“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” –Ancient Indian Proverb
The keys to the Atomic Abode will go to the new owners on Monday. Except for the items they purchased at the estate sale, the house is empty, cleaned, and ready for its next inhabitants.
The first owners of the home lived in it for over 40 years. I lived there for 13 years – a blip on the radar compared to them. My best wishes go out to Dave and Lisa for a long and happy life there. It is likely others will follow, and the house will outlive us all.
Which brings me to the notion of stewardship.
When I moved in in 2002, it was evident that the prior owners aged in place. The walls were filthy, including dog claw marks throughout the basement. The washer drained into the sink of the mother-in-law kitchen downstairs, and the dryer “vented” via a dirty sock tied to the stovetop vent. The wall next to the cooktop upstairs hung with grease, and the curtains and draperies were stained and tattered. Light fixtures were rusted and encased in cobwebs.
In a fashion that became typical of me, I set about restoring this diamond in the rough. I would repeat the process with FiFi the canned ham trailer and Floyd the 1956 Chevy and various and sundry furnishings and collectibles and vintage clothing and hats and handbags and dogs and cats. There’s nothing I love more then breathing new life into something forsaken and forgotten.
Closing this chapter evoked many questions. Will I have the energy and resources to leave other things better than when and how I found them? Am I doing enough for the greatest treasure of all – Mother Earth? How may I become a better steward for the things I borrow but never truly own during this short life?
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So many fun trips to visit you and stay in the Flamingo Hotel room. I will miss the Abode, but look forward to driving/flying to meet you and Nellie somewhere. 🙂
While you posted the before photo, you didn’t mention the house color when you bought it and how happy the neighborhood was when you had it painted.
ha ha Yes, Mish, a funny story. The old man painted the house Dayglo green to put it on the market; before that it had been a rather benign tan color. The neighbors were aghast. When asked why, the curmudgeon mumbled, “Wife likes green,” which made no sense as they were selling. He even left me five gallons of the stuff in the garage.
When the sunlight hit the south side of the house, the rooms in my neighbor’s house which faced it glowed green! She was forced to put pink cellophane in the windows to counteract the effect.
I moved in in October and waited through the excruciating winter months to paint. In May 2003, as the workers painted the exterior, passing drivers honked their horns and gave enthusiastic thumbs up. The sound of every nearby property increasing in value could be heard throughout the neighborhood!
“Dog claw marks throughout the basement” makes me so sad. Those lines must translate to some awful neglect perpetrated by the original owners.
For me, the most important stewardship we assume in our lives extends to other living beings. I believe that having fewer tangible things to look after frees us to not only to experience a fuller life, but to provide care where it’s really needed. My hat’s off to you for embarking in this direction.
Thank you for your comment! When I was writing this blog I thought about relationships with people, but I do not feel that I am responsible in the same way for humans as I am for chattel. But I totally get your point! I hope you keep reading!
I just read about your absolutely fabulous house on Retro Renovation. Congratulations on such a quick sale! I hope the new owners maintain it with the same retropreciation that we all have. I just subscribed to your site and I will be following you on your journey with Nellie. You are truly living my dream. Many years ago, B.C. (before children), my best friend and I wanted to tour the country and stop in every diner and eat pie and document and interview our career waitresses. Enjoy every minute of your trip, I will have to travel vicariously through you for now!
Thanks so much for saying hello! Have you read “Blue Highways: A Journey Into America?” William Least Heat-Moon ate lots of pie across America in small town diners way off the interstate highways. You would love it!
Thanks Tammy! I just went to my free library site and put it on my list of things to read next! By the way, as a subscriber, I joined wordpress and I accidentally, but maybe on purpose, started a blog. It’s not much, but feel free to stop by. I’m still on a severe learning curve.
I well remember the “Abode” when you first purchased it! I will always remember driving to your house with the sarcophagus in my the back of my truck. The stares from other drivers was hilarious!