Old Age Day by Day October 9, 2012

Yesterday we had lunch with our younger son and looked at a couple of houses  he might consider putting an offer on.  It's a big, scary step, but exciting, too, and it's fun to imagine him living in each and how it would be different in each case.  He's been careful and cautious, and at some point there will be the pull that gets him making an offer.  I wish I had a crystal ball so I could advise him, but I was always in the dark when we bought each of the four homes we've owned.  Three turned out better than worse, and one was a mistake.  There are always surprises, like the fireplace which doesn't work and can't be fixed, the road you thought was bucolic and turns out a death trap, the difficult neighbor, the kindly older couple who vote the opposite of you but have hearts of gold.  It's a learning experience in flexibility and patience.  I HAVE learned:  never live with a septic tank, a rural spot with beautiful farms also has airplanes spraying pesticides at certain times of year, sidewalks matter, I don't want to live anywhere that I must get in a car to get to a store or civilization, never plant a garden too big and have ducks to eat the grasshoppers before they eat your garden.  That's the extent of my accumulated wisdom.  Buying a house is a RISK, a crap shoot, and yet, and yet, it feels great and it's fun dreaming of when you'll paint the kitchen or add a front porch.