Last week, I mentioned that I could fill a whole post with just my favorite things about the new house. Well, um, that seems like a good list topic for today. Heh. So here we go! My favorite things about my lovely new house, in no particular order:

1. It reminds me of my grandmother’s house. Well, not just my grandmother’s house, but many houses I grew up in or frequented in childhood. Jason also says it reminds him of houses he experienced growing up. This is especially true in all the little quirks from being built in the early 70s: solid wood paneling in the living/dining room, pressed-faux-marble tile in the entryway, a brick sidewall in the entryway, bar access from kitchen to dining room…

2. My shower sings to me. I’m actually not sure what causes this, if it’s pipes or vents or drainage, but whenever I turn on the water and step down into the master shower – yes, it’s a step down – there’s this low hum that sounds like music. It’s kinda like being inside a happy haunted house, which is awesome, and totally makes up for the fact that there’s no bathtub in the master bathroom.

3. There are fireflies in the backyard. At least there are this year, which admittedly has been pretty magnificent in terms of cooler-than-usual weather here in San Antonio. It’s really nice to sit outside and just watch the fireflies at dusk.

4. Plus there’s this super nice deck on which to enjoy said fireflies. We don’t have deck furniture yet, but I still love the deck. It’s under a canopy of trees, and the perfect place for a cup of coffee and just being outdoors. I imagine in the winter, it’ll be the perfect spot for writing.

5. My living room is big big big big big. Probably the thing I missed very most about my old house was the huge living room that allowed for plenty of exercise space. I’m very happy to have that again.

6. There’s a secret passageway in the entry-brick-thingy. I mentioned the entry-brick-thingy (like a sidewall, only short) in #1. It has a half-arch built into it that’s like a secret passage. Maybe the “passage” only goes from one side to the other, but certainly the kitty loves jumping back and forth through it. And we can rest our shoes there!

7. And a not-so-secret garden out front. The sidewalk leads up to the house, passing between two wrought-iron mini-fences and through a landscaped garden area. It’s lovely.

8. While it’s all on one floor, it’s split-level(s). Probably because the street slopes, there are all these steps/levels built into the house. The bedrooms are on one level; the entryway is a step down; the living room is a step below that; the dining kitchen are a step below that; and then you step down into the utility room and garage area. I love split-level houses!

9. There’s a giant picture window in the living room where it’ll be perfect to put our Christmas tree. Am I thinking ahead or what? Ha!

10. And then there’s carpet – lovely amazing wonderful carpet. I know people love hardwood floors and tile and such, but MAN I love carpet. Not in kitchens or dining rooms or bathrooms, of course…but everywhere else! Not rugs, but wall-to-wall carpet. I hate sweeping, and don’t mind vacuuming a bit. When there’s no carpet, I have to wear shoes all the time because I can’t stand the feel of dirt on my feet. It feels good to free my feet again!

Honorable mentions: Avocado-green range that includes a second convection oven above it, built-in drawers and cabinets in every bedroom, the working fireplace and stone hearth, and the dolphins that are all over the house (door knocker, fan pulls, wind chimes, sun-catchers…).

Y’all? I really love this house! For never having seen it except in pictures beforehand, this was a really serendipitous purchase. 🙂