This Old House

I have a love/hate relationship with my house. It was built the same year that I was born, which means its getting up there. Now, don't get me wrong, these old houses (mine is sort of a Cape Cod style farm house) are full of charm. The first time I saw it, it was vacant and I pressed my face up to the windows and peered in. I was fairly newly married and our first child was on his way. We were living in a tiny house and we needed more space. This house fit that bill but, it needed some TLC. I love 'diy' projects so I saw nothing but possibilities. It was love at first sight. We bought it and have lived here since 1985. But, after years of projects and money spent, the kids have left home and ... well ... we have space. The downside is that its filled with stuff. I have been on a decluttering bent for a few weeks now and it is helping but, I can still see all of the flaws that old houses have and that there is really no cure for. Closets are plentiful in this house but, they are not well laid out. The idea of walk in closets and master baths wasn't even a consideration when this house was built. Still, our rooms are large and full of light and the house feels wonderful. But then wait, I know everything that needs attention and its daunting. The more I clean out, the better I feel and yet I know that our days in this house have to be numbered. It is just too much house for elderly people ... which is exactly why the previous owner and builder sold it to us. That's right, we are only the second family to ever live here. Both owners raised wonderful families here and I like to think that this house was built for kids. That point was brought home to me this afternoon when a young repairman came in and told me that his wife would absolutely fall in love with this house. I offered to sell it to him ... nope. Guess that was a little abrupt. Anyway, someday in the not-too-distant future we will move on. We will be sad. We will remember all of the memories of raising our family here. But, it is my hope that a young, enthusiastic family gets the house and has years of making their own memories here. And then, I'm going to have all of the modern amenities in my next house yet in a scaled down size. I will set out to make that home a place for new memory making.