Monday, July 13, 2009

A Sad Moment of a Wonderful Home and Many Memories

You have to read to the bottom of this post to understand the title. This post is really for our kids and grand kids and future generations as a history of one of the homes we owned. As I started looking for these pictures I realized we never really took any "inside" shots of the interior. Of course lots of pictures of all our family Christmases, Birthdays, Parties, etc. but no shots that show the interior. Bummer.

We bought this lovely brick home on 1 1/3 acres in 1976. We sold it 21 years later in 1997 when Mickey retired and we were going to hit the road traveling for awhile in our 5th wheel.


It was a lovely home and we were very proud of it and enjoyed our years there. Here's the front with it's circle drive with flower bed in the center. The window behind the porch swing was the kitchen. The large master bedroom, built-in vanity, huge walk-in closet and one bath is on the left end of the front door.
A large living room with large matching red brick fireplace and mantle and a floor to ceiling bookcase to one side. The back of another small 3 shelf bookcase faced the large wide entry as you entered with wood spindles to the ceiling facing the main bookcase and fireplace.


Looking out from the front porch to the street.
One view of the side yard. The window showing was one of the boys bedrooms with walk-in closet.

The back view of the house. The door you see opened up to a mud room with the laundry room behind that with washer, dryer, freezer and large overhead cupboards. You turned to the right into the dining and kitchen with abundant cabinets, a built in desk. Jennair cooktop and oven, dishwasher and stainless steel sinks. Our other son's bedroom with walk-in closet is on the right end of the house.

There was a 2 car garage with the drive from the front curving around to the back. When my mother became too ill to live alone Mickey constructed a darling little apartment for her. She had her own front door, living area with bay window, small kitchenette with a fridge, cooktop, sink and cabinets. A large bedroom with a walk-in closet and full bath on the front facing the street.

Mickey standing on the back patio. The door to the mudroom to the left, the dining room window, the sliding glass door and fireplace chimney to the right.

View from the patio to the large barn and back drive. Behind the pick-up is a mounded area that was a rock garden.

Another back yard view from the patio.

Another view of the barn and storage tool shed that housed the riding lawn mower and garden tools. There was a double gate to the right of the tool shed that opened up onto a cul-de-sac to our East giving us a second rear entrance to the property.
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Now for the sad part.......our son called us last week and informed us that this house, that he grew up in from age 7, had been foreclosed and was going up for auction. We have always been a little sad that we had sold it, instead of keeping it. It was to be opened Sunday from 1 to 3 so after church we drove over to see it. We were considering perhaps repurchasing it.
It was totally trashed and torn up. I do not know how anyone could do the damage to a home like this in 12 years. They had not touched up one thing we had done, soiled damaged carpet, peeling mudroom and kitchen floor. The JennAir cooktop gone and a free standing range in it's place. The large vanity in the master bedroom ripped out with the concrete floors showing where the two drawer areas on both side had been. The small bookcase and spindles torn out in the living room. Just everywhere torn-up and trashed. The landscape was a total mess. The back gates and the privacy fence torn down in sections. The tool shed gone, the barn moved to the end of the house. Trash and debris piled up in the back. I could go on and on but I won't.
Needless to say we drove away in tears to see the state of a beautiful home that had been such a part of us and our family history. I guess I just had to post about this to get it off my chest, out of my mind and off my system. To recapture the beauty and tranquility of it for our heritage.
As always we have to remember and keep in mind "This earth is not my home I'm just a passing by"........but it still hurt!!!!

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20 comments:

Mari said...

It looks like a beautiful home. I'm so sorry someone did that to it. I think we get attached to our homes because of the memories we build there. Aren't you glad no one will ever mess up our heavenly home?

michelle said...

YES IT DOES HURT EVEN WHEN WE THINK OF THE WONDERFUL HOME THE LORD HAS PREPARED FOR US. i SUPPOSE THAT IS JUST BECAUSE WE ARE HUMAN.

Dawn said...

How sad! I go by a house I lived in for awhile with my folks after I graduated from college. They had built me a little apartment in the basement. I've always wondered what others did with that space. But I know for a fact that I don't want to go in there because it's been lived in by so many people since then and I can only imagine the condition it's in.

kc bob said...

