Spring is really here. The Alpine Currant bushes outside the scrap room are beginning to leaf out. They are the most wonderful bright green. Must remember to try to capture that later with a camera.
We have touched up the paint on the house and garage and last Friday I cleaned out the garage. I don't talk about it much, but my garage is possibly the biggest embarrassment of my life.
I grew up with Dave, my dad, the King of all things garage. He has a Garage Mahal. I kid you not. It's insulated and drywalled and painted white. It has hanging fluorescent light fixtures and kitschy car-guy art. It has pegboard and shelves and everything is in its place. Everything.
And then I married Rob. Who is a great guy; thoughtful and caring, generous to a fault, helpful and kind, smart and funny. But his garage is a mess. It's a disgrace. It is an embarrassment.
So last Friday I decided our single car garage, which has never held a car in the 13 years we have owned this house, was getting a major clean out. I rented a small storage unit next to the big one that is housing our furniture and extra stuff. I moved Rubbermaid tubs and flower pots. I shelved grass seed and gardening gloves. I used the shop vac to pick up the mounds of sawdust from the table saw in the middle of the space.
Rob and his brother loaded up the table saw and the Karmann Ghia engine and brought them to storage. I loaded the van and Rob made a trip to storage while I was at a meeting. And later, he and I worked together to roll the engine-less Ghia into its spot. In the garage.
It was awesome.
The house is in a perpetual state of readiness. The feedback we're getting is great. "Love the house, great house, very nice house ..." and then it trails off. "But you only have a one-car garage." People, I KNOW this. It's not news to me. I live in a 1950s neighborhood. People only HAD one car then. My driveway is long. Three vehicles can park in it. THREE. But I can't do anything about the garage.
The ONE is out there. That one person who will walk in here and feel at home. Who, even if they don't LOVE the frise carpet in the hallway, can live with it for a few years. Who will adore the back yard as much as I do. Who will fit perfectly in this space.
I am so very eager for that person to arrive.
Mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend. Scrapbooker, family historian, reader, cook, photographer. Volunteer. Political junkie. Springsteen fan. Loves deeply, strives daily to be a cheerful, kind and generous person. Fails regularly. Snarky, judgy and more than a little blunt. Some people don't appreciate my style. If you're one of them, that's ok. Get your own blog.
You will find the one. They are out there.
ReplyDeleteMy grandparents lived on 12th Ave for many years until 1992 when my grandmother joined my grandfather. They had a one car garage that Grandpa had extended off the back about one half-car length. It still only held one car (all they had of course) but it had room for the snowblower and lawn mower in the back. Anyway, there is someone out there that will see the potential.
Been thinking about you. {{hug}}
Don't feel bad, in my 33 years of life, I've never lived in a house where a car fit in the garage. Not my parents, not my grandparents. I don't think you could have even fit a bike in any of those garages. My grandma's, you are lucky if you can find a path to walk in!
ReplyDeleteSingle parents only have one car. We rock for lots of reasons!!
ReplyDeleteI am a new blogger and just learning my way around.Afraid if I tell my age, no one will comment. But maybe you can figure it out when I tell you my husband I were VW dealers and sold the first Ghia in our Southern Indiana territory. what are you planning to do with the Ghia shell you have - find a new engine or put it on a pedestal for display in your front year? I'm interested in you being the family historian. My daughter is that one - traced us back to Mayflower and I added her work along with the stories of the people to Family Tree 6. Just printed it out and it came to 502 pages including 200 pages of notes. We also have made many treks to the family areas of Cape Cod and Germany. I'm starting to put those trips on my Blog.
ReplyDeleteNatalie - Hawaii (a long way from my birthplace of New England)