Meri Brown and her Wet Bar of Tears

[MrSmith]

15 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

Of course it hasn’t. They’re just waiting for the golden Apple to fall into their laps like this reality show did. They are enabled, entitled half wits sometimes. Just know that I don’t hate them but what do they expect from life? If they aren’t willing to do much for themselves (get a job with all those mouths to feed Cody), why do they expect the world is going to do it (provide endlessly) for them? That we are going to love them because they are golden haired gods on tv (their probable opinion not mine). Well. Let’s see what hair brained scheme they can come up with next. 

I’ll go sit in the corner now. 

You know, I was going to comment that this should be "hare-brained scheme". Then I realized that any plan a rabbit could come up with would be far too advanced, well thought-out, and intelligent for these people. This, then, led me to the conclusion that you are exactly right: It is a "hair-brained scheme". Thank you for educating me today! :D

13 hours ago, DakotaJustice said:

as far as the kitchen goes, unless Meri has done some very expensive and extensive remodeling, I don't see a caterer being able to accomplish much. Note the tiny dishwasher next to the fridge.

http://victoria-s-bed-and-breakfast-parowan.ibooked.ca/

 

Jeebus! That thing looks like you can only fit dinnerware for two in it! It would take weeks to clean all the dishes for a wedding party using that.

Edited March 14, 2018 by MrSmith

[DakotaJustice]

48 minutes ago, MrSmith said:

You know, I was going to comment that this should be "hare-brained scheme". Then I realized that any plan a rabbit could come up with would be far too advanced, well thought-out, and intelligent for these people. This, then, led me to the conclusion that you are exactly right: It is a "hair-brained scheme". Thank you for educating me today! :D

Jeebus! That thing looks like you can only fit dinnerware for two in it! It would take weeks to clean all the dishes for a wedding party using that.

Dude, I live in a one bedroom apartment built in the 1950s and I swear my kitchen is bigger than the one in the B&B. 

[Roslyn]

15 hours ago, Sandy W said:

Just the right size for 5 cinnamon plates and 5 mugs.

Actually, I think it's a garbage compactor but why are the fridge and whatever that appliance is on brick platforms.  Maybe the appliance was designed as a built in and the platform raises it to counter height, but why would the fridge be raised.  Uneven floors?

The bricks once housed one of two things.  The boiler for doing laundry OR a wood burning stove.  Since the house was built in the 1800's it would have started its life with a cast iron wood fired stove. 

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

I think this should be the 1st course for her nuptial extravaganza 

Ingredients

1 Pound spaghetti

3/4 cup ketchup

3/4 cup butter or margarine

Preparation

Step 1:

Boil spaghetti according to packaging directions, or about 20 mins. until it is soft.

Step 2:

Mix butter and ketchup in a bowl and microwave until mixture is melted together. Pour over pasta and serve hot.

Cooking tip:

To see if the "sketti" is done, do as Mama June does: Throw it up on the wall and see if it sticks.

[Gothish520]

9 hours ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

If only she could transplant the wet bar of tears. 

I need to know who came up with that title because it's the best one I've ever seen on this site - it makes me laugh every time I see it!

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

[Sandy W]

26 minutes ago, Roslyn said:

The bricks once housed one of two things.  The boiler for doing laundry OR a wood burning stove.  Since the house was built in the 1800's it would have started its life with a cast iron wood fired stove. 

I don't think that room was the original kitchen.  Victorian kitchens needed to accommodate a free standing wood stove for cooking, a tank to heat hot water, a table and chairs with enough room to seat a family, a sink, and unless there was a pantry or an enclosed kitchen porch, an ice box to keep food fresh, and laundry facilities.  The room they are using as kitchen is nowhere near large enough for all of that.

I have not seen a floor plan for the B&B, but I would venture a guess that the main floor bedroom that Meri coyly refers to as having an exterior entrance so that the husband could visit unobserved was the original kitchen.  Meri's theory falls apart if you consider that either the wives must have rotated to that bedroom or that the husband was only ever visiting the one wife that occupied that room.  The exterior door to that room makes sense if you think of it as a kitchen.

Many Victorian homes, mine included, had what was referred to as a "slip room", a small room on the main floor, without a closet, usually off the kitchen where a small child would have a nap and still be under the watchful eyes and ears of a mother... and that may be the room they are now utilizing as a kitchen.  Built in kitchen cabinets and appliances eliminate the need for the huge kitchens that were necessary in Victorian homes, so it could be that what once was the kitchen became a bedroom to suit the needs of a growing family.  I would think this transformation likely occurred in the 1940's, when kitchens became more streamlined and electric stoves and fridges became readily available.  That would fit with the timeline of Meri's family ownership and as the family grew, so did the need for more bedrooms.

