Hobbies
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When we were house-shopping here in suburban New York, it was surprising to see how many houses had second kitchens. Many older houses here have been divided into multi-family rentals, sometimes being reconfigured more than once over the years, so sometimes you could tell the extra kitchen was left over from a previous configuration. Our house was built as a single-family home, but it had been converted into a two-family sometime before 1925. When we converted it back into a single home, we made the second kitchen into a master bath.
I can see the logic in not tearing out something that's expensive and could be useful, but sometimes you might want to use the space differently. My son and DIL were looking at houses with the thought of perhaps moving here someday, and my DIL said plaintively, "I'd really like a house that has more bathrooms than kitchens." I could see her point.
In other cases, you could tell the second kitchen was built for "overflow" cooking. Our realtor said this was common in Italian families. There was a time when I routinely cooked in my single solitary kitchen for ten and sometimes more, and I never thought, "If I only had another kitchen...." You'd have to have a second cook to keep you from constantly running up and down stairs, burning things on both floors.
People from earlier generations in the South had huge families and managed with one kitchen, even when they had big gardens and had to can and pickle a ton of stuff. I guess even basic household work flow is cultural to a degree.
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As for hobbies, these days I'm trying not to let my writing become one.
My hydroponic gardens are the hobby where I'm most consistent, because otherwise the plants will die.
I've been playing the piano more this year, though not too much lately.
I still like to cook, although lately, it has mostly taken the form of, "Here's a cool-looking thing at the farmer's market. I'm going to take it home and see what I can do with it!"
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When we were house-shopping here in suburban New York, it was surprising to see how many houses had second kitchens. Many older houses here have been divided into multi-family rentals, sometimes being reconfigured more than once over the years, so sometimes you could tell the extra kitchen was left over from a previous configuration. Our house was built as a single-family home, but it had been converted into a two-family sometime before 1925. When we converted it back into a single home, we made the second kitchen into a master bath.
I can see the logic in not tearing out something that's expensive and could be useful, but sometimes you might want to use the space differently. My son and DIL were looking at houses with the thought of perhaps moving here someday, and my DIL said plaintively, "I'd really like a house that has more bathrooms than kitchens." I could see her point.
In other cases, you could tell the second kitchen was built for "overflow" cooking. Our realtor said this was common in Italian families. There was a time when I routinely cooked in my single solitary kitchen for ten and sometimes more, and I never thought, "If I only had another kitchen...." You'd have to have a second cook to keep you from constantly running up and down stairs, burning things on both floors.
People from earlier generations in the South had huge families and managed with one kitchen, even when they had big gardens and had to can and pickle a ton of stuff. I guess even basic household work flow is cultural to a degree.
@Mary-Anna said:
"I'd really like a house that has more bathrooms than kitchens." I could see her point.
"overflow" cooking.
I love this expression! That’s basically my grandma. She cooked for family. She cooked for her church. She always made enough to feed an army.
My aunt made a photo/recipe book and I can’t use most of the recipes because it makes enough for 200 people and I don’t know how to scale!
. There are these handwritten recipes that call for 10 eggs… (like, you know where a normal person would use two eggs to make something that serves five or six people) -
Another project. Finishing a little section of the basement as a kitchen. Already have a nice kitchen in the house but it makes Sharon nervous when I cook stuff in it even when I clean up. I also like to cook odd things that no one will eat but me. The second oven will be handy during g the holidays for large gatherings.
This is where the sink will go. Not the ideal location but it’s where the plumbing is.
The cabinets came out the garage at an AirBnb house two years back. Not great cabinets but too good to throw out. Nice enough for the basement. That house is under contract right now -wish us luck!
The freezer will stay but move to another wall to allow for a smallish cross top freezer/fridge.
This is the long wall across from the counter. Drywall work is done now, waiting for texture/paint. It will have the range, a little counter, the freezer and some shelving.
Added lighting because at my age I need plenty and I had some fixtures I moved here from CA. Felt good to use my tools again. Haven’t decided on flooring - might just polish the concrete but I have my eye on some commercial (airport grade) carpet tiles at Habitat for Humanity going for cheap. I’ll not be frying anything and the basement stays very dry so they should work.
Lots to do and I’m busy enough in retirement that I can’t imagine how I ever managed to find time for work!
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Got my eyes checked, still needed more light and put a 250 watt bulb in my reading lamp.
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When we were house-shopping here in suburban New York, it was surprising to see how many houses had second kitchens. Many older houses here have been divided into multi-family rentals, sometimes being reconfigured more than once over the years, so sometimes you could tell the extra kitchen was left over from a previous configuration. Our house was built as a single-family home, but it had been converted into a two-family sometime before 1925. When we converted it back into a single home, we made the second kitchen into a master bath.
I can see the logic in not tearing out something that's expensive and could be useful, but sometimes you might want to use the space differently. My son and DIL were looking at houses with the thought of perhaps moving here someday, and my DIL said plaintively, "I'd really like a house that has more bathrooms than kitchens." I could see her point.
In other cases, you could tell the second kitchen was built for "overflow" cooking. Our realtor said this was common in Italian families. There was a time when I routinely cooked in my single solitary kitchen for ten and sometimes more, and I never thought, "If I only had another kitchen...." You'd have to have a second cook to keep you from constantly running up and down stairs, burning things on both floors.
People from earlier generations in the South had huge families and managed with one kitchen, even when they had big gardens and had to can and pickle a ton of stuff. I guess even basic household work flow is cultural to a degree.
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Not familiar with either of those brands. Mark knows a lot more than I do and maybe he’ll chime in. I will say that I prefer analog components because digital stuff can be impossible to repair if it breaks.
What do you want to do with your new system? Is SW short wave?
Not familiar with either of those brands. Mark knows a lot more than I do and maybe he’ll chime in. I will say that I prefer analog components because digital stuff can be impossible to repair if it breaks.
What do you want to do with your new system? Is SW short wave?
The set needs to be mobile with in-built speakers, used in the sitting room & bedroom (stop me putting on the TV so much!).
Yes SW is short wave.I want to brush up my dismal Spanish by listening to spanish speaking radio, as well as UK stations. Though I think SW stations may now be available on the Internet e.g. on a laptop,
there's a lot of pleasure to be had wheeling through shortwave static to find some remote radio station. -
Not familiar with either of those brands. Mark knows a lot more than I do and maybe he’ll chime in. I will say that I prefer analog components because digital stuff can be impossible to repair if it breaks.
What do you want to do with your new system? Is SW short wave?
The set needs to be mobile with in-built speakers, used in the sitting room & bedroom (stop me putting on the TV so much!).
Yes SW is short wave.I want to brush up my dismal Spanish by listening to spanish speaking radio, as well as UK stations. Though I think SW stations may now be available on the Internet e.g. on a laptop,
there's a lot of pleasure to be had wheeling through shortwave static to find some remote radio station.@AndyD said:.
there's a lot of pleasure to be had wheeling through shortwave static to find some remote radio station.Radio! Radio (back in the day) was magical wasn’t it. I still listen to Internet radio (if that’s even what it’s called anymore, Pandora, Spotify). But it’s not the same. For one thing, there’s no DJ and you can skip a song if you don’t like it.
I can remember listening to the radio in the car with my mom… or going to stay at my grandma’s house when I was in JH and HS, I slept in a room on the second floor and she had a radio in there. At night, I would listen to different stations. Because it was a completely different state, I always had to search around on the dial before I found a station I liked, and even then it seemed like the music and the person talking were quite different from home. It was both a little bit exciting and a little bit disconcerting.
Sorry @steve-miller this thread somehow keeps making me feel very nostalgic!
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