I'm sad. I so wish I hadn't looked at the thread with pics of people's homes.

[Colleen]

I know I shouldn't covet, but...I do. And now I made the mistake of looking at the threads with pics of people's kitchens and dining rooms and I want to cry. Or I should say, I don't want to cry, but I feel like I'm going to.:sad: I'm salivating over everyone's spacious, beautiful kitchens, modern cabinetry, big appliances ~ heck, I'd take any one of those things. (And I'd take a dining room, too, for that matter.) I'd take a dishwasher. And a kitchen window. And cabinets that weren't made when JFK was in office. I'd take a normal-sized fridge. And oh, so many other things that are assumed to be standard by so many people. People in our culture, anyway. After I view threads like that, I make myself go look at photos in "Material World" as a reminder that I do have it better than many, many people on this planet.

 

But it is hard to be well-organized and keep a clean home and still have everything outdated and inefficient and, in some cases, in a permanent state of disrepair. What is so odd is that I read people on this board all the time talking about their tight finances, but one would certainly never know it from their homes. On the other hand, our finances aren't tight, and for that I am truly grateful. But farm income becomes farm expenses, that's the cycle. Everything else is secondary.

 

I guess instead of saying, "Go hug your kids", I'll end by saying, "Go kiss your cabinets" or "Go hug your dining room table.":tongue_smilie:

[Tarheel Heather]

Colleen, I'm sure your farm house is beautiful. I bet the scenery is gorgeous. You may not have all the new stuff, neither do I, but I would love to have the land!

 

So where you covet the inside, there are many who would covet what you have on the outside!

 

Here's to your wide open space!

[Mom2legomaniacs]

Hey, there missy. You didn't see pics of my kitchen in there. Nor the "dining room". Oh wait, I don't have one!

 

Truth: My kitchen has old, yucky cabinets that pop open of their own accord and squeak when you open them. The fridge is old and came with the house. The even older (avocado green fridge -- yeah, that old) is in the garage -- really nice. My oven is in the wall -- the brick stack wall of the chimney -- can you say Brady Bunch! I do have a newer dishwasher but that's only because the other one died. Not fancy or anything. The floor is ugly too -- old linoleum that is starting to yellow in some spots. We have a smaller eat in area in the kitchen.

 

The main room houses the sofa and school area (supposed to be a "dining room").

 

I do not have a nice kitchen. But it has running water and the appliances do work at this moment, for which I am thankful. Don't be thinking we all have cool spaces like that now.

[Brindee]

I know I shouldn't covet, but...I do. And now I made the mistake of looking at the threads with pics of people's kitchens and dining rooms and I want to cry. Or I should say, I don't want to cry, but I feel like I'm going to.:sad: I'm salivating over everyone's spacious, beautiful kitchens, modern cabinetry, big appliances ~ heck, I'd take any one of those things. (And I'd take a dining room, too, for that matter.) I'd take a dishwasher. And a kitchen window. And cabinets that weren't made when JFK was in office. I'd take a normal-sized fridge. And oh, so many other things that are assumed to be standard by so many people. People in our culture, anyway. After I view threads like that, I make myself go look at photos in "Material World" as a reminder that I do have it better than many, many people on this planet.

 

But it is hard to be well-organized and keep a clean home and still have everything outdated and inefficient and, in some cases, in a permanent state of disrepair. What is so odd is that I read people on this board all the time talking about their tight finances, but one would certainly never know it from their homes. On the other hand, our finances aren't tight, and for that I am truly grateful. But farm income becomes farm expenses, that's the cycle. Everything else is secondary.