[Roslyn]

13 minutes ago, Sandy W said:

I don't think that room was the original kitchen.  Victorian kitchens needed to accommodate a free standing wood stove for cooking, a tank to heat hot water, a table and chairs with enough room to seat a family, a sink, and unless there was a pantry or an enclosed kitchen porch, an ice box to keep food fresh, and laundry facilities.  The room they are using as kitchen is nowhere near large enough for all of that.

I have not seen a floor plan for the B&B, but I would venture a guess that the main floor bedroom that Meri coyly refers to as having an exterior entrance so that the husband could visit unobserved was the original kitchen.  Meri's theory falls apart if you consider that either the wives must have rotated to that bedroom or that the husband was only ever visiting the one wife that occupied that room.  The exterior door to that room makes sense if you think of it as a kitchen.

Many Victorian homes, mine included, had what was referred to as a "slip room", a small room on the main floor, without a closet, usually off the kitchen where a small child would have a nap and still be under the watchful eyes and ears of a mother... and that may be the room they are now utilizing as a kitchen.  Built in kitchen cabinets and appliances eliminate the need for the huge kitchens that were necessary in Victorian homes, so it could be that what once was the kitchen became a bedroom to suit the needs of a growing family.  I would think this transformation likely occurred in the 1940's, when kitchens became more streamlined and electric stoves and fridges became readily available.  That would fit with the timeline of Meri's family ownership and as the family grew, so did the need for more bedrooms.

My thinking is along the lines of a homesteader line of thought.  While a separate tank for heating would be normal in a town house, this house was built early in the area.  I believe somewhere along the way Meri may have mentioned one of the first houses built in the town.  My first thought with the size of that brick pad was wood stove.  I doubt a homesteader would have both a stove and a heating tank.  In my area of Appalachia a wood stove would be indoors and a giant kettle would be outdoors for everything else.  

What you say makes sense that the room is way too small.  I think that dividing island was added at a later point to separate and give a little more work space.  A period homesteading woman wouldn't have the counter tops and storage we are accustomed to, but a giant table to work on, and being a farm house the work table and eating table were often one and the same. 

I too would love to see a floor plan, especially an older one...but houses like that were built long before planning was done.

Looking at the photo some more I'm also inclined to think that brick pad is the surround for a well.  That would make sense too.  You have the well right there, build over it and the bricks allow a separation with probably a wooden lid of some kind. 

Looking at the outside of the house it looks like it may have had a smaller part built first and then added on to later, that happened a lot as a family grew.  Just speculation. 

[DakotaJustice]

39 minutes ago, Roslyn said:

My thinking is along the lines of a homesteader line of thought.  While a separate tank for heating would be normal in a town house, this house was built early in the area.  I believe somewhere along the way Meri may have mentioned one of the first houses built in the town.  My first thought with the size of that brick pad was wood stove.  I doubt a homesteader would have both a stove and a heating tank.  In my area of Appalachia a wood stove would be indoors and a giant kettle would be outdoors for everything else.  

What you say makes sense that the room is way too small.  I think that dividing island was added at a later point to separate and give a little more work space.  A period homesteading woman wouldn't have the counter tops and storage we are accustomed to, but a giant table to work on, and being a farm house the work table and eating table were often one and the same. 

I too would love to see a floor plan, especially an older one...but houses like that were built long before planning was done.

Looking at the photo some more I'm also inclined to think that brick pad is the surround for a well.  That would make sense too.  You have the well right there, build over it and the bricks allow a separation with probably a wooden lid of some kind. 

Looking at the outside of the house it looks like it may have had a smaller part built first and then added on to later, that happened a lot as a family grew.  Just speculation. 

I have a book titled "Never Done" that goes through the history of housework and appliances in America.  I'm pretty sure that, at that point in time (1870) there would not have been a water heater other than a tank on the stove (I'm at work so cant look at the book to check) and not all stoves had that feature. 

