Mom and I are fluffing up her house for sale. It's always
such a bittersweet time. Mom and Daddy moved to Boise
from Arizona two years after we moved here. It was a sacrifice
for them to do so because they had a really lovely condo on a
golf course and lots of friends to leave behind.
But they did it to be close to us. I am their only child and
we had they opportunity to spend much more time together.
I was always living in different cities all across the map and
the globe. Finally we were all in one spot for a while.
When Mom and Daddy bought this house it was very sad looking.
Mom never liked this house very much, but they bought it principally
for it's lovely location which you will see later on in this post. That is
me in the portrait over the sofa. When I was younger my entire life was
spent on horseback. Everyone joked that I always smelled like a stable.
It never bothered me because all I wanted to do was sail over the
fences on the back of my horse. If Ralph Lauren ever develops a
fragrance that smells like a tack room ~ I will be the first to
buy it! Hint to Ralph Lauren!!
With the help of my husband's construction business, Mom and Daddy
tweaked this house quite a bit. Out came the tacky ranch molding and up
went crown molding in every room. They added chair rail and shadow
boxes for depth and architectural interest.
Before Mom and Daddy moved in, David and I knocked down a
wall off the entry that used to enclose a bedroom. It opened up this
sweet little study/TV room to the entry off the living room. We put
in the bookcases too. That's Daddy's flag that was presented to Mom
by the Air Force after his death. I can still picture Daddy sitting
in his comfy leather chair watching television. I still miss him so.
Here is the dining room. Mom never liked this room much
because it is so much smaller that the big dramatic one in the
condo they left behind. But it's saving grace is that it opens up
to the sunroom. More about that later.
Mom has several lovely French chairs that have moved all over
this house. Somehow to her, they never had a "happy home"
anywhere in this house. I disagree, but that's just my opinion.
This is the hallway that leads down to the bedrooms. When we
put up this chair rail we had no idea how helpful it was going to be
for Daddy. His Alzheimer's made him a bit unsteady on his feet.
He was too proud to use a walker, so he held on to the rail to
keep him steady while he walked down the hall. It worked out
quite well.
In one of the wonderful old houses that Mom lived in long
ago, there was a butler's pantry. She missed it so a new one
was created in a corner of her kitchen. Can you tell that she
loves blue and white?
When Mom and Daddy were debating on whether or not to buy this house,
Mom told Daddy that the only way she would move in was if he put on a
solarium. So Daddy designed this room and my husband David built it.
It's a bright and light filled room that takes advantage of the lovely view.
It's the first thing people notice when they come into the house because there
is a straight view of it from the front door.
The room has a cathedral ceiling and showcases the pond and the beautiful huge
weeping willow tree outside.
Of course you know how much Bentley loves his grandma and she
spoils him. Bet you couldn't guess.
Mom and Daddy always had their breakfast at this little bistro table.
Here is the back of their house and this view is the reason they were willing
to take a sad and forlorn little house and create a little jewel box of a home.
David built this mini pergola on the side of the house just for this swing. Daddy's
Alzheimer's kept him feeling very restless and this swing was the perfect medicine.
It is in a shady spot nestled up to the chimney and overlooks this pretty plum tree ...
David and I bought this flowering plum for $20 at Kmart. I can still remember
bringing it over in the back of our truck to surprise Mom and Daddy. It was
so little when we planted it for them but it grew into a beauty.
Here is another pergola that David built. It covers the brick patio off the
solarium. A pretty pink crabapple tree's branches hang over it's beams.
Mom's meditation garden. She has always been fascinated by
Japanese gardens.
Another pic of the crabapple in bloom.
Mom and Daddy brought this tree bench with them. It was in the front garden
of their condo. We will bring it with us to Victoria as well. Mom will have to
decide which great old live oak to set it around.
Word around the neighborhood has gotten out that Mom is planning
to sell her house. Mom had been a bit overwhelmed by the people
stopping and asking her about it despite the fact that it is not
technically on the market yet.
It will be hard to say goodbye. Although Mom did not like this
house much at the beginning, she grew to love it and will miss it.
It will be hard for me too. I can see my Daddy in every room and
miss his laughter, the way his eyes crinkled up when he smiled, watching
him happily humming and swinging on his swing, and the way he
loved to feed the ducks and geese who swim on the pond. The end
of an era, yet the beginning of a new one. Thank you for joining me
on this tour and on my trip down memory lane. When I write the
post on my own little cottage I will be sobbing like a baby all over again.
Happily Joining ~
Don't worry Bentley ~ grandma is sure to let you sit
on a chair at her dining room table in Victoria, Texas too!
Big Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
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