 

I guess instead of saying, "Go hug your kids", I'll end by saying, "Go kiss your cabinets" or "Go hug your dining room table.":tongue_smilie:

When I was in Kenya, I visited some of the homes: No electricity, newpapers grabbed from others trashbins were the wall insulation, no windows in most of the rooms, mud was another insulation, shared well water--when the well would work--1/3 of a mile away downhill there, uphill coming back, hard wood benches for sitting on. In an 800 sf home (and that was a larger one) there were a couple with their 6 kids and 4 nieces and nephews living. The nieces and nephew all had major problems, one was not able to walk. They had them because their parents had died of AIDS. There's no such thing as assistance groups there to help with disabled children (none of the children have AIDS, PTL!). They lived on 1/3 of and acre on which they needed to grow much of the food the family ate. I ended up giving them almost all the clothes and shoes I had, just made sure I had something to wear on the way home! ;)

 

Once I saw those people, I decided I had NOTHING to be sad about with what I have here, whether others here have more and better than me or not!:001_smile:

[Jenny in Atl]

Ya, but look where you live!!!! I have an ok house, but live in a dull, dull, dull.... place. I'm trapped, no money, no way out, and the extended family lives here! :lol::lol::lol: I would be happy to trade for a hole in the wall in some of the amazing locations many of you here live. Europe, Central America, NZ/Aus, Asia, Western US, Coastal US.

 

 

I'm so very tired of Atl, GA (not a bad place... just wonder breadish)

[Tarheel Heather]

 

 

I'm so very tired of Atl' date=' GA (not a bad place... just wonder breadish)[/quote']

 

If you have wonder bread, I must be in a doughnut hole!

[JFSinIL]

OK, if I can figure it out, I will add my photos to the other thread and then maybe you will feel better! I have hardly any counter space!

[Brigitte]

Colleen, I'm sure your farm house is beautiful. I bet the scenery is gorgeous. You may not have all the new stuff, neither do I, but I would love to have the land!

 

So where you covet the inside, there are many who would covet what you have on the outside!

 

Here's to your wide open space!

 

:iagree:

[Colleen]

Once I saw those people, I decided I had NOTHING to be sad about with what I have here, whether others here have more and better than me or not!

 

I agree, which is why I specifically mentioned looking at "Material World" in order to remind myself of the "big picture". Soon we'll again be hosting three Ugandan orphans and I'm acutely aware that almost everything we have is a not a part of their everyday lives. I can honestly say that every single time I turn on my kitchen faucet, I'm grateful for our easy, cheap access to clean water. One can be grateful for what one has, though, and still feel down about very real frustrations.

 

btw, Brindee, I love your new avatar pic. I did a double take when I saw it, though, because you look like a totally different person than in the other photo!

[Tammyla]

My kitchen and dining room are pretty much ho-hum and would never grace the cover of Home & Gardens. I was amazed how truly beautiful and big some of the kitchens were.

 

You aren't alone in your wishing.

[Nestof3]

I too was surprised to see so many gorgeous, spacious places on this board because it seems there has been constant talk of how tight everyone's finances are, debt reduction and so forth. I was thinking we were a pretty average homeschooling family, but it is obvious we are the poor folk. My consolation is it's paid for in two years. :)

[Chris in CA]

Funny story, about 4 years ago we left sunny southern CA to move to Charlotte, NC to start a church, I was soooo homesick, I remember telling my dh, I don't care if I live in a two bedroom apartment I really want to go home. Well we came home, lots of reasons, but most of all because my dh is awesome :001_smile:

We came back to CA and got a cute little house by the beach and low and behold our church we started here closed :001_huh:

Lots of hard things happened then, some of which you know, but we then had to move into - you guessed it - a two bedroom apartment - God truly has a sense of humor

But it is where we want to live. Moral of the story, I learned that for us, the place we live was more important than what we lived in.

 

I could go on and on about the people you have in your life being most important etc. but we all know that :001_smile:

[Brindee]

btw, Brindee, I love your new avatar pic. I did a double take when I saw it, though, because you look like a totally different person than in the other photo!

Thanks! It's funny you should say that, after me talking about that trip, cuz the picture was taken in Kenya. I wasn't about to have long hair there, and my hair is now shorter (closer to shoulder length) still now, I like it better that way!

