….it might go like this.
(Note–Barb did NOT write this!)
Hi. Les has asked me a few times if I wanted to write a post, and even did a reader survey about it a few weeks ago. But I have been comfortable letting Les do the blogging while I keeps my tasks in the background. And by the way, that “interview” of me way back when was totally a fabrication of my dear husband’s mind.
Most people assume that the decision to build the new house is mine, but actually Les has been more of the driving force. I love our home, especially the kitchen we updated last year. I treasure the marble counter top on the island, even if my heart skips a beat every time something spills on it. Instead of being able to show it off when we entertain, I keep it covered with a double layer of table cloths. But nothing has the wonderful feel of marble, and Les admits it makes the perfect surface for folding laundry. It will be hard to give up, but even if we duplicate the kitchen in the new house, I have pledged that we will be marble free.
Besides the house, I love the land we are on. I have cultivated the landscaping through the years to get it just right, and every spring I welcome the challenge of picking the colors for the annual beds and flower pots. And with the last few years as a member of the sub-division’s Board and Landscaping Committee I have been able to work on some lovely enhancements for the neighborhood.
So no, it has not been me pushing for a change. But looking to the future, a first floor master bedroom makes sense for us and for Max (my biggest and best), even if the kitten (who is just so cute) seems fine scurrying up and down the stairs at the speed of sound. And I understand Les’s interest in shortening his commute. If he is going to work another ten years or so, he should make the travel as comfortable as he can.
So we have had our tasks cut out for us for the past few months making sure the old house shines, setting up the financing, planning and negotiating. And now we move ahead to the future. The new house, being a modified ranch, will be a unique design for the neighborhood, but I won’t let it look shabby or as if it doesn’t belong. That is why the exterior is so important. The right roof, the right stone and the right windows will go a long way.
I am hard at work on the interior too. Les had his desires and opinions on the layout, but he trusts me with the furnishing and decorating. I am being prudent, and we will be repurposing quite a bit of our current furniture. A little fabric makeover can go a long way! So between the new house, working at two different clinics, baby sitting, tennis and mahjong, you can see why blogging has not been at the top of my list! This will be the last you hear from me for a while. But I am sure Les will keep you filled in. And if you ask, he may even let the cat and dog scribble here now and then 🙂
Cheers,
Barb
downsizemaybe 