That was a sad story Susan.. had to be so difficult for you and Mickey.

Joy said...

Oh Susan, that was such a beautiful home to raise your family in. I know the memories of your family in that home make it hard to see the disrepair it is in today. So sad that someone let that happen. I hope a someone buys that will make it shine again and build wonderful memories for their family.

Joy

Anonymous said...

Susan,

It was a beautiful home and I could tell by your description that there was a lot of love that grew in that home.

A home is like a family member and seeing it in that condition after putting so many years of your soul and spirt into something had to be heart breaking.

Maybe when the heaven and earth are restored, that piece of property will show forth the sound of love that once was there with your family.

Sandra

Tammy ~ Country Girl at Home ~ said...

Oh Susan, that is so sad! I can totally understand how you must have felt. I have often wondered how I would feel if we ever moved from our home now....and then to return years later and see that it wasn't loved as we loved it...I know would make me really sad! It really looked like a wonderful home!

Tammy

Kathy said...

Susan, I think this post was a wise response to your feelings after you saw your once beautiful home now in shambles. It was beautiful and I can tell that you and Mickey took such good care of it, and I'm sure your Mom must've enjoyed it as well. I know the Lord will teach you from this, and I imagine that you will ask Him to do just that, and for that I admire you. Blessings, hugs, and great comfort,
Kathy

Debra said...

So sorry to hear this. But the important thing is you have your memories. It looks like it was a lovely home!

Momma Roar said...

It is so hard to see things like that happen. When my parents sold their home of 35 years (the only house I knew) it was and is difficult for my mom to drive by. They really needed to downsize, but the other house is just 2 blocks away so they can't always avoid going past.

It's hard not to hold on to the house, but just hold on to those memories.

(to answer your comment here, I wore the shoes that night with slacks, but I also wear them with skirts - they just dress up everything!!!!)

Sunny said...

Sorry that you had to see your old home in such a mess. After we moved from PA in '03 and sold our home there, our daughters had driven by to see what it was like with the new people living there. The pastures and garden were all grown up, our honey-house (42' x 112') had doors standing open and junk and weeds grown round, and in our once beautiful yard was a mud track and ramps for monster-wheeled pick-ups.
They asked me to never go back there to see it.

Nadine said...

That is sad to see the condition of a home that had such meaning to you torn up and trashed. I'm sorry you had to witness that.

Shirley said...

I'm sorry - that is tough, especially when you took such good care of it - you hope others will also.

retha said...

I am so sorry you had to experience this. A lovely home destroyed and outside space abused.

We know someone who bought a lovely house on an insolvent auction. I said to Jason it is so sad these people loosing their home. One can see they loved staying there. The buyers-whom we know- I know will not take care of this house.
I was wondering how the owners will feel if they see the house in a years time.

Marie said...

I know how sad you must have been. That is what I think about our home and wonder what will happen when we are gone. I know our children will never come back to NC to live. I know it is just a house and stuff but you like us put a lot of work and love into it. We live in an established neighborhood that families have lived here since the 1930's. We have one house now that is not owned by part of the original family and this house and yard is an eyesore. I just don't understand why people don't want to take care of things.

Sohailah said...

it looks liek a wonderful home - amazing yard! That is so sad - people are amazing, huh? And not in a good way.

Annie said...

We had an experience like that in a house I lived in for years. It was purchased and trashed! So sad.

Brenda said...

Oh Susan,
I'm so sorry you have been hurt by this. I would've have been horribly upset too.
I guess the bright side is the beautiful pictures and especially memories you will probably hold even more dear in your hearts.

Jenileigh said...

I know it had to hurt your heart to see such destruction where love once abound. Hugs sweet one. May the Lord continue to comfort you.

MightyMom said...

my mom bought a HUD home when I was in high school and having looked at many I can tell you that MOST repos look like that. Many have huge gaping holes in the walls too. It's like people get mad because it's being repo'd by the bank and take it out on the house....presumably so the bank won't get much money for it.

but I can tell you that with a bit of hard work a trashed repo can reclaim it's former glory and become another family's wonderful home.