MY TREASURE HOUSE

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”    --    Matthew 6:21

This quote from the Bible perfectly describes my relationship with my home. It’s my women’s lair, my plywood palace! Whenever I step thru the door it still takes my breath away! I feel my own presence surrounding and welcoming me.

Certainly, life within these walls has been far from ideal. Right from the beginning (after moving here in 1999) times were horrid and trying! My father suffered grievous and prolonged health issues. He became constantly more unreasonable and demanding, not to mention his ever increasing verbal abuse!  Then came his death and the maddening, wrenching aftermath.

Oh, and I can’t forget the 4 hurricanes, 3 of which I endured alone. The storms were nightmarish enough, but the aftermaths were horrendous and frustrating. I won’t go into all the problems I’ve had with repairs then and over the years, not today anyway!

But otherwise, life has been paradise here.

My house is not perfect. It needs repairs and its fixtures are antiquated just like its owner. That’s why we’re perfect for each other. Plus there are moments precious only to me. Such as watching the street-light over my back yard go out as I’m washing the breakfast dishes. It always makes me smile, my day has officially begun! And my day belongs to me now and no one else!

If I ever became so poor or ill as to be rendered homebound, I can’t imagine a better place than right here!

I delight in my 30 ft cathedral ceiling, big stone fireplace, and spacious loft! I love the nature views from both my kitchen and the formal dining room under the chandelier. Greenery screens out the neighborhood behind my house and I’ve added to it over the years.

Also, I revel in those Fridays when the mailman arrives before noon. I tell myself,” Let the weekend begin!” I slip into my comfortable robe and start watching movies from my DVR library. In the past, Fridays always meant pizza & ice cream, too! And Saturdays were pasta & pastry, but sadly this part is mostly over now and is missed!

My neighborhood is an old fashioned 1950’s style. Each home is different with character. There are lots of trees & flowers here, too. I enjoy the big picture window in my bedroom that overlooks the bend in the road. It’s a particularly lovely view. From a certain angle, it appears from an older era. I can easily imagine a horse & buggy or a 1920’s jalopy turning that bend.

At night, my neighbor’s yard light shines right in at the perfect angle. My bedroom is dark enough to sleep, but light enough to see; in other words, just right.

My spare bedrooms are filled with what others refer to as “clutter”, to me they are treasures! All things I never want to part with, they give me joy!

Selling this place will be heart-wrenching. I love this house! And I’ve customized it for my comfort. I never truly possessed a comfort zone until I ended up alone here!

Recently, I saw a poster on Facebook that read: “Leave your comfort zone before you are evicted!” I wanted to scream, “THEY’LL HAVE TO PRY MY COLD DEAD DERRIERE FROM MY RECLINER!

Another read: “Nothing great was ever accomplished from a comfort zone!” – I disagree! I believe when you‘re happy, more and better things happen in your life. Of course there are exceptions, but I’ve found that living in misery creates evil thoughts and worse deeds.

Constantly I’m told to sell and rent a smaller place with less maintenance right here in Vero Beach. What I can’t get across to anyone is that my home is a big factor why I love it here! This truly is my dream house. If I sold, I would always be thinking of it and resenting the new inhabitants of MY home!

If it comes to that, I’d rather start over again in another country!  There, I would be too busy acclimating to a new culture and lifestyle to think about what’s happening in Vero Beach.   

However, my friends Marie, Irene, & Rose all live so close I could walk to their homes. Sue lives father, but not that much. Eventually, I’d make new friends in another country, but it wouldn’t be them! Plus I’m very discerning; I don’t want just anybody for a friend!

From a practical standpoint, expatriating is best. It would certainly be more economical. And I haven’t completely ruled it out! I’ve got health issues now and the United States is NOT a senior friendly country!

I feel the universe wants me to go, but it’s NOT what I want! If I have to leave this house forever, I will get down on my knees and kiss the floor. And I will grieve the loss of this place and Vero Beach for the rest of my life!