Happy New Year

I love a New Year.

A fresh start, so to speak, and the thought of infinite possibilities, even though there is that darkness of anger and racism and greed all around us. But maybe I am a bit of a Pollyanna, I believe the times are changing; people are growing tired of division and hate, of billionaires complaining, tired of religion as politics, tired of faith being used as a weapon against women, immigrants, people of color and LGBTQ+ people.

Think of what might happen if women and people of color, immigrants and LGBTQ+ Americans, along with our allies, all stood up and voted every single time; think of the changes we could make in this country … equality, fairness, acceptance.

And, while the numbers may be adding up faster than I ever thought possible, I like the idea of being another year older, and another year wiser; okay, maybe not that older shiz. As I once told my sister, who thought I never looked any older, The Gays aren't allowed to age, so I don't mind the extra year under the belt … as long as it doesn’t puddle over my belt.

I look back on the past years, remembering the good times, the tough times, the bad and sad times, because they are all a part of life. I still wake up every morning, look out the window to that spot beneath the trees and say Hello to Tuxedo and then whisper Goodnight at the end of the day; I still miss the Pocket Dog racing through the house like a small black blur; and I miss MaxGoldberg, heavy as a cinderblock, sleeping on me at night. I still wonder every Sunday if my Dad will call for our weekly chats, but when he doesn’t, I just talk to him myself.

And even while looking back, I also look forward to doing more, and learning more, thinking more, reading more, loving more, laughing more. These aren't resolutions, as I don't make resolutions because when I do, they last about as long as it takes me to say ‘resolution.’ These are promises and wishes, hopes and dreams, positive thoughts that 2026 will be a far better year for all of us, around the world, than 2025.

So, I'll leave you all to have a good day, with a repost of some New Year’s Day thoughts:

The more things change :::blibbety blah blay bloo touch me::: the more they remain the same:  I am a believer in happiness. My parents raised their children to believe that happiness is all we really get in life, and that everything else follows. 

Things don't make us happy, at least not for long. And you can't expect people to make you happy either; you either have it to begin with, and others add to it, or you don't. If you don't believe that, just look around at all the sad, angry, lonely faces you pass on the street. Happiness is something you possess, that you give out, and get back. But we are each responsible for our own happiness; responsible to find it, to hold on to it; to nurture it and share it.

Without happiness in ourselves, for being ourselves, how can we expect to live fully and completely? We suffer loss every day; I've had my share and, sad to say, I know there's more to come, but I feel happy in the memories I have of those who've gone on ahead. I still, even as I reread this from years past, mourn the loss of my father; he would have loved the Dodgers winning the World Series and he would have screamed at America once again for believing a liar.

I like to think things will get better, though it might not be the better I was thinking it would be, but I have seen tough times and I have seen them get better, so I will remain hopeful, because of the things I have learned.

I learned, from my Father the Teacher, never to stop learning and reading and speaking and, well, ranting; the more you learn, the more you grow, and understand, the more happiness you can accept. I've also learned that the best thing you can do for the people you love is to be there when they need you.

I learned, from my Mother the Nurturer, to care for things, for people, for animals, for life; to make each day better for those around us, and to make it better for ourselves in the end. I have learned to hold family close; never let them go; whether it's the family you were born into, or the family you created out of necessity; hold on to them, and protect them, and love them. 

I learned, from my Sister the Temper, to speak up; why sit quietly and let things happen to you? Stand up and demand the things you want, the happiness you want. Don't settle. 

I learned, from my Brother … well, let’s just say he taught me that people change dramatically … they ignore science, even after contracting COVID; that people who never voted will support a traitorous rapist racist. He taught me that people change, and not always for the better, but we are all human and perhaps one day he will change again.

I learned from the Blog People that, while we all may have different lives and different backgrounds and different ideas, we can communicate and listen and learn. I thank all of you for your blogs and the things you say that make me laugh and smile, cry and rant, learn, and even sometimes sing and dance.

I learned from the pets we lost in the last few years ... MaxGoldberg, Tuxedo, and Ozzo ... and the others we've lost through the years that sheer, unmitigated joy and pure unconditional love are real things to be accepted and given right back. 

I learned, from my Husband the Optimist, how to actually let go and be in love and damn the torpedoes; how to be open and honest and know that it won't hurt; how to love yourself, and everyone around you; how to take what you’re given, the good and the bad, and live with it, and adapt to it. His eyesight is almost nearly gone and yet he soldiers on, telling people that he may be losing his eyesight, but not his vision.

So, I once again realize that I have learned to be happy; I've earned happiness and I am responsible for keeping it. It is, after all, all you really get in life.

Happy. New Year.

xoxo

Bob, Carlos, Consuelo and Rosita.

Architecture Wednesday: The Pack House

The Pack House is a contemporary barn conversion in Benenden, Kent with an angular metal roof and wood clad façade sitting on four-and-one-half acres of pastures, woodlands and gardens, but with luxuries like a heated pool and sauna. Inside, the home is a modern combination of cement, plywood and glass creating a series of spaces that are bright and fresh; in addition, there is a large one-bedroom guest house finished in the same style.

Pack House takes its name from its former life as an apple packing warehouse but has been updated with energy efficient like ground source heat pumps, double glazing, and high levels of insulation in the external walls and roof. Underfloor heating runs throughout the ground floor of the main living area and there is an air source heat pump for the pool.

