Four people, a mom and dad and two kids, were staring out of the newspaper this morning, all with 100 watt smiles. Now normally I applaud and appreciate cheeriness in any form, and in this particular instance in an article to do with the home, because without people in the photos the houses looks like showcases and not real at all. But for some reason I was frowning and, intrigued, sought a reason. The article had to do with making use of space for family activities so no fault here. Then I got it! In the living room photo they are seated on a chesterfield and they are all wearing socks; the chesterfield is on carpet. I have trouble with homes where I am expected to take my shoes off at the door. For three reasons. High arches and feet a bit too small to support my height make shoeless walking and standing rather uncomfortable. Add to this the past experiences of having to remove shoes out of respect with both the physical and psychological aspects. Lastly but perhaps most potentially ‘jarring’ is the fact that even in houses with wall to wall carpet there are areas without carpet- like the kitchen, bathroom, and – stairs!