Just a Bit More Room

As I type this preparations are being made to mark the passing of 52 weeks since Grandbaby made her first appearance outside of her mother's womb, to generally good reviews. Yes, she's hit the Big 1.0. Picnic supplies are being procured along with the usual birthday goodies, and presents are being contemplated, ignoring my suggestion that she would be quite happy with either the wrapping paper itself or anything chewable. I'm sure she'll pull in a good haul, although I'm slightly concerned that her well-known predilection for dancing will result in her receiving a lot of music-producing objects that will end up in my living room, since there isn't any other place for them at the moment.

This space shortage comes to mind whenever I watch one of those house-shopping shows on HGTV where people with resources that suggest either illicit income or a lender who missed the memo on sub-prime mortgages look at properties with hallucinogenic price tags. These people usually start off with reasonable goals (more space for kids, a shorter commute) then end up with silly justifications for their decision ("We really don't need a pool since no one can swim, but the kitchen appliances are so pretty we can't resist!").

When I think about what I would want to improve in my current house, actual living space doesn't emerge as a high priority. Although either a larger third bedroom or a fourth one would be nice right now, with some organization we could fit everyone and their daily needs into what we have. Our kitchen is a nice size with adequate cupboard space. The bathrooms are fine, and two of the bedrooms are nicely sized, although if I had to do it over I would replace the garden tub in the master bedroom with a walk-in closet. Overall the space is sufficient, if not abundant.

Our problem is stuff. My poor wooden garden shed bulges at the seams, and items are shoved into any available nook instead of being displayed as intended.What I could really use is an addition with a lot of wall space for shelves and hanging up pictures, and walk-in closets for storage; basically an overflow area. That would free up my house for actual living.