Exactly 22 years ago today (22 YEARS!!), we moved into our house -- the Saturday of the Victoria Day weekend. We had taken possession of the house May
1st, but had spent a couple of weeks painting, getting the carpets cleaned,
etc.
We had arranged to have our appliances delivered that day too, but
we were running late & still at our midtown apartment -- we got a
call at 8 a.m. that the truck was in our driveway & no one was home.
Figures that they were early, we were probably their first delivery. We told
them to leave the boxes in the driveway (!) & called dh's cousin who
lives nearby & said, "Ummm, remember how you said you wanted neighbours...??" When we
got to the house half an hour later, he was sitting in his car in the
driveway, keeping watch over the boxes with a mug of coffee in his hand, lol. The guys
(dh, cousin/neighbour, BIL & another cousin, as well as FIL) had to move them all into the house & hook them up themselves. We still have the fridge & stove, although we got a new washer & dryer a few years ago.
I have written about our house before, here and here, for example. I never, ever thought we'd be here 22 years. It's the longest I have ever lived in one place (previous record: six years, in the town where I graduated from high school). I figured five
years & we'd have a couple of kids & move on to something bigger. The
best laid plans... One of the reasons we bought the house was the big back
yard, with kids in mind -- & we're hardly ever out there. :( We also
bought it, in part, because cousin/neighbour & his family were close by. As I've written elsewhere, we inexplicably started drifring apart in the years after we lost Katie and no more babies came. We maybe see them once or twice a year at the same weddings &
funerals we see everyone else at. Sad. :(
Sometimes I look at everything we've done with the house in 22 years & feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. Sometimes, I look at all the things that need doing & updating & repairing -- and want to run away, lol. ; ) Occasionally, we think about moving -- somewhere with a smaller yard to keep up -- or a bungalow (especially on days like today when I'm going up & down stairs doing laundry & my knees start to creak) -- or a condo. Sometimes I think something bigger/newer would still be nice, even if it's just the two of us -- newer houses, even the smaller ones, seem to have so many more bells & whistles these days.
And sometimes I look around me, at the familiar walls and neighbourhood -- and I am content.
For 22 years, for now, perhaps for many more years -- it's home.
22 years! That is a reason to celebrate...though a condo could work too!
ReplyDeleteI love that our lives, in some ways, are so similar even though we're on opposite sides of the world. We're 19 years in our house, and it's the longest I've lived anywhere, and like you I love my house, but also want to run and hide from it when I think of all the maintenance/beautifying etc that needs to be done. We've considered moving - and would perhaps move to an apartment to try out a more urban lifestyle. But we can't do that until we've painted the roof, fixed the drive, etc etc etc etc!
ReplyDeleteI keep contemplating moving. We are in our second house. It’s a big 4 bedroom on almost 2 acres. It was our dream house for the family we wanted to raise. Now that our dream has changed I keep thinking about selling it, but I do love the house. My sister has been living with us for almost 2 years while she is attending college, which makes the house not so empty…for now.
ReplyDeleteWe are about to move, and I too have been one of those people who has bounced around lot - no more than 7 years in one house or town. So, I am ready to settle down now... 22 years! That's so incredible. I loved the memoir feel of this post. Very thoughtful and introspective.
ReplyDeletewell, at least you've missed the bubble and the bust!
ReplyDeleteAnd you've got projects for retirement... and if you don't sell and buy, you'll have more cash fro traveling once you've got the time.