 

It was taken at our "go away" dinner. Two of the ladies had on "fancy" shiny dresses--one off whitish, the other purple. You can see part of both in the picture, I think.

 

Do I look like I'm over 40? :)

[Kelli in TN]

But don't you think we can all do this to some extent?

 

When you have talked about your husband taking the kids to church by himself so that you can have time alone, I was insanely jealous. Or I remember your husband keeping your youngest so you could take the older and go to Boston! I was insanely jealous.

 

You've been to Europe! I am, of course, insanely jealous.

 

You have a lot more freedoms in your life than I could ever dream of. You have a family that has more common purpose as a team than I could ever dream of. Most days my family is just sort of hanging on.

 

Your kids are all emotionally healthy. You have not burned thousands of dollars on counselors and therapists and prescriptions. I am insanely jealous.

 

I did not post my kitchen pictures, but I have posted pictures of it before. I only posted pictures of my shiny new kitchen. There were no pictures of my old kitchen. It was so small and dingy and gross that I would stand in it and cry far too frequently. If you recall, everything I have that is nice is the result of first going through a house fire. Had it not been for the french fry-absent minded teen-pan full of grease-new music video episode my house would be dingy and nasty with ruined wood floors and falling apart cabinetry.

 

I think we can all look around and see that others have aspects of their lives that we wish could be ours.

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

Colleen, that is why I didn't contribute to, or even open, those threads. My house was built in 1940 and seems to need more work every year, in addition to what it needed when we bought it- which hasn't all been taken care of yet. I don't even want to talk about my kitchen, and the downstairs bathroom is like something out of a horror film. Everything in those two rooms is so old that it is difficult to ever get them to look clean, which is very depressing, and we don't have the money to fix them up yet. I try to keep reminding myself that at least we have a roof over our head and a manageable mortgage payment.

[dragons in the flower bed]

I know I shouldn't covet, but...I do. And now I made the mistake of looking at the threads with pics of people's kitchens and dining rooms and I want to cry.

 

 

Oh, Colleen, thank you so much for sharing this. I felt the same way, and it sent me on a decluttering/cleaning trip today. I think my subconscious reasong works like this: I may have a sink from 1950 and cabinets from 1920 and linoleum from 1970, but they're really f-ing clean. Your idea of reading Material World is a great one. I think I'll go do that.

[WTMindy]

 

Do I look like I'm over 40? :)

 

Honestly, I think you look like you about 17 in this picture. I really had to look to see if that was your dd or something! :001_smile:

[WTMindy]

Oh man, I'm sorry I contributed to making you feel sad!! Whatever happened to the talk of you guys building or remodeling?

[HSMom2One]

I live in a house built in 1944 and we have not yet been able to start on the improvements we planned when we moved in to the house five years ago. An unemployment gap and the economy have taken their toll on us, so we are behind on those original goals.

 

My kitchen is very outdated. We even have a portable dishwasher that we push across the room once a day to plug into our old outdated porcelein sink. (It really does a good job on the dishes though, so I'm thankful for it!) We also have cupboards that have no doors because of a blotched up paint job that never got finished. When we moved in to the house the kitchen had rust colored kitchen carpet from the seventies. We did pull that up and get it out because it was so hideous and unsanitary, but we could only afford cheap tile squares to replace it.

 

The bathrooms were last updated in the 60's, and they are so small you can barely turn around in them. The carpet in our house is old and outdated too. I.can't.wait.to.rip.it.up!!! Trouble is that when we rip it up we know we have to deal with ugly floors underneath, and we can't put new floors in until the old baseboard heat is torn out and a new forced air system and heat pump are installed, which we can't put in until the electrical is updated. Sooooo new floors have to wait until we can afford the whole package.

 

There is an entire upstairs that we plan to remodel and finish one day, but it will have to wait. Our bedroom is upstairs and it is the ugliest room in the house.

