Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Trust the Tree

Imagine the scene ... it was June 2002, and my husband and I were at the end of our third trip to this house with our realtor.  In addition to the purchase price, we did what we could to mentally tally up a list of the renovations that we thought the place would need ... roof, paint removal, plaster repair, floor refinishing, masonry, HVAC, electrical, kitchen, bathrooms, the list goes on ... I think both of us were overwhelmed at the prospect.  

As we stood on the deck that day and talked about it, knowing that we had to make a decision, I kept looking at the huge tree in the yard ... imagining what that tree had seen in its life, how it sheltered the house with its dominating presence, and picturing how (or if) I would be a part of its next chapter.

View from the deck today at about mid-morning.


How could we be sure that this would be our forever home?  The tree whispered to me, I swear it did, and I knew that this was home.  

Thirteen years ago, during the first week of January 2003, three months after settlement, I put the first hammer and pry bar to this place.  I like to think that the tree had no way to know about all the additional things we would find that the house needed ... how our two-year plan to renovate and move in would stretch to five years, with a nonstop parade of projects continuing since then.  If it did know, it wasn't letting on.

It is, after all, just a tree.

23 comments:

  1. Such a wise tree. Good thing you listened.

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    1. Wise trees like this one have a tendency to get their way. :)

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  2. Oh I love old and towering trees, they have such a feeling of wisdom, and you could trust your tree, I see. Remember in Lord of the Rings where the trees walk, to help battle evil. I like to think they would.

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    1. Am I the only person on the planet who hasn't read or seen Lord of the Rings? I attempted to get through The Hobbit, and I just couldn't get into it ... skipped Lord of the Rings entirely. Same thing with Harry Potter. Makes for a big void in my popular literature knowledge, but I'm okay with it.

      I would like trees that battle evil!

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  3. It really is a beautiful tree, and I do believe trees speak to us in their own way. I'm sure it's happy to reside next to people who appreciate its beauty. I understand the renovation process all too well, too, and stretching three years into five is not bad progress at all!

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    1. It helps to know that there are others out there who understand that renovations rarely go as expected. My least favorite comment comes from folks who don't understand ... "When you are finished, this will be so " Finished? Finished is our version of the F-word.

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  4. Beautiful tree and property. I think sometimes we just know when a place is right for us, renovations and all!

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    1. I think that's true. I know that this house felt like home from the moment I stepped inside. It still does.

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  5. Oh some of my best friends are trees! Haha. I'm sure the tree has loved watching its property come back to life!

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    1. The tree has a much better view than it did in 2002 ... and a front-row seat for everything that goes on.

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  6. Great post Connie....we know how if feels to be the stewart of an old home....without us what would have happened to them? Hugs to all!

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    1. I think about that sometimes. The seller was really worried that the house would be bought by someone who wouldn't do right by it. It takes a special kind of crazy to dive into an old house renovation like ours. I am grateful to be THAT kind of crazy person.

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  7. And a beautiful tree it is! Trees and walls... if only they could talk!

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    1. They do talk, in a way, if we take the time to listen. I find things all the time, left behind by folks who came before us ... found a shard of pottery and a shotgun shell buried in the garden while I was digging and planting on Sunday.

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  8. Your tree has a kindred spirit who whispers to me everyday from the front of my house. Conk ingredient old gas they are!

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    1. Yes, you do! Imagine where we would be if we hadn't silenced the logical part of our brains, and listen to the whispers around us.

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    1. I can't adequately explain how enormous the spread of this tree is. It is a huge, noble presence that can only be fully appreciated from a distance ... or from inside the house. I have said, many times, that I will have to sell the house and move if anything ever happens to this tree. Not sure if this is true, and I certainly don't want to EVER find out.

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  10. Replies
    1. I'm glad, too! I knew that this was home from the first minute that we were here with our realtor. I still feel that way.

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  11. Great tree- great house!
    I would have picked it too!
    But- maybe the House picked YOU!
    Catherine

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  12. Wow,
    Fabulous old tree.
    Breathtaking property.
    Obviously worth all the hard work!

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  13. I'm with you, Connie - I always assume the good intentions of trees.
    Amalia
    xo

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