Sunday, October 11, 2009

Once in a Lifetime Opportunity


So the flies flew out my friends. I don't even remember the appearance of the man that answered the door, but he seemed 'off' to me. I remember grumpy, terse, rude....those types of adjectives.

Glen looked like he'd seen a ghost. It was Green Acres with no Zsa Zsa Gabor or Mr. Haney. I think Mr. Haney lived down the road. In the 1/2 mile stretch of road that we live on, there were only two other houses. I think we had about five miles of nothing but woods south of our house , and five miles of corn fields north. You have to remember that I was raised in the city, stacked on top of each other, and unable to stretch your arms fully between houses. In the summer, with windows open, you could hear your neighbors conversations, and forks hitting the plates at supper time. I remember a guy named Billy, that exercised every morning faithfully at 5am to the song 'Billie Jean'. I swear I felt like the bass line from that song would eventually knock me out of the bed.

As I walked around, I envisioned chickens scratching, and quilts on the clothesline. Sweating glasses of iced tea and herb gardens. Laughter and memories. Glen envisioned a lot of trips to Home Depot, power tools, and endless hours of hard labor. Go figure.

We went back to the realtor's office with my eyes as big as saucers, pulling Glen behind me. "I'd like to see inside please". She promised me she'd arrange it. This was early March 1988.

I suppose there are such things called 'renter's rights'. This man apparently knew all of them. To the best of my memory, it was nearly the end of March when we finally got to see the house. We were told to be at the house on a Sunday afternoon about 1pm. I guess anyone and everyone that wanted to see the house was going to be there that day. When we got here, we were about the fifth car in line to see the house. I remember being absolutely beside myself thinking that we were too late, that someone else would see the soul of this house and it was going to slip from my fingers before I ever got to raise a chicken, or hang out the sheets to dry.

One by one, the people would go in the house and be out within a matter of seconds. One, two, three, four........within five minutes we were IN THE HOUSE! We didn't leave. We stayed. We looked. Upstairs, downstairs, in each room. I'd never seen anything like it. It was filthy. It had odors I didn't know existed. Led Zeppelin was blasting on a scratchy stereo. Each room had an electric heater plugged in it. The man living here never spoke. I stood in the living room for a moment and blocked everything out. I looked at the way the sun was coming in the windows. In my mind's eye, and in my heart, I could hear the ticking of an antique clock, and smell a Sunday roast. I could hear laughter. I could feel safe. This was home.

We went down in the basement with the realtor. It was damp. It looked like he'd been raising chickens down there. There were bird droppings and feathers everywhere. Glen looked at me and said 'Honey, if you really want it, we'll get it'. I just smiled.

The next installment: I Cain't Get No Financin'


15 comments:

  1. I don't think I've ever met Glen. What a guy!

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  2. The paragraph before the last one, well, I nearly cried, as a christian, it reminded me of how Christ must have looked at each of us and chose to walk to the cross, all the bad blocked out, just like you did, thoughts only of how He could change the inside of each of us and make it a safe, homey, wonderful place to live. He wasn't scared off by all the ugly,loud,smelliness in our backgrounds. I don't mean to be so serious here but it's what hit me spot on. Your a visionary as He is. I love you both very much.

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  3. Hi New to your blog,found it a couple weeks ago and love it.I really like what you have done to your bathroom.Does the wood mold up?Love that tub.Does the pitcher pump work to fill the tub?We put wood in both our bathrooms and the small one is molding up the large bathroom hasn't.Love the toliet on a diagnal.My husband put our pedistal sink that same way.Can't wait to read more.Jennifer

    Ps love the chicken pics.Aren't they the funniest creatures?Mine keep me laughing everyday.

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  4. Lynn, he is quite a guy.

    Anon..what a heart felt comment. Thank you so much.

    Jennifer, welcome! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment. We do not have any trouble with mold. I always bath, cause that is how I grew up, with no shower. My husband showers. Maybe if we had more people in the house there would be a mold problem? I don't know for sure.

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  5. Jennifer...forgot to answer your comment. Yes, the pump fills the tub, but we don't have to pump it...lol...my husband rigged it so that is just the faucet to fill the tub. :-)

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  6. Your husband, what a guy! I think my hubby would have run screaming for the hills.

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  7. I'm so glad you were able to see beyond all the negatives. I'll stay tuned for more :) I'm also very impressed with that Glen fella ;-) -Tammy

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  8. I'm so glad you had the vision to see past the dirt and filth. I have a hard time with that! I can't wait to see more.
    Blessings,
    Lorilee

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  9. Wow!! I just found you and I am in love with your blog already. I can't wait for time to read it all. Yep you hooked me with the tub!!!!!!!

    I too am living in an 8 year fixer upper. I don't know if we will ever get thru with this one!!!! We looked at our house once and made an offer from our cell phone standing in the yard!!! Love at first sight!!!!

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  10. I was very touched by your story and your hubby must be a very special guy. If you use the pump to fill the tub wouldn't the water be cold? I definitely haven't seen a tub like that before, but I love your decorating style. I believe that all of your hard work has surely paid off and I hope you have many more wonderful years in your lovely home. God Bless.

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  11. I'm waiting....can't wait to hear more. Hugs, Ra

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  12. thank you for sharing your life!

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  13. and could ya share some more? Thank you. Some of us in Merrillville are waiting excitedly. :)

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  14. Anke...we've both felt like heading for the hills sometimes...:-)

    Rebecca...thanks for stopping by and commenting! It's a lot of work, a labor of love, and ya gotta be a 'lil bit crazy.

    Cynthia, thanks for your comment. Nope. Hubby hooked up the pump, so that it works just like a faucet. I can control the temperature. I like my baths HOT.

    Girls in Merr...I don't want to keep boring you with house details...don't you want another chicken story??

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  15. You are a writter girl! I absolutely hang on your every word. You should be (not in place of the blog!) writting childrens books or novels...you really have a gift.

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