Laker_Home_Spring_22

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Island Lifestyle For Sale

When Paul and Brigid Gaudet, the owners of a breathtaking Gilford property, first saw the house of their dreams, that house was in Georgia. “I saw it in a home magazine,” Paul recalls. With his wife, he fell in love with the Georgia home and its many details and thoughtful layout.

To see the magnificent home in-person, the couple traveled to Georgia to get a better look. It certainly lived up to their initial opinion and the Gaudet’s moved forward to purchase plans to build a very similar home in the Lakes Region.

But where to construct such a large home so Paul and Brigid and their family, including grandchildren, could really enjoy all the home

4 • home • Spring 2022

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper had to offer? The answer was to build on the water, and they found a location on Governor’s Island in Gilford, New Hampshire.

The home sits on two adjoining pieces of land (1.1 acres), purchased by the Gaudet’s so they could have the room to construct the home and have the space for a carriage house/garage and an outdoor area for entertaining and sharing the home with their family.

The plan for the home was custom and the Gaudet’s call its style a French country home. With beautiful exterior stonework and style, and superior interior trim work, it certainly would fit well in the French countryside as well as its lakeside island location in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire.

Constructed by Shanner Homes, the Gaudet’s dream home took two years to build.

Because they entertain often, Paul and Brigid planned the home with multiple rooms – three floors to be exact. Also on the estate is a convenient and comfortable carriage house with kitchen, living room and bedrooms. Next to this is a garage with room for multiple cars.

On the property there are those memorable lake views, seen from throughout the home. Added to this, there are two covered boat Floor Plan slips that can accommodate six boats. For the family, the beach is wonderful and allows them all the fun of swimming and boating in the summer months.

A covered patio brings outdoor living with tasteful masonry touches, and Paul says they spend a lot of time and really enjoy the patio area in warm weather.

One can certainly understand why the glorious home took two years to build. The main level showcases a spacious foyer opening into a quiet and private office, formal dining and expansive fireplaced Great Room which leads to a waterside stone deck. This flows into a gourmet kitchen with custom millwork and stone countertops. A family room offers a fireplace and leads to the waterside deck. Views are dramatic, and there is also a main level bedroom with private bath.

Entering the gourmet kitchen, any chef would dream of spending a day baking in the large space. While the homeowner is cooking,

the views of the lake from nearby windows are a treat.

Nearby, a custom designed den has beauty wherever one might focus, from the coffered and crafted ceilings to the random-width oak floors. “The owners worked with interior designers and an architect to achieve all this,” explains Susan Bradley, broker at Coldwell-Banker Realty’s Gilford office.

Susan knows the house quite well, appreciating the lake views that lead the eye across the water.

She also is familiar with the special touches in the interior of the manor home. “It really is a mix of a formal home, with relaxed

areas for family,” she says.

Paul and Bridget have made the decision to sell the home, but they will certainly hold dear memories of everything the property has come to mean to them and their family. Paul speaks of the unique touches in the house and agrees that the formality is mixed with the goal of making comfortable family areas.

Upstairs the spacious primary suite features a sitting room with fireplace, double closets, and bath en-suite. There are additional bedrooms as well. The bedroom is a thing of great beauty, with a spacious sitting area and a few steps up to the sleeping area. One can only imagine waking up to the wonderful Lake Winnipesaukee views just steps away.

Each bedroom in the home has custom tiled floors, and every convenience. Large mirrors and spacious showers add to the luxury of

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Exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail are present throughout the house. each bathroom.

Closets are spacious, such as the unexpectedly roomy master bedroom’s closet where his and hers shelves and clothing areas give plenty of well-thought-out room for shoes, shirts, sweaters, and other clothing.

On the bottom floor of the home, things are relaxed with a custom hand-painted Mediterranean mural that sweeps over one wall. A summer kitchen offers easy catering and is a dream for anyone loving to cook, with lots of room.

Next to the kitchen, a Swimex jet pool with spa bath provides great exercise. (This is where the mural is painted on one wall.)

A private bottom floor suite is perfect for guests, and a large recreation room with fireplace opens to covered patios and leads to expansive lawns and a large, perched beach.

A handy elevator allows visitors and family to carry such things as luggage when visiting and Christmas decorations to be stored after the holidays. It reminds one of the period elevators in elegant hotels of the 1930s with beautiful doors and a gate for extra security.

The main level showcases a spacious foyer opening into private office, formal dining and expansive fireplaced Great Room, which leads to a waterside stone deck. The family room offers a fireplace and leads to the waterside deck. Views are dramatic.

But what is it like to live next to the water year round? “Oh, it’s wonderful!” Paul says with great enthusiasm. There is nothing quite

6 • home • Spring 2022

like it, he adds; the couple clearly love the tranquil area and the lake views built into the design for the finished home.

Outside, there are five garages to accommodate up to seven cars.

One need not hustle into a cold garage in the winter to start the car; radiant heat has backup hot air heat. (Radiant heat also is in the lower level, first level, and two second level baths as well.)

Living on Governor’s Island, with the lake nearby, offers amenities galore, including a clubhouse, beach, tennis, pickle ball, hiking trails and a children’s playground.

Certainly, Paul and Brigid will miss the lake views and the many custom touches and décor of their dream home, but it is time to downsize.“We will miss the conveniences we had built in,” says Gaudet, and the 180-degree, spectacular views. Winnipesaukee is so special.”

Whoever the next family to live in the beautiful and memorable home might be, they will know what Paul and Brigid mean when they say there are many things to love in the house, from its many amenities to the formal, as well as easy-living areas, the outdoor gardens and of course, the lakefront and patio areas.

It was a very lucky day when the Gaudet’s happened to see the house of their dreams in a magazine, and to have the ambition and vision to build it on a Lake Winnipesaukee island.

To tour the home and for more information, please contact Susan Bradley by emailing susanbradley@metrocast.net or calling 603-4932873.

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How to Pick the Right Trees for Your Property Trees benefit a landscape by serving both aesthetic and utilitarian functions. A home surrounded by healthy green trees can be a sight to behold, and those same trees can benefit surrounding plants and wildlife at the same time.

As appealing as trees are, not all trees and landscapes make for the perfect match. The Arbor Day Foundation notes the importance of planning when designing a landscape. Planning ensures the trees homeowners ultimately choose for their properties will grow well in the soil and moisture present in their yards.

Careful consideration of a handful of variables can help homeowners determine which trees will make the best fit for their properties.

• Height: Homeowners must consider the projected height of a tree before planting it. Avoid trees that will bump into anything when fully grown, as that can adversely affect surrounding greenery and pose a safety hazard. The ADF’s tree sizing guide can be accessed at https://www.arborday.org/trees/rightTreeAndPlace/ size.cfm and serves as an invaluable resource for homeowners who want to plant new trees around their properties.

• Canopy spread: Trees grow out as well as up, so it’s important to consider their potential width at maturity as well. The ADF sizing guide can help homeowners get an idea of how wide a tree

is likely to be at maturity. Trees that spread out quite a bit don’t necessarily need to be avoided, but it’s important that they’re planted far enough apart so they don’t adversely affect surrounding plants. In addition, wide trees that are planted too close together can make the landscape appear crowded, taking something away from its aesthetic appeal.

• Growth rate: Growth rate is an important variable because it can affect how quickly homeowners will see changes in their landscapes.

Homeowners who want to plant for privacy can consider trees with quick growth rates or purchase more mature trees that are already near full growth. Those who are not in need of instant transformation can try trees with slower growth rates, which the ADF notes typically live longer than fast-growing species.

• Requirements: Different trees require different amounts of sun and moisture and different soil components to thrive.

Homeowners can have their soil tested to determine which trees will thrive in it. Local garden centers can be a great resource for homeowners who want insight as to which trees will thrive in their local climates.

Trees serve many functions on a property. Choosing the right trees for a landscape requires careful consideration of a host of variables. -Metro

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Spring Gardens Native Plants and Pollinator Friendly

By Rosalie Triolo

With a background in botany and soil science, gardening expert, Susan Berry, owner of Dirty Girls Gardens in Wolfeboro, has the knowledge and knack of mixing native plants and pollinator friendly plants.

Susan with her team of skillful gardeners creates beauty in harmony with nature. As she explains, “Generally, we mix native plants and pollinator plants for diversity in structure, colors and bloom-time to give a broader range of food sources for pollinators and build a greater community for the birds and the bees.”

For customers concerned with landscaping a garden, Susan says, “There are no invasive native plants. They do not threaten to overtake other native plant communities. Planting natives is an excellent way of protecting NH’s biodiversity. Native plants form the historical basis of our landscape providing food and shelter for wildlife. Some introduced plants do not threaten the natural landscape, but some are invasive and displace native plants degrading the integrity and diversity of our native plant community. In such cases, you have to be careful. For those people wishing to support numerous kinds of

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native bees, honeybees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators, we create pollinator friendly gardens with a diverse mix of flowering plants that provide a sequence of blooms including some annuals. In general bees are attracted to white, blue, purple and yellow flowers, and hummingbirds love red and orange tubular shaped flowers.”

Some of the most popular pollinators are the native bees, flies, moths, butterflies, hummingbirds, and bats. Unfortunately, loss of habitat, disease, parasites, and environmental contaminants have contributed to the decline of many species of pollinators.

On the level of care for native plants and pollinator plants, Susan explains, “Most native plants in New Hampshire are designed to adapt well to our climate and know how to survive in our conditions” Since natives require less water, their upkeep saves time and money and also provides habitat for birds and other wildlife indigenous to the area.

Essential to the local ecosystems, the native plants help remove carbon from the air, promote biodiversity and preserve the natural surroundings. Pollinator friendly plants provide both nectar and pollen essential for a flourishing pollinator population.

Interestingly, though not in every case, the relationship between flower and pollinator is so specific that a single species of insect is solely responsible for the plant’s pollination.

Most pollinators feed on specific plant species. Hummingbirds sip nectar from long tubular honeysuckle flowers, while the green sweat bees, which are a group of solitary bee species that live alone in underground nests, prefer the more open-faced sunflowers.

Some sweat bees may resemble bumble or honeybees, while others may resemble wasps.

The monarch butterfly caterpillar enjoys the milkweed, and the spicebush swallowtail caterpillar is drawn to the spicebush.

The Spicebush caterpillar initially appears as a bird-dropping

camouflage which then transforms into a vivid bright green predator with large false eyes. Spicebush, milkweed, zinnias, periwinkles and verbena seem to be the Spicebush caterpillar’s favorite nectar plants.

Cross-pollination occurs when a bumblebee’s hairs, which are designed to capture pollen, transport it to another flower. This is one of the important factors of pollen distribution in flowers of the same species by a particular bee. Crosspollination is key to increasing fruit harvests and growing new flowers.

During the long blooming periods of late spring through fall, the native perennials or wildflowers are abundant and their colors attract pollinators. To be successful, plant in full sun with 3 to 5 or more plants grouped together. Specific to our Northeast location wildflower seed mixes are used in establishing wildflower meadows which attract native pollinators to crops in the area and will sustain the pollinators throughout the season. There are many midseason flowers such as brown-eyed Susan, New England asters and goldenrod to name a few. Springtime and flowering bulbs may be the first pollen and nectar sources. Many native and nonnative shrubs and trees provide a good source of pollen and nectar.

Herbs also attract pollinators, the bees. Planting herbs such as, rosemary, lavender, dill, mint, oregano, basil, together with vegetables that pollinators favor is a way to ensure the rest of your vegetables will also be pollinated.

As Susan suggests, “When landscaping to lure pollinators, it

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is really about flower diversity. Plant in drifts or large patches. Many pollinators are nearsighted, so it’s easier for them to find flowers where there is a large bunch. Arrange your plants in groups to mimic nature’s planting style and provide a ‘can’t-miss target’ for pollinators.

Butterflies f a v o r red and purple tones.

Planting flowers with a variety of bloom times (spring, summer and fall) and shapes (some tall, some short, some wide, some narrow) will help draw a diverse group of pollinators too.”

A Master Gardener since 2004, and a member of the Wolfeboro Garden Club, Linda Wilberton has many flowering and non-flowering potted plants as well as a lovely wildflower

garden in her yard. She explains, “Many native plants are pollinator plants. Some are also perennial plants which are truly time and money savers, so I like to use them for most of my plantings. Peony, Daisy, Joe-Pye weed, Asters, Phlox, Bee Balm, Queen Ann’s Lace, Lupins and Black-eyed Susan’s are some of my favorites. They bloom at different times in the summer, multiply and feed the birds, bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. I love to watch pollinators hover over my garden. Some of these plants, we put in our backyard and let the meadow fill in with other ‘weeds’ like milkweed and eastern columbine that the birds and bees favor, helping them thrive through the summer with their different bloom times.”

