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.

 

 

Goodbye to a dear friend and neighbor

Today our neighbor and friend, Frank Stover was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.  The bitter cold and cutting wind somehow seemed fitting for such a sad occasion.  This was my first time witnessing a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.  As I expected it was very honorable, and befitting for an honorable man like Frank Stover.

 

Frank and Rebbie have been our neighbors for the past ten years, when we first moved onto Shadeland Drive.  Right from the beginning, they welcomed us with the warmth and friendliness we all hope for when we buy not just a first house, but a home.  Over the next few years, we grew the kind of strong neighborhood bonds all of us hope for, but few seem to achieve in a culture that is always on the go struggling to keep up.  There was always a friendly wave and hello in the morning as I left for work.  In the spring and summer, there always seemed to be someone outside, often it was Frank.  There were nice chats about who was doing what, or whatever seemed to be going on "on the hill".  Most of the neighbors are in politics or the military, so most conversations go that way.  In the evenings, Frank and Rebbie could often be found sitting outside inviting someone over for a drink and a chat.  Many times they would call us to come over for a "scotch".  The Stovers bridged the gap between the culture we are confronted with, and the culture we all hope for in the suburbs.  They helped those of us in the starter family phase realize we could have the kind of caring and friendly neighborhood we thought had gone the way of civilized politics.

 

We grew that kind of neighborhood.  There were baby sitting co-ops, and Friday evening Happy Hours in the summer.  Dad's had poker nights, and Mom's had movie nights.  Because of people like Frank Stover, this neighborhood has been a wonderful place to grow a family.  A couple of years ago when I made the plunge to start my own IT support business, Frank Stover was my very first customer.  No surprise that although I intended to help him out as a favor, he would not let me leave without paying me.  That's the kind of person he was.

 

Over the past months, as Frank's health began to fail, it became our turn to return the favor to Frank and Rebbie.  When the ambulance showed up in the middle of the night, we were all outside in our PJ's offering our help; driving Rebbie to the hospital, cleaning the house, or calling her daughter Chris to let her know what happened.  Whatever we could do, we offered our help willingly.  When I finally got the news Frank had passed, I was certainly sad, but I felt like now Frank would get the rest and comfort he had been missing as he fought to regain the zest for life his body could no longer provide his still vibrant spirit.

 

I was not surprised to learn during the funeral all the great things Frank did in his life.  After WW II, Frank was instrumental in supporting Veterans and worked on Capitol Hill to get several pieces of legislation passed in support of Veterans benefits.

 

In the past few years that I knew Frank as a neighbor, he certainly was the epitome of what Tom Brokaw once called "the greatest generation".  He was a fine man, a good friend, a wonderful neighbor, and servant to his country.  I speak for all of us on Shadeland Drive when I say that Frank Stover will be greatly missed and fondly remembered always.