<p>Calls from my daughter (who just bought a townhouse) and was on her way to Walmart and Home Depot for supplies. The call was slightly excited and slightly paniced…What do I need, how many, why do I need that, how much will that cost? Etc…</p>
<p>And the call on the return, indiginant and disbelieving… “Do you KNOW how much we spent!!!” </p>
<p>I laugh because its the first of many calls to come I hope. And as I told her “Welcome to the world of home ownership!”</p>
<p>hahaha, ain’t that the truth? We’ve moved every 3-4 years since we were married oh so long ago…and NO move is complete without the daily trips to Walmart and Lowe’s and/or Home Depot. With our current house (whooo…a record, almost 5 years), the people in 2 different Lowe’s stores knew me BY NAME and would say hi if I saw them somewhere outside the store. How sad!!! This has got to be a fun, fun time for her…when are you going to see it—helping move in???</p>
<p>Going up in a few weeks to help move stuff in. Have seen photos and flixs, got a run down from future MIL and daily updates from her. It is a fun, thrilling and terrifying time. I do remember my first house and all that went with it. Lived with sub flooring for months until I could afford to replace the nasty carpet. Had a card table, etc. Loved every minute of it. Goodwill and Salvation Army were my best friends…</p>
<p>sistersunnie, I’m glad things are going so well for your DD and, by extension, for you. This is an exciting and emotional time for you both.</p>
<p>How fun! Do they have a patio? I always take a gardenia or a rose bush as a house warming present.</p>
<p>Do people still decorate using the ‘Early Salvation Army’ decor? It was what we had for years.</p>
<p>‘Early Salvation Army’ decor</p>
<p>not PC KarenColleges 
we refer to it as " vintage" or " period"- even eclectic!
or we go as so far to say it is environmentally correct- we are repurposing :)</p>
<p>Smart move. </p>
<p>People will be kicking themselves in just a year for not taking advantage of BOTH the present price of homes and the artificially low mortgage interest rates. Taken together, the cost of home ownership will never be lower than it is now. </p>
<p>Print this.</p>
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<p>I love seeing that.</p>
<p>yes mimk6 I laughed. Was a bit rusty but it felt good. Course I immediatley cried too. Like a toddler these days with the wild emotions… Yes Karen ppl still decorate with “Early Salvation Army”, or vintage, eclectic, etc decor. Its a boom for “poor” young ppl and I prefer an eclectic decor myself. With the exception of appliances and soft pieces like mattresses, etc I like it older and funky. If it doesnt have a history or a story it just isnt as appealing to me. Wait, that is just like me older, funky and with a history…</p>
<p>No patio. Just a tiny strip of backyard, with no grass. I am toting the ease of covering it all with several inches of mulch, viola- no grass to cut. An even tinier strip out front. There are some tiny beds on either side of the front door, so I will take karen’s suggestion and give a plant/bush for house warming gift.</p>
<p>sistersunnie - I’m so glad to “hear” you laughing :)</p>
<p>It is not just the cost in money, but the time. I saw a TV ad, I think it was for Lowe’s, extolling the virtuals of taking pride in one’s home and doing improvements such as painting. As I have gotten older I have come to the realization that there are many things I would rather do than fix up my house. There is never enough time for my hobbies and interests and more and more I view fixing up the house as an unpleasant chore. Yup, the kid is about ready to graduate, the nesting instincts have passed and it is time to downsize. Meanwhile I can watch with amusement as my kids repeat my past patterns, including the DIY home repairs and improvements.</p>
<p>I just finished last night “taking pride in one’s home” a plaster and paint job in the kitchen. I am a broken woman this morning!</p>
<p>Aleve is my friend, sistersunnie. But, you can smile when you look at your kitchen wall!!! I also have another trendy moniker for “early Salvation Army”…Shabby chic? There are entire magazines designed to them.</p>
<p>Shabby chic does sound better. (But, I think it is more expensive when they hang that label on it. )</p>
<p>I also noted that there is a new sparkle in your postings, Sunnie. So happy to hear it and your laughter.</p>
<p>My daughter and her family are moving back to the US from 14+ years abroad, and when they land in our state, they will rent a U-Haul and we will “share” with them as much as we can get them to take from our house (her things we have stored for years, family dishes, linens, lamps, mirrors, extra kitchen items, etc.) That is the best kind of empty nest I can imagine! </p>
<p>So, what did you share with your daughter, sistersunnie?</p>
<p>What didnt I share with her lorelei! Furniture, linens, pots and pans…We are loading up the uhaul next weekend with all her stuff, the stored stuff, and the hand me down stuff. I dont think she will need to buy much and I am sure we can paint, refinish, etc until it all looks well together. </p>
<p>Sometimes I think I am feeling slightly better and then there are days like yesterday when I had a full out hissy fit (my southern greatgramma called crying jags that, and she also had “vapors”)had to leave work and go home. Cried all day, cleaned like maniac through it all and finally dropped exhausted. This is damn hard work!</p>
<p>I love giving things to my kids to take away, simplify my life. </p>
<p>Have you made any changes in your household during these months of adjusting? Some of my friends who have lost a spouse have taken pleasure making changes that are just for them, using family pieces in different ways, picking a favorite color for a room, etc.? </p>
<p>Sorry you had a rough day yesterday. (I always thought hissy fits were AT others, verbally aggressive annoyance and impatience, not weeping …and I had southern grandma, too…) Hugs, hope today is better.</p>
<p>Sistersunnie…there will be days’ it doesn’t mean you’re taking steps backwards… You dealt with it in a healthy way, and that is good. At least you didn’t sit around and do nothing. You had a productive hissy fit, and it’s healthy for you to get it out. Hope today is better for you.</p>
<p>Well Websters doesnt define it, but wikipedia defines it as: is an emotional outburst of ill humor or a fit of bad temper wherein the higher brain functions are unable to stop the emotional expression of the lower (emotional and physical) brain functions. It can be categorized by an irrational fit of crying, screaming, defiance, and a resistance to every attempt at pacification in which even physical control is lost. The person may not stand or sit on their own. Even when the “goal” of the person is met, he or she is not calmed.</p>
<p>And wiktionary defines it as: A tantrum, a childish display of anger or frustration; an overly dramatic tantrum. </p>
<p>Anyway it doesnt exactly fit except the “fit of crying” part. She was a southern lady with a steel spine and a temper, funny to watch, scary to be on the fighting side of…Who knows how the phase evolved with her, maybe any crying was childish in her eyes. </p>
<p>My dad’s family is not pretty when they cry (ever notice how some ppl look pretty when they cry and others its a sight…?) Anyway his sister was particuliarly bad when she cried. So when you have a really bad jag and it leaves you looking rough, its an “Aunt Sis” moment.</p>
<p>I remember buying my first home, the prior owner took all the lightbulbs with him and we were SHOCKED to spend $75 buying lightbulbs, it seemed so unfair 
They were not a fun purchase at all!</p>