I did indeed make it to Chicago last night. Eventually and very late. People keep asking me to think and string words together today, which is just cruel.

I grew up with a wood stove. My dad would chop down trees, cut them up with a chainsaw, and we'd haul the logs back to the house with the tractor. Then we'd toss the wood into the log splitter and stack the split wood along the fencerow. We'd haul some of the wood to a basement window, and when the rack by the stove got low, we would stand on a chair to pull more wood inside.

My great-grandmother had a wood stove in the kitchen, and she still cooked on it.

The house before the one I remember didn't have running water, and I'm not sure about electricity. My dad spent all his summers there, and in high school my mom went with him, outhouse and all.

I have a gas fireplace. With no chimney. The gas line is capped and there's no way I'd be able to install a new grate, because SO not up to current code. But it is the original design, and a friend does still have a working one in her house. She uses it sparingly. It freaks me out!

An aunt who lives out in the boonies has a composting toilet.

On my wish list for our Forever House are a fireplace, a screened porch, and a really high-quality dishwasher.

Fireplace, claw-footed tub, ENOUGH BOOKSHELVES AND CLOSETS, and maid service. Those are on my wishlist.

Fireplace, claw-footed tub, ENOUGH BOOKSHELVES AND CLOSETS

Also butler's pantry, dumbwaiter, and turret room. I also loved the push-button light switches from the '10s and '20s.

Fireplace, claw-footed tub, ENOUGH BOOKSHELVES AND CLOSETS, and maid service. Those are on my wishlist.

Mine too. Plus I want a dumbwaiter. And a bookshelf that's a doorway to a secret compartment. And a dragon living under the stairs.

wish list for our Forever House

walk-in pantry, large front porch or wrap-around porch, craft room, lap pool, garden.

I am glad you made it home, shrift, however late You aren't sick are you? I am on day two of the cold from hell. ( I managed to shower and dress in outside clothes today, which puts me ahead of yesterday, but I gave up before I actually made it out of the house)

Dumbwaiter x-post!

Oh yeah, I want a turret room too. More than one.

Our old farmhouse had push-button lights--they were fun.

I had a fireplace in the quadraplex I lived in a few years ago. I never had a fire in it - partly because it was never cold enough (being in Florida) but also my apartment was always way too warm. I think my downstairs neighbors kept their apartment really really warm and it kept my place warm.

My future dream house has a dishwasher, washer and dryer that are not in the kitchen, woodstove or fireplace, lots of space for books, enough space for books, screened porch and/or three season porch.