Feels Like Home to Me

It was the weirdest thing, but as I was walking down the steps to the basement last night, I actually felt like I was simply going to the rest of my house. My very large, still somewhat disconnected, house. My home. Ever since we gained this part of the house from Grandpa H, I have had trouble making it feel like home. I have tried painting, moving more and more of our stuff down there, pretty much living down there for the summer to conserve energy, and none of it seemed to help much. I don't know if it was finally getting rooms pretty much arranged how they will be permanently with the big pieces of furniture, some extra cleaning that has been happening for Pony Gal's upcoming birthday party or a simple change of heart, but things have felt different for the last couple days. There is still a lot to do. One major thing I have planned, with the help of my little sister Num, is to take out the wall dividing the hallway and the playroom. The stairs end in the playroom. We as a family have discussed how annoying it is to have to walk all the way down to the end of that room (and the house) and turn the corner to reach the rest of the basement. Grandpa H designed the basement, totally ignoring my objections to some of what he did, trying to point out that someday it would be somewhere we would spend more time and like to have as more accessible. Looking back, my plans would have made it that much more easier to take care of him when he was home, as well, but nevertheless, ignored me, and did what he wanted. That has left us with some odd floor plan-age that we are trying to overcome. At this point the main TV in the house is in the basement/summer house living room, which will most likely end up being the den. But the whole walking down the hallway thing really is annoying. So, hoping that we can find an architect type who will help us look at the floor plans from building the house and figure out where the support studs are, and work around them, opening up the basement incredibly. We talked about putting in a spiral staircase and a doorway, but really it isn't necessary. The stairs end in the middle of the basement. The wall just makes it feel like they don't. Take it out, and it will be a world of difference. I also decided I don't want the extra set of only half-working washer and dryer in the basement, so they will be leaving, leaving room for shelves to hold all my inherited and collected craft/sewing stuff. Lots more room. Crazy, giddy, happy Mama more room. The office is coming together, and I am trying to decide what paint I want to use where. It is really, finally, starting to feel like home. Oh, and a HUGE news flash for the basement-a new stove. But not new. Old. Family heirloom from my grandma. She came over Monday and dropped that awesome bomb. She has a depression glass green and white kitchen wood-burning stove from who knows when. I know it cost a lot. I was at that auction with her. It is one of my favorite things she had collected. About a month ago, she was divvying up some of her larger items as she is moving over the next couple weeks. She asked what I wanted. I mentioned a couple things, and asked about the stove. At that point she said it was going with my uncle-which was fine with me. I was just curious. Dad and I have been talking about forgetting about the wind turbine idea (more on that much later) and just getting several small things that will help us through any tough times that arise, from week long power outages in the middle of winter (inevitable out here) to Des Moines is invaded by zombies and we have to hide in the basement. One of those things was a wood burning stove. I grew up with one, and can cook on your standard rectangular model just fine. Then Gram came over, and BAM! We are set. We still have to round up help and move it. Then it will be parked in the garage for awhile until the necessary remodeling is done to accommodate it in the basement kitchen, but we still have it. I love it. Soooo excited. It has the oven, cook top, warmer drawer and such. It has been forever since I have looked at it really close, but once its here, I will post pictures. In the meantime, I think I will relinquish the summer house name for the basement as it gets closer and closer to just being a larger part of my home.