White Picket Fence

I have always had the picture perfect house in my mind. A perfectly manicured lawn decorated with flower gardens and large oak trees would break only for the cobblestone walkway. This would all be foreground to a Victorian house with black shutters and gingerbread trim. A porch that wrapped from one side to the other would hold rocking chairs and a porch swing. There would be several windows of various sizes to let the morning sun and evening stars shine through. Fireplaces would grace the living room and the master bedroom, giving a cozy feeling on cold winters night. We saved our money and when my husband and I moved to Sullivan County, we truly believed we could find and afford this home.

After living in the area for a few months, we began to search the area for our house. They were either too small or too expensive. We just about gave up when someone had told us about a house that was in our price range.

The following morning we went over to see the house. I shifted in my seat with anticipation. It was a county road and there were not any houses in site. Then we saw it. "That must be it," I remember my husband saying.

I climbed out of the car and my chin fell open. Blades of grass came above my knees and the lawn was decorated with scattered garbage, an axle and a snow plow. I gazed in amazement as we walked around the outside of the house. The roof was in great shape, having been redone a few months prior. White paint chips lay in the grass like newly fallen snow. There were blue shutters framing cracked windows and the screens blew in the wind. We had been told that no one had lived here for over a year, so I was dubious as what to expect.

As we entered through the squeaky, blue door, the smell of mildew and dead rodents permeated the air. Every step was taken with caution as the floor boards creaked beneath my feet. There were mattresses on the floors and wood paneling was hanging off the wall. A stain soaked rug covered another floor and dressers with huge gashes and stickers saying "Jesus Loves You" stood like soldiers in a row. The grease was so thick on the stove you couldn't make out the color. The previous tenants toiletries were still in place in the bathroom. The tub had never seen a cleaning product and the shower stall was turned into a closet.

Then it happened. My husband turned to me and said, "Isn't this great, it has so much potential." I was in shock. After thinking about it for a long time, the only positive points I could come up with were: it was the color of my dream house and it did have many windows of various sizes. After numerous discussions and a substantial price drop, I gave in.

I never pictured myself ripping down walls and tearing out plumbing, but that's what I did. Finally, we were ready to put this puzzle back together. We decided to move in long before it was completed. We were very proud and couldn't understand the funny looks we received when friends and family came to see our home. It had everything. The kitchen had a two burner hotplate, toaster and refrigerator. We had custom made cabinets made out of cardboard boxes. Our heat that winter was a kerosene heater dragged room to room. We kept in shape by filling a bucket with water to flush the toilet.

It may not have been the home we wished for, but it was home sweet home.