Hello, It is really neat to read about everyone. I am feeling really young. I am 31, married and have 3 girls and 1 more on the way. I live in the country near Clay Center Kansas. I am an elementary teacher. This year I moved schools and moved up to Middle School Math. I grew up on a farm raising livestock (Cattle and Hogs) and crops. There was not enough $$$ on the farm to support more families, so I went my own direction. Now I am starting my own "farm" as my wife says. I have around an 1 acre garden. I grow alot of our produce for sale at 3 small farmers markets I attend. I started to make jellies to add to the produce that I sell. It also helps me use stuff that I don't sell or isn't perfect. I work very hard at what I do and enjoy every minute of it. I don't have a tractor, (I wish I did) and I am expanding every year. Everything is done by hand, usually mine. I get the kids involved as much as possible. They are great at somethings, but not everything. Next year I am putting up two hoopbuildings,(12 by 45ft each) to grow tomatoes and cucumbers in. I want to capture the most $ for my labor. I have time in June and July, but once August roles around, it is back to school and I don't have that much time to spend in the garden. I am not into gardening for the $$, I am into it for good produce and flavor. I also love to grow things that people have never seen before. Black tomatoes, Lemon Cucumbers, Chocolate Bell peppers, Strange Squash, etc, etc, etc. I usually don't sell lots of these things, but they do keep bringing people back. We have a small flock of chickens, started out as a 2nd grade chicken egg hatching project. Those chickens were some tough 'ol birds. We use alot of eggs and sell the rest at my market stand. Future plans? To continue the garden and probably expand by another 1/4 acre. Maybe try using floating row covers for squash. I enjoy gardening more and more. I wish I could do it full time year around. Kansas weather doesn't allow that to happen! I want to expand my pepper jellies and sell online and to local shops and I wish I could win the lotto so I could do it all. It just isn't possible or is it? I will still come back here and read about everyone and find new recipes to try. Thanks for the support and Keep up the good work! Jay

folkvictorian, you are absolutely right about people throwing away their pets. Millions do it everyday and I cannot go near Craigs list or I go nuts reading ad after ad written by some irresponsible jerk who took an animal with no regard for its' life for the next 10-15 years or for however long it would live. To those people animals are disposable. Those ads you point out are very disturbing. The one who adopted from a shelter is in direct violation of their contract because when you adopt from a shelter or a rescue organization you are obligated to return the animal to them for rehoming. It's unfortunate shelters can't do thorough screenings and they also can't eliminate as many people as potential adopters as a private adopter would require. This is the reason so many animals adopted from shelters end up without a home within the first year of their adoption. I realize that sometimes is it absolutely necessary to find a home for an animal that someone can no longer care for, but most of the time, like these 2, who clearly have not stated it is a necessity, just dispose of them because they are too lazy and/or unwilling to take the time the animal needs or spend the money to care for it. When I hear people say they have to get rid of an animal because they are moving and the new place doesn't accept animals, my question is, then why don't you find a place that does? I know why they don't, because it takes time to find that right place. I also love the one, my new fiance' doesn't like it. Well, my advice is, get rid of the fiance' now because if you marry him you'll be wishing you had not traded your dog/cat for him. I've worked as an animal adoption counselor for 25 years and have heard every excuse for people wanting to dump their animals. The one that took the award for stupidity was the family who walked in the shelter one day with their current pet, turned it in at the front desk and proudly said, we don't want this one anymore because the kids don't like it. We want to adopt a new one. Needless to say they didn't get a new one from that shelter. When people are so willing to give up a pet for some lame reason, the first question in my mind is, would you give up your child for that reason also? As far as I'm concerned, when you adopt an animal, just like when you make the decision to have a child, it is your responsibility for life. Now if you can't take care of it, then find it a better life, but don't just throw it away because it is too much trouble and you are too lazy to deal with it. What is wonderful to see and is happening around the country is shelters doing a better job of educating potential animal owners about the responsibility and expense of owning a pet. Some people are truly ignorant and don't have a clue, but unfortuantely it's the majority that do that upset me.

She is in her early 50s, so stairs and such are not really a problem. The lot is 1/2 acre fully fences as far as I could tell when we were there. The bathroom is on the ground floor. Since she will be living alone, I don't think having a single bathroom is a big deal (our current house has 2.5 bathrooms, but we only really use one of them). I guess it would be a bit of a problem if something went wrong! The living alone thing is a big deal for me, since I don't want her to be stuck alone far from everyone else. It's about 35 minutes to her work from this house, and 20 minutes to the city. It is quite close to the main highway, so it's not like it's in the middle of nowhere. I'm just not sure she is going to find the kind of house she'd like in the city. I am 23, so I obviously won't be living with her full time, but I have most of the Summer and weekends I can help her out. I'm pretty sure general upkeep is not a big deal, and even some somewhat major renovations like redoing the kitchen are not outside my area of expertise, given all the work that's been put into the current house. The reason I'm posting here is because she keeps asking ME for advice on whether to buy the house, and I really have no idea. I've explained everything above, and that I'm concerned about hidden issues with the house, but she hasn't decided anything yet. I'd just like some thoughts from other people who live in older houses, especially rural areas like this. My instinct tells me she would be better off in a new house without any upkeep issues, but I do not want her to regret not buying this house later because of my advice. My sister is not a lot of help -- I think she would buy a rotting old shack if it was old! If she does decide she's seriously interested, what sort of things should I be looking out for beyond getting an inspection by someone with experience in old homes? One thing that did come to mind is the electrical systems, since I haven't asked whether they are updated. Here is a full online tour of the house: http://venturehomes.ca/VirtualTour.asp?TourID=6803#self Background info: http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/ENGLISH/exhibits/fenians/wolverton.htm

When I was born and came home from the hospital, I was introduced to my first SMALL HOUSE. 900 and something sf 3 bedroom 1 bath in a tract neighborhood. This was home to my mother, father and 3 siblings. I lived there until I moved out and into a SMALL rental HOUSE. From there, a banker friend I worked with and I decided to build a new SMALL HOUSE. 3/2, 1,400 sf, nice, new, loved it. He started dating, then married one of my former girlfriends so he bought me out and I moved on. I bought an older SMALL HOUSE, 2/1, large lot, haunted. Yes, haunted. Sounds unbelieveable and I am not prone to things that go bump in the night but if you spent any time in this house you would be a believer. Sold that. Bought a lot and designed then built a 2/2 about 1,100 sf. This was a perfect SMALL HOUSE for me. The local economy took a turn for the worse (1988/1989) I was working on commission and had to sell the house and move back in with my parents temporarily. Unable to find a job in Florida, I packed my car and moved to South Carolina. I rented a SMALL apartment, met my wife and she moved in. From there to a slightly larger SMALL apartment, then we bought our marital home, 3/2 1,500 sf. Although it was just a run of the mill, older 3/2 with a one car carport, it was great neighborhood and I loved living there. My two sons were raised there. It had a den and a formal living room. We rarely used the living room, in fact, most of the time, it never even had furniture in it so in reality, we actually lived in about 1,300 sf of that SMALL space. Divorce took me to another SMALL apartment and from there to my current SMALL home. 3/1, 1024 sf. Oh, I too had a lover in AR. "Had" means she made other choices too and that still hurts. Sorry if I strayed off topic, but it was a SMALL indescretion. :) Scott