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When Doug and I purchased our "starter" home back in 1979, we were in the high energy years. Back then, home improvement meant anything, including sweat, which would increase the value of our home. We didn't have any money, but we worked hard to landscape the property, update the kitchen and modernize the baths. Anything to build up equity (as cheaply as possible) so we could "move up" later in life. In 1990, we moved into our "middle" house. It was located, located, located in an up-and-coming neighborhood in the 'burbs. Suddenly home improvement meant upgrading our automobiles to reflect our new status, whether we could afford to or not. No one had a rusted old "boat" like our Cutlass parked in their driveway--I think there was actually a home-owner's association rule against it. So we went the minivan route like the neighbors, and even kept the car's color sedate to coordinate with the almost-comatose-looking neutrals of the houses. We still didn't have any money, and even less energy, but we worked hard to add those "designer" touches which would support an exaggerated resale value. Finally, we built what may be our last house in 1994. We can see a couple neighbor's houses (the only couple neighbors we have) in the winter when there are no leaves. In the summer, we see no one's land but our own. I'd love it if we had our youthful energy back, but I wouldn't use it to do much landscaping. Unless it was to paint that old Cutlass purple and make a funky piece of yard-art out of it. Now we're not worried about resale value and sweat equity. Now our idea of home improvement is anything which requires less maintenance than it did before, with no loss of function. To that end, yesterday we impulsively ripped out the shower door in the master bath. For six years, I had hidden from my husband my loathing for that scum-magnet, but the truth will eventually out. Now I have a beautiful lace shower curtain, and the most hopeless, thankless, worthless cleaning job in the history of housekeeping is no more. That's home improvement!

Posted by Katy on 03/09/01 at 10:30 PM

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Personal blog of christian writer & fallible mom Katy McKenna Raymond in Kansas City, Missouri Katy is represented by Greg Johnson at WordServe Literary Read more Katy at LateBoomer.net Follow Katy on Twitter Follow Katy on Facebook 123 Recent Posts Try Becoming Brenda Starr Off Beat Scattered That’s It So I’ve Finally Signed With An Agent. Now What? The Spoon Sciatica Sweetheart A Woman’s Train of Thought Has No Caboose However much we own, we are all still living on borrowed time After all, when restaurants shrink portions, they don’t shrink prices. As with everything in life, balance is key. Slow down, you move too fast… Yeah, I know. I have issues. Search Advanced Search Syndicate Login E me at katy @ ngenius.com	(No Title) When Doug and I purchased our "starter" home back in 1979, we were in the high energy years. Back then, home improvement meant anything, including sweat, which would increase the value of our home. We didn't have any money, but we worked hard to landscape the property, update the kitchen and modernize the baths. Anything to build up equity (as cheaply as possible) so we could "move up" later in life. In 1990, we moved into our "middle" house. It was located, located, located in an up-and-coming neighborhood in the 'burbs. Suddenly home improvement meant upgrading our automobiles to reflect our new status, whether we could afford to or not. No one had a rusted old "boat" like our Cutlass parked in their driveway--I think there was actually a home-owner's association rule against it. So we went the minivan route like the neighbors, and even kept the car's color sedate to coordinate with the almost-comatose-looking neutrals of the houses. We still didn't have any money, and even less energy, but we worked hard to add those "designer" touches which would support an exaggerated resale value. Finally, we built what may be our last house in 1994. We can see a couple neighbor's houses (the only couple neighbors we have) in the winter when there are no leaves. In the summer, we see no one's land but our own. I'd love it if we had our youthful energy back, but I wouldn't use it to do much landscaping. Unless it was to paint that old Cutlass purple and make a funky piece of yard-art out of it. Now we're not worried about resale value and sweat equity. Now our idea of home improvement is anything which requires less maintenance than it did before, with no loss of function. To that end, yesterday we impulsively ripped out the shower door in the master bath. For six years, I had hidden from my husband my loathing for that scum-magnet, but the truth will eventually out. Now I have a beautiful lace shower curtain, and the most hopeless, thankless, worthless cleaning job in the history of housekeeping is no more. That's home improvement! Posted by Katy on 03/09/01 at 10:30 PM Fallible Comments... Commenting is not available in this weblog entry. Next entry: (No Title) Previous entry: (No Title) << Back to main


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Personal blog of christianwriter & fallible momKaty McKenna Raymondin Kansas City, Missouri

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Personal blog of christian
writer & fallible mom
Katy McKenna Raymond
in Kansas City, Missouri