Thank you all so very much for your thoughtful, moving responses. Wow - I'm overwhelmed to know that so many of you feel similarly, and also wowed that there at least a couple of you whose lifestyles are like mine - with your hubbies staying at home while you go out there and bring home the bacon. (It is an unusual lifestyle, and I've found, surprisingly, that even in this day and age of acceptance, many people still raise eyebrows at the choice that my DH and I have made in this regard.) I think that women just lean naturally more towards that nurturing instinct than men, which is pretty much what Red said. Not that there aren't men who make a home and do it beautifully (I think of my own dad, who adores making homemade soup and knows how to clean house down to the last perfect detail), but more often than not, home-nurturing is a feminine trait. Perhaps it is a combination of seasonal change and hormones and "the grass is greener syndrome" rearing up in me that's causing my feelings. We don't have kids at home, although 7 indoor cats are demanding and force constant cleaning vigilance around the house. I must admit, I'm thankful that DH is home to deal with the nastier aspects of this, as I have zero desire to wipe up kitty barf or clean up the misplaced "tootsie rolls" that magically appear on the rugs at times. In my past life (when I was married to my ex), I spent 4 years as a full-time homemaker, and I absolutely adored being at home. That was a period in which some of my fondest memories were made, as my mom and I got to enjoy hours of "girl time" together. We shopped, we lunched, we traveled, and on my own I decorated and gardened and cooked and sewed, and did not for one minute miss the outside workplace. After four years circumstances dictated that I go back to work full time, and I've now been at this job for 15 years. Just as I was thankful for my time off work, I'm also thankful for my job. I know it's enabled me to do much and have things and experiences that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to. A very important part of my life nowadays is traveling. DH and I love Mexico, and I honestly am not sure what I'd do if suddenly I were forced to give up our twice-yearly trips down south of the border. This thread has reminded me that there are indeed trade-offs, and I need to be increasingly thankful for what I do have and love and enjoy, instead of pining for what I don't have. I feel I'm rambling now. Just wanted to thank everyone for the wonderful input. There's so much to ponder here.

Well now, timing is always the thing, isn't it? You cannot predict how long it will take your current home to sell. No matter how well you research days on the market, no matter how well you price, no matter how aggressive your realtor is, the timing of selling, closing, and moving is always open to delays. If you don't stay flexible you will lose your mind trying to micromanage things far beyond your control. Obviously, do not renew that lease. I'd put the old home up for sale 3-4 months before the lease expires and then be sure and let them know you are renting to them on a month to month basis afterwards. The rest is up to fate :) You can specify hours that your home is available for showing. Confine that cat to one easily disinfected room and stock up on enzyme cleaners. You could even get a large, roomy crate or even a cool multi-level cat cage to confine the animal as cat pee is the devil. DO NOT allow that animal to roam your house! I have to say though that inappropriate elimination is the first symptom of many easily remedied medical issues. If this cat has not seen the vet over this issue, go now. If he has been in the past he needs to go again. If the health of the animal is not a priority for you consider the cost an investment in selling, because the stench of cat pee will halt even the most interested buyer right in their tracks.

We actually moved to another state while our house was on the market -- with all of our stuff in it! We just turned the heat down, turned off the water heater, and instructed our agent to check on it before/after a showing. This only bit us in the butt once when another agent showed it without notifying my agent for a couple of days. The showing agent left the door open to the garage (which was right near the thermostat inside), causing the furnace to run continually for about 4 days. Of course, this was in the coldest part of the winter. Our electric bill was MUCH higher than I had expected because of that. I also had a trusted neighbor who would go over and wipe out the sinks (for water spots), swish some bleach in the toilets, and vacuum every few showings. We sold our house after 110 days on the market, which is about average for that market.

As i said, ask Monica Lewinsky or Linda Tripp. You are largely ignoring the question of expectation of privacy. There is a reasonable expectation privacy in your home, car and other possessions. There is also some expectation of privacy in personal communications. So it is widely held that there is a reasonable expectation of privacy for phone calls (a personal communication). Some states only require a single participant to wave privacy in phone calls, while others require all parties to wave privacy. However, you generally don't have a reasonable expectation of privacy in someone else's home in which you are not a tenant, unless, of course, you are using the restroom or some other private space. Things get interesting at the intersection of your personal conversation in my property. At what point your reasonable expectation of privacy in your conversations supersedes my right to protect my property is a gray area which will probably not be answered here today. Video-only tends to be acceptable when you are having a private conversation in a place where you have no expectation of privacy, as it doesn't intrude on the privacy of your personal conversation. However, that doesn't mean that is all that is allowed, or that it is even allowed. There is lots of nuance and complexity in this. Personally, I remove cameras from a house when I sell it. I would feel uncomfortable not telling people I was recording them and I am afraid they will not be comfortable if they are aware they are being recorded. I guess it is a non-physics version of the observer effect.