choice. Me, I stuck seeds in the ground in irregular spots and let them go--a very wide reckless abandon bed of NASTURTIUMS. I never met a nasturtium I didn't like! I've been in love with them since I saw the way Monet used them at Giverny, where they looked like the meandering banks of a river. I can grow them up north for the first time in my life...down here it is too hot. My favorite bed is not really a bed, it is a strip of lawn where I stuck down banana trees, and elephant ears and palms...and aspedistra and bird of paradise and asparagus fern and chartreuse ornamental sweet potato...and miscanthus grass. Oh yes, and two clumping bamboo plants strategically placed to keep car headlights from intruding into the privacy of our sun porch. When all the massive plants get full in late summer, it is a jungle out there. It makes its own shade. I thought I'd lost them all after the cold winter we had, but they are looking good! Buddyrose, one of my favorite trips was to Mystic Seaport on the coast of CT. As a mariner, of course I knew about it, and it was my Mecca--kind of like going to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage. The pictures I took there are the ones hanging in our Mass. living room. What you did with the pebbles decreasing in size was another example of forced perspective. If you have help with your weeding, you are so fortunate. The grunt work is not very easy, but so necessary before your plants can shine. Do you all remember the Alka Seltzer commercial many years ago where the old lady was taking 2 tablets after being out all night "dancing with Reckless Abandon?" (and that was the name of the young man she danced with?) I've always adored that expression. And so it seems an appropriate term for the way I garden too....with RECKLESS ABANDON. Too much of a good thing is JUST RIGHT for me. :) |
- Posted by shades_of_idaho (My Page) on Sat, Jun 26, 10 at 16:23
ML Love your descriptions of your way of gardening. I think it is also the way I do it. Was calling it barely controlled chaos. I think there needs to be a garden plack of Reckless Abandon. Speaking of which yet WAY off topic. Our kitten Abby was just chasing a fly up the window fell off the table into the LARGEST mixing bowl I use for the animals water dish. YES it was full. YES I have a HUGE mess on my dinning room floor right now. So glad there is vinyl on that floor. She is such a delight.Sometimes NOT. You all need to meet Abby again now she has grown up. |
Here is a link that might be useful: IN Trouble again.
- Posted by trancegemini_wa (My Page) on Sun, Jun 27, 10 at 8:36
ML I love nasturtiums too, they go crazy here over winter, each year spreading further and further and filling the spaces. I just wish they would grow all year round. By mid spring they are turning to straw so I collect them up and push them back into the garden beds as mulch. I just love it when plants self seed as if to say "this is where I want to grow", and I try to leave them as much as possible. I know what you mean about plants lined up and perfectly spaced, lol, they're almost uncomfortable to look at. shades that's exactly what I call my gardening style too! I call it controlled chaos! I dont let things get out of hand but I like plants to be free to do their own thing as much as possible. |
- Posted by mama_goose (My Page) on Sun, Jun 27, 10 at 10:23
Remember the thread about naming our homes? ML, I think RECKLESS ABANDON would be a perfect name for my yard--these days it looks as if it's been abandoned, LOL. Oh, and your memory of the commercial reminds me of an old joke from the 60's. 'The young man would saunter down the street with animal-like grace--ANIMAL-LIKE GRACE was his girlfriend.' |
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Sun, Jun 27, 10 at 13:04
hehehehehe. Mama, you are so right, I must have missed the sauntering young man. Same type of humor. And Animal-Like Grace is what Shades has with grown up Abby kitty. I looked at the number Abby did on her TP roll, and it made my day. Plus, the mental image of her landing in the big water bowl. Life's lighter moments. I believe it would be impossible to ABBY PROOF your house, Shades. Mama, you have a point about Reckless Abandon for your garden name. There is some quotation something like..."abandon all hope ye who enter here." But I sort of like "Encounter Reckless Abandon all who enter here." |
Hi Everyone... I'm relatively new to GW, but I'm not shy, so I'm jumping in. I like this thread, too, as it's nice to put a name (or background) with a house. I live in Boston, after growing up on 5 acres in Ohio and living in Indiana, Chicago, Florida and West Africa. I'm a software consultant by way of music major, 4 star restaurant manager, non profit grant writer, and accidental accountant (don't ask). I previously owned a c1900 condo in Boston, which I renovated and sold this past spring. Last fall, I closed on a 1925, 1000 sq ft farmhouse just outside of Boston. It doesn't have some of the characteristics I wanted (fireplace, unpainted woodwork) but its location (last house on a dead end street, abutting a 60 acre park) was not to be missed. Now, it's just a question of which to start first...heat, electric, plumbing, etc. Unfortunately, when it comes to renovations, I'm a bit like Willy Wonka's Violet Beauregard in that "I want it NOW" :-) I grew up around renovations, including our house, our-1956-school bus-turned-into-a-camper, and my uncle's many fix & flips. But figuring out how to renovate this thing solo (I'm 41 and single) without going broke or insane is going to take a lot of patience, which is not my strong suit :-) Oh, and trying to fit in DIY projects while working and training for triathons...it should be a fun balancing act. But this Forum has been a great help, particularly reminding me to enjoy the ride. Thanks for having me. Chez me |
Here is a link that might be useful: Chez Me
- Posted by moccasinlanding (My Page) on Thu, Jul 1, 10 at 21:34
Hi, Navi Jen...the link at the bottom does not work, but the thumbnail does. Welcome to the forum, we do have a lot of fun here. I did not see any captions with your 8 photos in the album. May I suggest that you start a NEW THREAD with the subject your 1925 MA 1000 sq ft farmhouse? That way, you can talk about it and we can contribute comments directly to it. We have a cape within commuting distance of Boston, and we will be putting it on the market next spring. After our final bathroom projects and redoing the last portions of the flooring. Too bad, because I really enjoy the time we spend there....it is just a different way of life from what I'm used to in Alabama. Not worse, not better, just different. Glad to have you among us. |
- Posted by desertsteph (My Page) on Thu, Jul 1, 10 at 22:16
welcome Navi Jen! looking forward to a thread about your house! post pics of it. first thing is to make it safe - and livable for now? |
wantoretire I just saw your question about my garden: how do I get it tropical looking? It's the diff. ornamental grasses, I think. That and I shape my plants to be airy. I think that may be what you're seeing. |
Hi Jen, welcome to the small homes thread! Jump right in with whatever you want to discuss. When I saw the picture of your house my first thought was " Oh, how cute"! Am I the only one with a plain ol' brick house with not charming details? |
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