Not until recently. You always think it will be your kids who move back in, but in our case it was first a son's ex-girlfriend who needed emergency housing, which turned into a 9 month stay (she's darling and a good friend), and later a nephew just out of the army finding his way in the civilian world. That lasted for just 2 or 3 months, but he always came back for advice about how things were going in his life. (Things went well. First he finished his HS education and then college. He now has a very lucrative job and a darling family of his own.) Our youngest moved back in for a while because he was making poverty wages at Barnes and Noble and couldn't afford anything else until he got a "real" job and moved north. In the end, the oldest and youngest both moved to the northern end of the state, which is just too far for an easy drive - 9 hours - which made holidays tough. The middle child moved to the other side of the country early on. We recently made the decision to move north to be closer the two up here and the two darling grandchildren, leaving behind the house we bought 41 years ago before #1 was even born. If we ever manage to get this house functioning, I expect the kids/grandkids to be here often. The other coaster may actually make it out this way. Meanwhile, I'm still doing laundry at my daughter's house across town. She figures that's a good exchange for babysitting. I figure that I really like my new backyard:

Forget the brick or you will destroy the simple timeless elegance you are looking for. The photo is much simpler and nicer than the elevation drawing. The buildings that inspired this design are even simpler (no front facing gables, that's an English tradition) and unit masonry would only be seen where the stucco surface coating had been damaged and not repaired. It would never be used as a feature. Stick with the French inspiration and don't mess it up with modern builder/developer accents. Alternatively, study English Cotswold cottages if you like front facing gables.

It's so helpful to me to read about these experiences and learn more about these communities, so thank you for continuing to share. And for the HOA link, Maire Cate, because I have lived with HOA's, but they served more as insurance that a neighbor wouldn't paint their house neon pink or set up a trailer in their back yard. Kswl, I've watched parents and in-laws make living decisions later in life, and so far, I haven't seen examples I want to follow. My father was a hermit and insisted on living on his own, had a terrible fall, landed in the hospital, and essentially gave up and died in a skilled nursing facility when he realized he wasn't going to be able to live on his own again. It all happened within a span of a few months, and I can understand in his mind he was doing it on his own terms. But I wonder what his later years would have been like with more safety measures in his day-to-day living. Plenty were suggested, but he was stubborn and intensely paranoid. My in-laws have a large home on property which seems similar to what you left. A lot of land, a lot of house, and a lot to manage. The outside work kept my FIL active and busy in his early retirement, and he truly enjoyed it. Now, they're both around 80, and, after some terrible accidents that could have ended badly, he's finally realized he cannot much of it anymore. He hires out the work, and family helps when we can. But each time we visit, we notice more decline in the upkeep. Unfortunately, while their property is beautiful, they're a good 20 minutes from town. Most days, they spend sitting in recliners, watching TV and eating. Their health is suffering as a result of inactivity, poor eating habits, and low social engagement. I'd rather see them in a community like yours, which they could very well afford, but neither wants to leave. I remember "the call" about my dad's fall. I'm waiting for the call about my in-laws. All I can say to those of you considering your next step, as well as those of you have taken it--no matter what it is--is that you've given your adult children and/or loved ones a wonderful gift, and not just spare bedrooms. But reassurance that you're both in a positive, healthy and safe environment. Good lesson for me to remember, too.

Our kids have been grown and gone to their own homes for years now. My meal prep changed drastically after they left home and they would hardly recognize the dinner table anymore. I cook what I like to refer to as "bistro style". I keep it simple with an eye towards nutritional balance and I aim for quality over quantity. I serve dinner mostly plated, as opposed to serving bowls. I like to make an attractive presentation and we now use smaller salad plates as dinner plates. As time has gone on I have managed to simplify my kitchen and I can now prepare dinner and have the mess cleaned up before we even sit down to eat. It seems that I prepare enough dinner for three. We each have dinner and HE has lunch the next day. I didn't do this intentionally. It just seems to have grown organically into what I do. It took some time to tailor the meals down to just the two of us. I dont much like freezing too many things. I prefer the approach of making a larger quantity of something basic that can then be tweaked to become a different meal for more than one day. Most things, to me, are more enjoyable if left two days in the fridge rather than two weeks in the freezer. Some things lose a substantial appeal when they defrost, depending. Roasted meat is one thing that I find distasteful if it is frozen. Meat that is stewed and then frozen in it's broth keeps much better. It has been my experience that anything thickened with corn starch does not defrost well.