What do you read or look at when dreaming of your dream house?
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Dreaming
Now that Michael and I have our house on the market, and no home to go to, the sky is the limit when it comes to dreaming. We have had so much fun exploring ideas of a straw bale house, or making our own house from adobe. My parents would flip! We have also enjoyed the Farmhouse Modern Blog. And this post on barn renovations, why can't all houses have so much character and personality? Until our house sells and we are about to get kicked out, I'm enjoying the dream.
I love to travel off the beaten path. DH and I have discovered many quaint New England Villages with lovely old homes. Always take the dirt road, you never know where it might lead you or what you might discover!
ReplyDeleteI don't know how many times I've searched on ziprealty for that fantasy house with ANY yard. We're sadly stuck in our condo for now, but very envious of your backyard endeavors and hoping someday to start our own. :)
ReplyDeleteThe sky's the limit for us too where dreams are concerned, because we haven't even started looking for our magical place yet, and we don't know how much money we'll have to work with when we get there. We usually alternate between dreaming about renovating an old barn or schoolhouse, building our own timberframe house, or fixing up a well-used old farmhouse.
ReplyDeletethanks so much for the linkup. I am so happy to have found your blog - so right up my alley. Now I'm going to have to gig into the archives...!
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ReplyDeleteLeAnn and I have lived our dream for the past 12 years. When we were looking for our property, the land was more important that the house. We figured that we could cram 6 children into any house as long as they had space to roam in the daytime. Luckily we got both the land and the house.
ReplyDeleteThis morning was a pleasant 48 degrees according to the porch thermometer. I put on my worn LL Bean field jacket and Muck boots to go out and feed the animals and collect eggs. I walk out through the garage to check the broiler chicks that will be on pasture in two more weeks. The horses get excited when they see me coming because they always like the molasses sweetened oats. The tractor and mower remind me of maintenance needed to prepare for pasture mowing. It is peak color season for bulbs when daffodils are just beginning to fade and the tulips are beginning to bloom. Peas, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, and collards are breaking through the soil in the garden and will be on our plates over the next few weeks. I take a few extra minutes to stroll down to the creek. Our dog Dixie sprints ahead of me knowing I will toss the Frisbee a few times for her to retrieve. Some migrating geese have stopped for a rest and are paddling through the cool water. They honk at Dixie and me. A squirrel dances in the trees overhead to the music of birds. I stop at the cabin and notice Nathan’s unmade bed - the top bunk – from our sleep out on Friday night. It reminds me that I need to build a ladder up to it so that he can make it easier. I walk back to the house for a bacon and egg sandwich before leaving for work. I thank Heavenly Father each day this dream continues.
I hope all of you can imagine what I felt this morning and that it motivates you to chase the dream of a small farm until you get it. I know that it is unsustainable for everyone to have a property like this. But I can’t help but encourage those who really want it - those who will give up the plasma screen TV for it.
I actually just wrote in my own blog on this very topic. Some of the top items on my dream list?
ReplyDelete1. Acreage - We'd love at least 5
2. Old farmhouse - preferably stone
3. Large, bright, eat-in kitchen
4. Room for my boys to spread out
5. Hardwood floors.
Isn't it fun dreaming? I love that there are other dreamers out there. Keep them coming, I want to hear them all!
ReplyDeleteSierra,
ReplyDeleteWith a name like that, you have to get out of that condo and get a backyard farm! In the meantime, I hope you are growing some container vegetables on your deck or windowsill.
Chris and Laura,
Start looking for your dream property now! It will come sooner than you think. Your three children need it. Imagine Jasper riding that skooter down your farm lane.
Karen and John,
Your view from your back deck is wonderful and you have a beautiful cherry tree. Like you, I have four stairstep boys (6'2" on down)and also two girls to keep them in line.
I enjoyed your blogs. I know dreams come true and I believe you can all realize yours.
I hate to monopolize these comments but LeAnn and I need a good young family serious about backyard farming to buy the beautiful 4 acre property across the road from us. Marisa already used the excuse that her husband needs a job. Is there anyone out there more daring.
ReplyDeleteSee the property at:
http://www.realestate.com/MD/Keedysville/30183561-18710-Planters-Lane-Keedysville-MD-21756-home-for-sale.aspx
Can you imagine raising your children in the shadow of a civil war battlefield. Can you imagine them playing in the woods and river that surround your property with all that wildlife – turtles, fox, raccoons, deer, groundhogs, rabbits, snakes, and myriads of birds? Can you imagine horseback riding or kayaking on a moments notice. Can you imagine producing almost all your own food – fruit, vegetables, meats, eggs, and milk and perhaps selling the extra to neighbors or to the farmers market? Can you imagine your goats or sheep or broilers or layers or other animals that you keep in your barn. Can you imagine space for your dog to romp freely or your cat to explore? Can you imagine the mesmerizing June twinkle lights of thousands of fireflies dancing in the trees? Can you imagine the dark crystal clear skies of a winter’s night? Can you imagine cutting and splitting your own wood for the winters warmth of the fireplace on which to roast chestnuts?
If you can imagine all of this then come and buy it and your dreams will come true.
I know every floor plan available on the market right now since we are doing the same thing! After a while, they all start to look the same. It's in the small details that make a house so unique - the trim, the finish work, the windows. These are things I dream about! (and a mortgage paid off in full - hopefully!)
ReplyDeleteMy dream of a house goes back in time. On our farm, when I was a child, straw bales were plentiful. I talked my siblings, (and proded them)into building a two room straw bale mansion complete with built in straw bale couches and chairs, a lovely (old) rug covered entryway, and a place to set our broom, and hang our fly swatter given to us as a housewarming by our parents. Once the walls were built on our house, boards were laid across to support the straw bale roof. Often my dreams go back to this little house we built with our own hands - the satisfaction that came from completing it, and the joy of using it for our play. I love my own home, but my dream was always one of a home where my children could build a straw bale house. Hopefully, they built such wonderful houses in their minds.
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