Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Current Concerns

Right now, plans for the trip to Vermont are solidifying I have contacted two real estate agents in the area we want to move to and let them know when we are going to be up there and the type of houses we want to see. The Girl is going with me so she can can visit family that lives up there during the trip.
Still debating the train vs. bus issue.

The Darlin' Man and I had a l-o-n-g discussion about our *dream house* and things we want and don't want. Turns out, we have some VERY different ideas about home decor. This includes flooring, paint colors, furniture, etc. and so on.
He likes the walls painted white. Plain, boring, bland white. His logic is that EVERYTHING goes with white.
I like color. Lots of color.
I think this is because I grew up in a lot of military housing and the walls were ALWAYS white. UGH!
When my dad retired and my parents built their own house, my mom let us pick the colors for our own rooms. I shared a room with one of my sisters and we picked ....purple! My oldest sister picked an electric semi-neon-but-not-quite blue. My mom picked a color called "Ripe Peach". I'll leave that one to your imaginations, lol! The kitchen was teal green, the bathroom pink and brown and the living room was a cheerful mint green. What a mix!
I don't want to go THAT far. But still, I don't want all white walls, either.
I despise wall to wall carpet. Hardwood floors all the way! The Darling Man says he wants stone/slate/tile on the ground floor.
I tried explaining to him about how this will be in Vermont and it gets COLD there and stone on the floor would be VERY cold and would make it harder to heat. Also, stone weighs more than wood and it may compromise the load bearing floor joists, etc. He grumbled about my obvious logic, so I think I won that round!
Here's my thing...I don't want an uber-modern house/decor. I want a house that looks like what it is supposed to be. If a house was built in 1875, I want it to look like a house was supposed to look like in 1875.ESPECIALLY the kitchen! I want sturdy solid wood cabinets, wood counter-tops and a wood stove.
Darlin' Man wants the cabinets to be "rustic raw wood"...I want to white wash the cabinets so the grain is still visible, but so they have a neater, more finished look.He wants the kitchen to be painted white (of course) and I want it yellow. Not BRIGHT yellow, but a pale, buttery yellow.
Here's the thing...The Girl, my son, the Darlin' Mans son and I will move up there first. So, if all things go well, a few months later the Darlin' Man will move up when his retirement is completed. Hopefully, I will have the kitchen complete by the time he gets up there!
We'll see how it goes.

In the meantime, I have a customer showing up tomorrow to get some milk and butter. I made the butter last night and I'll have plenty of milk. OH! And he wants eggs, too. Fortunately, through this unbearable heat, the hens are still laying! So, I'll have plenty of eggs, too. A lot of my neighbors have chickens and most are complaining that their hens are not laying in this heat. They keep asking why my hens keep laying and laying...
Easy...I refill their water at least 3 times a day. I spray down the chicken coop to cool it down twice a day. I make sure the hens have shade to relax in.

Roy, the animal guy, has collected most of his animals. The ducks, the baby goat, the puppies and most of the roosters are gone. (WHEW!) I have about 20 of his chicks still, but they aren't much trouble.
I moved his chicks on the porch, moved Betty and her chicks to the annex coop. They are doing fine there.
He only has 3 roosters here still and they are little banty types and Pender has already let them know who is the coop boss, so I just let them wander with my chickens.

Time for me to go take a cool shower and lay down in front of a fan...the heat is getting to me.
I am SO looking forward to the trip to cooler climes!

9 comments:

  1. Glad things are shaping up for your real estate search. Oh, and speaking from experience.....get the painting and all the other decorating stuff done BEFORE he gets there! I wish I had our floors finished before DH moved down here; it would have been done & over with and no arguing!!!

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  2. Lamb,

    Vermont will be much cooler than El Paso for sure. I just love the country side up in Vermont and all the trees. I'm excited for you and hope you find what you want up there.
    Try to stay cool, we have hot temperatures here too. Catch you later.

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    1. LOL - cooler?

      That's like saying dry ice is cooler than a blow torch. You can get feet of snow before thanksgiving in Vermont.

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    2. Bring on the snow! ANYTHING is better than this darn heat!

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  3. Good luck on your trip, I'm sure you'll find the perfect place.
    Glad to know you're all doing fine & some of the critter load has been lessened.

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  4. The paint color and floorcovering are "quality" problems. You are getting a Homestead with a quality man. How long have you been waiting and wanting this? Paint the kitchen yellow as this is where you do So Much for his family. Tell him this and I am pretty sure he will come around and see more things your way. And maybe not, but these are not issues that you two should be argueing about.

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    1. We really don't argue as much as discuss the relative merits of different things we want in the house. Sometimes I really don't understand him, sometimes he really doesn't understand me, but we work it out.

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  5. A thought on the floors from a gardener, chicken rancher, and mom to several kids, dogs and cats - get something durable and scrubbable. We have carpet and it is a real hassle to keep clean. God knows what stuff we've tracked in and is still lurking deep in the carpet fibers! I'm dreaming of the day we can put down some nice shiny linoleum. Plus, have you ever pulled up old carpet? The guys I know who do it wear masks so they won't breath in all the nasty dust trapped under the carpet. Having lived in Vermont with hardwood floors, I quickly learned the value of house shoes. So excited for your move. Vermont is a gorgeous state!

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    1. I HATE carpet, too! It holds onto every single fleck of dirt brought into a house...no matter how much you vacuum! I have pulled up old carpeting and it is one of the nastiest jobs imaginable.
      Yes, we will have hardwood floors...and I don't mind wearing slippers or house shoes!

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Because of a couple of rude people that left comments that included links to porn pages and such, I have been forced to start moderating comments again.