As she walks around her yard and gardens in spring, Linda carries a notebook jotting down what she has planted, while in fall she takes brief notes regarding what plants did well and those plants which need to be moved or pulled out. Plants usually flourish when they receive suitable amounts of sun, shade and water which will safeguard their return year after year.

Linda highly recommends having your soil tested before planting. This can be done by the UNH Co-operative Extension, to analyze and advise the nutrients needed, rather than buying a pre-mix fertilizer which may have too high a content of phosphorous. Phosphorous is known to contribute to problems with water quality in many of our lakes and streams. And the soil may already have sufficient amounts of phosphorous in it.

Regarding the use of pesticides or herbicides, Linda strongly suggests, “If you choose to use pre-mixed fertilizer, then thoroughly and carefully read the labels to make certain of the correct mix and application instructions, not only for your own safety, but also for the sake of the environment. To avoid risks when handling the pesticides or herbicides, caution should be taken to

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wear protective clothing. Close attention should be paid to the safe storage of the unused portions of the products by locking them in a secure place.”

She especially enjoys springtime plantings of daffodils, bright yellow forsythia, a couple of lilac bushes which bring the many vivid colors to her yard which she and her husband love. And not to be forgotten are the hydrangeas and rhododendrons that produce those big splashes of color that do so well in our gardens during the summer. She enjoys visiting the local garden centers where plants have been watered and cared for while waiting to be planted, and where she gets advice regarding the placement and needs of the plants which is the key to success.

Linda explains, “There is always something new to catch my eye, but remember some plants bloom later, through July and August when some of the spring bloomers which catch your eye in June are withering in the heat of July.” Try a different color scheme or maybe something the garden center people may suggest ‘that just came in’. “One year,” Linda added, “I found 6 different types of mint plants, each with unique scents and flowers. They enhanced our deck, making for lively conversations with our guests, and complimented the summer salads. Another great source of plants are church fairs. Linda only donates plants to share with other seasoned gardeners or first-time gardeners that are hearty and will thrive in the area. Another good way for getting ideas for your gardens is to attend a Garden Tour offered in Wolfeboro and surrounding towns.

As a last piece of advice, Linda advises, “Be realistic in your garden. It is supposed to be fun. Develop a practical plan that you will enjoy maintaining, giving your garden color and/or vegetables, but most of all happiness.”

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7 Things to Know Before Replacing Windows The decision to replace windows often comes down to aesthetics and necessity. Drafty windows can reduce energy efficiency in a home, requiring HVAC systems to work harder to keep interiors comfortable. The harder the HVAC must work, the more homeowners will pay in energy costs.

Old windows also may be points of entry for water and insects.

Despite the importance of windows, Money magazine advises that new windows make up only a fraction of the home’s total exterior “envelope,” resulting in only about 5 to 15 percent of total energy savings.

But there are still plenty of reasons to invest in new windows.

1. Vinyl or aluminum may be best. Lumber is farmed rather quickly today, and solid wood products may not stand up to elements as well as wood used a half-century ago. To avoid rot, vinyl windows often are an affordable and durable choice. Homeowners also have the option of wood windows with aluminum cladding, which are long-lasting.

2. Moisture problems indicate windows need to be replaced.

Condensation that shows up as fogging between double-pane windows or on the inside of windows indicates that the windows are starting to fail. If installing a vapor barrier in the basement or crawl space, ventilating properly when showering or cooking, or using a dehumidifier indoors does not remedy the situation, it might be time to replace windows.

3. Windows add curb appeal. Beyond functionality, replacement windows immediately update the look of the home and can improve curb appeal since they are one of the most prominent

features on the exterior of a home. If a house needs an update, replacing windows and can be a quick and affordable update.

4. Consider other energy-efficient upgrades. Sometimes older windows can be salvaged, especially if they are not damaged and only moderately drafty. Replacing panes, sash cords, weather stripping, and even glazing may be less expensive than replacing a window. Plus, older homes with attractive windows complement one another. To keep energy bills down, think about adding insulation to the attic and basement — which is a good idea even if you are replacing windows.

5. The wrong windows can adversely affect home value. The National Association of Realtors says homeowners get about 73 percent of their replacement window investment back when they resell a home. But choosing the wrong windows might lower the value of the home. It’s important to match the look of the original windows, including window material and the divided light pattern (the number of panes in each window) with the original windows.

6. Think about soundproofing, too. When upgrading windows, also think about how certain windows can cancel out noises and make homes more soundproof. Some windows can help reduce outdoor distractions like leaf blowers or lawn mowers.

7. Proper installation is key to longevity. Replacement windows are only as good as their installation in many cases. Poor installation and orders of standard rather than custom sized windows could result in poor fitting and seals. Homeowners should carefully vet and review window replacement contractors to find the best professionals for the job. -Metro

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Fun Ways to Celebrate the Arrival of Spring Spring is a season of rebirth in more ways than one. Spring is when certain animals emerge from hibernation, while many species lay eggs or give birth this time of year. Flowers and trees also bloom in spring, providing spectacular foliage and awe-inspiring color.

People also may feel like they have a new lease on life as they shake away the doldrums of winter and embrace longer hours of sunlight and warmer temperatures. The arrival of spring is worthy of celebration, and these activities and ideas can be enjoyable ways to spend the first day of spring.

• Spend time outdoors. One is never too old for a picnic in a park or a bike ride along the trails. Spending time outdoors is beneficial because it exposes people to sunlight, which is a precursor to the development of vitamin D. Vitamin D affects muscles, joints and tissues. It also can affect mood.

• Plant a tree. Honor the first day of spring, and Earth Day shortly thereafter, by planting trees. Trees provide habitats for wildlife, create shade, reduce air pollution by filtering the air, and produce oxygen. A sapling is a manageable tree to plant and something children can do as well.

• Enjoy spring crafts. Grab an inexpensive canvas and paint a landscape that is in full bloom.

Use quick-set plaster to create stepping stones embedded with mosaic glass pieces for color that can be added to the backyard.

• Host a spring potluck. Put fresh spring vegetables and fruits on display. Options include artichokes, apricots, asparagus, carrots, dandelion greens, and radishes. Put together a pasta primavera, which essentially is a spring pasta dish laden with fresh vegetables.

• Decorate with flowers. Bring fresh flowers indoors and put them on display in vases or table centerpieces. Cut stems on a 45-degree angle underwater to help flowers last longer. In addition, choose floral themed curtains and throw pillows to add some spring decor.

• Create a water feature. The sound and sights of cascading water can be both relaxing and picturesque. A water feature can be something as simple as a small fountain or more elaborate like a koi pond.

Spring is a time of year when people can enjoy seasonal activities that make the most of the warmer weather and blooming landscape. -Metro

Experience the past, and be inspired by a nation united.

The Wright Museum is a non-profit educational institution dedicated to recognizing and honoring the contributions and enduring legacy of WWII-era Americans.

2022 Featured Exhibits May 1 to June 22: • Saturday Evening Post Covers 1941-1946: The Art of Mead Schaeffer, Norman Rockwell and Friends Open daily May 1 through October 31 Monday—Saturday: 10AM–4PM Sunday: Noon–4PM

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Do you know what’s in your drinking water? If your water comes from a public water system – typically city or town water – then you can rest assured that someone does, and that they are keeping an eye on it for you. Public water systems are required to monitor and regularly test their water for harmful contaminants under the Safe Drinking Water Act. If your drinking water comes from a private well, however, finding out what’s in your water is up to you – and it’s important for the health of you and your family that you do.

Nearly half of the Granite State population – about 46% or 520,000 people – rely on private drinking water wells, which have no uniform testing or treatment requirements. Yes, you likely had the water tested when you bought your home, but that would have been a requirement of the mortgage lender (and a handful of cities and towns), not the state. And because well conditions or groundwater conditions can shift over time, it is recommended that you test on a regular basis. Making it a scheduled part of your home maintenance, much like getting your septic tank pumped regularly, is a great way to ensure you aren’t missing any potential health hazards in your home.

Why test? Because some contaminants in drinking water have been linked to cancer and toxicity, posing a risk to human health, and many often have no taste, odor or color. Their presence can only be determined by laboratory testing. NHDES recommends that you test every three to five years for a number of contaminants. Some are naturally occurring in soil and rock, such as bacteria, arsenic, radon and uranium; others find their way onto the land from human activities, such as improper waste disposal, road salting and fuel spills.

THE TESTS It is recommended that you have the following tests done every

three to five years: Standard analysis: Covers the most common contaminants: arsenic, bacteria, chloride, copper, fluoride, hardness, iron, lead, manganese, nitrate/nitrite, pH, sodium, uranium. (NHDES recommends bacteria and nitrate be tested annually.)

Radiological analysis: New Hampshire’s geology contains naturally occurring radioactive elements that dissolve easily in well water. A basic radiological analysis will test for uranium, analytical gross alpha and radon gas.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): PFAS have been found in a significant percentage of private wells in New Hampshire. NHDES revised its private well testing recommendations in 2019 to include PFAS. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): The most common VOCs come from gasoline compounds (such as MtBE and benzene) and industrial solvents. MtBE can be found in well water even in remote areas.

It is not necessary to do all of the tests at one time; you may want to stagger them, so they come due during different years. Other times to test your water is if your well flooded; if you notice a change in the color, taste or smell of your water; or after well construction activities or repairs.

THE RESULTS Knowing your results is a good first step to reducing

home • Spring 2022 • 19

exposures in your daily environment.

Your lab results will tell you the levels of the various contaminants found in your water. The mere presence of these contaminants in well water does not necessarily imply that there is a problem, but if they exceed state or federal health standards, you should look into treatment. There is a web tool that can help: Be Well Informed. This site provides an interpretation of lab results in terms of water quality standards, provides treatment guidance concerning treatment technologies, and provides information on health and home appliance impacts. You can even print out a pdf report and use it when talking to a treatment company.

Still have questions about drinking water and your health?

The NHDES Environmental Health Program can also provide support for understanding the health risks from exposure to contaminated drinking water and recommend treatment options based on your needs. NHDES is also a partner in the New Hampshire APPLETREE Program, which works with communities to reduce exposure to environmental hazards, such as contaminated drinking water, and the team is available to support communities when petitioned.

If you’ve been relying on a water test result from when you moved into your home last decade, it’s time to check it again!

You can be an informed consumer of your own drinking water resource to protect yourself and your family.

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home • Spring 2022 • 21

Popular Insect Repellant Plants Homeowners choose plants for their properties based on a number of variables. Some may be into growing their own foods, while others desire their gardens to be an awe-inspiring mélange of bright colors and alluring scents. There’s no wrong reason to plant a fresh garden, but some plants offer extra benefits, such as repelling insects.

Insects can be a nuisance and a threat to individuals’ overall health. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, insectborne diseases are viral and bacterial illnesses that develop from insect bites. Mosquitoes, sand flies and fleas are some examples of insects that can pass on disease. Fever, chills, headache, and muscle soreness are just a few of the more common symptoms linked to insect-borne diseases.

The good news for avid gardeners is that certain plants can help repel insects and provide the additional benefits like fresh food and aesthetic appeal that so many people love.

• Basil: The aroma of fresh basil is enough to compel any gardener to make a place for it in their garden. But there’s more to

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fresh basil than its scent, as the Farmers Almanac notes it can be used to repel mosquitoes and moths.

• Lavender: Fleas, flies, mosquitoes, and moths are not fans of this aromatic and colorful member of the mint family. Bees tend to be drawn to lavender, a durable plant that many garden centers recommend in areas prone to drought or hot summers without much precipitation.

• Mint: Mint is another plant that is instantly recognizable for its aroma. But mint lovers may not realize that it’s also great for keeping ants at bay. Mint also can be used to repel mosquitoes, but gardeners with no experience planting mint should plant it in pots. That’s because the Farmers Almanac notes mint is an especially aggressive spreader that can quickly take over a garden.

Separating mint in pots can prevent it from bullying its way into other plants’ domains.

• Lemongrass: Lemongrass is a tropical grass that’s so fragrant it’s often used in perfumes. Lemongrass contains citronella, which many people associate with repelling mosquitoes. A potted lemongrass plant can repel these unwanted guests, keeping them away from decks, porches and/or patios all summer long.

• Chrysanthemums: The Farmers’ Almanac® recommends using chrysanthemums, which repel a range of insects from bedbugs to fleas to ants, as border plants around a home. That’s because they contain the natural insecticide pyrethrin, which can serve as something of an insect-repelling boundary around a home.

