What is a MCM home?

Mary Ann and I are downsizing as all the kids are now out of the house. My cancer plight played a role in downsizing, as did Mary Ann’s love of Mid-Century Modern homes. What is a MCM home? The term minimalist comes to mind as a MCM home does not waste space. Open floor plans with lots of natural light, geometrical designs such as triangle windows and shallow sloped roofs are a telltale sign of a MCM, generally built from 1949 to 1959. Warner Robins has a lot of MCM homes, most of which are between Watson Boulevard and Russell Parkway. So we purchased a MCM home and began some renovations to accommodate the two of us as we grow older.

The kitchen has previously been renovated however we wanted to open it up more and add new appliances. New cabinet doors, new and expanded quartz countertops and new paint will make the kitchen a great place to cook and entertain. But it helps me recall one time when I was talking about the old days with my grandmother, Faye “Nana” McElroy. I asked her about the biggest improvement in the kitchen in her lifetime. I’m thinking the refrigerator? She said that they had ice boxes. I thought the microwave oven? She said that a hot stove will cook anything. No, her biggest improvement, the one she valued the most, was running water. It was a game changer, yet something I never considered, but I’ve had running water in my home all my life.

Mary Ann wants to catalog all the MCM homes in Warner Robins, but with two full time jobs (her day job and taking care of me) I’m not sure when she’ll have time. But if you see a beautiful redhead stopping to take pictures of a funky house, that’s probably her.

My word of the week is copperfasten. It means to reinforce, strengthen, to make permanent. Not used much in USA but is common in Ireland.

Speaking of Ireland, the ascension of Boris Johnson to Prime Minister could lead to the uniting of The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The PM is claiming he’ll leave the EU without an exit agreement and will invalidate the “backstop agreement” that his country signed which provided that there would be no return to a hard border on the Irish island. If that happens, and maybe it is the best interest of England to do so, but Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales all voted to remain in the EU. This may be the impetus to reunite Ireland, although it would be way more beneficial for Northern Ireland than the Republic. Time will tell.

Kelly Burke, master attorney, former district attorney and magistrate judge, is engaged in private practice. He writes about the law, rock’n’roll and politics or anything that strikes him. These articles are not designed to give legal advice, but are designed to inform the public about how the law affects their daily lives. Contact Kelly at kelly@burkelasseterllc.com to comment on this article or suggest articles that you’d like to see and visit his website www.kellyrburke.com to view prior columns.