tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post2433621869967405095..comments2024-03-10T03:36:06.267-07:00Comments on Is this the middle?: Zen and Granite CounterstopsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01468655681800817415noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-87119199471061140202012-01-05T18:38:11.769-08:002012-01-05T18:38:11.769-08:00Oh, Laine, I think I can understand what you mean ...Oh, Laine, I think I can understand what you mean about not surviving a second loss of home. So many people have lost everything in this recession and at mid-life or older, how hard it is to think about starting over. It can be done, but can also be a crushing blow.<br /><br />Please don't take it personally when I say "young" homebuyers. Young, to me, is anyone born after 1957, lol. I've seen plenty of demanding homebuyers in all age groups from when I was a broker, as well as on HGTV. <br />There's nothing wrong in knowing what one wants in a home, it just makes me chuckle when someone looks at a midcentury home and expects it to have the big baths and closets that a home built today may have.<br />Thanks so much for the comment!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01468655681800817415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-70729928710981406412012-01-05T18:30:46.032-08:002012-01-05T18:30:46.032-08:00When friends travel, I ask them to bring me home r...When friends travel, I ask them to bring me home rocks, and they do! I have rocks from around the world, and they are precious to me. We get fossils and fossilized shark's teeth on our beaches here, so I go crazy hauling them home.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01468655681800817415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-11892738048474953002012-01-05T18:24:41.633-08:002012-01-05T18:24:41.633-08:00Alas...no WW...yet. I'm sure there will be mor...Alas...no WW...yet. I'm sure there will be more in the future! :-) I have a wicked cool rock (somewhere around this house) that is loaded with fossils...so very cool!alienbodyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16553792913801374123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-20404687653031189432012-01-05T11:09:17.291-08:002012-01-05T11:09:17.291-08:00I should have mentioned I like my granite counters...I should have mentioned I like my granite counters, too, but because I am a certified (certifiable?:))rock hound. Stones, rocks, shells, fossils, beach glass... I have bowls full of them all around the house, so the granite kind of ties in with my rockiness. Rock-headed-ness?<br />Thanks for coming by-- I'll be over to see what you've been up to. Any wordless days lately? You are the queen of the post-it!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01468655681800817415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-41477094977715445562012-01-05T10:22:36.327-08:002012-01-05T10:22:36.327-08:00Hubby and I were just talking about this the other...Hubby and I were just talking about this the other day and how the stigma of losing a home isn't what it used to be. It's happening so much, for a variety of reasons that, while still devastating, it isn't the social stigma it once was. In a way I guess it's good, but then it isn't...because it is still a loss and an ordeal. <br /><br />I'm always amazed at the disdain those house hunting folks have for other peoples homes. It makes me crazy when they walk into a bathroom with a sour face (which is larger than my bedroom) and exclaim, "Well...it's pretty small" Ah...I imagine retiring in a small little cottage with a tiny little garden (that someone tends FOR me). But, I will admit...I love my granite counters. :-)alienbodyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16553792913801374123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-24638172519168767872012-01-05T06:38:54.314-08:002012-01-05T06:38:54.314-08:00Melanie, this was the most wonderful post. Unfortu...Melanie, this was the most wonderful post. Unfortunately, I am part of that generation of house hunters you speak of. Why do we feel like we are owed the grandest in life? We want it all and for very little. I could go on, but I won't.<br />We lost our home when I was a teen, and my parents came damn close again this time around, but were able to salvage it. Thankfully. I really do not think they would have lived through another foreclosure.Laine Griffinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13852809605433922328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-19951051003716396452012-01-04T18:50:00.355-08:002012-01-04T18:50:00.355-08:00Everyone's home should have a charming name li...Everyone's home should have a charming name like your Grotto. Maybe if I can come up with a name for this one, I'll feel more at home.<br /> <br />I was a real estate broker for 8 years-- it worked for me at the time and tied into my incredibly nosy streak-- how I loved seeing people's houses! That's how I met my husband; he was my client and a friend for years before the sparks flew.<br />Just a little trip down memory lane tonight. Thanks for stopping by, Miss Jane.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01468655681800817415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-46848635276204288442012-01-04T11:07:31.635-08:002012-01-04T11:07:31.635-08:00There is no shame in a double wide or a McMansion ...There is no shame in a double wide or a McMansion or a basement apartment lovingly called The Grotto. You're right. Home is what we create inside 4 walls.