jdarg said:
Drooling over the long shot of a SNOW DAY, no doubt!!! I think I heard something about some more freezing precip here...things might look up for them. It would probably hit on the weekend though!!!
I wouldn't want this job
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Drooling over the long shot of a SNOW DAY, no doubt!!! I think I heard something about some more freezing precip here...things might look up for them. It would probably hit on the weekend though!!!
Paula said:
Paula! I can't believe you said that, because that's exactly how we feel about SoWal. I walk in the evenings on the 30-A bike path with my husband and think that my life in Indianapolis is translated beautifully to SoWal: it's like I live in neighborhoods that are mirror-images of each other. SoWal has that same "feel" to me. The houses at the beach are lovely historical reproductions, with a few modern twists here and there, as old neighborhoods have. The houses are close together, you can walk to restaurants and stores just like "at home" and you get to know people, too. I feel so comfortable in SoWal, like it's a natural extention of my Midwest life--with wonderful benefits like sea and sand.
Mermaid:
I think SoWal is perfect for MidWesterners for all those reasons. And I think MidWesterners tend to be pretty laid back, too. (though I'm originally from New England -- cow country in Western Massachusetts). I always choose to live in neighborhoods with houses close to each other because I like to meet and talk to people and have a real sense of community. And I like to walk to places (or at least drive a short distance only). A lot of people like wide open spaces for homes, but I like people walking by and stopping by the porch for a snack, drink and to talk.
Our cottage in SoWal is very different from our home in Michigan (one new and one story; one old and two+ stories), but they both are very homey and inviting -- and both have large porches which I love. Like you, I feel we really found the best of both worlds. Now if we could control taxes and utility bills....
I think SoWal is perfect for MidWesterners for all those reasons. And I think MidWesterners tend to be pretty laid back, too. (though I'm originally from New England -- cow country in Western Massachusetts). I always choose to live in neighborhoods with houses close to each other because I like to meet and talk to people and have a real sense of community. And I like to walk to places (or at least drive a short distance only). A lot of people like wide open spaces for homes, but I like people walking by and stopping by the porch for a snack, drink and to talk.
Our cottage in SoWal is very different from our home in Michigan (one new and one story; one old and two+ stories), but they both are very homey and inviting -- and both have large porches which I love. Like you, I feel we really found the best of both worlds. Now if we could control taxes and utility bills....
I loved your pix of snowday, Paula--and the description of "snowday voodoo"--we had a snowday last Friday (actually didn't snow much)--but teenaged daughter and I stayed home and did her college applications. It worked well for several hours till she began to whine that she "hadn't had her snow day fun".....which meant time to go outside with her buddies.
TooFarTampa
SoWal Insider
Mermaid said:Paula! I can't believe you said that, because that's exactly how we feel about SoWal. I walk in the evenings on the 30-A bike path with my husband and think that my life in Indianapolis is translated beautifully to SoWal: it's like I live in neighborhoods that are mirror-images of each other. SoWal has that same "feel" to me. The houses at the beach are lovely historical reproductions, with a few modern twists here and there, as old neighborhoods have. The houses are close together, you can walk to restaurants and stores just like "at home" and you get to know people, too. I feel so comfortable in SoWal, like it's a natural extention of my Midwest life--with wonderful benefits like sea and sand.
Me too! West-Central Florida is actually the midwest, did you know that? When I was growing up everyone's parents were from Michigan, Ohio or Indiana.
Anyway, I'm also one of those who doesn't mind close-by neighbors (especially if they are wonderful people like our sweet Seacrest neighbor GTTBM!). We live in an 80 year old house in Tampa in a very tight knit neighborhood and I wouldn't have it any other way. There is such a thing as too much density, but I love the feel of the old neighborhoods with the canopy of tree-lined streets.