Insects are unwanted guests around a home each spring, summer and fall. Certain plants can help repel insects and serve as an eco-friendly alternative to insecticides. -Metro

Let us elevate your real estate experience.

For 45 years, the name Roche has been a recognized leader in the sale of Lakes Region real estate; it’s our specialty and has been since the beginning. Family-owned and locally operated since 1992, Roche Realty Group has consistently been recognized as a top independent real estate company in New Hampshire for all-time sales.

Our team of over 40 Realtors® strive to provide clients with the greatest insight and richest possible perspective on this truly unique marketplace. We provide you with the market expertise, tools, and resources to make your real estate experience as satisfying and effortless as possible. Our ultimate goal is to help you reach yours.

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Roche Realty Group has had $2.63 Billion in sales volume, and 8,634 transaction sides since 1997.*

Roche Realty Group was the first Real Estate firm in the Lakes Region to invest in in-house Matterport technology with a 3D showcase and offer it free of charge for every one of our listings. Matterport is an interactive online experience that gives buyers a true sense of your property before they ever see it in person.

Roche Realty Group is a longstanding member of Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate. * Statistics obtained from NEREN for the past 24 years since 1997 for all real estate firms reporting sales in the entire state of NH during that time period.

We offer far-reaching exposure for our listings, with syndication to all prominent search websites including Realtor.com, Zillow.com, Trulia, and well over 70+ other real estate websites.

Additionally, w w w.rocher ealty.com has become a go-to resource for the Lakes Region real estate market. We offer powerful search tools, and a ton of information on local towns, communities, lakes, and lifestyles.

For our luxury listings and distinctive homes, we offer specialized, targeted marketing on globally recognized websites, including luxuryrealestate.com (rated “Best of the Best” by Forbes). Learn more at: www.rocherealty.com/luxury-homes-division

Presentation is everything when selling a home. Properly lit, high-resolution photos are paramount in a successful real estate marketing campaign. We utilize professional DSLR cameras for all of our photography.

Where appropriate, we will also use drone technology for captivating aerial views and we have our own drone for fast turnaround.

Please visit us online at:

www.RocheRealty.com home • Spring 2022 • 23

Budget-Friendly Ways to Upgrade a Landscape An inviting, well-tended landscape can add significant curb appeal to a home.

Such a landscape also can serve as a point of pride and welcome homeowners each evening as they arrive home from work.

Landscaping projects run the gamut from simple changes that can be accomplished on a weekend afternoon to more significant and costly undertakings that require the work of a professional.

Budget-conscious homeowners may be looking for simpler projects, and the following are some less costly ways to upgrade a landscape.

• Add a pop of color with planters. Awe-inspiring colors can make a landscape stand out from surrounding properties. Flowers, bushes and plants may be the first thing homeowners consider when trying to add color to their lawns, but planters can provide a more immediate way to give exterior grounds some color. Bold planters won’t lose their color in a matter of weeks like many flowers do, and homeowners can switch planters so the colors align with the season. For example, some pastel planters can evoke the spirit of spring, while orange planters can be filled with mums to give a landscape an autumnal feel.

• Plant perennials around the property. Well-maintained perennials grow back each year, making them ideal for homeowners who don’t have the time or desire to map out new gardening arrangements each spring. Planting perennials also is a great way to add color around the property without breaking the bank.

• Upgrade walkways. Though it’s more expensive than adding planters and planting perennials, upgrading old and cracked walkways is a great way to give a property a whole new look. According to the renovation experts at HomeAdvisor, homeowners typically pay between $6 and $12 per square foot for new concrete walkway installation. Homeowners working on a budget can target spots where walkways have already cracked and fix those areas first before continuing the project piecemeal until all the old walkways have been replaced.

• Plant to create privacy. Homeowners spent more time at home than ever before during the pandemic, and some might have grown tired of seeing what their neighbors are up to. Fencing might be the first solution homeowners consider when looking to make their landscapes more private. But new fencing installation can be expensive, costing homeowners between $1,667 and $4,075 on average, according to BobVila.com. A more costly and natural solution is to plant trees around the perimeter. Speak with a local landscaping professional, who can survey the property to see which trees might thrive and provide the privacy homeowners want.

Creating an inviting landscape doesn’t have to break the bank.

Various small and relatively inexpensive projects can change the look and feel of a home’s exterior. -Metro

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IMPRESSIVE RESULTS AROUND THE LAKE! OVER $770 MILLION - LIFETIME SALES

SOLD!

Meredith - $8,500,000 - 21 Days

SOLD!

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your diligent efforts in getting our home on Lake Winnisquam sold in a timely & professional manner. As a fellow Realtor one can imagine the difficulty I had in handing over the reins to a fellow professional. You made that choice an easy one.

You skillfully handled both the buyer and the seller in our transaction. As a colleague, I commend you!” - Joy

Moultonborough - $5,400,000 - 5 Days - Over Asking Price

“Ellen was my agent when I relocated to the Lakes Region and I couldn’t have been more satisfied with her work. She really kept on top of things, and I thoroughly enjoyed having her show me homes and then work with me on a deal.

She went above and beyond her responsibilities as my agent. I ended up in the hospital on the day I moved and she visited me there and took care of my pets - definitely not in our signed agreement! She’s the best!”

Ginny

SOLD!

Gilford - $1,170,000 - Commercial “Ellen’s hard work allowed us to get the home we wanted and are so happy in. She was recommended to us by close friends who had also had an excellent experience with Ellen. She is extremely well organized. We always felt as though we had her undivided attention. She rapidly determined our goals and tastes. She efficiently found the one we wanted. Her experienced eye allowed us to see the good as well as any imperfections. Her attention to detail and experience in the bidding process and her promptness with communication allowed us to succeed over others.” Bill & Jen

SOLD!

Moultonborough - $7,800,000 - Over Ask “Ellen Mulligan was beyond professional, responsive and a true pleasure to work with.”

Jeff & Hillary

SOLD! Wolfeboro - $1,150,000 “I really want to thank you Ellen and express my appreciation for your assistance through this long ordeal. You were always available, returned my calls, and most importantly I could believe what you told me. I will recommend you most highly, and if I were ever to do this again you would be my first choice for an agent. My thanks for everything.” Joyce

Ellen Mulligan, Broker Associate

Coldwell Banker Realty 32 Whittier Highway, Center Harbor, NH 03226 Office: 603-253-4345 ext. 124 | Cell: 603-387-0369 26 • home • Spring 2022

www.ellenmulligan.com ellen@ellenmulligan.com

How to Prepare Landscapes for New Plants

New plants can add much to a landscape. Whether they’re replacing plants that are no longer thriving or being added to supplement an existing landscape, new plants are an affordable way to give a home’s exterior a whole new look.

Much consideration is given to which plants to add to a landscape. That’s understandable, as homeowners want to choose plants that will thrive and won’t compromise the health of surrounding plants and trees. Before planting or even choosing plants, it’s important to plan for new additions to a landscape. Preparing the landscape can inform homeowners about which plants to purchase and can ensure they thrive after planting.

• Document sunlight exposure. Plants have different needs, and one of the biggest differences between species is the amount of sunlight they need to thrive. According to Penn State Extension, plants characterized as “full sun” require six or more hours of sunlight per day, while those considered “partial sun” need between four and six hours of sunlight per day. Plants designated as “partial shade” need two to four hours of sun per day, while “shade” plants need less than two hours of sunlight a day.

Documenting sunlight exposure in advance gives homeowners an idea of which plants should be planted and where they should be planted. Jot down these observations in a journal over several weeks and then choose plants that will thrive in each area.

• Test the soil. A soil pH test is a simple and quick way to deter-

mine the acidity of soil. Soil pH levels will indicate how likely a plant is to thrive in a given spot. High levels won’t necessarily mean an area should be avoided, as some plants thrive in acidic soils. Additional soil tests can determine other characteristics, such as the nutrient levels of soil and the amount of organic matter it contains. Each of these variables can help homeowners make the right choices as they introduce new plants to their properties.

• Consider local wildlife. If local wildlife makes its presence known on a property, homeowners may want to take proactive steps prior to planting anything new. A new fence might prevent animals like deer from getting in, but that likely won’t do much to repel smaller animals like squirrels, rabbits or foxes.

If wildlife is a concern, homeowners can seek advice at their local garden center about which plants certain animals are likely to ignore. Homeowners who want to attract wildlife can do the same in reverse, choosing plants wildlife will be drawn to. Homeowners who want to deter wildlife should erect fencing or other barriers prior to planting.

• Clear space if necessary. Plants grow up and out, and cramped quarters can make it hard for new plants to thrive. Some may thrive but only at the expense of other plants. If necessary, clear space prior to planting to ensure plants have ample space to grow.

Some pre-planting landscape preparation can ensure new plants thrive. -Metro

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What is a HELOC? A home equity line of credit, often referred to as a HELOC, is a line of credit secured by your home. It is a revolving credit line that can be used for various expenses.

A HELOC is similar to a credit card in that they both provide revolving credit. Investopedia says revolving credit is an agreement that permits an account holder to borrow money repeatedly up to a set dollar limit while also repaying a portion of the current balance due in regular payments over time. But unlike credit cards that may have high interest rates, the interest rates of HELOCs often are lower.

Home equity accessed through a HELOC can be a great source of value for future renovations, large purchases and alternative debt repayment. The credit limit of a HELOC depends on your credit standing and unpaid debts. It also is determined by the market value of the home and how much you owe on your mortgage. Banks tend to limit the amount borrowed to no more than 85 percent of the appraised value of the home, minus what is owed on the mortgage.

HELOC terms also vary, but they can run for as long as 30 years.

There are many benefits to HELOCs, there is also a downside to using a home as collateral. Home equity lenders place a second lien on the home (in addition to the first mortgage lien). Defaulting on HELOC payments can result in legal action and a home being repossessed. Even though banks attempt to limit how much can be borrowed through HELOCs to help avoid potentially negative situations, they are not without risk.

Borrowers considering a HELOC have other options, including home equity loans. Homeowners can speak with financial advisors to learn more about their options for maximizing equity in their homes. - Metro

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Warmer Weather Means It’s Time for Spring Cleaning Your Grill

By Chef Kelly Ross

Spring is finally upon us, and I know I speak for many, in saying we are ready for warmer weather. I do enjoy winter, but we all know it extends a little longer than most of us would like, so when the snow is melting for good, we are all generally pretty psyched for the upcoming spring and summer.

Thoughts of spring cleaning, inside and out, as well as planting the garden and flowers, seeding the lawn, outdoor exercising, and not having to wear three layers of clothing to go outside are all good feelings for the soul. I always think of baseball season, making summer plans, and most importantly, getting back to grilling a few nights a week.

I am one who grills 12 months a year, but now it’s game on!

However, whether you grill during the winter months or not, spring also means it’s time to clean the grill and make sure it’s ready for a full season of cooking.

I will admit before I started cooking professionally, I quite often never gave my grill a spring cleaning. This was a big mistake! Even if you grill just a few times a summer, a good cleaning will result in a much more efficient cooking grill. It’s amazing how much gunk can accumulate in the small holes of the burner where the flame needs to get through. Whatever was in those holes over the win-

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ter froze right in there, and although the warm weather will help get the holes open again, with a little work on your part, a good cleaning will almost be like having a new grill. That gunk will also be on the bottom of the grill and the grease/drip pan will likely be pretty gross. You may even find small pieces of food that fell through the grates while cooking. It really can be pretty disgusting, so not only will a good cleaning give you a more efficient grill, it will be cleaning of some pretty ugly stuff. Most of what we cook on a grill has a high fat content, and that equals a greasy grill, which is a potential fire hazard, as well as being unsightly.

A great general rule of thumb is to pick a nice spring day to spend outside for a few hours-plus to get your grill good and clean. Most of us don’t like to spend time clean in general, but to do it outside on a spring day with your favorite music playing and maybe having a beer is almost like you aren’t really cleaning. Let’s keep in mind that your grill has seen some use, so it will not look brand new when done being cleaned, but more importantly, it will run more like a brand-new grill.

To start with, you need to go shopping and grab some essentials. I usually start with: 1. A brand new, high-quality grill brush 2. Thick cleaning gloves 3. A narrow nylon paint scraper 4. A bottle of grease cutting cleaner 5. A spray can of oven cleaner 6. A roll of paper towels 7. A small skewer, like a shish-kabob skewer, ideally metal, but wood works as well The day before cleaning, I turn the grill onto a high heat and let it go for an hour. This will help loosen everything up on and in the grill, which will help the cleaning process big time the day after.

