The old homestead

Well, after 3 months of brutal labor, the old homestead is on the market for sale.

 

http://www.villanirealestate.com/listings/Details.cfm?EmpID=243

The fact that our family has not done any bodily harm to each other is quite an achievement.  It was a lot of work, mostly by Vivian and Betty, but the house is finally ready for sale.  It officially went on the market last weekend, so we will see how it goes...Hopefully Fast :)

 

I'm surprised that I don't have any more emotion than I do about the house being sold.  Other than about seven years in my twenties, I have only lived in 2 places; 1503 Oak Grove Drive, and 3055 Shadeland Drive.  You would think I would be emotional about the place being sold, but I'm not.  Who knows what will happen when someone buys it.  I may be an emotional wreck.  The truth is, I think its been time to move on for a few years now.  That combined with the process of going through 43 years worth of "stuff" has made me ready to close this chapter. 

 

Besides 43 years of figurines, plates and wall hangings, I went through 21 years of memories.  Over the past couple of months, I have watched a lifetime of Christmas mornings and birthday BBQs, evenings on the porch shelling butter beans from the garden, playing with my friends in the backyard woods, riding bikes, playing hide and seek in the summer dusk, and sneaking on the golf course to watch July 4 fireworks.  This was a great house and a great neighborhood to grow up in.  A small enough house to be close with your family, no traffic, big yards, and woods to play in.  Every child should be allowed to grow up in such a great environment.

 

As with all things, there were painful memories to go through as well as the good ones, but that is part of the process I guess.  There was the time I set the woods on fire, Dad going on one of many angry episodes, the day Peanuts, our Chihuahua died.  There was the last Christmas I spent at home with both parents sick, and the warm spring day when my father past away.  Without these memories to go along with the happy times, we are only half a person.  Memories are a powerful thing.  We don't realize at the time how these events shape our lives, but if we take the time to go through that chest, we can see how they all fit together and shaped us into who we are today.

 

Thank you 1503 Oak Grove Dr.  You were a wonderful home to us.  We can only hope your next family will live, love, cry and grow between your walls as we did.