Cassie's House

Cassie closed her eyes tightly and thought for quite a while. She pictured the perfect house. How much space did she really need? She needed a kitchen and dining room and a bathroom with a nice whirlpool tub, separate shower. Something easy to keep clean.

She wanted a comfortable place to sit and read and a cozy corner for entertaining. Certainly more than just Hiro would soon be stopping by. She needed to have a place for several guests – just in case.

A bedroom done in pastels, but not pink or lavender. Maybe a muted green. And large windows throughout. She loved natural light.

"What's the climate like here?" she asked Hiro.

"Whatever you want. It's usually more mild, like spring or fall. But it can get quite hot or very cold. Sunshine or snow. It's all here. why?"

"I was wondering what type of floors I should have. You had some mat things on your floors."

"Tatami mats. They are customary when I come from."

"So they weren't there for warmth or insulation?"

"Sorry, no. They are traditional Japanese matting. They had nothing to do with temperature."

"Okay, then something easy to take care of on the floors," she finally decided. She again fell silent.

Suddenly, a cottage appeared. It was relatively small, with a living area, kitchen with an eating area, study/library, and half bath downstairs and a bedroom with full bath in the loft overlooking the living area. There was a large fireplace on the southern wall of the living room.

Outside were beautiful gardens. Flowers bloomed, herbs and spices grew, and trees shaded the yard. There was a stone fence surrounding the perimeter. It was rather rustic looking – a hint of Cotswold Cottage melded with American Cabin. The overall effect was pleasing.

"Would you mind showing me what a modern 2300 kitchen looked like?" asked Cassie. "I've left the kitchen pretty empty because I'm not sure what I want in that room. The library is full of all the books I've dreamed of reading. Are there any other innovations I might want to incorporate into my house?"

Hiro thought for a while before answering, "How would I know what you might want? It is entirely possible to alter the house at any time and so it really makes no difference. But if you meet a Dunubian or some other foreign person who has a better way to live, you can get that and add it, if you see fit. I've done that with my house, but left other parts as I would like them from my own time."

"Would you like a tour with what I've done so far?" offered Cassie.

Hiro nodded and the couple walked up the walkway that laced between beds of flowers. They entered the living area and peered around.

"No fireplace tools," said Hiro.

Cassie wondered what other details she had forgotten.