Once I turn off the heat, I brush the grates down as best as I can. Then, carefully and with pot holders, I flip the grates and brush the underneath of them as well. Set aside.

Depending on where you have established your cleaning area, it may not be a bad idea to set up a tarp on the ground to work on. It will be messy and you will be dealing with chemicals. If you have a dog or an outside cat, it’s a good precautionary step. Animals are curious to new smells, and I live cautiously when it comes to my animals. Then get a bucket of hot soapy water.

I always start on the outside. With a great degreaser spray, spray all over the outside and let sit for a minute. With your gloves on, wipe with paper towels. Repeat the process at least one more time.

It won’t be perfect, but getting all the grease off is your main objective here.

Now for the big job, the inside of the grill. First thing is to remove and brush the flavorizer bars, also called V-shaped bars, or burner

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covers.

Brush/ clean them outside the grill so the pieces are not falling into the burner.

Check the inside of the bars/burner covers. It is amazing how so much food can get up underneath. Once completely cleaned, set aside.

Most propane grills have a removable burner(s). They are generally rectangular in shape, except with rounded corners with many small little holes in which the flames are emitted. If so, remove and let soak in very hot water for a while. Once you take them out of the water, brush them with your brand-new brush to loosen up as much food/debris as you can around the holes.

Then hold it upside down and tap the burners from the backside, again to help loosen anything in the holes to knock them out.

Now, ideally with a small metal skewer, or a wooden one, start poking in the holes, cleaning them out as best as possible. If using something wooden, be careful so you do not snap them off in the holes. Do the cleaning as gently as possible. Again, hold upside down and tap to knock out what might be left in there. Set aside.

If the burners are not removable, do your best to clean them using your brush.

Now for the fun part. With the nylon paint scraper, chisel away at the sides and bottom to loosen up all of the grease and carbon

within. Try to push as much of the debris as possible into the drip pan and remove the pan. I suggest getting a new drip pan as they do get dirty and are cheap to replace. Now place a garbage can underneath the grill and push the remaining debris through the hole into the garbage can.

Once all movable debris has been removed, spray the inside completely with the oven cleaner spray, including under the lid.

Quite often the underneath of the lid gets forgotten, but it is amazing how much grease is up in there. If dirty when grilling and you close the lid, specs of food/soot can fall onto your food, which is never a good thing. Once you have sprayed the whole inside with the oven cleaner, let it sit for a while. Follow the directions on the can. Again, with gloves, wipe down with paper towels. If needed, repeat the process. I always suggest that you do not wear good clothes because you will likely be a mess when you are through cleaning.

Once you have the grill to the point where you want it, it should be washed down with soapy water, mainly to get rid of the oven cleaner residuals. Those chemicals are key to a nice clean grill, but heaven knows you don’t want chemicals on your food. That is why I don’t use the oven cleaner on the grill grates. You can always use a garden hose to give the grill a good do-over to rinse things off.

At this point, reassemble the grill. Slide in the drip pan, put the burners back in as well as the flavorizer bars. Put the grates back on and keep the lid open for a while to let it breathe. At some point, turn the grill on and let it burn for 15-20 minutes or so to help burn off the cleaning process. Not only is it important to do a burn prior to cooking, you will also notice how much better and efficient the grill will run. Again, although your grill will look so much better than it did, it won’t look brand new. However, it will likely work like a brand-new grill again.

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34 • home • Spring 2022

‘Upcycling’: Perfect Spring Decorating Escape

Repurposing The Old To Be New Again

By Leigh Sharps

It’s spring and the perfect time to look enthusiastically for projects to brighten home interiors while waiting for mud season to end. When the weather warms, attention is often turned too quickly to planning vegetable and flower gardens, and this ‘inbetween’ interlude of unpredictable weather is often overlooked, when it can actually be used for directing one’s creative energy into well-used time and entertainment.

So, while we are still stuck inside due to sketchy weather, the ever-growing ‘art’ of upcycling or repurposing furniture is one hobby that provides an outlet for the Do-It-Yourselfer. It also often leaves behind a work to be passed on with love to the next generation.

Many consider spring cleaning an opportunity, or duty to some, for going through their abodes from attic to cellar and garages, sheds and barns for old furniture and other items to toss out.

But before one does that, something to be seriously considered is repurposing those furniture pieces. They can be transformed into something newer with the same basic look or into something totally different with a use other than what was intended. Upcycled, repurposed furniture is created when one does such a makeover.

Some do this as a hobby and others for gifting and for others it becomes such an obsession that they turn it into a business.

Ideas are plentiful and can be found by looking at furniture with a different point of view. Bureaus can be chairs, iron headboards can be hanging art, even old Red Flyer can be cut in half and mounted on a wall transformed into a one-of-a-kind shelf. dresser drawers can become bookshelves or wooden shutters room separators. If you can’t find an item to upcycle on your own property there are plenty of other places to go exploring for these ‘treasures’ from thrift and vintage shops, to swap shops, yard and barn sales, dumps, and beside the road ‘free’ piles.

Besides re-creating or updating old furniture pieces, another

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avenue to explore is furniture made from reclaimed wood. This is wood that has been used previously for some other purpose and is already of high quality as it is coming from such varied sources as old factories, barns, retired ships and boats, farm outbuildings, warehouses and stores. Wood is the second oldest type of building material second only to brick. The use of wood became increasingly high during the Industrial Revolution and then its use further increased after World War II. Many home contractors today mix reclaimed old wood with the new, making the new looking old rather than the old looking new. In showpiece homes featuring reclaimed wood floors, walls, structure posts and beams you can almost always see alongside these the use of antique and stained glass windows, vintage oak and pine doors, old hardware fixtures and appliances and rusted tin sheets now used for ceilings and wall coverings.

Reclaimed wood seen in furniture is unique in many ways besides being just ‘old’. It has unique character because of natural variations, irregularities like knots in the wooden patterns, nail marks and holes, weathering to different extents, and the fact history is being re-captured and rescued in each piece. The environ-

ment is also being saved with the re-use of wood.

Some salvaged wood ideas are barn door dining tables, staircases made of apple crate steps and beams for handrails, barn wood kitchen cabinets and hutches, driftwood headboards, wood slab bar tops and mantels; stools, shelving and cabinets made from old fishing boat siding or planking.

Some easy, recycled furniture ideas for this early spring: turning old drawers of any size or type, with or without hardware, into hanging planters, end tables, or bookshelves. Add four legs and an upholstered, or wooden plank top and they can become footstools. Wooden shutters can become corner shelves and ladders can be used for hanging or sitting plants or, they can become a kitchen centerpiece when hung over an island with copper pots and pans hanging from it. Look for old wicker chairs and loveseats to re-paint and place somewhere different like a bathroom corner instead of on a patio. You can find old glass doorknobs in just about any antique shop for reasonable prices and with a little care these can be taken and attached to an old plank or barnboard piece and turned into a hall coat rack. Take a set of old oars, matched or not, or old fishing poles, canes, etc. and use them as curtain rods.

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Bridgewater home restorer Tate Conkey said he found just the right dresser to transform into the focal point of a bathroom.

Renewing the exterior of the two-drawer bureau with black paint and contrasting white painted feet he added a reproduction white owl sink that sits on top, not in, the dresser.

He explained (of the photo with the story) “We picked this up in a thrift store for a very reasonable price.

After drilling a few holes and taking a notch out of a drawer I was able to install the sink quite easily and still make use of all the drawers. The key to success with this was keeping an eye out for the piece of

furniture that fit our space needs and was the unique style we were looking for.”

The sink came from Home Depot whose inventory of reproduction appliances and fixtures is plentiful and priced reasonably. For a bathroom vanity made from a dresser whose drawers go all the way to the floor he said the bottom couple drawers can be removed and shelves installed for towel or toiletry storage.

Dressers without drawers also lend themselves for varied uses as when wheels are added, for instance, to make a mobile bar or an entertainment center. Don’t overlook repainting items. Paint can be made to look old by using a distressed process (chipping and sanding) easily done.

Ideas are endless. One needs only a little (or a lot of ) imagination, varying degrees of elbow grease, some tools and an urge to create something unique……something that is sure to endure for generations to come and become a part of your family’s, or someone else’s, history.

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The Stained Glass Art of Louis Michael Pulzetti

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

GINGKO OCULUS, library of Gregory Maguire.

There is a saying, “once an artist, always an artist.” This sentiment holds true for Alton Bay stained glass artist Louis Michael Pulzetti.

The beautiful stained glass pieces Pulzetti creates are done with a skill that took years to hone. His colors and designs are original and breathtaking.

Collaboration is the key to Pulzetti’s work. Taking time to know his clients is part of the process. It is ultimately important to learn what a client envisions, to see a project to completion. Pulzetti

has recently completed a “bamboo jungle” self-illuminated stained glass piece for his brother, two oculi for the library of Gregory Maguire, Concord, Massachusetts, an entryway for Scott and Sharon Cairns in Manchester, New Hampshire, and an entryway for Greg Brown and Clare Worth in Bedford, New Hampshire.

“I always look at the house to get a feeling for what the client wants and what colors will work in a room. It gives me a better understanding of why they want me to create a stained glass piece for their home,” Pulzetti says.

Like many artists, the manner with which Pulzetti approaches his process has changed over time. These days, he has a different approach when it comes to accepting commissions and collaborating with those seeking a stained glass piece. “I make samples of my work,” Pulzetti explains. This can mean first learning the colors that appeal to the client, the type of design the client wants, and how the piece will fit the space in a home, among other considerations. Pulzetti does this by visiting the home and talking with the client.

Certainly, his work is far beyond that of a beginner or someone

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who has a modest knowledge of making stained glass. Blending the skill and the technical aspects of creating stained glass with the artistry and colors that complement the design are necessary to create a piece.

This deep knowledge of stained glass and how Pulzetti wishes to work come from being open to change, as well as a desire to totally learn the process. “I was always amazed at stained glass,” he recalls, “and I wanted to try it. I am self-taught; I read books and it was trial and error at the beginning.” He also learned a lot from a friend and mentor in Burlington, Vermont.

Pulzetti started to do stained glass in 1974 with two small pieces. Over the years, his knowledge has grown as has the artistry of the stained glass pieces he designs. He is inspired by the way light can flow through glass, giving it life. One can see very clearly the joy Pulzetti gets from working with the many pieces of colored glass needed to create a finished piece.

Each step of making stained glass objects requires a certain amount of physical room, and his large studio is thoughtfully laid out for the job. But always, no matter what part of the work might be in process, beautiful and colorful glass is everywhere in the workspace.

Pulzetti does not usually order glass online because it is important to see the unique qualities of the glass for his commissions.

He holds some of that specialized glass carefully in his hands and stares at it in admiration, explaining that the graining and color and texture are important when choosing glass for a project.

In the past few years, Pulzetti has changed the manner in which he seeks clients. Generally, he creates one piece at a time versus working on multiple pieces. This allows him to make a stained glass piece in a satisfying manner. “I have wonderful clients now and they trust me.”

After years of being in trade shows, which required a lot of

work setting up and tearing down displays and moving pieces, Pulzetti is happy to approach his creations in a different way now. By working with select clients he can retain what he loves about making stained glass - the process.

Ask any artist what they most love about creating a piece, and they would likely say the same thing. The art is in the process of making something of beauty and Pulzetti’s stained glass is that of a true artist.

If you were to try to describe a typical stained glass piece made by Pulzetti, it would become obvious there is no “typical piece”. Each is done for a specific client, ranging from a modest and beautiful glass panel to a large, commissioned entryway.

Pulzetti’s work is organic. Trees and vines

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and florals and leaves comprise the mathat also inspired us. We reached out to jority of his stained glass work. The colLouis immediately to help us solve our ors are well thought out, and each piece creative itch. Louis captured our vision has a sensitive composition. beautifully by invoking the spirit of our At present, Pulzetti is working on a beloved copper beech tree. Collaborating large, 24- by 36-inch oval window. It is with Louis was very special, and nothing part of a client’s kitchen renovation and beats having a part of him greeting us at this point they have approved the daily as we enter and exit our home.” sketch Pulzetti has created. He will cut With a select number of loyal clients, the glass this spring. The idea for the dePulzetti has slowed down the manner in which he creates stained glass. Unlike sign is to create leaves of different sizes LOTUS, for a 2017 exhibition. the former days of galleries and exhibits to give depth to the composition. To do and trade shows, these days he says, “I this sort of design, Pulzetti says it is a don’t mind if I have a month off,” leaving him the luxury of mak“gut feeling” he has versus a set formula. He loves to sketch to show design ideas to a client. ing stained glass pieces for family and friends as gifts. “I am more As an engineer for his working life, Pulzetti laughingly says he relaxed, and I really enjoy my work much more,” he explains. is right- and left-brained, meaning he combines his artistic sense A commission for a transom window has motivated Pulzetti to with the technical understanding needed to do the best work. study and experiment with the effects of superimposing two or Using the copper foil technique, which was refined by famed more layers of glass. He has built a deep light box to achieve richer stained glass artist Louis Tiffany, one of Pulzetti’s pieces is comcolors and complex textures and a true sense of depth. Early reposed of around 2,000 pieces of glass. This means it is important sults “excite the creative process,” he says. To grow as an artist is to plan and use an overall pattern. always the goal.

