Well, friends, our time is now short. The first of several milestone dates has passed, and things are happening. Packing. Arrangements. Bidding extended family farewell. Events.
Yes, my wonderful in-laws are bailing on the good ol’ US of A, and have moved their entire household to Africa.
About a month ago, K & I spent the weekend in their (soon to be our!) house, and I was struck, yet again, by how much it echoes my grandparents’ house. It’s not that the two homes are similar in plan or elevation; the houses look nothing alike, actually.
Grampa & Gramma’s was a two-story, 4-bedroom farmhouse, which actually started as a one-room schoolhouse. For years, the only shower was in the basement. Oh yeah, did I mention it had a basement? It still does, of course. My cousins live there now; they did quite a bit of remodeling before moving in. I’m glad that they’re living there, and that father & son can farm together for another generation, but it is definitely no longer my grandparents’ home.
My in-laws’ house is a single story, 2-bedroom, 100+ year old farm house, with no basement, but with a front porch perfect for spring afternoons and autumn evenings.
One has braved pound after pound of snow & ice, and the other the overbearing waves of heat in southern summers. Both have stood firm against strong winds and tornadoes.
I suppose the only thing they have in common is that they’re both farm houses, and they have white siding. Still, the aura is the same. The scent is almost the same. The way your cares seem to slip off your shoulders as you enter the front door is the same. The feeling is the same.
Soon, this will be our home. Soon, I’ll be responsible for maintaining that feeling.
I hope I’m up to the task.
Aww, yay! This is so exciting!
[...] slowly making our way through the house – scraping wallpaper and painting walls, making it our home. It’s taking quite a [...]