I also thought back to Laura and Almanzo Wilder's home in Mansfield, MO (Rocky Ridge Farm).  They started with a cabin and built the house around it, and the cabin eventually became the kitchen.  She wrote an article in the 1920s for a magazine titled "My Ozark Farm Kitchen" which outlined the way she and Almanzo built it, which is a great read btw.  I don't think that's the original kitchen either - I'm guessing the property encompassed a good deal more than just a half-acre (probably a working farm) and as Laura Ingalls Wilder stated in the article, the kitchen was her office where she did her baking, canning, preserving, milk skimming, and so on.  There seems to be hardly room to turn around in that kitchen, especially considering the house was apparently a polygamist house and thus the kitchen shared by multiple families.

[xwordfanatik]

On 3/13/2018 at 2:48 PM, LilWharveyGal said:

Pardon me, I shouldn't have been so "trite" as to "wing it."  :)  I was thinking more of the nitty-gritty when I said pricing.

So let's just say the price is $5000.  What does that include?  Does the B&B provide folding tables, chairs, an arbor, etc.?  If not, is there a limit to what sorts of furniture can be brought in?  Does the B&B make their kitchen available to caterers, and is it even large enough with the right tools for caterers to use?  What's the maximum capacity of the property, both staying in the rooms and how many guests can be set up outside?  What kind of decorations will they allow to be put up?  Are there noise ordinances in the neighborhood that would limit a DJ/band?  Is there a high season price and a different off-season price for those intrepid souls who prefer December weddings in Utah?  Is there an extra cleaning deposit or fee for these weekend long wedding parties?  Do Meri/Bonnie have any way of arranging extra off-site parking, if needed?  Etc etc etc.

I'm willing to bet that none of this has been hashed out.

LOL.  If anyone here watched The Brady Bunch (I did) it just reminds me of an early episode, where Bebe Galini wants Mike (the architect) to build her a factory, which is totally undoable based on her "ideas."

Bebe says, "Bebe Galini is not interested in details."  Neither is Meri.  The fact that it used to be in her family, and she WANTS IT, DAMMIT, is all that matters.  Hell, I want to buy the three houses I lived in, and my dad built, in my childhood years.  Um, not likely to happen, unless I win the Lotto, and since I don't buy tickets, even less likely.

Besides, who is Meri going to leave the house to in her will?  Mariah apparently couldn't give a shit.  Interesting (and probably telling) that none of Meri's siblings wanted to go in on it with her.  

[xwordfanatik]

On 3/13/2018 at 4:18 PM, Sandy W said:

Poop Storm from the RV is my all time favorite.  Nothing will ever convince me that the boys didn't set that up.

It's my fave too.  Even (some of) his own sons don't buy his bullshit.  Good for them.

[Sandy W]

35 minutes ago, xwordfanatik said:

LOL.  If anyone here watched The Brady Bunch (I did) it just reminds me of an early episode, where Bebe Galini wants Mike (the architect) to build her a factory, which is totally undoable based on her "ideas."

Bebe says, "Bebe Galini is not interested in details."  Neither is Meri.  The fact that it used to be in her family, and she WANTS IT, DAMMIT, is all that matters.  Hell, I want to buy the three houses I lived in, and my dad built, in my childhood years.  Um, not likely to happen, unless I win the Lotto, and since I don't buy tickets, even less likely.

Besides, who is Meri going to leave the house to in her will?  Mariah apparently couldn't give a shit.  Interesting (and probably telling) that none of Meri's siblings wanted to go in on it with her.  

I wonder if Meri even went to her brothers and sisters after being turned down by the Brown family.  We have speculated that Meri was able to purchase the home with proceeds from the sale of her mother's home in Lehi.  If that is the case, Meri has euchred her brothers and sisters out of a possible share of their mother's estate, as the home is apparently titled only in Meri's name.  

Oh, maybe Meri will "look after that in her will", as Kody promised to do with the settlement in the divorce.  If that happens, it would more than likely that her nieces and nephews would benefit, as no doubt her brothers and sisters would pass about the same time as her, more or less.  As far as leaving it to Mariah, I think Mariah would be there with her hand out in a hot minute and a for sale sign in the other hand.

In any case, as I see it it's all academic anyhow, I don't see Meri maintaining this Parowan property after her mother passes.  She will probably sell it off and say "see ya" to brothers and sisters.

Edited March 15, 2018 by Sandy W

[ginger90]

[Galloway Cave]

12 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

Well, maybe you should research "how to run a B&B" and "how to run a wedding business". Maybe then your family wouldn't freak out because at least you would be making a good-faith effort to learn how run those businesses. 

[LilWharveyGal]

50 minutes ago, xwordfanatik said:

Bebe says, "Bebe Galini is not interested in details."  Neither is Meri.  The fact that it used to be in her family, and she WANTS IT, DAMMIT, is all that matters.  

