Pop and The Brown House

Actually, the house is called "The Ugly Brown House" but it seemed rude to call it such in the title - just in case the owners read this blog.

The Ugly Brown House in question is located in the backyard of my parents' home. Not quite on their property, you understand, but that property's side yard marches alongside the parental backyard, and each house enjoys a view of the other.

The UBH has good bones. It clearly was a lovely building at one time, but it ihas been the victim of unfortunate renovations. (Like certain celebrities we could think of.) It's been on the market for some time, standing on its lot all forlorn, very neglected. Over the years UBH has taken its place in our family lore as we conjecture about who once lived there, what it looks like inside, and the people we see go in and out of the place.

The village grapevine in its efficiency recently informed Oma that the house has been sold. What excitement this has stirred in the local community -- I was tickled by the news and I live three hours away! We hear that the New People are Dutch, which is already a reason to like them. I'm prepared to hear many wonderful things about them, and I hope they prove to be good neighbours.

I'm thinking about my dad - how much he would have enjoyed watching the procedings from the window, speculating about the newcomers, critiquing their lawn care habits, and the vehicles they drive. He would have been absolutely tickled by it all, and I'm very much missing being able to share this news with him. I'd so love to be able to pick up the phone to get the latest, to hear him say "So... guess what the new people have done now?"

He had a way of naming people. The guy across the street has been christened Mr. Sock; Wilbur lives down the road; Gumpy is a slightly cranky friend. Before he was a year old, Number One Nephew had picked up several nicknames (oddly, he's the only one who now goes by his full and proper name) and even random people we'd pass on the road would be named Crow or Hortense.

We'll keep you posted, Pop - this could be interesting.

And by the way... thanks for the gold medal in men's hockey.