Elmer, back in fall of 2005.

Older homes are a lot like elderly people: a bit cranky, temperamental, quirky and with parts that are wearing and need of replacement. But they are also full of wonderful memories, history and come with a uniqueness and splendor that new models just don't have.

If our house was an older person I think it's name would be Elmer.

Elmer was having an identity crisis for a while - but I think it has been straightened out and he's now going under the title of "Prairie Foursquare Style with significant Arts and Crafts touches". Better than Bungalow, which there is nothing wrong with Bungalows - I like them - but Elmer was not one and it felt like I kept looking at a Golden Retriever and saying "yes, that's definitely a Daschund." And while it usually doesn't matter to anyone what exact style a house is, it matters when it is being printed for an historical home tour and will forever and ever be that label.

Elmer has a few other features that took some getting used to. Like detached garage. Always been a big fan of attached garages myself. Not a girl of the elements, I liked the notion of not having to de-ice a car every morning or racing with groceries in the rain. But today as I unbuckled L from a trip to Target, I realized that not only was I not going to melt from a bit of rain, but I have gotten used to our new setup and it really hasn't been that bad. Although garage doors that open automatically and without padlocks still seem alluring.

He also doesn't have Air Conditioning. No surprise there but after a winter of some $600 monthly gas/heat bills, a little time off in the milder temperatures isn't quite so bad. And I have gotten used to a bit of relief from a few window units. Really, the worse rooms are the kid's rooms, and well, I don't sleep in there do I? Character building is what we'll call it. And maybe if they are nice we'll find some deeply discounted window units after the season for next year. Until then, I have a system of opening and closing windows and doors to keep areas comfortable. Plus the breeze off of the lake helps out here too.

And finally and probably most importantly, Elmer saw no need in muckity-upping the house with lots of useless bathrooms. No sir, one and a half is plenty. Well, when your children are small and there are no guests in the house it is. But in a few years we are sure to be adding on another full bath to make way for the changin' times. And I feel the times are also calling for a garden tub...with jets.

But as Elmer rapidly approaches one hundred years old in a few years, we are reminded of what beautiful craftsmanship there was in old houses back then. And as we drove through historic neighborhoods to find one, we always thought how wonderful it was that people were always having work done on them to "improve" and "restore" them.

And now we know, it's maintenance people, maintenance.