Master woodworker Greg Brown has worked with Pulzetti The future is full of possibilities for the artist, and Pulzetti rein the past on an elegant entryway for Scott and Sharon Cairns. flects, “Down the line, I hope to accept limited new commissions, Pulzetti greatly respects Brown’s work. When Brown decided such as self-illuminated stained glass panels and layered work.” to craft an entryway for his own home, he turned to Pulzetti. It The notion of “once an artist, always an artist” holds true for was affirming to be asked to work on such a project, and Pulzetti Louis Michael Pulzetti, as he designs and builds luminous, wonknew Brown would allow him the time and creativity to make the derful stained glass creations. stained glass in a thoughtful, careful manner.

To speak with Pulzetti or to visit his Alton Bay studio, please Looking back on the project, Brown says, “Last year we remodcontact him by calling 978-290-8379 or by email at Louis.

EmmetsHill@gmail.com. eled our front entryway and we wanted something impressive

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Low-cost Ways to Revamp Living Areas Home improvement projects require substantial financial investment. But just because a homeowner wants to bring a fresh look indoors doesn’t mean he or she must break the bank along the way.

Living rooms are some of the most frequently used spaces in a home, and they can use an update from time to time to stay on trend or to make the area more functional for a changing family dynamic.

Here are some budget-friendly ideas for breathing new life into living room designs.

• Establish the budget. Homeowners should figure out how many dollars they can designate to a living room makeover before purchasing supplies or hiring out the work. Figure out the scope of the remodel, visit stores or suppliers to price out materials, get estimates from contractors, and then plan for some unforeseen circumstances along the way to determine if this type of renovation is affordable. If not, scale things back until the project more closely aligns with your budget.

• Change the paint color. Lighter and brighter colors are on trend.

A can or two of paint can do wonders for updating a space without a large financial commitment. Pair that new paint color with new window coverings and complementary throw pillows to pull the theme

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together with minimal expense.

• Update the flooring. Tired, outdated carpeting or other flooring can use an overhaul. While solid hardwood flooring may be preferable, there are many types of laminate flooring that mimic the looks of popular wood colors and styles for a fraction of the cost. Plus, many are sold at home improvement retailers and even at warehouse clubs or online for reasonable prices. Laminate flooring also may be a potential DIY job for a skilled homeowner, saving even more money.

• Introduce a fireplace. Fireplaces were once hot commodities, but that popularity waned in the 1970s and 1980s. Homeowners with chimneys may discover a fireplace was boarded over and the bare bones still exist that can be renovated to bring back character. There also are ventless freestanding units that are quite affordable that can mimic the look of a built-in fireplace.

• Reupholster instead of replace furniture. There’s no need to throw away quality furniture if the fabric is the only thing impeding design. New upholstery or even a slipcover can update designs.

• Conquer clutter. Rather than adding something to the living room, remove clutter to give the room a more airy feel. This can instantly change the look of the room. Use cord covers to tame plugs for electronics and remove unnecessary furniture from the room.

• Improve lighting. Another easy and often inexpensive fix is to change lighting fixtures, including using brighter, more energy efficient LED bulbs, and to assess lighting needs to eliminate dark corners of rooms that can make the space seem drab.

Living room spaces in need of an update often can benefit from improvements that go easy on the wallet. - Metro

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. . . n o s ’ a n i e l l S i r e G h t t s e i ‘T t’s G e L

By Chef Kelly Ross

I

t’s officially spring My Friends! We can only hope we have a “true” spring this year with some sunshine as we so often have nothing but a cloudy, windy and rainy mud season.

When spring is done right, it’s arguably my favorite season of the year. When it comes to spring, many great things pop into most minds as to what gets us all excited about the change of weather.

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I know there are many who do love the winter and the fun sports associated with the snow, but even most of them are psyched to trade their boots and ski parkas in for shorts and flip flops.

When I think spring, it’s an automatic and instantaneous thought of becoming an outside chef again. It’s time to break out the grill and start focusing on spoiling the taste buds. Although I do grill year-round, I don’t get out as often during the winter as I do during spring/summer/fall. It’s not farfetched for me to grill 7 days a week some weeks, and I’m not sure who enjoys it more, me, my wife, or my dogs, not to mention all the company and customers I cook for.

We have so many options when cooking on the grill, considering the wide array of proteins, vegetables, fruits and seafood, not to mention the many different styles of grilling. Nowadays, there are different mentalities including seasoned rubs, brining, smoking, as well as good old fashioned BBQing. Cooking outside has changed a lot over the years and a whole bunch since I was watching adults do it while I was a kid. Back then, it was either burgers, hot dogs or BBQ chicken.

After being couped up all winter, this is the time to start getting social again, especially with Covid starting to fade away. For those who have been afraid to live their usual lives, it’s time to start doing so, so what a better reason than to have a fun get together with some fun appetizers.

Let’s start off with a couple of fun but also scrumptious beef recipes, both done on a stick, or skewer. One is a takeoff, although much better, on a Chinese beef stick you would get in a Pu Pu Platter. You cut the beef thicker, the marinade is better, and best of all, you grill it as opposed to deep frying it. These are always a ginormous hit whenever I serve these for my crowd of friends.

The sauce is a keeper and keeps the crowd wanting more. It works

great for chicken as well as pork and shrimp. Yup, it’s a wonderful versatile sauce for many proteins, as well as vegetables for those who want to make a vegetarian version.

Depending on your crowd and your budget, using beef tenderloin, as usual, will absolutely give you the best results. I love to use a needle blade tenderizer on the cheaper cuts of beef, and as it marinates, the tenderer it becomes. A needle blade tenderizer generally costs $25-$40 and is so worth the investment as it works great for any meat you want to marinade. It’s an ingenious invention. For what it’s worth, if you use beef tenderloin, you don’t need the tenderizer, but you likely already knew that.

Although the steak cubes should marinade for at least 3 hours and the longer the better, the prep time is only 10-20 minutes, and the grill time is about the same.

This will feed 4 or so as an appetizer.

Grilled Asian Garlic Steak Skewers 1½ pounds top sirloin steak 1 red onion ⅔ cup soy sauce 6 garlic cloves, minced ¼ cup sesame oil ½ cup vegetable oil ½ cup sugar 1 tbsp grated ginger

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2 tbsp sesame seeds Sliced green onions, for garnish Wooden skewers, soaked for a ½ hour Cut steak into one-inch cubes. Cut the red onion into large chunks and set aside. In a large bowl whisk together soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, vegetable oil, sugar, ginger and sesame seeds.

Add the steak and toss to coat in marinade. Marinate for 3 hours or overnight. Preheat the grill to medium high heat. Thread the meat and the red onion onto the skewers. Grill for 8-10 minutes until the meat is done to desired liking.

While on the beef stick theme, let’s bring fresh pineapples into the mix. Beef cubes and pineapple cubes combined are a wonderful marriage my friends. The marinade is different from the last recipe, but arguably just as good, not to mention the pineapple bumps things up in a great way. Again, the prep doesn’t take long, but strongly suggest you marinade the beef for a while, and again, utilize that needle blade tenderizer I talked about previously as it will make any lesser cut of beef seem to be a much more expensive cut. The needler gets the marinade right inside the beef, which is a beautiful thing. Depending on how big or small the skewers you want to make, as in

long or short skewers, that will dictate how many you get, but all in all, it should be enough to set up a half dozen people for appetizers.

Beef Pops with Pineapple and Parsley Sauce For The Parsley Sauce 3 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley 2 cloves garlic, peeled 2 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 tsp crushed chili flakes 1 tsp sugar 1 ½ tsp kosher salt ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper ½ cup olive oil For The Beef Pops 1 ½ lb. beef fillet, cut into ¾ inch cubes, about 40 cubes A 2 lb. pineapple, cut into ¾ inch pieces, about 40 pieces Wooden or bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes Salt and freshly ground black pepper For the Parsley Sauce: In the bowl of a food processor, blend together the parsley, garlic, vinegar, chili flakes, sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper until smooth. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil until incorporated. Place half of the mixture in a medium bowl. Place the remaining mixture in a small serving bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the Beef Pops: Place the beef in the medium bowl with the parsley sauce. Toss well until the beef is coated with the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours. Preheat grill. Thread the skewers starting with a piece of pineapple, then a cube of beef. Repeat with another piece of pineapple and another cube of beef. Continue with the remaining skewers. Grill the skewers for 2 to 3 minutes each side

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for medium rare or until desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper. Simple but Good!

While on the theme of skewered appetizers, let’s move from beef to pork, shall we? Whether pork or chicken, I am a huge fam of the satay theme as I love the spicy peanut sauce mentality.

This version has a tropical twist to it which is outstanding. Prep time is easy, marinading time is a few hours and grilling is easy money. Depending on your crowd, this will serve 4 of you as a great appetizer.

Pork Satay Marinade 1 ½ cups coconut milk ¼ cup peanut butter 2 tbsp fresh lime juice ¼ cup soy sauce 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 Thai Chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped 2 tbsp cilantro Salt 1 ½ lb. pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch-thick cubes Wooden skewers, soaked for a ½ hour Sauce 1 tbsp vegetable oil ½ cup finely chopped onion 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 Thai red Chile pepper, finely chopped ¼ cup soy sauce 2 tbsp lime juice 1 ½ cups coconut milk 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp cumin 1 cup chunky peanut butter

1 tbsp minced fresh cilantro For the marinade, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, add pork and let marinate 2 to 4 hours at minimum, a day at maximum.

For the sauce, heat the oil in a skillet and add the onion, garlic and chili. Sauté for about 4 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce, lime juice, coconut milk, coriander, and cumin. Thoroughly blend the peanut butter into the mixture. Bring the sauce to a simmer over low heat, stirring frequently. Stir in the cilantro and remove from the heat. Once ready to go, preheat the grill. Remove the pork from the marinade and thread on skewers. Grill for 7 to 8 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with the sauce.

For the most part, most of our grilled appetizers have been somewhat upscale or easy to eat at least. Not anymore because now we have moved on to the Wing portion of our program.

I have NEVER met a chicken wing I didn’t like, and although restaurants deep fry their wings to give you a nice crispy wing, I still prefer my wings off the grill. My wing cooking process is

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a little unorthodox compared to any others I have seen, but when those others see me in action, most copy my process and bring it to their backyard as it truly makes for a kick butt wing. The big difference is that I usually start with a dry wing on the grill with my marinade of choice in a Tupperware container reserved specifically for wing grilling as the wing marinades tend to permanently stain the container. Once I grill the wings for a few minutes on each side, I then put the wings in the container, put the lid on, shake them up, and put the wings back on the grill. I repeat this process 4-5 times so the wings are plenty sauced, cooked thru, messy as you know what when eating, and absolutely delicious. I would also like to add that I always like to buy my wings fresh and whole, not cut in half into a drumette and flat wing. Using the whole wing, take the last third which is the tip with no meat, and tuck under the wing and fold into itself to make a triangle. Once it starts cooking, it’ll firmly mold into that triangle and will hold tightly when it is shaken in the Tupperware container. Once ready to eat, it’ll unfold easily, and the wings will fall apart nicely. It’s a beautiful thing.

This first wing recipe you may end up giving a double take to, but trust me, these are awesome. Who ever heard of butterscotch on wings, right? I have, and you must give them a try as well, and once you do, they will be part of your wing repertoire forever when grilling for fun crowds. These wings are also spicy, so the heat and sweetness are a great combo which marry up

well. I will share a recipe to make your own butterscotch sauce, or you can buy some, but either way, it’s a win/win. This recipe will get you 24 or so whole wings, 48 segments which should easily be enough for 6 people as an appetizer. If it’s just a wing fest, well that number will go up. I like to let the wings marinate for a few hours before making the butterscotch sauce and starting the grilling process, but that is your call.

Actual grill time will be close to a half hour.

