When we drove up to the old homestead, I confided to Rick that I was a little scared as to what we might see. I even mentioned that I might cry.
We had no idea what had been done to the house so far. Rick hadn’t had much contact with the Phil, the person who was working on the place getting it ready for the new tenant.
The first indication that there was work being done was this pile of debris on the front lawn. I glimpsed through the window and saw a bunch of plaster on the carpet.
*gulp*
Phil tried to prepare us for what we were going to see when we walked through the front door. He knew that we loved this house, and he wanted our approval and input on his progress.
I think I stopped breathing for a minute.
What used to be the front porch was basically gone. Where there used to be 2 walls and some windows there was nothing but the original framework.
Plaster, lath and barn board lay in neat piles in what was once the livingroom.
Many years ago Rick & I had talked about doing something similar to the house, and it appears that Phil has the same idea.
The home where we raised our children was taking on a new chapter in it’s long life. It was evolving into something new, but at the same time keeping it’s original character that we loved so much.
I knew this was going to be hard, but I have to have some faith that the end product will be as beautiful as I had envisioned all those years ago.
When we put the place on the market 2 years ago, we knew that it would take the right person to buy it. They would see beyond all the work that needed to be done and feel the beauty and welcoming that his house held. It is like a presence that grabs you when you walk through the door. The same one that I felt 22 years ago and still do to this day.
Next month the new tenant will walk through that door, and I hope that she will feel it too.
