Chapter 2, In Which Vicki Revisits Childhood Dreams

We are currently on our way to Ellicott City to view a town house. I have no doubt it will be just as lovely as the last two end units we have seen. If it is I would/will eagerly move into it in a heart beat. The last two have been large, airy, and wonderful. We would have space for a classroom. We would have a master bathroom again. We would have space to play music, and space just to breath. We would also be near to friends, and on the right side of town for music. I would love to live here!

That said, my little girl (not Beth, me) thinks longingly of the large red brick home in Brookville. It is a two story colonial, probably built in the very early 1800s.



(Brookville was the capital of the United States for one day when Abigail Adams fled the White House with its historical documents and a few famous paintings in tow when the British came to burn it down.)

I have never been inside, but the house looks to be a bit run down, especially the newer addition on the back, and the grounds, but it calls to me in a way few gleamingly new homes can. It has heaps and loads of character and history. Since my earliest childhood dreams I have longed to move into a run down old home, and restore it to its former glory.

This one certainly fits the bill. I love the moldings around the door, windows, and eaves. It even has a huge rhodadendren in the front yard. When I see its broken shutters it is all I can do to keep from walking up to the front door and asking if they would mind if I repaired them. I mean, these are real wooden shutters on hinges, you just don't see those kind any more. I can see the possibilities every where I look. I assume we would need to replace bathroom/s and the kitchen, not to mention the floors, pipes, wiring, roofing, and a host of other jobs. And of course, with this particular house you would most likely have to also add to that the fact that it is probably on the historical register, and therefore, what you could do to it would be strictly limited. I find myself longing for the knowledge and skill required to pull off these sorts of tasks. I have no illusions as to how much work it would take, but I still hope that someday perhaps I will be given the opportunity to try.

In the mean time we are nearly to our destination. A lovely three story town house, in good condition, and in a nice modern neighborhood. It will most likely be delightfully move-in-able, and (please don't get me wrong with all this daydream talk), it would be a great joy to do just that! :)