Our dream lot in Seagrove is a really nice size and it's in a quirky beach town ... I like that. Never built new though; the youngest residence we've had was a '40s Cape in Massachussetts! I'm sure building will be an experience. I am sure that when it is finished it will look exactly like an old house, except without the "patina" and the 2x4s that are actually 2 inches by 4 inches. I love the cottage look and can't wait to build one at the beach. Gonna be awhile though ...TooFarTampa said:Me too! West-Central Florida is actually the midwest, did you know that? When I was growing up everyone's parents were from Michigan, Ohio or Indiana.
Anyway, I'm also one of those who doesn't mind close-by neighbors (especially if they are wonderful people like our sweet Seacrest neighbor GTTBM!). We live in an 80 year old house in Tampa in a very tight knit neighborhood and I wouldn't have it any other way. There is such a thing as too much density, but I love the feel of the old neighborhoods with the canopy of tree-lined streets.
TooFarTampa, you know what they say about good things being worth waiting for! Do you get Cottage Living magazine? I'm addicted to that one, and Coastal Living as well. We stayed at a cottage near Eastern Lake this past July and although it was new, it was a perfect reproduction! Only without the substandard electrics, noisy plumbing, and drafty windows. ;-) We loved it. And even though we stayed only a week, we met all the neighbors on the street, just like we would at home. :clap_1:
Kids are really disappointed they didn't get a snow day today despite their voodoo. They're walking around pretty sad this morning. New Yorker, your storms tend to be much worse than our storms in Michigan because you get the North Easterners and those are doozies. (Though I don't know if NY gets the brunt of those North Easterners.)
As for comparing old and new houses, I like having the old house in Michigan for all the reasons people like old houses and the new cottage in SoWal for all the reasons people like new homes. The SoWal new place is by far easier to take care of (of course, we have a management company that takes care of it because it's a rental). On the other hand, every time we go down there I end up doing something -- weeding those nasty thorned vines, bleaching the front porches at least 2Xyear because they get moldy, patching up and painting the holes from the wood that protects the windows during hurricanes). But it sure is all worth it.
And I get Cottage Living Magazine, Country Living Magazine, Southern Living Magazine, and Coastal Living Magazine. I love them all.
As for comparing old and new houses, I like having the old house in Michigan for all the reasons people like old houses and the new cottage in SoWal for all the reasons people like new homes. The SoWal new place is by far easier to take care of (of course, we have a management company that takes care of it because it's a rental). On the other hand, every time we go down there I end up doing something -- weeding those nasty thorned vines, bleaching the front porches at least 2Xyear because they get moldy, patching up and painting the holes from the wood that protects the windows during hurricanes). But it sure is all worth it.
And I get Cottage Living Magazine, Country Living Magazine, Southern Living Magazine, and Coastal Living Magazine. I love them all.
Paula...you are LIVING the good life!!!!
Yes, I feel very lucky most days. I'm a "nester" at heart and have places to nest in and people to nest with. (and books and magazines to curl up with). My goal this year is to get rid of clutter everywhere in our regular house, beach cottage, and in my office (just got the recliner delivered in my office on Wednesday -- it looks and feels great -- I've had a lot of company in my office since it arrived).
By the way, there's a lot of good research on "the good life". One of the main predictors of happiness is "happiness is wanting what you have, not having what you want." Other predictors of happiness are being a satisficer not a maximizer (not always want the best or perfect decison because you won't get it anyway), relationships, optimism, faith, having a sense of control. For me, I think a porch is probably a good predictor, too.
By the way, there's a lot of good research on "the good life". One of the main predictors of happiness is "happiness is wanting what you have, not having what you want." Other predictors of happiness are being a satisficer not a maximizer (not always want the best or perfect decison because you won't get it anyway), relationships, optimism, faith, having a sense of control. For me, I think a porch is probably a good predictor, too.
Pauls...great insights! I need to continue the decluttering in Dallas. Do you have a good plan for this? Like, where do you start? I do it some here and there...especially when the charities call. I think a decluttering of the mind is a good idea as well!