Furniture Shopping

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 36 degrees, high 75 degrees, clear skies

In anticipation of finding a new home here in north Alabama, we were out looking at furniture to put in it today. We were gung ho when we started looking, but Carolyn only lasted for two stores before her vertigo reared it's ugly head. Before we had to go home for her to rest, we learned several things that we didn't know or hadn't realized.

The first thing we learned is that overall, prices don't seem to have increased much, if at all, since we last bought furniture about 20 years ago. That was surprising to us.

Next was that the style of sofas seems to have changed to where the soft cushions are what we saw the most. We don't like them so soft that when we sit down, we get enveloped by the cushions. It was difficult to find what we would be interested in, which is more of a traditional style.

Dining room tables and chairs also seem to have changed somewhat. We have preferred more of a traditional style in the past, and it seems that there were more of a new style appealing to a younger buyer. We did find two tables with chairs that would work for us.

One piece of furniture that both of us are particularly interested in is a comfortable recliner. Both of us have been known to do some good resting in a recliner. I have to say that a good recliner works really well for meditating. We only saw one recliner that came close to what we would be looking for. But, we still have time, so that will work itself out.

We haven't looked at any bedroom stuff, but maybe that will happen tomorrow if Carolyn feels better. So far, we haven't bought anything since we don't have a place to store it. And, we're not buying anything until and if we find a house that we like.

Since today was Friday, it was surprising to us to see how slow business was in the furniture stores. I'm sure several things could account for the slow business, but there's no doubt the economy has a bearing on it. Both stores were willing to work with us to make prices even better, and they were also willing to hold the furniture after we bought it until we were ready for it. In addition, they were willing to deliver and set up everything for no charge. That was a real surprise.

Living in an RV for the last eight years, it feels a little strange to be thinking about buying something without getting rid of something. Living this lifestyle has convinced us that we want to keep any future home lean and mean, just like we have to in the RV. Think about how much room we will have, and how much easier it would be to clean a home without a bunch of extra stuff.

I guess the question that arises is whether we will continue to RV after buying a house. The answer is yes, we will. We may not be on the road all the time, but we are looking forward to a place that will give us a break when we just want to get away from the RV.

We love to travel and explore, and fully intend to continue to do that. We may change our mode of travel, such as buying a smaller fifth wheel, or even a motor home. The possibilities are endless. One thing we don't intend to do is sit and stagnate. Life is good!

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - San Francisco, California: Golden City

Not all who wander are lost.