THIS, all day long.  Her line of thinking really boggles my mind.  This is a house, as she reminds everyone ad nauseam, not Granny's silver locket or favorite painting which may be a splurge but that you could display and enjoy.  If you're not willing to live in or rent out/run a business from a house, then what the heck are you going to do with it?!  All she would gain from that $365K mortgage are the bragging rights that she owns an old house in Parowan, Utah.  Well pardon my lack of emotional support and passion, but whoop dee freakin' doo.  

[TurtlePower]

11 hours ago, ginger90 said:

How about making a full BREAKFAST? That's half the reason people want to stay at a Bed and BREAKFAST. 

Edited March 15, 2018 by TurtlePower

[Kohola3]

14 minutes ago, TurtlePower said:

That's half the reason people want to stay and a Bed and BREAKFAST. 

Especially in a podunk town like Parowan.  There are probably not a lot of charming little bistros in which to dine in the area.  If you Google it, Subway and the Dairy Freeze are in the top ten places to eat in town.

[toodles]

14 hours ago, xwordfanatik said:

Even (some of) his own sons don't buy his bullshit. 

No pun intended, right????. Lol.

[MrSmith]

2 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Especially in a podunk town like Parowan.  There are probably not a lot of charming little bistros in which to dine in the area.  If you Google it, Subway and the Dairy Freeze are in the top ten places to eat in town.

Well, it's a town of 2800 people. I'm honestly surprised it has more than one cafe/restaurant at all. When we first moved to Muscoda, WI years ago, it had one restaurant that was open for mornings and lunch, and a bar/restaurant that was open for dinner/evenings. None of the other bars served food, except one that served shitty frozen pizza. Of course, Muscoda was only 1300 people when we moved there; so, smaller than Parowan.

Edited to add: Though I have relatives that live in Cadott, WI, which is a town of between 2k and 3k people. The only restaurant is part of a gas station.

Edited March 15, 2018 by MrSmith

[Normades]

15 hours ago, xwordfanatik said:

"Bebe Galini is not interested in details."

OMG!!! I floved Bebe Galini!  I always wanted a house that is tall like a lipstick or soft like a powderpuff!!  Oh, and to smell pink!!  She's my hero!!

 

45 minutes ago, MrSmith said:

Well, it's a town of 2800 people. I'm honestly surprised it has more than one cafe/restaurant at all. When we first moved to Muscoda, WI years ago, it had one restaurant that was open for mornings and lunch, and a bar/restaurant that was open for dinner/evenings. None of the other bars served food, except one that served shitty frozen pizza. Of course, Muscoda was only 1300 people when we moved there; so, smaller than Parowan.

That sounds so cool.  I've always wanted to live in a small town.  Maybe someday when I retire.

[Kohola3]

3 minutes ago, Normades said:

That sounds so cool.  I've always wanted to live in a small town.  Maybe someday when I retire.

I moved to a small town of about 3000 in northern MI when I retired. I dearly love it but there are moments when I think I'd like a little more variety in restaurants and stores.  The nearest "big" city is an hour away.  Still, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

[MrSmith]

20 minutes ago, Normades said:

That sounds so cool.  I've always wanted to live in a small town.  Maybe someday when I retire.

We dream of moving back there. It was great. Time seemed to pass more slowly. I worked from home full-time during that time. The car got turned on once every two weeks to go grocery shopping in Richland Center. The rest of the time we walked anywhere we went. Every Saturday morning we went for breakfast at Vicki's Cozy Cafe, and hit up Wolfie's Irish Inn for reubens around St Patrick's Day (once they started selling those). We have an Irish Wolfhound and he chased a young black bear out of our yard on a couple of nights. LOL.

The best part of it? Honestly, the best parts were the quiet and lack of traffic, and being able to see the night sky in all its glory. Living in cities you forget how beautiful it is.

[Kellyee]

Quote

Well, maybe you should research "how to run a B&B" and "how to run a wedding business". Maybe then your family wouldn't freak out because at least you would be making a good-faith effort to learn how run those businesses. 

Actually, this would cause her family to freak out even more, once they researched and discovered how incredibly difficult it is to turn a profit running a Bed and Breakfast. Not to mention, all businesses of this type are largely about location. In the last episode, it looked like the Bed and Breakfast was surrounded by old, worn out houses. And it had a horrible backyard. To make the location desirable to anyone, they need to put money and time into it, beyond just buying it and having a mortgage. The whole thing is ridiculous.

