Sometimes good things happen to good people.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 at 4:22PM Take me, for example.
I've experienced my share of difficult times. I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I worked two jobs to get through college. I spent twelve years teaching public high school. I've had loved ones die suddenly, been through trying family times, and borrowed trouble from tomorrow when today's troubles were more than enough. Just like many of you.
And I've also turned around and seen the writing on the wall, the writing that was never apparent when I needed it to be, but that time and experience illuminated. Most often, the writing looked like an outstretched finger, marking a direction that I didn't want to take but did anyway, not knowing it was going to someday be for the better.
Yesterday was one of those days. One of those days when you feel like the universe coalesced into something good, something good for a good person.
Yesterday a realtor quietly slipped me the keys to the house I've been dreaming about for fifteen years -- a bright, inviting old house with gobs of natural light, hardwood floors, a yard just begging to be gardened, and the type of quirky charm that you just can't find in houses built after a certain time.
Sometimes good people do get to move back to their hometowns, open a yarn studio and buy a house five minutes from Grandma.
The purpose of this post is really two-fold: 1) to tell you that sometimes good things happen to good people. If you're about to give up hope, don't. If you spend all your time thinking you can't catch a break, stop. If you're borrowing too much trouble from tomorrow, knock it off. Let tomorrow worry about tomorrow.
I also want to tell you thank you.
Without all of you reading this and supporting my little endeavor by buying yarn from me, none of this would've happened.
Is this getting too mushy?
Here, I'll distract you with some pictures.
This is my new kitchen in my new old house as of today:
I ain't no fool, I've got three kids. It will never look this clean again, I know.
I should frame this picture and hang it on the kitchen wall or something.
But starting tonight, this kitchen is going to change. I can't abide by the beige walls, I just cannot. Even though the cabinets are brand new, they're going to be changed, too. The wreath on the right? It's going bye bye.
Here's another view:
My kids call these the secret stairs. They go up to what had to be the maid's bedroom once upon a time. (I've informed my boy that he is going to have to be the new maid. You sleep in the room, you clean the house. Right? Of course right.) On the right is the back entry way, which has a lovely coat area, with lots of hooks for handknit scarves, hats, and mittens. Of which we will need plenty living here in the frozen north.
At the top of the secret stairs is something I need your help with.
What is that little window? It goes into the maid's bedroom. The window appears to be original to the house -- the glass is old and wavy. If the window were for light in the hallway, why not put one at the top of the stairs? (It's an exterior wall, after all!)
Here's a view of the weird little window from inside the maid's room:
Why is this window here? I'm dying to know. Any ideas? There's also a fireplace in my unfinished basement (original to the house), but that's a story for another day.
My house has an extra room off the dining room that was probably a parlor at one time, but that we're going to use as a library. I can't tell you how happy this makes me. I love libraries.
I'm going to put a daybed in front of the windows, paint the room a deeper shade, deck it out in books, and spiff up this old fireplace:
Coal burning, at one time. I think it needs a more substantial mantel, don't you? Someday.
I can't wait to pass a winter Sunday snuggled in my handmade knitwear, reading a book on the daybed in my library.
While my children scrub the kitchen floor and prepare a small assortment of baked goods for my teatime.
The thing I love about this house is that we can enjoy it today as it is, and we'll be able to enjoy it more each year as we fix it up, stamp our personal (colorful) touches on it, work magic in the garden, and watch our babies grow. As they are wont to do all too quickly. I am certain that my youngest child was born about a year ago, and she informs me that she's three. How is this possible? Tell me.
What have we learned today?
1. Don't give up hope -- sometimes good things happen to good people.
2. You need warm clothes in Minnesota.
3. Y'all are the best peoples in the worlds. All of them.
4. Old houses are quirky. I intend to get quirkier with age, how about you? (A friend's mother said to me yesterday: "Just wait until you get old, and then you'll get a really weird sense of color -- you'll be painting your bathroom bright purple!" I did not tell her that I already intended to paint my bathroom dark pansy purple.)
5. Yarnista's son is her maid.
6. I hate beige. I am missing the beige part of my brain.
7. Children of all ages grow too quickly, and try to lie to their parents about their ages.
I will be sure and update you with more house pictures and on how my kitchen progresses in the next week. Move-in day is seven days away!
P.S. Thank you again for everything.
Reader Comments (45)
My Nana told me that all of the original houses in her neighborhood that had maid's rooms had windows to the interior. That way, you could spy on the maid and make sure she wasn't doing any unauthorized slacking off, really was doing the mending, etc.
Knowing my somewhat patrician grandmother, this is exactly what she would use that window to do.
