Shirley's Dream Home

Time is ticking, but not nearly as fast as I'd like it to. The time is for new beginnings. Starting out again in my 7th decade and recently single again. Not as I had planned or hoped, but life must go on, so I want my home to be filled with glimpses of who I have always been and what I adore. It has to be within my meager budget, but I know that God will place me in the perfect place.

I have companions that will be coming with me as I move to a new state to be closer to my grown children and teenage grandchildren. Daisy & Duke, my black labs will be leading the way, followed by Shadow, Missy, and Baby Gee, my cat babies, who aren't really babies anymore. Baby Gee is fifteen years old now. He is the oldest of all, and like his mom, we aren't quite as agile as we used to be, but we do like lounging and we do that very well. So, of course, my home must have a fenced in back yard. And the house itself also must be big enough for exploration of three felines.

I need a room/office to continue my hobbies, like writing, genealogy/ancestry, and a bucket list of arts/crafts. It probably needs to be big with all those ideas floating around in my head and organized in my Pinterest boards. I want one wall with a huge whiteboard to assist with genealogy. I have a desk for my computer and it has to have a place. I'll need a big closet in that room to keep the various arts & crafts paraphernalia and storage bins to organize them. And lastly, I have a sewing machine, ironing board for those kind of projects, too. But I don't think it will be an everyday kind of need, so they can be stored in that big closet, too.

I am a retired nursing school instructor, so the walls in my office will reflect those mementos and degrees. I also need a big wall hanging for all the thank you cards I've received and the class pictures over many semesters past. They make me smile.

I love sunflowers, so one bedroom will be decorated with that in mind. It is a happy room in my head, so I'll make it a guest bedroom. Will need sunshine coming in, too. My bedroom will be color coordinated with the master bathroom, and I'm thinking of lavenders and such. I want to have it feeling like springtime.

Because I am the family genealogy buff, I have the old family photos. I need a big den to hang them in. They will give the family strength when they come over. Roots are important. I like the walls that have a tree with branches to hang these pictures on, so hopefully, the room can accommodate them all.

The kitchen will need to be spacious, too. I will have time to cook for holidays and experiment with recipes. My oldest son will also be living with me, and he looks to cook as much as he loves to eat, so we will have to reach an agreement as to what goes where and why. And that reminds me, part of the yard will become a vegetable garden. Yummy home grown veggies and fruit!

Books....I have many. Walls will be needed for that. The books are leather bound and for show, although I have read many of them, they will remind me of my mother relishing her time spent with them. Of course, I have nursing books, but for the time being, I'm kind of wanting to hide them and forget about "work."

I do have many Christian books and Bible studies. I plan on having a small book shelf just for them close to my dining room. I want to get in the habit of having coffee with Jesus in the mornings and doing devotionals. I also want to have a game nook for when family and friends come over. A dining room is a time for love and laughter, snacks, and traditional meals. It should be very welcoming.

So, when my retirement package comes in, then off I go for this journey to embark. Thank you for visiting my dream house with me.