As some of you know, they're a talkative bunch over on KT and the last messages left on P. 67 over there are about Feb 22, so early Feb. ones have fallen over the edge of the abyss by now ... sorry. Guess that I should have posted, to have brought it back to the top. But I expect that most of you who may have been interested went over there to check it. I think that I didn't know how to post a link, then ... but have learned, since. The idea was to stay in motels or hotels, as one gets almost as good service as in many retirement homes. Or go on successive cruises, for similar reasons. Though one would need a place to hang one's hat during the in-between times. And would you like to get rid of everything that you own ... except what you could carry on a cruise ship? Pack rats would have a life-shattering trauma over a situation like that! I hope that everyone's having a lovely week. It was cold and windy here, but sunny and warm, today. ole joyful

One of the big things, at least for us, when we aged, was we just don't have the energy for cleaning a stove top or range, like we use to. With induction, "just a swipe" will do ya!, ya just can't beat that, and as long as you have pans that are approved for induction, (IE a magnet sticks to them), the pan selection is no biggie! We have a total mix of pans, Emeral ware, (cheaper version of All Clad), some I can't even recall the names of, and they all work great on our 7 year old Electrolux Icon Induction cooktop. Course you cant use copper, or glass pans, (perhaps rwiegand didn't know that), but my own experience as well as other posters here, do not indicate any "pan Problems", per say. When you age, you really don't like bending down and looking at or retreaving whatever is in the oven, with a wall oven, yhou can put it at the "perfect Height" for you. Also since my wife and I both cook, we aren't tripping over each other if one wants to use the oven and the other the cooktop, which of course you would with a range. Good luck with your choices, the choices we made have worked out great in "Our Old Age"! PS I agree with you about the fridge, no way did I wanna be digging in the bottom of a freezer, We bought a 48" SXS built in Jenn-air and Love it. We are just as apt to acess the freezer as the fridge, and we keep the most used items inside the fridge or freezer at the perfect height for us. Gary

I read your post and looked at your pictures. My thought was: "What a comfortable home - I could move right in!" So what really bugs you about it? I agree with removing the clock. You could mount the tv on the wall, (hiding the cords?) but is it really worth it? Same with bar stools. I would use them, but if you're sure you never would, why buy them? If you decide to get 2 anyway, choose a style that fits neatly under the island overhang - perhaps a "saddle" style? Wall art? Your wonderful windows are wall art! And... you have a lovely glass case for displaying art objects that you can change out on your whim. Golden oak furniture. I live in a house filled with golden oak furniture my parents accumulated during the 1980's. And golden oak kitchen cabinets they chose when they built a house in 1991. It wasn't until I started reading Gardenweb forums in 2010, I learned that golden oak was "out" and "orange-y". Up till then, I simply thought of all these pieces as "wood". And wood that went well with other (inherited) pieces in the house that date back to the 1920's- 1940's. Trendy or not - it works in MY house. If you truly dislike golden oak, why not sell it and buy what you would like used? Might be more cost effective than buying paint, or hiring someone to professionally paint your furniture. Especially if you might not be pleased with the finished results. Again, I suggest you ask yourself...what REALLY bugs you about your home?

I live in central PA and am just a homeowner, but I do have an air source cold climate heat pump. Last year with a new build, I bought the following for heating/cooling: Mitsubishi - MPV AA36AA 7 36,000 BTU multi position indoor air handler Mitsubishi - MPUZHA36NHA5 (3 ton) Hyper-Heat technology variable speed outdoor heat pump Mitsubishi - MEHI0MPL (two stage) I0kw electric heat package House is two story, little over 1900 sq. ft., full glass French doors, 13 windows, two half glass exterior doors, standard insulation, unconditioned basement, and hybrid heat pump hot water heater. My first full month (electricity bill wise) living in the house was from about November 17-December 17. This period was colder than our normal temps for that time of the year, and I did a TON of laundry (electric dryer, of course -- I had stored a bunch of clothes, and washed everything when moving in). The bill was $141 (I think the electricity was around 11.5 cents, which was down from earlier in the year). Weather became milder (more average temps) I am now 28 days into the electricity bill, and the balance is $101.07. I was extremely hesitant to buy a heat pump, because I only ever knew "traditional" HP's in this area which are only used for AC and a tiny bit of heating during very mild weather. On paper, the cold climate HP's looked great, and I decided to take the leap. So far, I am VERY HAPPY with the decision! The Mitsubishi unit I have is still able to product 80% capacity at -13. Last year, I did my own figuring with current oil/electricity prices, and guessed that, in my situation, I would be: Any temps down to low 20's, saving money with HP over oil. Between low 20's and mid teens, HP and oil about the same. Low teens and below, HP costs more than oil. Of course, this varies incredibly based on oil and electricity prices, but it was one of the pros/cons lists I did. The company that installed the system said they would never expect the heat strips to ever have to kick on, but they are there, just in case.