my parents have sold their house.

i am thrilled for them.

i am not so thrilled about the four boxes of books i need to sort through, but i can manage that. no big deal.

charles was very tender when he heard the house was sold.

"oh tess," followed by a big hug.

one eyebrow went up quite high.

"what's up, charles?" i am not nearly as sentimental as my lovely husband is, and i sometimes need to get my queues from him as to how normal people are reacting to a situation.

"your house, your childhood.,.your HOUSE!"

oh right.

it's funny, our old house in edmonton, thinking about that house makes me sentimental. i loved living in edmonton, and ideally, we left there when i was just 10, right before hormones and all that sort of stuff kicked in.

but our old house in yellowknife,..right now i don't get sentimental realising it is no longer my parents'. i am relieved that they no longer have to shovel the driveway, water the lawns and walk up those icy steps. this is all good news.

i have been gone for so many years. i don't see it as my home, although i remember so many of its details so well.

i remember memories, events that happened in that house, and those make me smile a bit widely and blink very carefully, i remember reunions, parties, lessons learned, hours standing at the window waiting for people to appear over the crest of the road, i remember many things of that home.

i don't miss the house. i did love the home, though.

Comments

[Trace]

I happen to be in agreement. Very well stated!!

[Auntie Pammie]

I agree with your statements as I felt the same way when I heard they had sold. It was a burden for them and they deserve a maintenance free place.
I only remember being grounded in that house, so no love loss for me :-)
xo

[lyns]

don't you mean lawy rolling?? Don't Canadians do that?? Miss you, Lyns

[Dad aka GDad Blake]

I must admit I enjoyed 53 Con Road but the reality of house and grounds maintenance was losing its appeal over the years.
What all you children should know is that if any of you need behaviour modification the new owners will let me assign you wood moving duties at our old home should any of you step out of line.

Love to all....Dad

[Jill]

I'm sentimental about that house. My goodness - you and your parents were godsent during my tumultuous teens. But I wasn't very sentimental about 6 Phinney Court either....Not since dad nailed my bedroom window shut! Maybe I should have moved some firewood too!

XO

[Boulder]

You did wood moving for a punishment? Wow were my parents getting a great deal from thier kids!

I'm glad that your parents won't have to deal with the upkeep of a place, and I understand your feelings about (aboot?) the place. We moved twice while I was growing up, once when I was too young to really have an opinion, and the other when my opinion was solicited. "Move? YES!" At least I'm pretty sure that was the way I felt. It wasn't that I didn't like where we were living. It was that the new place sounded so amazing to a teenager!

I'm sure it will be interesting going through those boxes of books. But it is amazing how quickly you can decide to part with them - having done that a few times myself.

[Mo aka Maureen aka Grandmother aka Mum]

Lovely memoir, honey. Thanks for reminiscing - no regrets just expectation for the future and thanksgiving for the past.

Love you, darling-

M xox

[Mel]

Oh sweet Charles, he gets points for that. I love it when my friends have husbands who do special things like that and I don't have to kill them. (PMS now... husbands who make my friends cry better run!)