Then and Now

June 1995

We are just moving into our newly remodeled home. We stand in the middle of the open 600sq ft top floor and look out a wall of windows east to the Willamette River and beyond to Mt Hood.

The 1905, 1200 sq ft home now has new tile floors and counters, a fireplace that works, new plumbing and wiring, new walls, new windows, and a new exterior; it has a new life. My builder-creator-husband has taken the old home down to the studs and rebuilt it to today’s code, using some of the old wood so we can call it a remodel. It was worth living in an apartment for the last 9 months to wait for the birth of our new home.

We have moved Franklin the Fern, on his pedestal, into his 4 x 4 foot space in the northeast window. We look in wonder at the newspaper clippings and sewing patterns dated 1925 and 1933 that we uncovered in the lath and plaster walls when we were tearing them down. We chuckle at our cleverness for installing a drycleaner-style rotating clothes rack in our small master bedroom, to use an otherwise unusable space as a closet.

We buried our cat of 16 years, who died before our move, in the garden to be with us in spirit. We have been interviewed for “suitability” to adopt two kitties from a cat rescue shelter, and will be bringing them to their new home in the coming week.

Happy, wonderful times here.

January 2010

We are in our next- to- last home, 35 miles away from the city of Portland, in rural Oregon. My builder-creator-husband took 6 months, this time, to turn the house we bought into our home. We have been here almost 7 years, different from our previous 20 years of moving every 3 years. My husband’s profession as a builder kept us continuing to build something new and move

We look at horses, fields, and farmland now, instead of the river, but we can still see Mt Hood from the top floor.

We moved Franklin the Fern, now 33 years old, on his pedestal, to his current 6 x 6 ft space with window on either side of him. He is now 7 feet tall, and I have to stand on a step-stool to water him. Our kitties from the shelter are still with us, 15 and 16 years-old, and happy here.

Nomadic living kept my storage areas relatively clear. They are now becoming full.

Happy, wonderful times here.


Copyright Parrot-Writes 2010