A word on closets.

I was talking to a friend the other day about when we refinished our basement 8 years ago and made it into a kid's playroom.  I made a big mistake by not putting in a closet at the entry level (this where we all come and go from the house via the garage).  In the summer it's not a big deal...but during the winter,  yikes...it's a tumbled mess of snowpants, mittens, gloves, boots, hats, scarves, sneakers, shoes, puffy winter coats, backpacks and more.   She told me that her house doesn't have a lot of closet space.  This got me thinking....the house I grew up in had very little closet/storage space.  It's 100 years old.  My friend's house is not quite as old...her's built in the 60's or 70's and it does have a reasonable amount of closet space...but according to her...not enough.  My house has lots of closet space...BUT....it was built by a family who had 4 boys.  The woman in that family was clearly thinking of 4 six foot boys/men and all the food, clothes and stuff it takes to house them.  (Thanks previous homeowner!)  

But really though.....why do most older homes have limited closet space?  It's because they didn't need, buy or require huge amounts of stuff (to store either).  You had a limited wardrobe, limited amount of food kept on hand, limited amount of miscellaneous stuff like toys, games, books etc.  You certainly didn't have electronics, dvd's, cd's, and all the stuff that goes with them.  Think about how much STUFF we have acquired in the past 30 years that is "necessary" for general life.  The stuff has to be put somewhere....closets.  New houses....more closets....more stuff.  Interesting...don't ya think?

Happy MLK Day

I had a few moments today, prior to taking my kids to see Paul Blart: Mall Cop to reflect on the life of Martin Luther King and to marvel that tomorrow we will elect our first African-American president. A friend said that she wished people would stop focusing so much on the fact that Barrack Obama is African American, that they should focus more on who he is and the job he will do for our country. I understand where she is coming from. It shouldn't matter whether the president is black or white, Jewish or Protestant, male or female. What matters is their character, their ability to lead and their moral fiber. On the other hand, I think Black Americans are justified in their jubilation.

40 years ago African-Americans took their lives in their hands when taking the bold step to register to vote. Now less than a half century later, an African-American is being sworn in as America's commander-in-chief. If my ancestors had been beaten and kidnapped and brought to this country in chains, bought and sold like pieces of farm equipment, made to feel like second class citizens for nearly four hundred years...Well, I think I'd celebrate too.

Our lives are measured by milestones both personal and public. In addition to my marriage and the birth of my children, I've witnessed the moon landing (as a very young child), the release of the Iranian hostages, the destruction of the Berlin Wall, the release of Nelson Mandela and now the inauguration of an African-American president.

I feel very lucky.