[andromeda331]

30 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

I moved to a small town of about 3000 in northern MI when I retired. I dearly love it but there are moments when I think I'd like a little more variety in restaurants and stores.  The nearest "big" city is an hour away.  Still, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Those are the only two things I wish my town had. More varity in restaurants and a store. We used to have one big store close to our neighborhood but it finally closed  after years of neglect. The owners were really trying hard to drive it into ground. The are other stores in town but their so far away.          

[Kohola3]

7 minutes ago, andromeda331 said:

More varity in restaurants and a store.

We're a summer resort town so we have lots of little gift shop type places.  But the restaurants, except for one, are all Gordon Food Service type places.  A good pizza place but since I'm half an hour from town, no hot delivery!

I think Parowan is probably a bit busier during ski season as they are reasonably close to Brian Head but in the summer?  Hardly a wedding destination dream.

[Kellyee]

Quote

I think Parowan is probably a bit busier during ski season as they are reasonably close to Brian Head but in the summer?  Hardly a wedding destination dream.

But did it even look like that house had space to store ski equipment people might bring with them? The rooms were rather small, and the stairway was tight. And the idea that Meri's mom gets to pick the best bedroom for herself was comical. I stayed at a Bed and Breakfast once in Europe. The lady running it was up late, and then up again super early to make breakfast for the guests. It didn't feel like a part-time job to me. And the inside of that house they showed us just didn't look all that attractive. I think it really needs to be fixed up. Not to mention needing business insurance, a way for guests to pay, a Web site to advertise, etc. This isn't like Meri's LulaRoe business, where you can do stuff mostly from home and online. Someone needs to be at the house, most of the time. She would have better luck renting out rooms at her house in Las Vegas. At least you would have the Brown family freak show to attract guests, and the Vegas strip for when watching that shit gets boring.

[Kohola3]

8 minutes ago, Kellyee said:

The lady running it was up late, and then up again super early to make breakfast for the guests.

Bakes in 9-12 minutes.

It's a total mystery to me how it's absolutely clear to everyone except the Brown Brain Trust why this whole idea is an epic fail.  Even in very popular tourist areas, B&Bs are not money making properties except in very rare instances.

[xwordfanatik]

Brown family freak show, LOL!  Well-put.

I'm between Meri's age and her mother's age, and I know I'd be working my ass off.  I'm certain neither of them even want to have to work that hard.  Annie looked like a more energetic person than either of them, far as I can tell, and the original idea for Annie to run it would have been more successful, seems to me.

[Sandy W]

11 minutes ago, Kellyee said:

But did it even look like that house had space to store ski equipment people might bring with them? The rooms were rather small, and the stairway was tight. And the idea that Meri's mom gets to pick the best bedroom for herself was comical. I stayed at a Bed and Breakfast once in Europe. The lady running it was up late, and then up again super early to make breakfast for the guests. It didn't feel like a part-time job to me. And the inside of that house they showed us just didn't look all that attractive. I think it really needs to be fixed up. Not to mention needing business insurance, a way for guests to pay, a Web site to advertise, etc. This isn't like Meri's LulaRoe business, where you can do stuff mostly from home and online. Someone needs to be at the house, most of the time. She would have better luck renting out rooms at her house in Las Vegas. At least you would have the Brown family freak show to attract guests, and the Vegas strip for when watching that shit gets boring.

Renting out rooms in the LV house sounds like a great idea, there is always the chance that the guests may hit it lucky and be included in a Brown family event and get to participate in a line dance.  Even more exciting if they happened to be there and witness a water birth.

[Kohola3]

7 minutes ago, Sandy W said:

Even more exciting if they happened to be there and witness a water birth.

Might have to bring their own folding chairs, though.

[Galloway Cave]

11 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Bakes in 9-12 minutes.

 

Don't forget, Parowan bills itself as having "The Best Cinnamon Rolls in the West"! Maybe Meri can buy a load of Cinnabons* on the way out of LV and serve those. Cut out the time having to bake.

*not saying that Cinnabons are the best. Meri/Bonnie could find a gillion recipes online and come up with there own "best".

[Kohola3]

2 minutes ago, Galloway Cave said:

Meri/Bonnie could find a gillion recipes online and come up with there own "best".

But that would require actual labor.  Not something the Grifter Goofs are known for.

[Galloway Cave]

1 minute ago, Kohola3 said:

But that would require actual labor.  Not something the Grifter Goofs are known for.