 

Despite all this, I'm very thankful just to have a home with payments we can afford. I watch HGTV and drool over the homes, but once in awhile it really gets to me when a couple walks into a home with a beautiful kitchen and they say it will "have to go" because it's so outdated!! I'd give anything to have that outdated kitchen they are looking down upon. We in America don't realize how very spoiled and how very privileged we are.

 

Please don't get me wrong...I don't mean to sound negative toward those that do have a wonderful home with a shining new kitchen. I'm truly, truly happy for everyone that does. I'm just at peace knowing that I don't need to have that in order to be a happy person. We have so much to be thankful for in our lives, and that goes way beyond our dwelling place.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[Mom2legomaniacs]

I do wish I had a nicer kitchen. Someday we will redo. But we live in that area. I don't want to deal with the mess, inconvenience not to mention the costs! Dh has redone the bathrooms -- himself. Water damage to floors made that necessary. They are just right for us. I do get jealous of those things too, so I understand. But I am also grateful for what I do have. Plus, if I keep my counters covered with stuff, I won't notice just how ugly it is, right?;)

[Carol in Cal.]

No one posts pictures of their ugly stuff. Everyone only ever posts pictures of their good stuff.

 

And, basically, everyone has some ugly stuff and some good stuff.

 

That is all.

 

((((Hugs)))))

[elegantlion]

Colleen, I'm sure your farm house is beautiful. I bet the scenery is gorgeous. You may not have all the new stuff, neither do I, but I would love to have the land!

 

So where you covet the inside, there are many who would covet what you have on the outside!

 

Here's to your wide open space!

 

 

:iagree: :grouphug: I've been there too. You are sowing into the lives of people, not more stuff. Stuff will never love you back.

[HSMom2One]

Oh, I forgot to mention the kitchen countertops. They are white formica with little gold specks just like the ones your grandma used to have in her kitchen.

 

;)

 

Lucinda

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

Hey, our houses must be related! :-)

[PrairieAir]

Ya know, many people would love to have your "yard", your scenery, your country lifestyle, your ability to have both parents around the home and the kids working alongside dh. You have a lot. It just isn't the same as what everyone else has.

 

As for finances, ours are tight--though not at all tight compared to how I grew up--but you probably wouldn't know it from looking at our house. The reason we can have the house that we do is because a) dh's folks helped out b) dh and his dad did almost all of the work along with some wife and child unskilled labor and c) dh got contractor discounts on materials, knew the best places to look for good prices on said materials, and was able to use some salvaged materials. (Most of the wood used for our cabinets was salvaged from other jobs. Dh cut out wood that was too "rustic" for the taste of clients and and glued up smaller sections to make our cabinets.) I get to live in a home that is far beyond the small, two bedroom with little picket fence that I once only dreamed of owning because my dh could build it. However, because he works in construction, it also means that he does not feel much like finishing up work on the house or making repairs when he is home from work. Our house isn't finished yet. There are many details that need to be done still, but because it is liveable, he's not in as much of a hurry to get it done. He works hard all day and is tired or wants to relax at home. I understand that and I am patient, but it can be frustrating at times.

 

You've spoken many times about financial priorities, Colleen, and you've made some really good points about that. Everyone's priorities are different. Your family travels much more often and much further than my family does. Sometimes I think about how it might be nice to do that, but it is not a priority we have chosen. Instead I enjoy hearing about everyone else's travels and reading blogs of people in countries I'd like to visit someday. Maybe someday our priorities will shift or we'll have more disposable income to do things like travel, but for now I will be happy doing things close to home.

 

Is there some way you could be happier with the kitchen/dining room/whatever that you have? Maybe a new color would brighten things up or you could change things to better make the most of the space you have. Even if the changes are only cosmetic and what you have now already looks fine, changing things up a little can be nice.

 

The dishwasher? Eh, I've got one now, but I never had one for years. It's not that big of a deal. I pre-wash most of my dishes anyway and don't mind doing dishes by hand. I actually find it very relaxing to do them by hand.

