Lee, you should get a scooter too, then you and DH could race thru the mall. LOL. I should use one but I'm so sure I'd take out a display (probably a glass one at that) that I'd rather limp along. LOL. Betty, I love all your 'plans', great list. Even down to some day becoming a bag lady. You've got things covered and lots of fun shopping with all of us to boot. I think that is just wonderful your little Eli has grown his own watermelons. And heck, he loves kale. I'd like to meet this boy! Hope you are getting strength back from that awful flu. Sounds like Alfred didn't catch it, that's great news. Luvs, that's my favorite Smiley. I tend to open mouth and insert foot, so I should wear a button with him on it. I want to go shopping SOOOO bad to those stores that are a bit of drive (Marshalls, plus opposite direction a TJ Maxx and new Hobby Lobby beside it). But am having a time this past week just making it around the house and taking care of my Dad. My legs and back are REALLY starting to p__s me off. Excuse my blank, just tired of staying in a bad mood and doing nothing. hugs to all, Karen

I'm a firm believer in a flex/getaway room, but you have plenty of those. I agree that what this house needs is one large living area for the family to gather. If you are hoping for your children to grow up and for you to retire in this house, this plan is not the plan for a large family gathering! A couple of friends, kids, their spouses, a couple of grandkids, and that room is going to seem like a closet. (With three sons-in-law and 3 grandkids, I know of which I speak! :) ) Anyway, the back six feet of the room are dedicated to hall area, so you won't have any furniture there, and the opening to the other two walls have doors on them. This makes the family room about 13' X 15', which seems EXTREMELY small for a house this size. You will have to squeeze behind the chairs to walk into the "getting away" room and you will have to squeeze behind chairs to get out to the porch. Where else you would you put additional seating? It's a nice plan, and I like the upstairs, especially, but it doesn't seem suited to your purposes. If I were building a house to grow old in, I would want something more spacious than the study/bathroom on the first floor and certainly more closet space. Perhaps you could put more money into more square footage there, and finish out some of the rest of the house at a later time. Good luck! There's certainly a lot to be excited about in this plan. :)

I thought I was in the Twilight Zone today too. I have a PC and a Mac on my desk at work but only one monitor. There is a button on my desk that toggles between the 2 computers. All of a sudden I was toggling back and forth every time I touched the keyboard!! I just thought the whole system had gone bonkers. I finally found the "button" under the keyboard so every time I touched the keyboard it was pushing the button. I felt really blonde. Linda

Elmer, I think the relation between the aisle walkways and parking space size relates to land availability. Where land is cheap and abundant, parking lots can afford to be generously sized, including the driving lanes and individual parking spaces. Where land is expensive, parking lots need to squeeze in as many spaces as possible. So seeing a walkway is a clue -- but not a guarantee, of course -- that the rest of the parking lot will be nicely sized. That's how I took it. Elizabeth, I agree walkways are nice. But I think the safest thing for small children is to have an attentive adult with them, teaching them how to walk safely, no matter where they walk.