I know. That is why I included Bonnie in the equation. Give her something to do while moving from room to room. ;)

[MonicaM]

I understand having sentimental feelings for the house that belonged to your grandparents.  My grandparents built their house when they were newlyweds, and raised their children in that house.  I have many many happy childhood memories of visiting that house and hanging out with cousins, and feeling safer than any other place in the world.  However, even if i had the opportunity to move to the area and buy that house, I wouldn't.  Owning that house would not bring back the past. 

Meri seems to think owning her grandparent's house will make her happy.  I guess she'll find out the expensive way that it won't.  If you are unhappy with your life, you will still be unhappy with your life after the papers are signed and you are handed the keys.  Maybe even more unhappy because of the large mortgage payments.  

It's a difference in taste, of course, but frankly the interior of that house repulsed me.  Not so much the decor, but the narrow, steep steps, narrow hallways, low doorways, etc.  Those interior scenes felt claustrophobic.  I couldn't spend the night there for free, much less as a paying guest.  

[Natalie68]

17 hours ago, Galloway Cave said:

Well, maybe you should research "how to run a B&B" and "how to run a wedding business". Maybe then your family wouldn't freak out because at least you would be making a good-faith effort to learn how run those businesses. 

Personally I think she needs to start at the beginning.  How to have a full time job.  Or maybe WORK at a B&B or with a wedding planner BEFORE sinking money you don't have into a business in a town no one has heard of or wants to visit.

[MrSmith]

@MonicaM I agree! My mother's mother's house was sold some years ago. It was situated on its own block and my grandmother had a large garden at the opposite side of her block from the house. I enjoyed staying there when I was a child. However, I would never want to own it because what's the point? Everything that made it a place I wanted to go is gone. The cousins are grown, moved away, and have their own families, and my grandmother has passed away. Plus, when her house and the block on which it is sited were sold, someone came along and built two four-plexes over the area where my grandmother had her garden. It makes me claustrophobic just to look at it. In fact, whenever I am in that town now, I never drive by the house anymore because I can't stand to see the new buildings.

[Natalie68]

10 minutes ago, MonicaM said:

I understand having sentimental feelings for the house that belonged to your grandparents.  My grandparents built their house when they were newlyweds, and raised their children in that house.  I have many many happy childhood memories of visiting that house and hanging out with cousins, and feeling safer than any other place in the world.  However, even if i had the opportunity to move to the area and buy that house, I wouldn't.  Owning that house would not bring back the past. 

Meri seems to think owning her grandparent's house will make her happy.  I guess she'll find out the expensive way that it won't.  If you are unhappy with your life, you will still be unhappy with your life after the papers are signed and you are handed the keys.  Maybe even more unhappy because of the large mortgage payments.  

It's a difference in taste, of course, but frankly the interior of that house repulsed me.  Not so much the decor, but the narrow, steep steps, narrow hallways, low doorways, etc.  Those interior scenes felt claustrophobic.  I couldn't spend the night there for free, much less as a paying guest.  

I know I am weird but we had to sell my parents house after they died (dads gf stole all the equity before he passed and we had to sell or lose, no the police/APS/DA didn't do anything to her so she went and did it to another man, they got her out before she stole his house but I have heard she is still trying).  I don't even want to see a picture of the house.  They filmed some waterfront house hunter show from my home town and I could see my old house in the footage and it really upset me.  So I may have a warped way of looking at it.  I refuse to even go to my hometown and I only will step foot in the county because my sister still lives there.  Once she is gone, I will never go back.  Sometimes a memory needs to stay just that.

[MrSmith]

Just now, Natalie68 said:

I know I am weird but we had to sell my parents house after they died (dads gf stole all the equity before he passed and we had to sell or lose, no the police/APS/DA didn't do anything to her so she went and did it to another man, they got her out before she stole his house but I have heard she is still trying).  I don't even want to see a picture of the house.  They filmed some waterfront house hunter show from my home town and I could see my old house in the footage and it really upset me.  So I may have a warped way of looking at it.  I refuse to even go to my hometown and I only will step foot in the county because my sister still lives there.  Once she is gone, I will never go back.  Sometimes a memory needs to stay just that.

I don't think you're weird. You grew up in that house. There are a lot of memories and a lot of sentiment attached to it. If it were your great-grandparents' house, you wouldn't feel as connected to it. Like I mentioned in my last post, I don't drive by my grandmother's house anymore. It just feels like my memories are being trampled. Clearly, you feel the same way about your parents' house. I think you're perfectly normal  - at least in this regard. Maybe you're weird in other ways! :D

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

1 hour ago, Sandy W said:

Renting out rooms in the LV house sounds like a great idea, there is always the chance that the guests may hit it lucky and be included in a Brown family event and get to participate in a line dance.  Even more exciting if they happened to be there and witness a water birth.

