Wednesday Hodgepodge

What color is prominent in your home? Are you glad about that or wishing you could cover it up or remove it?

I have a few basic colors in my house ... pale gold, red, green, and black (cabinets, leather couch, etc.) I absolutely LOVE my colors! They remind me of fall, which is my favorite season, and make me feel warm and cozy. Even if I was going to be moving into a completely new house, I would choose these colors all over again. Even when they are out of style, I do not think I will be able to part with them.

What's something you'll NEVER do again?

Oh my. There certainly are a few prominent things. I will keep it light, though ... I will never watch a scary movie again. I value my sleep way too much to fill it with something that will keep me awake, especially in fear.

Tell us a couple of ways you fit the stereotypes associated with your gender, and a couple of ways you don't.

I am a nurturer, and I believe a woman's place is at home taking care of her family. I read lists of stereotypes of men and didn't feel like I fit into any of them, really, other than I am a natural leader and not meek and mild and silent and submissive. And, I like to drink beer out of a bottle.

May is Motorcycle Awareness Month. Have you ever owned a motorcycle? Ever ridden a motorcycle? If the opportunity presented itself would you hop on a motorcycle and go for a ride?

I have not owned a motorcycle. I rode on the back of one for a short distance once. I do not like them, hate the idea of a car coming up behind me. This is a "I will never again" item.

If someone wanted to understand you, what should they read, watch, and listen to?

You could read Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, or just this blog. I would watch the show Parenthood. I remind myself a lot of Kristina Braverman. Definitely listen to "The Slow Home Podcast". It is definitely the direction I am heading and what I aspire to become.

Insert your own random thought here.

We have come full circle. Several months ago we bought 17 acres with the dream of building a farmhouse and having a small hobby farm. Kyndal and Collin were planning to build on the property, too. They decided that it would be best for them to just buy a larger home in town instead of to build. We, too, decided that it would be best for our family not to build. So, the property is back on the market. Then we were faced with a decision to either put significant amounts of money into our current house or buy a different one. We put our house on the market and put a contract on a slightly larger 100 year old house that has been remodeled and updated. Since then the kids have expressed an interest in staying in our current home, our roof here has started to leak meaning we need to replace it to even sell it, and I was starting to feel some sadness about leaving this house that I really, really love. We have decided, ultimately, to back out of our contract on the other house and take ours back off the market. We are going to stay put and do some extensive renovations here: replace the roof, tear down our garage that is falling apart and is an eyesore, put up a privacy fence around our back and side yard for privacy away from the trashy houses that are behind us, gut and completely remodel our one bathroom, renovate the cool upstairs attic into a 450 square foot master suite with bathroom and living area, move Brynne into the current master bedroom and out of the "meth" room in the basement (we kid her that her room was previously a meth lab by the previous owners), and put in a new HVAC system. I am so excited about all of this and feel so much more at peace! If I am learning anything at all currently, it's that I need peace in my life, and I do not need one more thing I have to take care of, like a farm. That is just a pipe dream that is going to have to die.