We've vacationed extensively over the years, but were not long enough in one place to really explore it. We lived in six different states and England as Marvin was advancing his career in computers. We enjoyed learning about each area and the surrounding towns and cities.
Marvin eventually retired at IBM as a manager, after also working at Citicorp and Hertz Corp in management. We had one child and he died at seventeen years old, so we have no children to keep us in one place. We are in great health and physically fit.
We posted some pictures of our house and pets to give you an idea of how we live and maintained our property. Also, as you can see from the pictures, we loved animals and a clean house. All the plants and landscape material was planted and arranged by us.
We were both brought up in a clean house, and we continue with that practice today. Even though Marvin grew up on a farm and spent many long days working, his mom still insisted that her boys learn to cook and keep an orderly house. She wanted her kids to be ready for life and be able to eat right and live right before marriage. One rule that we insisted on, and one that irked our son and his friends, was that shoes had to be removed at the door.
When we had to rent a house, we cared for the house as if it was our own, including fertilizing the lawn and other lawn maintenance that was needed to keep it in shape. We lived in Sioux Falls, SD for eight years, so we know all about snow and snow shoveling and severe, cold weather.
We always had an extensive flower and vegetable gardens, whether we owned or rented a house. We always provided a helping hand to elderly neighbors with leaf removal, etc. Marvin grew up on a dairy, beef, and hog farm in Indiana, so he is very familiar with all types of animals.
Over the years, we've had five dogs, four lived into their middle teens. One was stolen, our Irish Setter Kelly; she was way too friendly and loved to ride in cars. We had hamsters at least four different times and always had a fish tank, sometimes two.
We love animals and like living in a clean and orderly home. We will probably over-play with your pets and walk them to death. He/she will be very happy to see you return home. Also, from Marvin's experience working on the farm, Marvin has dealt with many illnesses and injuries, and he doesn't panic and over-react. If your pet happen to fall ill, we would tend to its immediate needs and then call you for instructions. If it is an emergency, then we would take your pet to the vet and call you on the way.