I think if we can add some slot machines on top of the wetless bar, Taco Tuesdays a must, maybe a wrestling lesson from the Kodster, cloth flower making classes and some of Christines sinGing around a duraflame fire pit in the back yard to drown out the sounds of HWY 15 

[MrSmith]

@Mahamid Frauded Me LMAO! I love your username!

[andromeda331]

9 minutes ago, MonicaM said:

I understand having sentimental feelings for the house that belonged to your grandparents.  My grandparents built their house when they were newlyweds, and raised their children in that house.  I have many many happy childhood memories of visiting that house and hanging out with cousins, and feeling safer than any other place in the world.  However, even if i had the opportunity to move to the area and buy that house, I wouldn't.  Owning that house would not bring back the past. 

Meri seems to think owning her grandparent's house will make her happy.  I guess she'll find out the expensive way that it won't.  If you are unhappy with your life, you will still be unhappy with your life after the papers are signed and you are handed the keys.  Maybe even more unhappy because of the large mortgage payments.  

It's a difference in taste, of course, but frankly the interior of that house repulsed me.  Not so much the decor, but the narrow, steep steps, narrow hallways, low doorways, etc.  Those interior scenes felt claustrophobic.  I couldn't spend the night there for free, much less as a paying guest.  

I understand the sentimental feelings too. I think most people do. My grandparents had a beautiful Victorian home that we had to sell. No one wanted too. It was a beautiful home, hardwood floors, a beautiful hardwood bannister. And full of memories. But keeping really made no sense. Everyone moved out of town except one aunt who would never be able to afford the upkeep and no one else really wanted to move back to town. Its great town but its small. There's not a lot of job opportunities which is why everyone else moved away. Renting wouldn't really work either because my uncle would have been the one stuck as the landlord but he lived two hours away with his own life and his own business (the aunt who lived in town wouldn't have been able to she had health issues). He was very busy. Selling really was the only thing that made sense. Not that was any easier.  The next owners trashed it. If you have to sell a house that meant a lot to you or relative's home, sell it and then never ever drive by to look, no matter what.   

[andromeda331]

22 minutes ago, Natalie68 said:

Personally I think she needs to start at the beginning.  How to have a full time job.  Or maybe WORK at a B&B or with a wedding planner BEFORE sinking money you don't have into a business in a town no one has heard of or wants to visit.

That's really where you should start to see if you really want to own a B&B and/or be a wedding planner. Both of those are a lot of work and your dealing with people. See all the work that goes into both. B&Bs your dealing with all kinds of guests, some maybe annoying or rude, are you to want to spend every day making beds, cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner, coming up with new advertisement all the time. Deal with the upkeep of the B&B and grounds. Wedding planning your dealing with a bride, she maybe emotional, or change her mind a lot, or she maybe a bridezilla, as well as her family,future the in-laws, venders, catering, bakery, photographer, what to do when things go wrong, or bad weather, there's a lot details to think about and have to deal with in both businesses. 

[Kohola3]

Wait, wait.  I'm confused. Didn't this dump house belong to/was built by the great-great grandparents?  Meri couldn't have ever known them.  And even knowing the "cherished" great-grandmother is iffy unless she was ancient and Meri was a young child and they met once.  Did the grandparents even live there? 

According to the (quite possibly fake) story, the house has been in the fambly for 4 generations.   That means great-great grandparent, great grandparents, grandparents, and Meri's parents.  Which means Meri's parents sold it to Vicky (or someone before her) at some point.  Or does the nebulous language on the website ("this was a family home for four generations") mean it was somebody's family home but not necessarily anyone related to her after Lizzie bit the dust and/or unloaded it.

So does any of the story even make sense?  Is Meri saying that she lived there as a child?  All she keeps referencing is the cherished Lizzie.

Am I wrong is this whole marketing line wonky?

[Gothish520]

2 hours ago, Galloway Cave said:

Don't forget, Parowan bills itself as having "The Best Cinnamon Rolls in the West"! Maybe Meri can buy a load of Cinnabons* on the way out of LV and serve those. Cut out the time having to bake.

*not saying that Cinnabons are the best. Meri/Bonnie could find a gillion recipes online and come up with there own "best".

