[barb1191]

Originally Posted by VillagesFlorida

Thank you, Maryland Girl. It's a lot easier and takes a lot less energy to be positive in our thinking. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001. Surgery was successful and I remain cancer-free. I have to believe that my relaxed life here in The Villages has contributed to my good health. How can we live here and NOT have a positive outlook? My belief is that if a person can't be happy here they will never be happy anywhere. This place isn't perfect but NO place is. I believe I said in another post that happiness means different things to different people. Trying to find happiness in external places and things doesn't always work. I often see golfers who can't seem to enjoy a game unless they are getting low scores on every hole. That is a definite set-up for misery! A great golf game for me is watching the undulating flight of a flock of bluebirds as they head across the fairway to a stand of pine trees. I still laugh when I recall the squirrel who stole my friend's snack bar out of the golf cart and proceeded to sit under an oak tree, peeling the wrapper and eating it all! How could I be angry, watching these antics? How can we not enjoy the beauty of a golf course as the sun sinks below the horizon? On a good day I break 100. On a good day my score is over 100! What did it really matter? I was too busy enjoying nature, the landscape, and my playing partners! So, getting back to the question, that narrow garage is nothing more than a challenge to me, and such a tiny negative in the grand scheme of life. As a cancer survivor I am just happy to be here, enjoying this fabulous lifestyle. It's all "gravy" to me and I couldn't have picked a better place to live out my "bonus" years!

WOW So eloquently put. I too share your positive thinking and I also share your having survived cancer, as I have myself (although still not cancer free, but alive and kickin') and owe so much to my wonderful hubby Bill and family, as well as this paradise we live in. It's the best medicine. Remember that song? "Don't Worry; Be Happy." Both Bill and I have a favorite expression when nitty-gritty things become annoying and then comes....."don't sweat the small stuff" and the agitation passes immediately....we laugh!

The "druthers" have passed and we are okay with the downsizing and thoroughly enjoying our little nest.

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Since all we're planning on for the near term is continuing to be snowflakes, we purchased a re-sale Patio Villa - Cabot Cove model. Vaulted ceilings throughout, indoor laundry, nice sized pantry, really large walk-in closet in the master BR, lanai on the front (so we can sit and watch the world passing by! ), backs up to a CYV development wall, nice sized car-and-a-half garage, some extras added by the previous owner (attic stairs and some decking above for storage, ceiling fans, solar tubes, blinds, leaded glass front door, extra shelving), and so on. It really suits our current needs for not a ton of money out-of-pocket. What do we wish it had? We would definitely prefer a 2-car with (being greedy here) a golf cart garage. Can't fit that on most existing PV lots, though (exception would be some corner lots). Also, an additional coat closet for jackets, etc. would be a plus. Upgraded appliances, countertops, cabinets......all the stuff that everyone would prefer as well........but then we'd wind up with nearly $200k in a Patio Villa!!!

In the meantime, we feel everything in life involves a series of compromises. What we'd really LIKE to have in a TV home and what really MAKES THE MOST SENSE for us are going to be two different things. We're willing to settle for the sensible option (at least what seems sensible to us) at present.

Bill

[BeeGee]

Originally Posted by VillagesFlorida

Thank you, Maryland Girl. It's a lot easier and takes a lot less energy to be positive in our thinking. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001. Surgery was successful and I remain cancer-free. I have to believe that my relaxed life here in The Villages has contributed to my good health. How can we live here and NOT have a positive outlook? My belief is that if a person can't be happy here they will never be happy anywhere. This place isn't perfect but NO place is. I believe I said in another post that happiness means different things to different people. Trying to find happiness in external places and things doesn't always work. I often see golfers who can't seem to enjoy a game unless they are getting low scores on every hole. That is a definite set-up for misery! A great golf game for me is watching the undulating flight of a flock of bluebirds as they head across the fairway to a stand of pine trees. I still laugh when I recall the squirrel who stole my friend's snack bar out of the golf cart and proceeded to sit under an oak tree, peeling the wrapper and eating it all! How could I be angry, watching these antics? How can we not enjoy the beauty of a golf course as the sun sinks below the horizon? On a good day I break 100. On a good day my score is over 100! What did it really matter? I was too busy enjoying nature, the landscape, and my playing partners! So, getting back to the question, that narrow garage is nothing more than a challenge to me, and such a tiny negative in the grand scheme of life. As a cancer survivor I am just happy to be here, enjoying this fabulous lifestyle. It's all "gravy" to me and I couldn't have picked a better place to live out my "bonus" years!

Thank you for your very positive outlook. You're right of course. My husband & I get caught up in trying to find the perfect place for our bonus years, but I know that's not going to happen. Our perfect place WILL be perfect for us - good point about keeping Jenny Craig & WW from our doors! I do love the kitchen in the Woodlawn....Thank you very much!!!!

[Bogie Shooter]

This thread is kinda like the " what don't you like about The Villages" thread.

[ssmith]

a bathtub in the master bath?

[rjm1cc]

Goof topick. I have spent a lot of time looking at various floor plans etc and the comments here help me very some of my thoughts. I am not inclined to buy a new house and then rebuild it so I am leaning toward an existing home that someone else went through all the agravations or remodling.

[VillagesFlorida]

Originally Posted by ssmith

a bathtub in the master bath?

No, I have never wanted a tub in my bathroom! I would worry that one day I might not be able to get out of it! I suppose grab bars would help but I would still have to make the knee and hip joints work! We DO have a tub/shower in the guest bath so I could always use that. I am not sure how I got to the point of having to think about "how" I am going to get up off the floor! LOL!

[VillagesFlorida]

Originally Posted by taylor111947

What's missing is ME!

Well, hurry up and get yourself down here! You will love it!