 

We don't have a garbage disposal because it would be too much for our septic system. I kinda miss that, but it's really no trouble to compost or burn food trash with the other trash. It's not a bad trade off for being able to live in the country.

 

Dining room? We almost never use it. It's really extra space for Bible classes and fellowships--which is the reason we designed the main floor the way we did. It's actually the reason we did a lot of things the way we did with this house, including making it larger.

 

A large house is nice, but a smaller home can be easier to clean. Perhaps a larger home would give you less time outdoors, and it seems to me that being outdoors is more important to you.

[HSMom2One]

Hey, our houses must be related! :-)

Hey Virginia, I was thinking the same thing! LOL!

 

Lucinda

[Danestress]

I think I understand how you feel, even though I have a reasonably nice kitchen. Mostly, I am jealous that other people are capable of getting their kitches so CLEAN and clutter free. Did they just move everything to the garage, snap a picture, and then bring everything back in again? My kids have been at orchestra camp for three days, 9 - 4, and I would have thought this house would be ship-shape. I still might post mine, but not until it's tidy.

 

I still wish you would post photos of yours anyway. I like to be able to imagine my friends in their homes, humble or not.

[PrairieAir]

No one posts pictures of their ugly stuff. Everyone only ever posts pictures of their good stuff.

 

And, basically, everyone has some ugly stuff and some good stuff.

 

That is all.

 

((((Hugs)))))

 

LOL! I should post pictures of my family room. Wait, didn't I do that on the old board? Oh, pictures of my oldest ds' room would be good, too. How about my weedy, overgrown "lawn"? I've got some planks youngest ds slapped together for a raised vegetable bed last summer sitting in a corner of the yard with no dirt in it, too. Perhaps you all would like to see the burn barrels that dh has needed to empty for some time or the campfire ring which is presently being used to burn trash and weeds pulled from the "lawn". Everyone's got ugly hiding somewhere.

[laughing lioness]

I live in a house built in 1924. Lots of character. Lots. An awful lot. Just one example of the character.

I'm 5"9'. My kitchen counter tops are 6" below standard level. We have no dishwasher and 7 people live here.

All to say:

Colleen. You rock. I love how real you are.

Dragons- your post cracked me up!! I've been cleaning and sorting all week and you summed up why!

Brindee- I love your new pic.- you are just glowing.

Kelli in TN- you are a wise women.

and everyone else - I'm blessed to be able to read posts on this board. Life is so much about perspective- kwim.

[Tammy]

the only people who posted pictures are the gorgeous kitchens, LOL! I would never post pictures of mine....it is a mess!

 

Tammy

[Brindee]

 

Honestly, I think you look like you about 17 in this picture. I really had to look to see if that was your dd or something! :001_smile:

Yer my best friend for life!!! (NOW look what you've done!) That comment deserves a rep, but I can't rep ya yet! Thanks! :)

[RegularMom]

Lucinda, wow! You just described the kitchen counters I've got right now. Mine also have that silvery metal edge to them. I guess it's helpful to keep spills from going on the floor, but it can be tough to keep the grit from building up in the crevices.

 

We just bought this place 6 months ago. It was built in 1960. And it's got the original everything. Including kitchen counters and cabinets. We're planning on remodeling, but I refuse to add to our debt to do it. So, I await patiently the day I'll be able to replace everything in my kitchen. :)

[Karenciavo]

the only people who posted pictures are the gorgeous kitchens, LOL! I would never post pictures of mine....it is a mess!

 

Tammy

 

Yup.

[Renee in NC]

Colleen, that is why I didn't contribute to, or even open, those threads. My house was built in 1940 and seems to need more work every year, in addition to what it needed when we bought it- which hasn't all been taken care of yet. I don't even want to talk about my kitchen, and the downstairs bathroom is like something out of a horror film. Everything in those two rooms is so old that it is difficult to ever get them to look clean, which is very depressing, and we don't have the money to fix them up yet. I try to keep reminding myself that at least we have a roof over our head and a manageable mortgage payment.

