This huge ole house

When Kevin retired from the military we stayed in IL long enough for him to get his Bachelors and Masters Degrees.  Then the Air Force said take your final move or lose it.  We took a trip to WV and Ohio to see where we thought that last move would take us.  We had always said when Kevin retired we would move to WV.  But by the time we got ready to go - my parents were needing allot of help.  As much as we wanted to move to WV, we chose Ohio to take care of their needs.  My mom had been sick for years, and her health had been declining.

The AF packed us up, delivered some of our household goods to an apartment and some to storage.  Then the job hunt was on for Kevin.  He found a great job after two months and then we started house hunting.  Joe (our Realtor) is the nicest guy you will ever meet.  He took us to see about 50 houses.  We had a few things we wanted in our "new" house.  No steps, a front porch to hang a swing on, no cement slab and some land to put out a garden.

Well I seen this house one day just driving around looking for something that hasn't come across the listings Joe was sending me morning and night.  I was in "love at first sight".  So I call Joe and go see it, LOVE IT!!!  Then bring Kevin and my parents over - they highly approved.  So we put the contract in on a house that was nothing like we needed.   It absolutely did not have one want and had the steps.  BUT it had four bedrooms, which meant I could have a sewing room and a den and a guest bedroom.  It had a two car attached and a one car attached garage.  What more could I want?

The deck was huge and I loved it.  Now I am totally over this house and the deck.  When you are almost 60 (my son reminded me the other day at lunch that next March I could start drawing my IRA) you really don't need so much house to keep up.  We did build on our front porch and I have a swing.  We have a little lot, but I managed to convince Kevin to rototiller the back yard up and made a raised garden in part of it.  We have been house hunting for a ranch so we can move one last time, but not really sure here is where we want that last house to be.  I stay here to take care of my dad, but if he would go to WV, we'd be packing tomorrow.  We own two houses in WV, across from one another.  One is gutted just waiting to be a retirement home, the other we stay in when we go down.

I feel I am condo ready, but not sure I could live with someone directly on the other side of the wall.  I was thinking maybe one of those 55 and over condo developments.

Then I think, Condo?  I really don't like someone telling me every little move I can make.  That is what I love about WV so much.  You do mostly what you want, when you want, how you want.  We have property in WV and I rented the house to this young girl once.  She seemed so nice and had such a good line.  Well she was behind on rent, and just kept saying "the check is the mail" and it never was.  She worked all the time - so the money shouldn't of been a problem.  Here in Ohio, it would take an act of Congress and lots of money and lots of time to get someone out of your rental.  In WV, I wrote her a letter, told her I was coming down on this date and I would be staying in my house and she wouldn't be.  And when I got there she was gone and she sent her boyfriends mother to talk to me.  She still owes me $600 but in the long run, she paid all the heat for the winter for two winters, put down some gravel and a few other things, so even if she did tear up the house a little, I am still ahead.

Now after retiring again when he was 55 years old, Kevin has been asked to come back to work.  He has sent them a compensation package he will need to go back and they replied, Thanks Kevin.  I was expecting - Are You Kidding Me!  So if he goes back to work again - we may stop looking for a house that is so far out in the country like we have been looking for and stay closer to his work.  We live 11 miles away right now. I really like the contracting better.

When I go to my dad's, his neighbors have this need to tell me he should not be living alone.  My question is how do you convince a very contrary man what would be the best for his well being?  He fell off his bike about 2 months ago.  He not only tore up his arm - but he must of landed on his hip.  Finally last week, he decided it was time to go to the doctor.  Well they say it isn't broke or chipped or cracked.  Gave him pills to help with inflammation.  He only needs to take one a day.  But not sure he is taking them, and if he is, they are not helping.  I forgot to count them last time I was up there.  So tomorrow I am spending the day with him and I WILL COUNT THEM!!!!  His biggest concern is going deer hunting.  He says it will be hard to walk up to the woods.  OMGoodness!!!  Deer hunting.

Today Kevin said we should write down our choices and then the pro's and con's and just make a decision and do it.  Our two choices are:
Stay in this house or move to the country.
Well this is very hard for me, I am so afraid of making the wrong decision.  I have a hard time sleeping, to much on my mind.