The home is found at the end of a long private drive with parking space for several cars. You enter through a wide glass door, conveniently set beneath a canopy, into a flagstone tiled hallway, with ample storage for coats and shoes. The main atrium is occupied by an open-plan living area where white-washed walls amplify the brightness that pours in from several directions. Open to the roof, the room is exceptionally voluminous with original steel joists painted off-white to create a feel of total cohesion.

The kitchen lies along one wall, with a sculpturally irregular antique pine island and drawers reclaimed from an Irish pub and a backsplash of blue Zellige tiles. Appliances are integrated and include Siemens ovens, two dishwashers, a refrigerator and a separate prep kitchen with pantry, double sinks and a generous freezer.

The remainder of the room is versatile open-plan space for both dining and entertaining with wide, tall doors to a terrace and a sitting area in front of a log burner fitting in an unctuous curve. Welsh black slate is used here as a hearth, and a cut-out section of wall is handy for log storage while another bank of windows frames peaceful garden views.

On either side of this main room are two sets of stairs, each leading to hidden mezzanine rooms all with shutters that open to the space below and a large hobby room that runs above the kitchen space. space. Opposite the kitchen a small study is concealed behind the staircase while upstairs is a library-snug area that overlooks the steel rafters and a magnificent cinema room beyond.

A wood-lined corridor on the opposite side of the house leads to the bedrooms; the principal suite is carpeted and has a Sandberg mural of an inky blue forestscape contrasting against green garden views and an en suite shower room with floor to ceiling tiles in matt blue and double sinks. There are three further bedrooms rooms, two with solid oak flooring, garden views and loft areas above and a smaller double room which receives northern light. A nearby family bathroom has grey marble floor offset with green painted wooden panels with double sinks and a bath-shower combination.

Accessed externally, a one-bedroom guest house contains an open-plan kitchen and living room with a beautiful parquet floor. The bathroom is also on this level, with a Mandarin Stone terrazzo floor. The bedroom is upstairs and overlooks the main space.

Beautiful gardens surround the house; a lawn of wild grass, and an arched pagoda covered with climbing flowering vines is perfect for outdoor lunches. Planting borders are also filled with flowers and herbs. Mixed hedges delineate the ceramic pool which has plenty of room for sun bathers and, for those cooler days, there is a wonderful sauna inside a repurposed shipping container, reused from when the house was transformed. 

An orchard has a variety of apples, along with gooseberry, red, black and white currants, plum, greengage, damson, pear, morello cherry and quince. There are also raised beds, ideal for growing vegetables. Beyond the house lies a lovely wild wooded area, filled with birch and spruce trees. For the keen gardener, three timber sheds provide space for storing garden equipment and logs.

It seems perfectly peaceful and serene, and quite self-sufficient.

As always click to emBIGGERate ...

 The Modern House

New Year's Memes ... with Special Appearances By ...

Close To Done ...

I have had many, many … okay, maybe just two … people ask about the kitchen remodel:

Where are the photos??
When is it going to be done?

Well, here are the photos and it’ll be done, sigh, when it’s done. Those are the before pictures up there, and it looks good, but I think that’s just the lighting. And below we’ll start with some of the recent photos; as you can see the layout stayed the same, which was done for Carlos’ eyesight. We have kept everything, except the dishwasher, in the same spot so it’s easier for Carlos to navigate.

Let’s dish …

This is the new kitchen yesterday morning; I love the blue and honey cabinets and I love the blue cabinets and how they go up on the pantry, and then the honey cabinets and how they come down around the fridge, and onto the island.

We did a large subway tile in a stacked formation along the walls because it bounces light around the kitchen and plays off the lighter tones in the quartz.

And the stove wall … and the vent hood, the bane of my existence. I found a hood I liked, had the power we wanted and yet ran very quietly and so I ordered it online. It was to come in a week … it took a month. And then there weren’t enough of the chimney sections to reach the 9-foot ceilings; it was about ten inches short. So, I emailed the company and the manufacturer and both replied “That’s how they’re made and we don’t make other pieces to fit a taller ceiling”—even though the website claimed the chimney went up to ten feet.

And after they gave me the “There’s nothing we can do” speech, they had the nerve to say, “Is there anything else we can help you with?”

“Um, let me see … you helped me with the—oh, yeah, you haven’t helped me at all!”

Click.

So a new hood was ordered once we double- and triple-checked that it would go up to the ceiling and it was set to be delivered in a week and as you can see it has yet to arrive.

Breathe.

This is the sink wall with a muted Mexican tile that rises from the counter between the two upper cabinets to the ceiling—this same tile pattern will go behind the stove once the %&$#ing new hood arrives. I love the look of the tile because it has all the colors of the cabinetry and hardware:

And also has all the colors in the quartz, from the dark blue to the grays to the tans; that’s my favorite thing.

In addition to a rectangle sink; I don’t know why, but I love a good rectangle sink.

The far end of the kitchen we have no photos for, because the walls need to be finished and the floating shelve above two small cabinets that will hold cookbooks and tchotchkes and such, are not up yet, and the flooring … the next step for the entire house, is not down yet.

But it’s closer to being done and that’s a good thing.

The Funny Papers

Marc Murphy, Michael de Adder, Nick Anderson, Pedro X Molina, Matt Wuerker, Max Espinoza, Clay Bennett, Dennis Goris, Chris Britt, Bill Bramhall, Gary Huck