 

I would say that those of us who have less than gorgeous houses don't post.:D

 

My new "house" is a 20-year old trailer with fire damage, no flooring, older than 20 year appliances (have no idea why), and smells predominately of cat urine. The walls are so nicotined stained, that two coats of Killz has not covered it.

 

BUT, it is 1800 square feet, 5 bedroom (for 9 of us), and paid for (other than lot rent.) Can't beat that! Did I also mention that it is 30 miles closer to a real town than our old house?

[sleepy]

the only people who posted pictures are the gorgeous kitchens, LOL! I would never post pictures of mine....it is a mess!

 

Tammy

 

:iagree:...exactly why you didn't see my kitchen/dining room. :001_smile:

[Jenny in Atl]

Beauty is all in the eye of the beholder.

 

My MIL thought my old kitchen (the tiny cabin one) was ugly. The cabinets were cheap, stink rusty, tile floor cracked in areas (which I fixed by making a mosaic from smashed up tile we had). I loved it. It was funky and odd like me. The one I have now is at least twice as large and boring, hence the Jimmy Buffet blue and folk art from around the world. If we ever sell, I will have to paint it a nice off white or yellow. :tongue_smilie:

 

If you look at the cabinets, I took off the fronts (they had been painted at least 3 times and they were cracked and peeling. I sanded the bottom ones and re-painted, not very well. We have nasty green formica counter tops, and a hand-me down sink from my mom. Nasty hospital lighting and an awful evil stove!!!

It's possible to make anything "ugly" at least interesting. I love Mexican kitchens, so I tried to make one... but no where near photo perfect.

 

I guess I believe in having fun with what you have.

[Kathleen in VA]

:grouphug:Colleen:grouphug:

 

Right there with you! It is so hard to hear people talk about their schoolrooms, dining rooms, basements, family rooms, etc. *Not that there's anything wrong with that*:), and I do try to focus on what I have and not on what I don't have, but I'm not all that good at it. It is difficult living in a 1000sf house with 7 people, 4 of whom are adults and no prospect of ever having anything bigger. My dh works two jobs, has for as long as I've known him, never complains about it, just keeps swimming and I keep trying to find ways to squish us all in here - always looking for another square inch of storage space or seating space.

 

The eating area in my kitchen has two doors, one at either end, that open into the eating space. I have actually burst into tears (only happens certain times of the month) when I've had to shove the table one way to get the laundry to the garage and shove it the other way to let the children in from the splashy pool.

 

The worst part for me is how it affects my children - who also do not complain. They know this is the best we can do, but I know it is disheartening to them. One time a friend was complaining that her son had to move into what she called "The Harry Potter Room" of her house because she had extended visitors. Her poor son was sentenced to live in a 9' X 9' room for a few months and my dd15 just sat there quietly knowing full well she shares a smaller room with her sister and has for 9 years and will continue to do so until she moves out. We just looked at each other cross-eyed and kept our mouths shut.

 

I think it's best for me NOT to look at everyone else's gorgeous homes until I can get to a contented place right where I am. This is probably my biggest weakness and it comes and goes, but just to safeguard my heart I will have to avert my eyes for the time being.

 

Reading all these posts has helped tremendously. Reading The Hiding Place helps even more:).

[Blossom'sGirl]

I was reading the other day about your mudroom - I only wish I had one. I have muddy boots and shoes strewn daily just inside the kitchen door which is also where everyone needs to pass through to get to the rest of the house.

 

We moved into this old farmhouse last August complete with cracked windows and a very poor layout. Yet we are completely debt free so I try not to get bummed when I see nice new drywall, straight floors and closets in every bedroom.

 

I considered posting my kitchen the was remodeled in the mid 1960's. Half of the cupboard doors don't stay shut and the dishwasher is about 10' from the sink - that's my exercise.

