• endearingly quaint and homey
  • built by my grandfather
  • much loved by all who set foot inside
  • brimming with the ghosts of what transpired within its walls
  • understated white
  • practical black shutters
  • cozy and comfortably familiar
  • clear crystal doorknobs
  • creaky white doors; dried evidence of dribbling paint
  • screen door with steps up to the kitchen
  • Mom's childhood bedroom
    • the tiny closet with the pull-string light and vintage high heels
    • the dresser with the stuffed koala clinging to the mirror
    • the peeling linoleum with geometric brown, pink, and green (floral?) design
  • tiny bathroom
    • stained glass swan panel my mother crafted hanging in the window, catching sunlight
    • white sink
  • back room
    • the pullout sofa Gram and I slept on
    • distant train horns at night and cars on a seemingly far-off highway
  • living room
    • the white porcelain cat under the piano (once again, made by my mother)
    • the old television with the pull-knob to turn it on and off (channel changed by turning it)
    • the windows looking picturesquely out on Apple Street
    • the clock with the plate face and flowery detail
    • the coffee table adorned with elaborate floral designs
    • the tiny Christmas tree that sat charmingly on the table
    • the old sofa with floral print and buttons
  • kitchen and dining room
    • the clear glass-topped dining table
    • the window in the dining room looking out onto the street
    • the old dial phone
    • the fridge
    • the dated brown carpet
  • outside
    • the tiny cement front step
    • the "firework flower" trees (mimosas)
    • the tall grasses in the miniature field out back
  • the level patio
    • the green carpeting
    • the cracked cement
  • the stone wall along the driveway
    • the miniscule red mites
    • Mom warning me to stay away from the street, since cars flew down the hill
  • the cold, dark, damp basement that frightened me
    • the shower with the Mickey Mouse curtain
  • I wish I could recall more...
jan 13 2011 ∞
jun 19 2015 +