Spicy Butterscotch Wings 2 lb. whole fresh chicken wings, folding the tip underneath making a wing triangle 4 tbsp soy sauce 4 tbsp ketchup 4 tbsp Sriracha chili sauce 2 tsp pepper 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 2 tsp onion powder ½ tsp salt Butterscotch Sauce 1 cup sugar 1 cup 2% milk, warmed 4 tbsp butter Combine ingredients 2-8 and mix well: add wings and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap directly on top of the wings and keep refrigerated, ideally for 2-3 hours. Pull from refrigeration 30-45 minutes prior to grilling. Preheat the grill to medium high.

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Spray generously with pan release spray or oil with a rag or paper towels. I like to start my butterscotch sauce right on the grill, either in a sauté pan on a side burner or with the pan directly on the hot grill if there is enough room. If not, do so in the kitchen while the wings start grilling and bring the sauce out as you need the sauce to be warm and loose as when it cools, it will stiffen up.

So, in a skillet, spread sugar; cook, without stirring, over medium heat until it begins to melt. Gently drag melted sugar to center of pan so it melts evenly. Cook, without stirring, until melted sugar turns amber. Carefully stir in warm milk and butter. Simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened, 5-7 minutes. Keep warm. Again, if preferred, you can use store bought butterscotch sauce which does have a tendency of staying looser when cool. So,for 4-5 minutes on each side, dump the wings into the Tupperware container, pour the butterscotch sauce over the top of them, cover it up and shake well. Put the wings back on the grill, although you may want to respray or re-oil the grates as the sugared wings will tend to stick more so now. Repeat the process another few times until the wings are charred in a decent way, and everyone is drooling for them. Most of my crew prefers no dipping sauce, but like most wings, blue cheese dressing or ranch are always a winner. I always cut up a slew of carrot and celery sticks as well, which makes a dipping dressing almost mandatory. Break out the paper towels and eat like a bunch of cannibals because these are as great as they are messy to eat.

This next batch of wings doesn’t have a sauce to shake them around in in between grilling cycles but instead has a great dry rub which gives these wings a nice little kick, which is why they are named Firecracker Wings. These are very simple in that you combine the spices in a ziplock, pop in the whole wings, shake them and let them refrigerate up to 24 hours and then grill them.

Use sour creme, blue cheese dressing or maybe ranch if preferred

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to dip them into. Prep takes 10 minutes, grilling takes closer to 20, so all in all, easy money. This recipe is for 2 ½ lbs. of whole wings, folded into triangles like I mentioned previously, which should give you about 30 whole wings.

Grilled Firecracker Wings 2 ½ lbs. of whole chicken wings, tips folded up underneath forming a triangle 3 tbsp chili powder 2 tsp dried oregano leaves 1 ½ tsp cayenne pepper 1 ¼ tsp garlic salt 1 ½ tsp ground cumin 1 ½ tsp black pepper Sour cream, if desired Fold tips of chicken wings under opposite ends to form triangles.

Place remaining ingredients except sour cream in heavy duty resealable plastic food storage bag. Seal bag and shake to blend seasonings.

Add chicken. Seal bag and shake until chicken is coated with seasonings. Refrigerate at least

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30 minutes but no longer than 24 hours. Once ready to grill, pull chicken from fridge and let them sit at room temp for a ½ hour, preheat the grill to a medium heat.

Remove chicken from bag. Cover and grill chicken for 20 to 25 minutes, turning after 10 minutes, until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.

Serve with sour cream.

One more to end the recipe barrage for the day is a Greek Wing recipe. This one will require the Tupperware container. This one is for 3 lbs. of whole wings, which is about 36 wings, so a bigger crowd this recipe will feed, unless you want to cut it in half.

Greek Wings with Lemon and Feta Zest and juice of 1 lemon 6 garlic cloves, crushed ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp cracked black pepper 2 tsp salt 2 tsp dried oregano 3 lb. fresh whole chicken wings, tip folded underneath making

a wing triangle ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 9 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 4 small garlic cloves, finely grated 1 ½ tsp cayenne pepper 1 ½ tsp cracked black pepper Kosher salt ¼ cup chopped parsley 3 oz. feta, crumbled Whisk lemon zest and juice, garlic, oil, black pepper, salt, and oregano in a large bowl to combine. Add wings and toss to coat.

Cover and chill at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours. Once ready to grill, pull the wings a ½ hour prior and start the grill and set to medium. Grease up the grill and place the wings down for 5 minutes or so, flip them. While they are cooking, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, cayenne and black pepper and season with salt. Pour into the Tupperware container. Pop the wings in, cover and shake them up. Remove from the Tupperware and grill for another 5-6 minutes, then back into the container, shake them up, and continue the process a few more times until done. Once finished, drizzle any of the leftover sauce over the plattered wings and top with the crumbled Feta cheese and chopped parsley and dig right in.

Happy Spring Ladies & Gents. Remember to break out the grill and clean that thing out from top to bottom to be safe and sound, plus to cook efficiently. May you have a great grilling spring, summer, and fall, and if like me, do so in the winter as well, but let’s not talk winter right now, right?

If you have any questions or feedback, please email me at fenwaysox10@gmail.com

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Taking the Real Estate Temperature

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper Things sure have changed in the real estate market.

That is the sentiment expressed by many people as they drive around the area. Indeed, the landscape looks a bit different, with condominiums under construction and homes also being built. If a property is listed, within days – and sometimes hours – it has sold.

Ask any realtor in the area what is happening, and they will agree the market is hot and there are fewer listings than in the past. This is due partly to the pandemic, when many people from neighboring states wanted a quieter, more rural area in which to live.

Will the summer of 2022 follow the same pattern as we have seen in the recent past in the Lakes Region? Or will there be a slowdown in home sales and prices? Says Frank Roche, president and principal broker of Roche Realty Group of Laconia and Meredith, “The amount of inven-

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tory should improve slowly. People have wanted to own property here because of Covid; they want out of the city and are desiring a calmer, less stressful life. The Lakes Region can offer that.”

In the last few years, money has certainly come into the area with out-of-staters from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. Roche explains that those people may now have sold their homes in other states and have some serious money/profit from those sales. Thus, they can afford to pour that money into a Lakes Region home, playing to rising prices to their present levels.

Historically, real estate inventory is at a historic low level.

Roche checks statistics often, and shares, “Currently (as of midMarch 2022), in 25 towns, only 115 homes were on the market.

Laconia had eight single-family homes for sale and five condominiums; Meredith had nine single-family homes and three condos for sale, while Wolfeboro had five homes and no condos for sale.

Moultonborough listed five single-family homes and no condos for sale.”

This underscores the low amount of real estate inventory, but Roche is not one to look at the negative, having been in the real estate business locally for many years. In that time, he has seen the market go up and down, and experienced boom times and recessions in real estate. This has given him a bit more pragmatic and hopeful view of things. “I think changes are coming. I don’t see a financial crash, but there will be price adjustments.”

Reflecting on the current market, Roche offers some tips to home buyers who may have frustration in trying to secure a home.

“A common word this year is ‘substitution’. A good realtor can help cut through the nuances and help buyers find a home.” In other words, buyers may have to put aside their dream of a finished, large home for something smaller and more available to their pocketbook.

In the past, such as the 1990 financial crash, there was not the equity we have now. “Forty-two percent of homeowners are equity rich. In 2010, there were 24.7% of homes in negative equity and in 2021, there were only 2.1% of homes with negative equity,” explains Roche.

“Still, it will be competitive for realtors and buyers this year,” Roche says. With 40 realtors in his office, everyone is looking for listings. Homes, in simple truth, just do not stay Finding affordable homes in the Lakes Region on the market proved difficult as only 119 homes sold for long before sell$300,000 or less in the past six months. ing.

This Tuftonboro raised ranch was a find at Because the $255,000 and sold in 15 days. cost of building materials has also gone up, it has become harder to build starter homes. The most popular type of home, says Roche, is hard to define. “It’s all over the place, depending upon what the buyer wants.”

Susan Bradley, broker associate with Gilford’s Coldwell-Banker Realty office, believes the market will continue its present trajectory for the summer. “There is low inventory and higher prices. It will stay this way until we get more inventory. There are more buy-

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ers presently because so many people want to relocate here or to have a second home in the area. There is more demand for real estate in all price points.

“Covid certainly played into it when people wanted to get out of high-density areas. Many could work from home and their children were being schooled online as well,” Bradley adds.

It is a drastically altered market, most realtors agree. The many things the Lakes Region can offer is part of the appeal, with the outdoors and recreation and the ease with which homeowners in the area can travel to the seacoast and Boston.

“People are coming here from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey and it is largely those people who want a second home,” Bradley says.

Because of such things as the healthy stock market, there is a tremendous amount of money available to many buyers now and they are willing to pay higher prices, thus making the market more competitive as well.

“But this isn’t exclusive to our area alone,” Bradley says. “Florida has a similar situation with lower inventory, and Massachusetts has higher prices and a lot of buyer competition.”

Bradley sees condominiums selling well and island property demand is higher. “Owning an island home gives people waterfront but for a lesser amount. Buyers see it as a great second-home option.”

Another realtor who has experienced the roller coaster of the recent real estate boom is Jon Parker of Maxfield Real Estate, with offices in Wolfeboro, Alton, and Center Harbor. As an owner/ realtor at Maxfield, Parker has seen a big increase in sales, driven, he says by supply and demand on and off the lakes/water. He says many buyers are coming from Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut.

“Everything is selling,” says Parker. “Buyers want turn-key, and they are less often seeking handyman specials.”

This may be because fixer-upper type homes mean time to do repairs and contractors to do the work…and supplies which are increasingly difficult to get with prices for materials rising. Added to this, those moving to the Lakes Region appreciate the recreation here and do not want to spend their valuable time renovating a home when they would rather spend that time on the water or hiking or in the winter, skiing for example.

“Buyers are seeking wellkept homes without a lot of working to Buyers have to act quickly in this market as be done,” exmany homes are under contract in less than plains Parker. a week. Such as this Meredith cape that only He adds that lasted for three days on the market. condominiums are popular because of their low maintenance and convenience. If a buyer is seeking a secondhome, a condo is an attractive option. Condo sales rose in the area by 25% to 30% in recent years and some buyers are purchasing them as an investment.

Thus, the number of condominium communities one sees in

home • Spring 2022 • 57

the area are increasing. The condos, if possible, are on or near the lake and boat slips add to the suitability for those moving to the Lakes Region.

If you own property in the area and are thinking of selling, now is a good time to do so. Says Parker, “Your home will likely get a lot of looks. It is still a seller’s market, but interest rates are rising, leaving a lot to consider.”

He also predicts prices will not go higher or lower but there will be multiple bids on any given home.

Parker thinks A few real estate deals were still there to be the market will found, especially fixer upper type homes balance out, like this four bedroom in Alton that sold for and he predicts $125,000 last September. The agent stated it more of a neuneeded work, inside and out including a new tral market in septic system. the buyer’s favor.

The most popular style of home that buyers like, according to Parker, is a modern farmhouse with a big kitchen sink, subway tiles and ship-lap wood. This gives a clean, modern look with style and charm.

“It’s all being driven by supply and demand,” Parker concludes, “on and off the water.”

Thinking of water properties, the demand for island secondhomes has always been a bit less in the past, because of accessibility. One must have a boat and be accepting of the extra work to get such things as groceries to an island home. But that has changed as properties on land are becoming hard to get.

Says Roche, “Island properties are also selling a lot. Prices are going up there as well. Island cottages used to be considered a working-man’s vacation home, but not now.”

If a buyer is not interested in a waterfront home, they are opting often for view properties, places with magnificent views of the beautiful lakes and mountains.

“As of today,” adds Roche, “there are 164 single-family homes for sale under $300,000 in the state.” (This was of mid-March for this story interview.) This all means if you are looking to buy, it would be advisable to know the market and be prepared for buyer competition and to pay more than you would have in the past.

The starter home market has changed, and some realtors use the phrase a crippled starter-home market.

Amid the altered real estate market and less-than-positive news of realtors scrambling for listings and rising home prices, there is good long-term news. Prices will level off and things will calm down, as they always have.

“Things have started to come back,” says Parker. “There is somewhat more for sale and interest rates right now are still low. Covid has certainly presented challenges, but we expect more inventory this spring.”

Predicting the future is difficult for a realtor, but Bradley believes the current appreciation in property prices is not sustainable. Thus, prices will level off, which is good news for potential buyers.

To coin an old phrase, which is true for the real estate market, “What goes up, must come down.