[Rebecca in VA]

We lived in Guam 12 years ago in military housing. The house was small and oldish but still kind of cute. I actually liked it very much. However, we sometimes made the mistake of watching HGTV, and our hearts would sink over our "shabby" lifestyle. The beautiful homes, the immaculate gardens...I'd compare them to the jungle on the outskirts of our tiny backyard and to the geckos and giant roaches running everywhere. We called HGTV the "Envy and Discontent Channel" because that's how we always felt after watching it. It just didn't bring out our best selves, if you know what I mean.

[Erica in PA]

I hear ya, Colleen, but one thing to consider is the possibility that those of us with more modest homes, with less to envy, may not have posted in those threads. :) Some of those that were considered messy desks.... well, let's just say I *know* messy, and that wasn't it! Most people with truly messy desks, or tiny living spaces, or otherwise less than ideal home conditions, probably aren't going to be the first to post pictures here!

 

And of course, you already know how many people envy you as well, with your beautiful spacious land all around you. And there are things about my life that other people could envy as well. We all have our blessings. I know you know that, though.

 

Erica:grouphug:

[Jami]

Well my kitchen is pretty ugly. If that makes you feel better. As is my living room, dining room, bathroom.... My only consolation at this point is that it's not really mine. The joy of renting. It's someone else's permanent ugly.

 

I'll confess more than a bit of envy at seeing the glossy, big, model house-type kitchens that were shown. But a couple weeks with me as caretaker and I bet they'd be significantly less-pretty. ;)

 

Jami

[Queen_Zarga]

Oh wow! I would LOVE that house! 60s stuff is fantastic!

 

It is interesting to see how one person's "trash" is another person's "treasure."

 

(And RegularMom, I didn't mean to pick on you, specificaly. I've seen quite a few threads of people with 60s kitchens that they want to remodel and all I can do is drool and covet and wish that I could come for a visit. :tongue_smilie:)

[ereks mom]

Our house is nothing fancy; all of our furniture is mismatched, outdated, and worn. Almost all of it is stuff that has been given to us over the years -- yes, other people's cast-offs.

 

I have to admit that I also felt a twinge of envy when I looked at other posters' pics. My home looks nowhere near as pretty as that. But there's a lot of love in our home! Our family is close and, yes, we are even comfortable in spite of the fact that I would be embarrassed for you all to see my kitchen & dining room. ;)

[Scarlett]

 

I can honestly say that every single time I turn on my kitchen faucet, I'm grateful for our easy, cheap access to clean water.

 

I feel this EXACT way every time I step into my HOT shower. I saw a documentary once many years ago, and these poor refugees were given 50 seconds of water (water running into their container for 50 seconds) every day. That was for cleaning, cooking and drinking. :( I don't have my hair wet in 50 seconds! So I never get in the shower without remembering that show. It had a powerful affect on me.

 

Ok, sorry to thread-jack---back to your covetousness. ;) We all feel the same way at times Colleen. But hey, what happened to the house you might build on your land? Did you decide against it, or just still trying to decide? And I've been to your photo blog many times and your farm is beautiful.

 

Btw, when I saw Quiver's thread asking for pictures of our desks? I about burst out laughing. There is NO way I would post a picture of my desk at present. If Quiver could have seen me in person I would have stuck my tongue out at her! I was thinking, how can she have 10 children and have that neat of a desk while I have ONE child and mine be piled high.

 

I also imagine most of the people who are feeling down about their houses or possessions didn't post.