[Maryland Girl]

Originally Posted by Russ_Boston

I've seen many people who add, for the lack of a better phrase, a European style grotto on the front entrance. Probably not too much cost.

Russ,
I see where you quote Dennis Miller. Did you hear him say the other night on Bill O'Reilly that the Chinese President Hu and John Boehner together would be known as Hu and Cry? I'm still laughing. He can be very cutting edge funny!

[Pturner]

Originally Posted by VillagesFlorida

Thank you, Maryland Girl. It's a lot easier and takes a lot less energy to be positive in our thinking. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001. Surgery was successful and I remain cancer-free. I have to believe that my relaxed life here in The Villages has contributed to my good health. How can we live here and NOT have a positive outlook? My belief is that if a person can't be happy here they will never be happy anywhere. This place isn't perfect but NO place is. I believe I said in another post that happiness means different things to different people. Trying to find happiness in external places and things doesn't always work. I often see golfers who can't seem to enjoy a game unless they are getting low scores on every hole. That is a definite set-up for misery! A great golf game for me is watching the undulating flight of a flock of bluebirds as they head across the fairway to a stand of pine trees. I still laugh when I recall the squirrel who stole my friend's snack bar out of the golf cart and proceeded to sit under an oak tree, peeling the wrapper and eating it all! How could I be angry, watching these antics? How can we not enjoy the beauty of a golf course as the sun sinks below the horizon? On a good day I break 100. On a good day my score is over 100! What did it really matter? I was too busy enjoying nature, the landscape, and my playing partners! So, getting back to the question, that narrow garage is nothing more than a challenge to me, and such a tiny negative in the grand scheme of life. As a cancer survivor I am just happy to be here, enjoying this fabulous lifestyle. It's all "gravy" to me and I couldn't have picked a better place to live out my "bonus" years!

Wow, I'm honored to just want to know you. Hope we can meet soon!

[VillagesFlorida]

Originally Posted by barb1191

WOW So eloquently put. I too share your positive thinking and I also share your having survived cancer, as I have myself (although still not cancer free, but alive and kickin') and owe so much to my wonderful hubby Bill and family, as well as this paradise we live in. It's the best medicine. Remember that song? "Don't Worry; Be Happy." Both Bill and I have a favorite expression when nitty-gritty things become annoying and then comes....."don't sweat the small stuff" and the agitation passes immediately....we laugh!

The "druthers" have passed and we are okay with the downsizing and thoroughly enjoying our little nest.

Maybe this is getting away from the original thread but I just have to let you know that you are in my thoughts. It is no fun to deal with cancer. I said in my post that I have been cancer-free since 2001 but all of us who have this disease know that there is seldom a cure. We just have to live with the possibilty that it will return one day. That said, we CAN keep our immune systems strong so that we can send any of those stray cancer cells packing! Let's hope we have many more happy years here.......I don't know about you but I have many more sunsets to watch and more new villages to explore. We live in a positive environment and that, alone, can go a long way toward healing. Good luck to you and also to any other members here who may be dealing with a serious illness. This forum is a good place to share our thoughts about many things.

[Maryland Girl]

Originally Posted by Bill-n-Brillo

Since all we're planning on for the near term is continuing to be snowflakes, we purchased a re-sale Patio Villa - Cabot Cove model. Vaulted ceilings throughout, indoor laundry, nice sized pantry, really large walk-in closet in the master BR, lanai on the front (so we can sit and watch the world passing by! ), backs up to a CYV development wall, nice sized car-and-a-half garage, some extras added by the previous owner (attic stairs and some decking above for storage, ceiling fans, solar tubes, blinds, leaded glass front door, extra shelving), and so on. It really suits our current needs for not a ton of money out-of-pocket. What do we wish it had? We would definitely prefer a 2-car with (being greedy here) a golf cart garage. Can't fit that on most existing PV lots, though (exception would be some corner lots). Also, an additional coat closet for jackets, etc. would be a plus. Upgraded appliances, countertops, cabinets......all the stuff that everyone would prefer as well........but then we'd wind up with nearly $200k in a Patio Villa!!!

In the meantime, we feel everything in life involves a series of compromises. What we'd really LIKE to have in a TV home and what really MAKES THE MOST SENSE for us are going to be two different things. We're willing to settle for the sensible option (at least what seems sensible to us) at present.

Bill

You are so right Bill and your home sounds lovely. Life is a series of compromises. We went for the CYV because it had been expanded, had a two-car garage, was on a nice lot and is within walking distance to LSL. We knew we had to make any upgrades once the house was built. And this is O.K. with us-we will just target the upgrades and when it is all done, it will truly be our home and to our liking. I complain and grumble but it was a conscious decision and we are anxious to get started.

[Russ_Boston]

Originally Posted by Maryland Girl

Russ,
I see where you quote Dennis Miller. Did you hear him say the other night on Bill O'Reilly that the Chinese President Hu and John Boehner together would be known as Hu and Cry? I'm still laughing. He can be very cutting edge funny!

Didn't see it but I'm laughing now! Not many more intelligent comics than Dennis Miller.

[2BNTV]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

There are all kinds of homes built by TV, villas, cottages, designers and premiers and Cottages with a big "C". Is there something missing that isn't being offered and is part of your dream retirement home?

If I could I would have more outdoor space UNDER ROOF. I love to be outdoors and I like the open screened lanais, but the sun can be brutally hot. I would like to have that space under a REAL roof...and bigger than is offered.

I also wish that there was a way to climb into the attic with real stairs, so that it is safer to store things there and I also would like it to be air conditioned.

What would your dream for a home not offered be??

Me living in a home preferably next to Gracie Girl.

[SALYBOW]

A live in maid to cook, clean and do laundry while I had fun. Other than that my needs are simple.