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Threats to Pets That Roam Outdoors Domesticated pets may have evolved from wild animals, but it has been some time since dogs were needed to hunt like wolves or domesticated cats had to survive like wild leopards or tigers. While pets can enjoy time outdoors, it’s important to avoid leaving them to their own devices for too long. The online health resource Healthcare for Pets says responsible pet ownership necessitates certain precautions to keep pets safe when they venture out of the home.

The following is a list of potential dangers that can affect pets outdoors.

• Pesticides and poisons: Pet owners may use pet-friendly products in and around their homes. However, there’s no guarantee that your neighbors do the same. Common lawn and garden products, including insecticides and pesticides, may cause anything from mild irritations to toxic poisoning.

• Weather: A fur coat does not offer complete protection from conditions like extreme weather. Pets can experience hypothermia or heat stroke if they are exposed to extreme weather for prolonged periods of time.

• Automobiles: Dogs and cats that wander can be struck by vehicles and/or ingest potentially harmful substances leaking from cars or trucks. Automotive coolant (antifreeze) is often sweet and brightly colored, which attracts curious pets. Ethylene glycol in coolant is fatal to dogs and cats if ingested. Outdoor cats may hide or seek warmth in car engines, putting them at risk for injury.

• Exposure to illnesses: Young animals should not spend prolonged periods of time outdoors before they are vaccinated. However, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior recommends that pet parents begin taking puppies on walks and public outings as early as one week after their initial rounds of vaccinations (roughly seven

weeks old) because this is the window of time when socialization skills are learned.

• Parasites: Bugs and parasites may be lurking outdoors. Parasitic worm larvae, fleas, mosquitoes, and ticks can be harmful to pets. Ask your vet about year-round flea/tick/heartworm preventatives if a pet spends time outdoors.

• Other animals: Wild animals pose a risk to domesticated pets.

They can pass illnesses on to pets or engage them in scuffles that result in injuries or even death. If companion animals are not spayed or neutered, pet owners may have to confront unexpected pregnancies after pets spend time outdoors.

Pets that spend time outdoors should be supervised whenever they leave the confines of their homes. - Metro

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Grow Your Own Food Year Round with the Tower Garden

By Lori Tremblay

I love our Tower Garden. It’s a wonderful way to take control of our food sources. Going to the grocery store now is an uncertain experience. Shoppers wonder, how much have the prices gone up and what is actually available on the shelves? Do we really want to buy produce shipped from South Africa? That can’t be very fresh or nutritious. In New England, during the winter, we can’t get local, fresh produce, or can we?

I love to garden, to grow fresh vegetables in the sun and harvest them. I love to go to the farmers’ markets in the summer and enjoy local, fresh produce. In the late fall and winter, most of us can’t do that.

About ten years ago, my husband and I had a balcony and didn’t have the space for a garden. We decided to try the Tower Garden, an aeroponic, indoor and outdoor home gardening system that lets you grow fresh, nutritious fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers any time of year. We had it outside during the summer and inside during the winter, with grow lights added.

The first year, we grew tomatoes in the summer. We added about three tomato plants in the bottom ports, which morphed into giant, sprawling vines of prolific tomatoes. They were delicious, but we had too many! We needed to add water to the 20-gallon basin often, which contained the minerals and nutrients added to nourish the plants’ roots. Those tomatoes were thirsty! So we learned to balance the needs of the plants, herbs, fruits and flowers that we grew. We had 20 ports to plant seedlings in and we could have a variety of fresh produce.

I was excited to be able to snip just the herbs or salad greens that I needed, without wasting an entire package bought at the store. I noticed that the taste was much fresher. When we grew celery, it was dark green and very flavorful, unlike the pale green stalks I was used to from the store. Everything had a fresher flavor

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and deeper color.

An older friend tasted the lettuce and said, “This is what I remember from my grandmother’s garden.”

During the winter, we added grow lights to the Tower Garden as we took it inside.

It was so exciting to have fresh herbs, greens and other vegetables in the winter. We enjoyed delicious salads during a snowstorm and it was so gratifying.

Later, we moved and had the Tower Garden in the back yard in the summer. A special visitor was a praying mantis, who made her home on my Tulsi basil. We watched with interest as she found a mate and unfortunately, he lost his life (females kill the males after mating). This is the way of the praying mantis mating ritual. She left a circular nest of eggs, which we moved to safety when we took the Tower Garden inside for the winter. I used the Tulsi basil for tea and herbal recipes.

The Tower Garden is simple, with a basin for water and miner-

als, a tower with ports for planting seedlings, and a pump to pump the water, which then rains down on the plants’ roots.

You add minerals and nutrients to the water.

You also need to check the pH balance of the water.

Tim Blank, cofounder and chief technical officer for The Tower Garden Company, invented the Tower Garden.

He has a degree in horticulture and a 12-year career at The Land at Disney’s Epcot Center. In 2012, Blank partnered with The Juice Plus Company, maker of whole food nutritional products, to make the Tower Garden available for residential use. Blank said, “You don’t have to be an expert, but you can still grow your own clean, healthy food at home.” He also said, “The future of food is growing up instead of out.”

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more food in urban environments. Dr. Dickson Despommier, microbiologist, an ecologist and emeritus professor of Public and Environmental Health at Columbia University and author of “The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century,” has a similar vision. He said, “If successfully implemented, they (vertical farms) offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming.” In the book, Despommier shows how abandoned buildings in urban areas can be used to establish vertical growing farms on multiple levels. Food is produced efficiently, safely (without the threat of diseases or contaminants), and abundantly.

Lolli Leeson, a National Marketing Director with The Juice Plus Company and chef, said “American families desperately want solutions and choice in being able to obtain nutritious, homegrown, organic, vine-ripened and GMO- free food. In today’s world, that is not easy.” Lolli and her husband, Bob, built a greenhouse by their home in Massachusetts for their Tower Gardens.

The Leesons are passionate about educating others about the benefits of healthy food.

The Tower Gardens can be used in so many ways. In schools, they have been very successful in showing children how to grow their own food and to enjoy the process. Free curriculum is provided to schools to help teachers incorporate valuable lesson plans around the growing process. Students get excited when they are involved in the process and get to eat what they have grown.

Stephen Ritz, an enthusiastic, award winning teacher, sponsored an organization called the Green Bronx Machine. Ritz was a Top Ten Finalist for the Global Teacher Prize, named Global Humanitarian, Food Tank Hero, TedX Prize Winner and a Global Food Educator. A replica of his classroom was installed in the US Botanic Gardens in Washington, DC.

Ritz began growing food in the classrooms in an inner-city school in the Bronx, which inspired the students to get involved, eat what they grew and become healthier. There was an increased success rate in the classroom and the students have given back to their communities. They learn where their food comes from and how it grows. Ritz uses Tower Gardens in the classroom and speaks to groups nationwide about the importance of nutrition for children and families (www.greenbronxmachine.org). I have heard Ritz speak and his enthusiasm is palpable.

Lolli Leeson pointed out the many possibilities of the Tower Garden. “It is great for an older couple that can’t physically tend to a garden anymore, the condo owner with a sunny balcony, the restaurant owner who spends a lot of money on organic produce and herbs, a school classroom or the busy family.”

Even if you don’t have a green thumb, the Tower Garden is easy to use. There is no weeding, kneeling or digging in the dirt. You also don’t waste any food, because you pick what you need and the plant keeps growing. You can grow everything except root vegetables, tubers (like potatoes), or tree type plants, such as blackberry or raspberry bushes. Grow the things that you love to eat. The nutrient content is the best when you pick what you need and bring it right to the table.

Tim Blank said, “Take control of your own food supply. Get more healthy produce. If you grow it in your kitchen, you’ll harvest it every day.”

Lori Tremblay is a wellness educator with The Juice Plus Company. For more information: https://loritremblay.towergarden.com/ or email towergardennh@gmail.com.

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Explaining the Concept of “Good Debt” Debt is a four-letter word, and in many instances, a high amount of debt is perilous.

However, debt isn’t always a black mark on individuals’ financial résumés.

Consumers may have heard the term “good debt” at some point and wondered just why owing money to certain creditors is more desirable than owing to others. The debt help experts at Debt.org note that there’s a simple explanation for this distinction. Debt that increases an individual’s net worth or future value is considered “good debt,” while debts that do not positively affect net worth are considered “bad debt.”

So which types of debt qualify as good debt? The following are three types of debts that generally qualify as good debt.

1. Student loan debt: Student loan debt can be tricky, but it’s generally considered good debt. That’s because education has long been linked to a greater earning potential. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that individuals over 25 who were working full-time and only had a high school diploma had a median weekly income of just under $800. Individuals who had a bachelor’s degree had a median weekly income of more than $1,400. However, it’s important that individuals recognize that certain degrees do more for their earning potential than others. Taking on a high amount of student loan debt to earn a degree in a historically low-earning field could make it harder to make ends meet down the road. That won’t necessarily make the debt “bad” in the eyes of lenders, but it could force borrowers to wonder if they made the right decision.

2. Mortgage debt: Mortgage debt is perhaps the most undeniable source of good debt.

Historically, the appreciation value of real estate has made home ownership a worthwhile goal, even if home buyers have to finance their home purchases with bank loans. Perhaps nothing has more successfully illustrated the value of home ownership in recent years more than the skyrocketing value of real estate during the pandemic. The real estate research firm CoreLogic noted that home prices across the United States increased by 18 percent between July 2020 and July 2021. Individuals who already owned their homes, including those who were a long way from paying off their mortgages, saw their equity rise considerably in that time period, even if they continued to make the same monthly payments they’d been making before the pandemic. Though home prices may never again rise that much in a given year, real estate historically has increased in value on a yearly basis. That certainly qualifies mortgage debt as “good debt.”

3. Business loans: A business loan may carry more risk than a mortgage loan, but it still can turn out to be very good debt if the business ultimately succeeds. However, that’s a big “if.” Data from the BLS indicates that 65 percent of new businesses fail within a decade of opening. Many small business owners use personal guarantees to secure business loans, meaning the debt is theirs should the business ultimately fail. But owning a successful business can be a great way to build personal wealth, which is why business loans can be considered good debt. -Metro

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Why Home Matters

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“There’s no place like home,” Dorothy chanted, hoping to find her way back to her family in the classic movie “The Wizard of Oz.” After a series of adventures, Dorothy (and the viewer) learns the walls making up a home are less important than the people inhabiting the space we call home.

It was a hard-learned lesson for Dorothy, and I think it is a hardlearned truth for many of us. Lots of people say they couldn’t wait to leave home, to strike out on their own as a young adult. They were eager to have their own place, with privacy and the freedom to decorate it in any way they saw fit.

I felt the same in my youth. I had my first apartment while attending college in Portland, Maine and although it was small, it was mine. I didn’t have to risk my mother’s disapproval if I hung a picture she might not like or decided not to make my bed for three days in a row.

What did I miss about my mother’s home? Not all that much, I thought. Of course, I missed my family, but proudly said it was great to be on my own, in my own space.

I did not realize it then, but I missed many things about my childhood home. The comforting things have stuck with me down through the years. Looking back on it now, when I went home for a visit, I was always assaulted with a variety of smells. The ones that stand out most are beef stew simmering on the woodstove in my mother’s kitchen and the lingering, yeasty scent of the bread she had baked the previous day. I am sure there were many other

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things to remember about my mother’s house, but it is the scents that take me back and give me comfort.

When I think of that house, it is always chilly October, with brightly colored leaves dancing across the lawn and a sharp wind making the windows rattle in a cold-air assault.

The kitchen is forever warm, the heat coming from a woodstove and producing the kind of come-on-in-and-sit-a-spell comfort only wood heat can produce.

My mother’s house was quite old, and she was forever involved in a fixer-upper project. She worked during the day outside the home, but she spent evenings and weekends painting walls, scraping old paint off floors, and caulking around windows and door frames to keep the mean winter’s cold at bay. I well recall the scents of paint and varnish and sawdust when I arrived home for a visit, making me sneeze and my eyes water.

And if my mother wasn’t immersed in home improvements, she was doing a getting-ready-for-winter project, such as making grape jelly to take advantage of the many Concord grapes that grew wild around the house. Or in the springtime, she was tending to her old-fashioned flowers, such as the lilacs and wild roses. To this day, the heady scent of lilacs, lush and blooming, remind me of that house.

But I often grew impatient with coming home, a know-itall youth full of college bravado. It was good to get back to my studio apartment, where I called the decorating shots after a visit to my mother’s historic house.

“How can you stand this?” I asked more than once when looking with dismay at my mother’s living room or kitchen.