[Scuff]

I was tempted to post pics of mine, as it'd show what you can do with a tiny kitchen. But, the cabinets need to be washed lol and I need to clean. I hear ya, I've had to stop watching TLC and HGTV as I realized it isn't helping me appreciate what I have. Then I listen to Dave Ramsey and get fired back up about living with less. :) What you have is God's gift to you and I'm sure it's a blessing compared to many in the world. It just depends on who you're comparing yourself too ;)

[Quiver0f10]

I felt the same way. This house is so ugly that I don't even bother decorating and honestly my house keeping hasn't been the best because it's almost like why bother. The kitchen is the worst so I just stuck my food storage buckets and freezer in there figured it couldn't make it worse LOL. Normally I'd have the buckets stashed in a closet and freezer in the garage. Having such an ugly place does affect my mood and it's hard to not dwell on it too much. Anyhow I do understand :grouphug:

[Quiver0f10]

Well my kitchen is pretty ugly. If that makes you feel better. As is my living room, dining room, bathroom.... My only consolation at this point is that it's not really mine. The joy of renting. It's someone else's permanent ugly.

 

I love this!!! :lol:

[~Tara~]

Ooo how I would love to have your 'space' colleen (and all those others who have more than your typical subdivision lot). I miss our acreage, I miss the woods, I miss the creek, I miss the quiet and the seclusion and the freedom. I miss the turkey and the deer in my front yard. I miss the tractor taking the kids for rides.

 

But, we were called away from that.

 

Our 'home' was fine, but all else was a wreck. In a dead end. God called us out.

 

Out...to the middle of the city. Which, didn't feel like 'city' but anyway. It was a very small, older house. Very small. Small everything. For a big family. Oy. Then, I really did miss my country house. Never in that true covetous waaaah I wanna move back NOW kind of way, but just in that .. aah man, that sure was nice wasn't it? but, oh well, onward we go..kind of way.

 

So, I dealt with the small abode for a couple of years. Cramming us all in. Filling every nook and cranny. Rejoicing in the fact that we were close to any and everything. And that lawn maintenance was minimal. And the rent was cheap!

 

Then, we were moved on again. I feel we were 'rewarded' for hanging in there for those rough times. We are now back on our feet, a bit, and have a house that more comfortable fits us all. We have more yard than we did at the last place, but it's still not our private 12 acres we once had. But, that's ok. We couldn't afford that when we had it. At least now we can afford this. And I thank Him that we have it and CAN afford it.

 

I know I won't have this nice big house and 'purty' kitchen for long. I'll just enjoy it while I have it. And do my best to honor Him with this gift.

We prayed for a larger house...big enough to fit us comfortably, didn't have to be massive, just big enough for us and so that we could have folks over. Hold Bible studies or whatever. To have a home to open up to people..and not have to seat them on the bookshelf ;) KWIM?

 

Our bigger house, of the moment, is all to His glory...as was the 'hole in the wall' we had previously.

 

(now I've rambled on so long and had so many interruptions..I don't know if I'm coming or going...if this post made any sense to anyone...hallelujah!)

[Jennifer in MI]

I haven't read everything here, but I think that for some of us, it's a matter of priorities. I do have a nice kitchen. But, I LOVE to cook! My kitchen was a priority when we moved into our house. We put a bit of money into it and I love it. (Well, we still need to replace the mismatched, old appliances, but we're going to wait until they die!)

 

Now, we've done nothing to the master bedroom - not even paint! It looks terrible! But, I'd rather work on the living spaces first.

 

I really covet the land you have! I would love to be able to run where you do!! The pictures on your blog are just beautiful!!

[Amy loves Bud]

Well, Colleen, I guess I am a lemonade from lemons type of gal. We live in the Dallas suburbs where houses are *cheap*. I doubt there is a housing market anywhere in this country as affordable as this one. We couldn't get into a condo in many parts of the country for what we paid for this modern, convenient, yes even luxurious house.

 

But, we also have a postage stamp lot in a flat, treeless landscape. There are roofs as far as the eye can see, and though there are people I love living under many of them, it would be nice to see a tree, or a hill, or a bit of natural water (as opposed to the man-made "water features" so prominent in many of the suburbs around here).

 

So I love where I live, but it is by no means perfect, and when I see many of your pictures, I seriously covet you. Because of the people here I'd never trade, but you've got a seriously sweet neighborhood there, sister!