there is a house i pass by on my way to work. a mere three miles from my own, but worlds apart.
i dream of someday treading the wooden floors and gazing out through the lead glass windows. i will never own this home but i hope to someday learn of the current owner's journey as they lovingly restore it. everyday i sneak a glance as i drive by and see what little changes have occurred. last week, newer more efficient windows on the upper level to combat the frigid MN winter.
i stumbled upon a wonderful and heartbreaking blog this morning. my messy, thrilling life. she just wrapped up on six years of blogging a few months ago, i can't believe i missed her. i read back into the archives and a familiar ache started in my stomach - the dream of owning an old home. she breathed life into her blog and the few pictures of her own renovations in her historic home made me weak-kneed. i have to share: she speaks so perfectly the charm and mystery of living somewhere that has been in existence for so long and the wonder of those there before her. see freeman house journal and thoughts on coming home.
when we began our house search i so badly wanted an historic home. i was desperate for one. our realtor would send us links to new builds but my search button on the MLS was consistently set to houses built before 1940.
and then we found it, a 108 year old home with the original crown molding intact, hardwood floors and the perfect price tag. how were we so lucky? the owner accepted our offer and 4 days after our first viewing i already had every room decorated in my mind and josh was on the band-wagon wholeheartedly. but sadly historic homes are never as easy to care for as a new build, several factors lead us to say goodbye and we found a different, newer (95 years younger) home. and that's okay. this is the right place for us right now. at this time in our life we love our large yard, neighbor kids playing in the street and proximity to the school our future children will attend.
maybe someday we will join the realms of those who walk across creaky floors filled with history every morning and spend their days treading well-worn stairs.
i can hope. :)
2 comments:
it is funny..... our desires.... you desire for an old house, when i desire for just any house. i suppose in good time our desires may be filled, or they may not. what we wouldn't do to be in others shoes.
:) true. i think it's always good to dream. no matter how badly i may want an old home 'someday' it may not be in the cards or 'a good fit' for our family, ever.
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