<br /><br />I worked for a custom home builder for just under a year and then as a personal assistant for a luxury real estate agent for 4 months (with a few years before and in between working for an urban public school district). I didn't last in either of those positions because I couldn't relate to this compulsion to live in a home well outside a person's means. You all built with your future in mind and I do believe you'll be able to sell and still have a nest egg. But do let yourself be at home in your luxury for the time being. Not feeling at home in your house is kind of almost as bad as not having a home at all.Just Janehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02861216483398553225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-67295363081553853962012-01-01T13:08:29.675-08:002012-01-01T13:08:29.675-08:00Nothing wrong with renting. The years we rented ha...Nothing wrong with renting. The years we rented had their advantages, since we could call the landlord about any repairs needed! We were lucky to have landlords who cared. If we were renting here, we'd have given our notice about 3 years ago when hubbie's business took a nosedive (to put it kindly).<br />You are better off not having seen House Hunters-- I want to yell at the TV. Today a woman looking for a house in Norway said she HAD to have air conditioning. I think she needs therapy more than A/C!<br />Love you, my sweet!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01468655681800817415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-39406532565405063642012-01-01T12:01:44.246-08:002012-01-01T12:01:44.246-08:00I liked this post very much, Melanie. We lost our ...I liked this post very much, Melanie. We lost our home of many years when hubby lost his job the first time. Ever since we've been renting. It certainly makes a difference to "once have had and then lost." But after 13 years of moving and roaming and feeling so unsettled, we have learned to "roll with the punches," as the saying goes.<br /><br />By the way, I've never seen this show, "House Hunters." So thank you for blog. Now I know what it is all about! :)<br /><br />Amor i abrazos, querida Amiga!<br />~VirginiaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-64503321219954981902011-12-31T11:04:58.591-08:002011-12-31T11:04:58.591-08:00Wow, Lucy, that is grand of you to say. Happy New ...Wow, Lucy, that is grand of you to say. Happy New Year!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01468655681800817415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-87127624459995836272011-12-31T10:26:45.362-08:002011-12-31T10:26:45.362-08:00Thanks for making me re-think some of my thinking!...Thanks for making me re-think some of my thinking!Lucyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14795342448811764481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-66187335744667794042011-12-31T09:52:25.367-08:002011-12-31T09:52:25.367-08:00Hi Melanie - I'm here via Mark (above) - that ...Hi Melanie - I'm here via Mark (above) - that silly but cute man is my big brother and i assure you he is correct - he has NO clue what HGTV is but his McBox is perfect. The best thing about his McBox is the view out the living room window - beautiful NorCal hills. Oh, and the pool table....oh and the homage to baseball wall .... and his wonderful cozy warm kitchen....and, most of all, it's how people FEEL when they visit Mark's house.<br />I am also in education and I hear you about the lack of raises, and the health insurance that is now being assumed more and more by the employee. As you said, however, I am certainly not in the profession for money but for the satisfaction and connections it gives me. I am fortunate to have entered the CA real estate market a good thirty years ago and have a sweet, just right sized home in a small town. Once upon a time we thought about moving over to the coast if and when we ever hit retirement but now we are happy to stay right here (again, if and when retirement ever arrives). Thanks for your post, I look forward to reading more.Graciewildehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00142582724233027386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-21546432834707068212011-12-31T07:32:58.656-08:002011-12-31T07:32:58.656-08:00Hi Mark-- thanks so much for coming by and for the...Hi Mark-- thanks so much for coming by and for the story of the evolution of your McBox. How I adore that term! My heart yearns for a small house with a small mortgage and a small yard for my cats.<br />That you don't know the HGTV shows I mention speaks highly of your character in my book! :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01468655681800817415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-7272744469219062012011-12-31T07:28:11.990-08:002011-12-31T07:28:11.990-08:00Hi Desi-- thanks for stopping by and for your insi...Hi Desi-- thanks for stopping by and for your insightful comments. I'm going to plant some trees this week if I possibly can. A small, scuffed house full of love sounds heavenly to me. Aside from my husband, the best parts about our house are the noisy cats and their fur balls in the corners. Happy new year to you and your family!