Extras

 My wife and I recently had a semi-custom home built. After thirty days in residence, I thought it would be good to recap what additional items we love, vs those that we don't.

1. The house, as designed, came with only a walk-in shower in the master bath, so we added a soaking tub to the plans. Absolute necessity. Nice deep tub to wallow in at the end of a hard day. The walk-in shower works super well in the mornings, and is easy to clean, too.

2. Heated floor in the master bath. Love it!

3. Fan timers in the bathrooms. Love them. Just should have added one more for the walk-in shower fan, as well.

4. USB ports in a number of the wall outlets. Brilliant idea! Never have to hunt for a charger, and the 110v outlets are always available.

5. A large "coffee bar" with a sink. Very handy. I can do everything I need to make coffee without dripping old coffee across the floor to the trash, or having to carry the water reservoir over to the main kitchen sink to fill. Definitely a good choice.

6. Under cabinet lighting. Really nice. It makes a good night light, too, for those late trips to the fridge.

7. Vinyl plank instead of carpet in the living area. So easy to take care of, and leaves you the option of decorating with various colored throw rugs.

8. Paved RV pad alongside the garage. I think this makes way more sense than having an entire RV garage built. It's working well for us.

9. Oversized two car garage. Yes! Almost deep enough for four vehicles, actually, if I didn't own so much junk.

10. Water softener. Love it. No evidence of mineral deposits like we saw in the short time we lived across town. 

11. Gas outlet on the patio. Haven't gotten it completely configured yet, but I know it's going to be handy when bbq/grilling season gets into full swing.

12. 36" Gas range. This is wonderful. So happy to finally have something worthy of a chef.

13. Utility sink in the mudroom. Very handy. We don't have to use our nice sinks to clean paint brushes or wash greasy hands after working on vehicles.

14. Extra irrigation station and hose faucet using pressurized irrigation (not household) water. Great for keeping the garden watered with drip lines, and being able to spritz the flower pots, too.

Lady of the Forest by Jennifer Roberson

 One of my all-time favorite movies was Robin and Marian, a story of Robin Hood coming home from the crusades an old man, renewing his battle with the Sheriff of Nottingham, while during his absence Marian has entered a nunnery, and they are all well past their prime. It contains what I consider to be one of the best declarations of true love I've ever heard.

I've loved Roberson's writing for many years, beginning with her Sword Dancer series, to which she continues to contribute to this day. 

This retelling of the Robin Hood story, beginning shortly after Robin's return from the Crusades, is a far more gritty and realistic version of events than we've seen in the Disneyfied tales we've seen over recent years. Roberson does a fantastic job of revealing all of the major and most of the minor characters' motivations and machinations, jockeying for power, wealth and position. The ending of this tale perhaps displayed a bit more realpolitik than one would ordinarily hope for in a historical fantasy, and less of the happily ever after, but all in all a truly enjoyable read.