BOXES TO BLISS
Our first meal at the Butterfly House. Still waiting for our table to be delivered, so we took a seat at opposite ends of the island. A cloth hanging from the chandelier helps us avoid head trauma.
In our last blog, we wrote about some of the struggles that come with moving into a home that isn’t quite finished yet. Even when contractors and craftsmen were still working, we were able to enjoy our first home-cooked meal within the first few days. I kept the meal simple and familiar: Spaghetti, hot sausage, and tossed salad. Having a large kitchen is novel for me, since we have been living in small condo spaces for the past 3 to 4 years. I had a learning curve with new high-tech appliances. I forgot where I put some of our things already. Happy to have the storage space, but not so happy to play hide-and-seek with our stuff.
Fortunately, the house is starting to feel like a home again. Once the big crane left the driveway and the porta-potty and dumpster were taken away, we all breathed a sigh of relief. As contractors complete the final touches, they are excited to move on to other jobs. While we enjoy learning about our new home, the neighbors breathe a sigh of relief to have the cul-de-sac clear of traffic. We haven’t written in a long time because we were trying to savor every moment living here. I was also too scatterbrained to focus on writing.
The boxes are unpacked and the house is inhabited, loved, and cared for again. We have a new place to call home.
Where Renewal Meets Routine and New Friendly Faces
Some neighbors brought farm-fresh eggs, local treats, flowers, wine, or a bottle of thier favorite Revivalist Gin that they supported through the community investment club.
When we committed to living in Pennsylvania and restoring this old home, we didn’t understand how or why it would feel foreign to us during those first few weeks. We wanted to be settled for so long, and yet living here was uncomfortable at first. It’s not as if I didn’t live here my whole life (except for four years I was in the military). Danny moved here between the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010, so he is no stranger to this area either. But everything felt different. Not bad, just different. Slowly, we settled into a routine of waking, eating, exercising, bathing, and setting up our workspaces. The daily grind and routine helped us feel grounded. It was slow at first because contractors were still showing up daily to complete punch lists until this week. They became part of our routine in those early days as well.
Our next step was to reconnect with old friends, meet new neighbors, and explore the surrounding town and landscape. We wanted the unfamiliar to become familiar. Connecting with old friends felt different at first, too. While we were away having this whole other life in Florida, they were evolving and growing as well. Their kids and families were changing, and they were also going through the same dilemma: “Where do I want to be at this stage in my life?” Regardless of life moving on, we realized we have a supportive network of really amazing friends and people in our lives.
Flowers delivered by our realtor, who helped us purchase the home over 18 months ago.
We have been fortunate to move into a very active and friendly community. We knew that when we bought the house, and neighbors introduced themselves as we were walking the grounds and meeting with contractors. When we moved in at the end of August, neighbors welcomed us again and helped us acclimate to mail delivery, trash pick-up, neighborhood watch routines, and “best of” recommendations.
I’m happy to report that our neighbors couldn’t have been more welcoming or more positive about the changes we have made to the house. We have had a few opportunities to get to know them better, and we couldn’t be more grateful for them.
Home 2.0
Each day, we discover something we love about this new old house. It could be a view out of a certain window, appreciating an old recipe in a new oven, hearing the babbling creek and the chirping birds, seeing deer and foxes in our yard, or having friends, family, and neighbors visit who have lived through the changes with us.
Almost every view from our windows looks like art.
No matter how silly it may seem to other people, having the opportunity to see routine, mundane things in a new light makes me feel young again. I love that I can get excited over a view from a window or relish mastering a new way to cook in a steam oven. Even making my bed or organizing closets and drawers makes me feel like I have accomplished something. Learning and seeing the world differently never gets old to me. Having cozy spaces to live in and call our own is everything, especially when the world doesn’t always feel safe. Danny may not want to admit it, but he loves working in the yard again, feeding the fish, setting up his speakeasy, and figuring out the mechanics of the house. It’s all the little things.
Our favorite room, the snug. We have a lot of favorites, but this is our go to for relaxing.
Call us Lewis and Clark
Wherever we go, we always enjoy exploring cities, parks, museums, and any other sites that are must-see or unusual. Dan is known for taking his colleagues on long, meandering walks whenever they travel for work. If he lived during the early days of pioneering America, I know he would have been someone like Lewis or Clark setting out for the unknown to find water, establish trade, develop relationships, and document experiences. I’ve always told him I would follow him anywhere because when I do, it is always an adventure. I’m no Sacagawea, but I can hold my own on a walk in the woods.
Creak along the Saul Wildlife Sanctuary.
Every day we live here, we find something new that we love. There are so many great walking trails in our area, and we spend as much time outdoors as possible. Nature shows us something different on any given day. The colors are so vibrant, and there is always something blooming. We have seen deer, foxes, turtles, fish, and plenty of family pets, too. And that’s just near our house. We can sit on our deck and see and hear hundreds of birds, including bluejays and cardinals. It’s my favorite part of living here.
Besides neighbors and nature, we walk to the theatre to enjoy live shows and stroll through the streets of Media, trying new restaurants and visiting unique shops. We get to try new things, but we are also close to all the things we previously enjoyed around Philadelphia before we moved to Florida.
Night view. The landscape is a bit rough until we get new plantings in, but at least we managed a wreath, a few candles, and pumpkins outside the front door for fall.
The best part about living here is the visits, meals, parties, and memories to come. We are still making the inside of the house our own and taking our time to pick rugs, art, window treatments, and furniture that will fit the new old house we live in. Next week, we will have the overgrown and distressed landscape improved, and an outdoor space revised for more seating/dining in the garden. Most of all, we are excited to share this new home with all for the holidays and beyond.
The team from Dart Advantage, W.H. Laird Roofing, Mader Masonry, and Mimi Boston Johnson Interior Design, along with their families and special guest, Architect Fred Bissinger, celebrated with us this past weekend. Thankful for this team of craftsmen and their impeccable work on our historic home.