Rhododendrons~Gurgling brooks~Tree forts and Gardens~Good Memories

One question I always ask my buyers is to tell me about the home they grew up in and what they liked about it? The answer will vary greatly because of the buyer’s age. There is always a common thread that will give me an inkling to what they might like or not. It’s amazing what you can learn by listening.

We sell homes for a living so are privy to an intimate time in a family’s life when they are in the throes of making a very special decision. I like Paul S. Henderson, REALTOR®, Broker, Tacoma Washington contest because it allows us to focus on a unique place where we lived.

I grew up in upstate New York outside of Schenectady in Glenville, New York. My dad was from New Hampshire and graduated from Iowa State University where he met and married my mom who was from Kansas. My dad was hired by General Electric after he graduated from Iowa State University where he worked for 38 years. They bought a small house on 2 acres and raised three children, my older sister, myself and my younger brother.

My mom loved flowers and gardening so our driveway was lined with lilac trees, daffodils, hot pink and white peony bushes and gorgeous Rhododendron bushes with orchid like purple flowers (we use to pick the best ones to make a corsage for our teachers). Our garden was spectacular! Quite a bounty to feed our family: corn, peas, carrots, beans, tomatoes, squash, water melons, asparagus, lettuce, radishes, rhubarb, I’m sure I’m forgetting something!

There was a gurgling brook that surrounded our 2 acres almost giving us an island feel. We spent many hours building dams and playing with frogs in the clear streams as well as skimming stones over the water. I found a tree fallen over the water and immediately pretended it was a horse naming it Diablo! We made forts and begged to sleep out under the stars at night.

We enjoyed pear, apple and cherry trees to climb and reaped the harvest before climbing back down. Our forsythia bushes were always the first sign of spring with their bright yellow flowers followed by the yellow daffodils and brilliant colored violets and daises (my sister and I use to make bracelets, necklaces and bouquets to set on the kitchen table).

Our elementary school was right around the corner so we often hosted our class picnic because we had the room outside and it was a short walk. I lived there for 18 years, went off to college, graduated, married and never really came back often. Would I want to go back? No….it was another time….another way of life. Good memories but my mom and dad have long since passed away, my sister and family lives in CA and my brother and family live in Pittsburgh. We have many stories to share and do when we get together.