I guess my case is a little different from most of you in that I never had kids, and have no family here in Cali unless you count you-know-who.

Our first house was in Oklahoma, maybe half this size but with a huge yard that needed mowing every 15 minutes. My husband said he never wanted to mow another lawn again, and that's fine with me.

This house is ~2000 or 2100 sq.', and a very small yard with mostly xeriscaping -- cactus, bougainvillea, 2 avocado trees, and some unidentifiable growing things. I decorated the house, and it's like an art gallery with a 2-storey living room ceiling. I love this house. There was a time I thought about moving, maybe to North Cali because it's more cultural, but I never went so here I am.

U-no-hu doesn't want to move either, even though I've asked him to on many occasions. Not too long ago when we had termite inspectors give an estimate, hubbo said to the guy, "We'll probably be in this house till we die." I think he's right.

When I first saw this house in 1981, I absolutely fell in love with it. I love the way the space is arranged and the energy flow. When I moved to Cali I also had a very strong sense that I had come home.

I try to keep things neat-ish, which is not the same magnitude as actually neat. I'm down to adding maybe one art piece a year now, as my walls are running out of space (and my counters did years ago.) If it gets too cluttery, it loses the Zen and I can't concentrate on my work, whether poetry or jewelry.