The House Test - continued

Scriptor has commented on the results of my taking The House Test.  I thought that I would reply with another posting.  My ideal house as limited by the House Test would be:

A medium sized house with a couple of levels

It's very far apart from its neighbours

My favourite room is the kitchen

I wouldn't have much lawn but what I would have would be well landscaped

I would have a rock garden.

Now the problem with tests like these is that they don't allow for reality.  In reality my 'Grandpa' Cottage in New Zealand suits my life-style ideally.  I spend my time with The Family or friends or playing croquet either at home or at tournaments around New Zealand.  It has a study and a guest bedroom and a reasonable living/kitchen area (even very large houses owned by friends seem to have the kitchen as part of the living space which I love).  It is low-maintenance.   I can see no other house from it (well, I can actually see part of a roof over the orchards).  The garden (5 acres) is part of the main house and I just keep the part in front of the Cottage tidy.  Wendy won't let anyone else of the ride-on anyway!  

In reality my house on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland is absolutely wonderful and is an ideal living space for me when I'm there.  I won't describe it just now but it has views across the Minch to the mainland mountains of the Scottish Highlands from the kitchen and study that few people are lucky enough to enjoy.

So why did I answer The House Test questions as I did?  

I love space and entertaining and guests so a medium house would be ideal.  I have the best neighbours on Lewis that anyone could wish for.  But in an ideal situation I wouldn't take the chance and I like to play my opera or whatever I'm in the mood for as loud as I like.  I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and my ideal layout would be a huge open-plan living kitchen dining area á la New Zealand.  I have to be able to talk to friends whilst cooking for them and when I'm on my own I can cook with Palin (my Laptop) in comfort without running from room to room.  My ideal garden would have many lawns amongst the rock gardens and trees and open spaces.  Because of my life-style it would have to be relatively low-maintenance or I would have to have a considerably larger income that I have now to pay a gardener!