She was busy rubbing chestnut wood stain on a door, or taping sheet rock or ripping down old horsehair plaster wall. As

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always when involved in making something or deep into a project, her look of concentration was intense, and she half-heard my question.

“What?” she might have asked, as she pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose and stretched her arms for a moment before continuing her project. I saw the gleam of determination in her eyes, a stubbornness to complete a creative project I had seen many times over the years. It was the same way she looked – involved in a project and a bit removed from the day-to-day world – when she was painting a landscape or sketching a new design for a rug she was about to braid.

For her, the old house she was living in and fixing up was just an extension of her other creative projects. She enjoyed chopping wood for the stove, tending those lilac bushes, planting tiger lilies around the edge of the lawn, making curtains for the windows and tackling many other projects.

Admittedly, I couldn’t see much sense in it all. An old house, full of dust and big spiders in the summer and wind whistling through cracks in the winter was a money and energy pit. Why bother with such a place, I asked her many times.

“Because,” she said, “a house is important. I own it and it is mine to do with, as I want. You just wait and see; it will be a beauty when it’s finished!”

Not long after, my mother fell ill and when I graduated from college, I lived in the house for a while and learned the true ups and downs of residing in an old house. My first job was to paint the entire exterior of the house with the gallons of paint my mother bought before she got sick. She had to move from the old house into a more manageable, newer abode and that is when I moved in to complete her many projects. After all, there was no rent and she had long ago paid off the mortgage.

Our tastes were different, and I opened the first gallon of paint

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with a bit of trepidation. My mother loved the colors burnt orange and deep green, hues that were popular in the mid to late 1970s. As I pried open the paint cover with a screwdriver, I didn’t know what to expect. Of course, the yellowish oil in the paint had risen to the top over time, but when I stirred the liquid, swirls of butterscotch yellowy paint was visible.

“Hmm…not too bad,” I said to myself in relief. My mother had restrained herself in her exterior house paint choice and as I slathered on the paint, I was surprised to see how well it matched the Cape Cod architectural style of the old house.

I recently came across a photo taken by someone when I was in the midst of house painting. I was perched high up on a ladder, waving with one hand while in the other I held the gallon of paint, a devil-may-care grin on my face. “Wow, it’s a miracle I didn’t fall off and get hurt,” I said as I peered at the photo. “”But didn’t I look proud of myself?”

The house took a while to paint, but I did finish it, in between tending to the lilac bushes, and mowing the lawn and as July slid into August and the evenings grew dark earlier, I was also cleaning the woodshed. Soon enough, I would be ordering a cord or more of wood for the winter’s heating and the shed was directly off the kitchen with its big woodstove.

As anyone who owns a house – especially an old house – can tell you, it’s always something. The tasks never end. So it was with the cord of wood I ordered. Imagine my surprise when I came home from work one early September day and saw the pile of wood dumped on another part of my property instead of near the woodshed as I had instructed the deliveryman.

When I called to ask what had happened, he said, in his slow drawl, “Well, I’ll tell ya, I just couldn’t get my truck near the shed with the load. It would’ve messed up my truck somethin’ fierce.” I

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could hear him take a draw on his cigarette and waited while he exhaled and coughed to clear his throat. “So, I unloaded at that little patch of land over the other way. Shouldn’t be too much work to get that little pile into your shed.” (“Over the other way a piece” was about half a football field from the shed by any stretch of the imagination.)

I wanted to yell and threaten to cancel his check, but I somehow restrained myself. I can still recall venting my frustration and anger when moving the wood, piece by piece, wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow load, until it was finally where it should have been all along - ready to be stacked in the shed.

The wood was indeed a necessity, but it didn’t stop the pipes from freezing that bitterly cold winter. I remember carrying water and even inviting my boss and her daughter to dinner during that cold spell. I seemed to have shrugged off the lack of running water and just carried on with my life, as the youthful among us are more inclined to do.

Everything about that old house was a challenge and I cannot say I ever really embraced it, although I came to understand why my mother took such pride in her fixer-upper projects.

I too found myself checking with anticipation the curly vines near the edge of the property to see if the wild grapes were ripe.

Then I hunted in my mother’s plastic recipe box for her triedand-true grape jelly instructions. I savored the scent of the purple lilacs (to this day, their old-fashioned, slightly spicy scent reminds me of the old house.) And every time I came home after work, I looked at the exterior paint job of the house with pride.

I haven’t been back to the house in years and I live elsewhere now. My college-age bravado and know-it-all attitude about having my own place has morphed into the desire, as the years move on, for a smaller house, an easier-to-maintain abode.

When I mention the desire to downsize to friends, they look at me as if I am crazy. “You mean to say, you want to live in some teeny little apartment or house? But you do so many projects, where would you put it all? You’d surely miss the house.”

I think about it for a minute, and then I know for certain I wouldn’t miss it. It would be a relief to let someone else plow the driveway and shovel the roof; to free myself of the worry that the roof might leak or the winterization around the door will need to be replaced, among other tasks. Again, when you own a house, there is always something to fix or worry over.

Why am I so sure I would be able to move on without missing a large house? Because I have my memories, so easily evoked: The scent of beef stew, the chill of a bright October day with crackling leaves emitting that bruised, end-of-season smell and the aroma of smoke from a neighbor’s woodstove take me back to my mother’s old house and comfort me. And the sound of a distant motorboat on the lake or the wind sawing through mammoth pine trees on a winter’s day, will take me back to life in my present home once I finally live elsewhere.

I may have learned the trick of letting go and moving on and the true definition of home from my mother, although she passed away over 15 years ago. It is odd the way human nature works: as time goes on, I remember her features less clearly than I do the scents and warmth and comfort she created in her house. And I remember the pride she took in all her fixer-upper projects.

All of it – comfort and warmth and feeling loved – are what home is all about. And it is why home matters.

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L

Empty Nesting… and a New Floor

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

74 • home • Spring 2022

ife is an interesting circle. What was once important fades into distinct unimportance as the years and circumstances change.

Those were the thoughts filtering through my head one morning as I enjoyed a first cup of coffee and reviewed my schedule for the day. At the top of the list were the freelance stories I needed to finish.

I projected ahead and imagined myself hobbling down the stairs to my office on the lower level of my home. I shuddered a bit, knowing it would be a chore to maneuver the stairs with file folders and coffee cup in hand, especially now that I am coping with a knee injury. But I have worked in my little office for years and endured the ups and downs of a basement-level set up.

We put an addition on our home about 10 years ago and it gave us added space to move our kids’ bedrooms from the lower level of our home to the main floor. (Everyone in my family, at times, has cursed the 1970s architecture of our house, with the biggest portion of the home on the upper level and the “living room” and extra rooms on the first – or ground floor – level).

Our son and daughter loved their new bedrooms with lots of closet space, bright walls and nice views. Over time, they grew up, went to college and are now in the working world – one in Florida and the other in Massachusetts. Although they come home as often as possible, their bedrooms are two waiting-to-be-occupied rooms we keep closed off during the winter to save on fuel costs.

I have eyed one of my kids’ upper level bedroom many times (I targeted my son’s bedroom because he lives far away and comes home only a few times a year) as a possible alternative to my basement office. I could envision the bedroom converted into a wonderful first-floor office with a big desk, room to spread out…and a

lot more natural light than my current workspace.

For the last year, I have mentioned the possible idea to my son.

“You need to start paring down your stuff,” I warned both my kids at the Christmas holiday. I stood in their bedrooms, surveying the bookshelves full of little kid to high school books, the elementary and middle school sports trophies, the Scrabble, Monopoly and other board games and all the items of a their growing-up years.

Then there were the big black bookshelves my son made for a college project. They too were packed with CDs, birthday cards, letters, graduation memorabilia and much, much more. I was almost afraid to glance into my son’s and daughter’s closets because I knew they held more than clothing. Oh yes, I saw when I took a look, there were old strobe lights and cool teen Halloween costumes, a prom gown and boxes full of stuff.

Was it worth it, I asked myself as I saw the work that would be required to clean out these room? My kids promised to at least start to tackle it, but I could tell their hearts were not into the purging clutter project. In fairness, my son did roll up his sleeves and make some heroic efforts to declutter, but I knew the lion’s share of the project would fall to me and I have never been comfortable going through and deciding the ultimate fate of someone else’s possessions.

I’ve been slowly chipping away at the clean out, but I know it will be difficult to turn either of their bedrooms into an office that will also remain as a bedroom now and then when my son or daughter come home for a visit.

“And what,” a little taunting voice in my head sometimes asks, “will you do if they need to come home to live for a while?” I would want them to both to feel welcome and they couldn’t realistically share either bedroom with an office space.

I have scanned home design magazines, looking for décor that

serves as both a bedroom and an office. I must say there isn’t anything that would really work for the room and I just don’t have the go-get-’em attitude to become an instant designer/decorator in order to revamp the bedroom.

So at this point, things are still up in the air when it comes to moving my memorabilia and never used stuff out and my desk and files and work things into a room, I would not want to tackle such a task.

However, we try to do one major project in our home each year, and redoing the flooring on the main level was at the top of the list this year. We had company coming for Christmas and I couldn’t stand the idea of another season with the faded, old carpet in the dining room and the peeling tiles in the kitchen, not to mention the indoor/outdoor industrial carpeting from the distant past that still clung to the hall floor.

Because we are not home improvement experts, we must rely on others to do the work and it has led to some interesting issues over the years. All were solved, but we have learned a lot along the way. It has made us cautious about change, however.

The flooring that needed to be replaced spanned a large room – an open kitchen and dining room and a long hallway. Would it be smart to do tile in the kitchen and another kind of flooring in the dining room and the hallway?

One thing I knew was, due to the spills and stains of years on the current carpet, it was time for something easier to clean in high-traffic areas. We started to ask others with laminate flooring if they were happy with the choice. Most said yes, they loved their laminate flooring, although one of my friends has real hardwood floors and urged me to go that route. However, when I looked into it, I realized the price point for hardwood was more than we could swing.

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home • Spring 2022 • 75

We shopped at local stores to see what type of laminate would be available. The choices were dizzying to say the least. In some of the stores, the laminate samples were divided by price (and most likely by durability). The old adage of getting what you pay for probably was true when it came to laminate, we assumed.

Gazing at the choices, we could easily eliminate the really inexpensive laminates. Our floors get a lot of wear and tear and we didn’t want something that might not withstand the traffic and spills associated with everyday living.

The middle range choices looked pretty good and would likely suit us quite well. The upper range laminate was gorgeous – in trendy silver-gray hues to natural wood-like flooring, any of the choices would look wonderful on our floors.

After staring longingly at the high-end laminate, we shuffled to the middle range priced flooring display and saw there were more than enough choices to suit our tastes. We took home samples of various styles and tried to imagine what would work best.

“Nothing too dark,” I warned my husband. “After all, our house isn’t filled with natural light and dark flooring will only make it look dimmer inside.”

We really hadn’t a clue what we were doing when it came to choosing laminate and we both knew it. In the end, it came down to a choice we could afford that would look good and be durable.

And it had to be something we could live with for years and not get sick of easily.

A flooring carpenter did the installation. My daughter, who lives a few hours away, was eager to know how the flooring looked and asked me to send her cell phone photos. She is very particular about such things as flooring and a home’s décor, so I expected her to dislike our choice but she called immediately to say what a positive difference the new laminate flooring had made.

Every day, we congratulate ourselves on the choice of laminate

flooring. It looks like wood and is certainly easy to care for and it didn’t break the bank, and I am learning the correct cleaner to use to keep it in good condition. (Normal soapy hot water isn’t the best treatment for cleaning laminate floors.)

As for a new and easy-to-access office, it is still just a distant plan. Will I buckle down and clean out my son’s or daughter’s bedroom and turn it into the spacious office of my dreams? I honestly don’t know.

It might come down to the simple fact that a bit of me is clinging to the last piece of their childhood days, and I am not yet ready to relegate the space to an office.

These were the places where they grew up on the road to becoming adults. “It’s just material possessions,” I tell myself as I look at the things in their rooms, but I know better. The books, the posters and CDs and the now out-of-date clothing are remnants of their childhood days, especially important to me because they now live elsewhere.

Life is indeed a circle; I have come to see with each passing year we live in our home. Some things, like old carpeting, are easy to get rid of in place of something new and fresh and attractive.

Other things, however, aren’t so easily shrugged off, such as memories associated with the material possessions my kids collected over the years.

Eventually I will be ready to either store all my kids’ stuff or, with their permission, give some of it away. Occasionally, I clean out a bureau drawer or a shelf, when the mood strikes.

Right now, for this empty-nester mom, that is enough.

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