Cinnabons are AMAZING. I was really obsessed with them for a while. Then the one closest to me (about 20 minutes away), closed, and that was that. The ones in the grocery store are ok, but not like the shop ones were back in the day. 

[MrSmith]

Just now, Gothish520 said:

Cinnabons are AMAZING. I was really obsessed with them for a while. Then the one closest to me (about 20 minutes away), closed, and that was that. The ones in the grocery store are ok, but not like the shop ones were back in the day. 

Cinnabons are why we ever bother to go to the Mall of America.

[Sandy W]

12 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Wait, wait.  I'm confused. Didn't this dump house belong to/was built by the great-great grandparents?  Meri couldn't have ever known them.  And even knowing the "cherished" great-grandmother is iffy unless she was ancient and Meri was a young child and they met once.  Did the grandparents even live there? 

According to the (quite possibly fake) story, the house has been in the fambly for 4 generations.   That means great-great grandparent, great grandparents, grandparents, and Meri's parents.  Which means Meri's parents sold it to Vicky (or someone before her) at some point.  Or does the nebulous language on the website ("this was a family home for four generations") mean it was somebody's family home but not necessarily anyone related to her after Lizzie bit the dust and/or unloaded it.

So does any of the story even make sense?  Is Meri saying that she lived there as a child?  All she keeps referencing is the cherished Lizzie.

Am I wrong is this whole marketing line wonky?

I did a bit of checking, the Mormons do keep impeccable records and this is what I found...

Charles Adams, Meri's great great grandfather, born 1843, died 1927, Parowan (probably the one who built the house)

William Leech Adams,(b.1879, d. 1959) son of Charles, married Lizzie Watson -  Meri's great grandparents, lived in Parowan

Joyce Adams Osborn Evans, daughter of William and Lizzie born 1921 married William Barber, in Parowan, Meri's grandparents

William Barber Jr. (b. 1942 d. 2007) married Bonnie Ahlstrom (one of 5 wives), Meri's parents

Meri born 1971

It was late when I went to the site last night, so I probably have some omissions, but that gives the gist of ownership.

Bonnie and William Barber Jr. (Meri's parents) probably never lived in the house and I do recall Bonnie saying she visited the home as a child.  So it appears that Meri had never set foot in that house until she was caught in the snare of the B&B owner.

[LilWharveyGal]

Just tacking on to what @Sandy W said...

I thought Joyce married Charles Ahlstrom and they were the parents of Bonnie.  But either way, Bonnie is a California girl.  I think Meri has mentioned growing up in California too, so they may have made visits back to Parowan but they certainly weren't the branch of the family that was living there.  Based on real estate records, it looks like the last time an Adams owned the house was in the 1980's.

[xwordfanatik]

1 hour ago, andromeda331 said:

I understand the sentimental feelings too. I think most people do. My grandparents had a beautiful Victorian home that we had to sell. No one wanted too. It was a beautiful home, hardwood floors, a beautiful hardwood bannister. And full of memories. But keeping really made no sense. Everyone moved out of town except one aunt who would never be able to afford the upkeep and no one else really wanted to move back to town. Its great town but its small. There's not a lot of job opportunities which is why everyone else moved away. Renting wouldn't really work either because my uncle would have been the one stuck as the landlord but he lived two hours away with his own life and his own business (the aunt who lived in town wouldn't have been able to she had health issues). He was very busy. Selling really was the only thing that made sense. Not that was any easier.  The next owners trashed it. If you have to sell a house that meant a lot to you or relative's home, sell it and then never ever drive by to look, no matter what.   

That is why I haven't driven by the three houses my dad built for us, with such care, in probably 20 years.  I know the King County neighborhood has declined, and I really couldn't stand seeing them in disrepair.  My photos from the 60's along with my memories, are good enough.

[Kohola3]

40 minutes ago, Sandy W said:

So it appears that Meri had never set foot in that house until she was caught in the snare of the B&B owner.

So the whole sentimental journey thing is some altered reality in Meri's mind. Figures.  Maybe she'll have a picture painted of Lizzie with Meri in it as well like "it always should have been".

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

15 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

So the whole sentimental journey thing is some altered reality in Meri's mind. Figures.  Maybe she'll have a picture painted of Lizzie with Meri in it as well like "it always should have been".

I would agree, she probably never spent any real time there, just because it was Fambily she "has to have it".  Aren't Christine, Janelle & Robyn kids all Fambily - yet she wants nothing to do with them.  Do you think her tanning bed will fit down in the basement , one would hate for her to lose her orange-y glow