Day 211 CJSM

Day 211

 

 

Doing homework at the kitchen counter

in Maeystown while Mom made dinner

 

 

Today the “open-concept” home design is all the rage. Wow!

 We have built several new houses since 1970 through 2000; each offered “open-concept.

 First, we would find a construction lot, usually from 5 to ten acres, two, 70-80 and a 214.

 Then, depending on the “lay-of-the-land, we designed a house-plan to compliment the land employing consideration for height, number of stories, elevations, contour, size, exterior finishes, window choices, doors and the most important choice, how much “glass: could we employ in the building. We took full advantage of views, natural consequences like creeks, lakes, ponds. High spots were always a top choice; several sites really offered excellent vistas.

 As I laid out the site, we made change in elevations, basement design, orientation as to direction. I did “hands-on” construction from each and every of the myriad aspects of building a home from digging the hole to landscaping the completed site---Great fun!...very rewarding.

 I decided the kids should have a swimming pool, so, I found a distributor who sold me a “kit”, I laid out the design-site, dug a hole, contoured the slopes and depth, set it up, completed the erection, planned the deck and landscaped the finished oasis. Voila!

 Our home on the 214 acre farm at our beloved Maeystown I completed in 6 ½ weeks; we moved in September and the girls started school for the year; Beth in 7^th grade, Becky in 1^st.

 Each night, after we had “played” in the pool or taken a horseback ride or just did simple things like batting-practice or pitch and catch or hiking with the dogs, the girls settled in to do the school days assignment of homework. Our girls were diligent, like their Mom; not like me.

While Nan made supper after working a full day teaching, I watched T.V. and the kids got down to the business at hand---school work. (Actually. I kept busy, too---reloading, shooting, hunting, fishing, daydreaming, reading, writing, planning our next home---and…just immensely enjoying life!) Some things I an “good” at---they all come under the umbrella of…loafing!

I tended the fire in the family room hearth adjacent to the dining room-kitchen and counter.

That  treasured “open-concept” prevailed expanding to the outdoors with decks and patios.

The girls have always made us immensely proud; they are intelligent, Christian-generous.

All-in-all, we did pretty well for our tidy little family; not too shabby for a “poor”-kid!

Faith! Family! Freedom! Folks. Just in case you haven’t picked up my life’s sacred mantra, by now! Life is for living! Enjoy! Before it is too late! I wish you---Happiness! Embrace it!

 

Amen!

 

Ah! Cookie Jar Sweet “Family!” Memories!