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01468655681800817415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-23424428726858427662011-12-31T07:24:59.651-08:002011-12-31T07:24:59.651-08:00Masked Mom-- thanks for the comments. I am with yo...Masked Mom-- thanks for the comments. I am with you on the weddings, even though some people would run us out of town for saying so. What is it with a middle-class couple spending an average of $20-30,000 on a wedding (and those lavish flowers you mention)? The attitude that a Kardashian wedding is a birthright is truly puzzling to me. The best thing I can say about these weddings is that they provide jobs for others :). But the expectations these wedding extravaganzas set up are extremely high. Hmmn. I hear a blog post coming on.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01468655681800817415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-15688328324316416532011-12-31T05:52:38.332-08:002011-12-31T05:52:38.332-08:00That last word was supposed to be piece. I guess ...That last word was supposed to be piece. I guess I had better keep a firmer hand on the leash which controls my tongue/pen...Mark O'Neillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16295762252612104201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-46214249539156748362011-12-31T05:50:17.211-08:002011-12-31T05:50:17.211-08:00I am here via Masked Mom's Liebster awards, an...I am here via Masked Mom's Liebster awards, and as a retired teacher, I can certainly identify with the concept of "not being in it for the money." I also am not sure that I did not like my 16 by 20 windowless, powerless, waterless cabin that I built in 1981, more than the 3,000 square feet plus McBox that the little cabin has evolved into. I'm not sure what HGTV is and am not familiar with the shows you mentioned, but that doesn't make me a bad guy, I hope. And the only granite on the premises is that which is perched on my shoulders, thank you very much. I really enjoyed this pMark O'Neillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16295762252612104201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-15129631533600860282011-12-30T21:09:27.291-08:002011-12-30T21:09:27.291-08:00Love this. My mum was foreclosed on, twice – once...Love this. My mum was foreclosed on, twice – once when I was a child, and once when I had a child of my own. The weight of failure is so HEAVY, there. Made more so by the judgement of others, and their blissful, hurtful ignorance.<br /><br />I shake my head at House Hunters, too. My house is small, scuffed, worn and loved. It was like that when we bought it, and will always have the long list of small and large repairs that come with old houses. It's home, though, even if I'd really like it to be prettier. And the maple stick we planted 9 years ago is almost an actual tree, now. That helps!Desihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10943687790013340951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-82833069984402739412011-12-30T09:32:36.256-08:002011-12-30T09:32:36.256-08:00I loved this, too. I definitely have tremendous co...I loved this, too. I definitely have tremendous compassion for people who lose their homes--as you said, there is always more to the story than simple snap judgments would have us believe. <br /><br />As to those people with absurd expectations--I know this is probably simplistic scapegoating but I think some of it has to do with the lifestyles portrayed on television--not just reality shows, but even regular dramas, sitcoms, etc. I've lost track of how often the character's means (job, age, etc) are completely off-kilter with the home they are living in or the vacations they can take or (as a former flower shop manager) how elaborate (and expensive) their wedding flowers are and so on. The messages are subtle, maybe even subliminal, but they're there and absorbed over time could easily result in the attitudes you're talking about. (I certainly saw similar attitudes in the flower business when people realized the COST of those lavish displays they had their hearts set on.)Masked Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08197019009052401812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-49518109548049471692011-12-29T13:20:22.733-08:002011-12-29T13:20:22.733-08:00Thanks so much, Judy. Since it looks like we are g...Thanks so much, Judy. Since it looks like we are going to be here for a while, one of my New Year's resolutions is to work at feeling more at "home" here. I think I'll plant some trees!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01468655681800817415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422383139355516259.post-37886794955883091682011-12-29T12:11:02.108-08:002011-12-29T12:11:02.108-08:00I loved this. Happiness is not about the house y...I loved this. Happiness is not about the house you live in. It's about the home you make of what you have. And you shouldn't be apologizing for living in a McMansion (I love that, by the way). You worked hard for it, own it and enjoy it. <br /><br />I realize that we are all just one paycheck or one lost job away from being foreclosed on, or being homeless. And I am thankful every day of my life for the home we live in, and for the jobs we have. <br /><br />Thanks for the great post. Enjoy your house!Judyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16917139752555698353noreply@blogger.com