OH Sharon, I literally have tears in my eyes. Not only for the beautiful home and the things you said, but also because if there is a single soul that I know that deserves such happiness (and a library), it's you.
I really hope you intend to share more of your home with us as you update. I too intend to be an odd old woman and old houses are my biggest vice.
PS. Is there a guest room so I can come stay with you? I'll clean a little and even help you paint ;)
DAMN!!! If anyone deserves the house of their dreams, it's YOU!!! Congratulations on your diamond in the not too rough at all...
Gasp! That's exactly what I said, Sharon, remember? That maybe the window was a way for the employers to spy on the maid!
Love your house. XOXO
Ohh I love it! Congratulations!! The amount of light showering in from those windows is grand! I love the secret staircase. If I were little,that's what I'd call it too. Look at all the counter space in that kitchen!! Your vision of the library room,Mmmmmm sounds so inviting! I loved the part about your kids scrubbing away and cooking for you for teatime. If you pull this off,do spill the beans on your tactics! The little window,could it really be to spy? Was she allowed no privacy to even change her clothes? If I were the maid I'd hope the staircase squeaked! I'm very happy for you and your family! It looks like an adorable house. Very comfortable to live and grow up in! Older houses have such personality to them,I've always loved them. Again,I'm so,so happy for you!! Seven days and counting!
That house is amazing. Congratulations!
Good for you! It's good to be you. Good is with you. You are good! ;-) Congratulations and enjoy the process of personalizing your space. Its OH so much fun. Best wishes. I'm a new found lover of your stuff. You are always so positive, so I am glad positive found you!
Hurray for old MN houses. I grew up in one, and never knew what the little window into my bedroom could possibly be for. I doubt that anyone who ever lived there had a maid -- this was a farm house in central MN, and the window was in the wall between 2 of the 3 bedrooms. No glass in it, either...
I loved growing up there. May your kids have many happy years exploring the house before they grow too quickly.
Congrats, Sharon! I love the charm and interest of old houses and that one looks like it has been well taken care of. Enjoy the fixing up to make it your own, but also enjoy the fact that everything looks livable and no rush for the fixin up!
I have house envy! I've always wanted a fireplace and library of my own! You're going to have such fun with painting and fixing up. As for the odd little window...eh, who knows? Old houses are full of, um, "unique" little details like that. Like where I live now. Someone long ago decided that it would be dandy to have the door hinges nailed into the doorframes. This is not dandy, by the way. But it adds to the charm.
Congratulations :D It's a thrill to see a friend be blessed. That's a good lesson too~
Congratulations, Sharon!!!!!!!!!
That window could just be a way of getting borrowed light into the stairwell - there's obviously a window to the outside one side of it - could have been quite dark there otherwise when the maid was tripping up and down the stairs. On the kitchen cupboards, if they are new and you like the layout you might be able to find someone locally who can just spray the doors for you (using a 2-pack a/c spray, which is hard and durable and can be made to come in different levels of gloss. Nope, I don't know exactly what it stands for, even though I specify it, but I can find out if you want me to), which saves you the hassle of having a whole kitchen being removed and a new one put in. Plus you get to choose the colour.
Beautiful house, I wish I owned one like that in London.
Congratulations!!!!! And please do post lots of photos (especially of the colors you paint the walls)! I will live vicariously through you, from my sad, 70's era (the worst era ever for house building and/or renovation. sigh) ranch house in the south. I spent 10 years in an adorable (tiny - and I mean itty!) Sears bungalow in Mpls. I miss the charm, but at least I can spread out here. Or so I remind myself. Someday my dream house will come. Thanks for the inspiration/encouragement. And enjoy that beautiful house!!!!
It looks lovely - I hope you'll be very happy there, but don't spend too much time working on it. We need you at your studio, you know!
Haha, I am soooo going to install a little window like that in my NM adobe house here so I can spy on the kids :)
What the heck kind of mutant Minnesotan are you anyway? You hate beige? Great house. Congratulations. Sing a little Fairy Tales can come true, it can happen to you....
I have total and complete house envy. What a gorgeous place, and so wonderfully infused with light! I can only imagine what it'll look like once it is full of colour.
Congratulations!
Congratulations! I can't wait to see what incredible colors you splash on those walls. I'll be honest that the mention of changing already new cabinets makes me scratch my head though, unless your intent is to paint them or put hardware on them to spiff them up.
The library sounds divine, and the secret stairs? I'm adding them to the dream house in my head, so awesome are they. You deserve such a beautiful house to turn into a more beautiful home. Good people indeed.
I'm with you... beige, ewwww. There is not a single wall in my house that is beige or white. Color is the way to go. Just let us know when you need help with a palate. We will be here for you, as always 8)