A Very Belated Happy November 1

Some people postpone their slacking until the end of NaBloPoMo, waiting until after they're completely sick of blogging once a day, until the thought of logging in and blathering on one more time is so repugnant they just can't bear to do it for a twenty-seventh day in a row. Me, I got my skipped day out of the way right up front! That's the earliest I've ever flaked out on a project like this before. I must be getting better at prioritizing.

And that's how I'm spinning that.

I went up to Weaving Works after work today and ended up spending about a third of my new raise on new yarn, because they're having a 20% off sale through Sunday. I bought a bunch of yarn for making various Christmas gifts, and a skein of Lamb's Pride Worsted so I can learn how to make myself a pair of mittens. That way not only my head and neck but also my hands will be snuggly warm in the morning when I wait for the bus.

As I walked home from the bus stop tonight, clutching my bag full of new yarn, I saw a contractor's truck parked in front of my neighbor's house. She and a man were standing out front amidst a stack of hoses and assorted toolboxes, and although it hasn't rained in a week her driveway was soaking wet.

"What happened?" I asked her, imagining broken lines or hoses or...something. (The details of plumbing disasters are still beyond my ken.)

She laughed and explained that he'd just finished powerwashing her house. Then she introduced me to the powerwasher, because he was the one who did all the fixing and remodeling on our house in the year and a half before we bought it. As it turns out, his mother was the original owner of the house! She had it built back in 1942 and it was in his family ever since. He said, "Every time I see her she asks if I've been by the house lately, and how it looks."

I asked him a couple of questions to satisfy my curiosity about the original configuration of the first floor (apparently what's now a 3 bedroom 2 bath house with a spacious laundry room used to have 4 bedrooms, 1 tiny bathroom, and no laundry room). I also told him about my frequent thought that the former owners must have had happy times in this house; it's never given me a creepy feeling or any unpleasantness. I guess that's a little more superstitious than the way I usually try to think--probably it's just that Mr. Thel and I have had such a lovely first year (ok, nine months) here.

It was a nice surprise to meet the man. I gave him a business card and told him that if his mother ever wants to come see the place, she can give me a call. I know how easy it is to get attached to a home that houses fond memories.