OPINIONS, OBSERVATIONS, AND A NEW BATHROOM VALANCE

I normally don't have a hard time focusing, but today is a different story.  I know I should just go take a nap, and give the brain a rest for an hour or so.  But, I've decided to do a blog post instead.  DISCLAIMER:  The opinions are strictly my own, and are just the observations of someone that has observed six generations of lifestyles.  My intent is not to offend anyone; I'm a realist and understand that this is just the way things are now. Fasten your seat belts!  I'm all over the place.

There's not much I want to watch on HGTV any more, but I must admit that I'm still addicted to "House Hunters".  I really enjoy "House Hunters International" -- I love seeing the homes in the European countries that I have visited.  But, I always come away from the regular U.S. "House Hunters" irritated.  It appears that a lot of the 20-50 age group want what they want when they want it (like right now); and it is often more than they will ever NEED.  My very own children fall into this group.  I think of them as the entitlement generation.  They are missing the joy of accomplishment that comes after waiting and waiting and planning for something; OR THE SENSE OF ACHIEVEMENT YOU FEEL WHEN YOU DISCOVER YOU DON'T NEED WHAT YOU THOUGHT YOU DESIRED.   


What could my generation (me included) have done better to raise a non-entitlement generation?  After 44 years of mothering, I now have some ideas; but that's another post.     

MY MASTER BATHROOM

Sometimes when I walk into my master bathroom, I think about what those younger people on "House Hunters" would say if they were looking at my house to buy.  "Oh, that master bathroom is just way too small; I couldn't live like that."  OR: "No granite or tile - I don't even want to go in there." OR THE WORST TRANSGRESSION: "Only one sink!  No Way!"  I can kind of understand why an unmarried couple needs two sinks - trust me - it really does take the commitment of marriage to share a bathroom sink with someone for 50-plus years!  But, why does a single person need two sinks? 

I think about my best friend from childhood who raised her five kids in a one-bathroom house.  Years ago, I asked her how she did it.  (At the time, I had two bathrooms and two kids.)  She said that it was no problem.  You just didn't do anything in the bathroom that you could do someplace else -- for example:  reading, messing with your hair or fingernails, etc.  So, seven people can share one bathroom.  I need to ask her, though, if her now- grown children feel entitled to superfluous bathrooms.   When I was a young child, my parents didn't even have a bathroom or indoor plumbing.  I had a potty chair in the kitchen; then when I turned two, there was the outhouse.  But, it didn't take me long to figure out that if I ran past the outhouse down the path a few yards further to Grandma's I could use her indoor bathroom plus get a cookie for my efforts. And Grandma was always so happy to see me.  So much for potty training 70 years ago.  But, I digress----

Back to my tiny, one-sink master bathroom.  It does have some advantages.  I'm thankful that it is 'en suite'; and that when we moved in 14 years ago, we removed the tub ("HH" says, "That's a no-no.") and replaced it with a large walk-in shower.  The shower does have cultured marble, which the "House Hunter" youngsters scorn; but it sure is easy to clean and maintain. 

THE DREADED CULTURAL MARBLE

It also has a textured-glass enclosure which I'm sure (according to "HH") makes the room look smaller; but here again, maintenance is easy.  I haven't missed a bathtub at all.  I suppose if I needed a tub bath, I could walk the ten steps to the hall bathroom. And, there is only one sink in here to clean!!


And to remind me how far I've come, we replaced the huge plate glass mirror with a mirror that hung in my grandparent's home.

To solve the small bathroom storage problem, we found an old large medicine cabinet to use over the stool. 

Plus, we use my grandmother's bedroom dressing-table stool to hold towels.  

It is very functional and all that we NEED.  And the best thing is that this bathroom (and the house and land attached) is paid for, as in no mortgage -- nada.  That's a wonderful feeling in its self.

And, FINALLY, that brings me to the reason for today's post -- to show you my new valance in the master bathroom.  I thought some pattern and softness was needed to counter all the hard edges. 

 I know the "House Hunter" young things would probably say, "It feels like my grandma's bathroom."  That's O.K. -- I'm a grandmother.

I'm not going to join any blog parties this week.  Some posts just should not be on the party circuit.  This is one.

Well, I've tackled HGTV, the entitlement generation, wants versus needs, parenting, marriage commitment, potty training, small bathroom advantages, the mortgage crisis, and blog parties.  Guess I better go take that nap.
  
After my nap, I will be taking a blog break for a little while to solve the world's problems; but I'll be back at some future time to report how THAT went.