The House That Built Me



I got the idea of this post from my favorite blog (I know, you know that already)...over at owlhaven. It struck me in the heart in the right way. Though I live in Florida now, my home and my heart will always be in New York. Yeah, you have heard it before...once a New Yorker, always a New Yorker. I feel like I am out of my element. Like something is missing from me. I push that aside though, and know that God knows where I should be.

This picture is of the house that I grew up in...in Poughkeepsie, New York. North of the city and all the way east in the state of New York. President Roosevelt is from this part of New York...the good, old Hudson Valley. I took this picture two years ago when I was in New York. It was the second time I had seen MY house in over twenty years. First time...with just Matt and the second time I got to bring my kids. They sat on the porch that I had sat on a million times. They saw the second story window of my parents' room where my dog had slid out of one icy morning. They saw the beautiful oak tree that I used to gaze at from my second story room...with my pretty strawberry shortcake sheets and spread that my mom had made me (they were way to expensive to buy, so she sewed them herself she told me years later)...in my canopy bed that every girl dreams of.

My kids ran in the backyard...down the hill that I had sledded down a hundred times...we saw the actual rose bushes that my mom planted in 1980...still thriving and so mature. The owners told me that they still get strawberries on that hill...from the same plants my mom planted...we used to steal them as we would pass by.

A few things have changed...the garage has been rebuilt...gone are the memories of my friends and I making a Pinkies club, from Grease the movie. The old coal stove is gone. Gosh, I remember the truck pouring in the coal through the little window of the basement and my mom and dad putting it in the stove to keep the house warm all winter. The horse field across the street is gone, and now stands a pretty house. I can feel the wind against my skin as I learned to ice skate on the field that would freeze every winter.

I have googled my house, so I can see it from above every once and awhile. So many memories...good and bad. But this place will be my first home that I remember. The life there has influenced me so much...I was just so glad to touch it again...to experience being that little girl one more time.

Comments

Matthew said…
I love this post, but it makes me want to move! Sweet memories.
May 10, 2011 at 10:02 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pulling Myself Out of the Deepest, Darkest Depression...My Story

Image
     This post has been churning in me for months and knew that I wanted to write it and post it one day. I have been very open and honest about where I have been at the last few years, so some of what I write today may not be a surprise to anyone. Either way, I hope it brings help and healing and promise to some of you.      Two years and ten months ago my husband and I had just got into bed. It wasn't very late...maybe around 10pm. Life had been busy...he had just flown in that morning. He was long distance commuting between Florida and North Carolina with his job. I had picked him up that morning in the Greenville, South Carolina airport and then we headed to a swim meet in the same town for our daughter, Esther. We were there most of the day...stopping at some stores before we headed back to our home in North Carolina. I hadn't talked to my mom in a few days, which was rare. I was super busy and she hadn't called me either. I called her, and she didn't answer.
Read more

2020...What does that look like to you? I am ready to BLOOM!

Image
As I sit here at my desk, we have already gone through the first few days of 2020. I keep shaking my head when I think that we are already 20 years into this century. Doesn't it feel like moments ago we were talking about Y2K? So much has happened since then. Matthew and I were talking just this morning that I will turn 45 this year, and how half of my 40s will be over and how fast they have gone. And how difficult they have been. But I have hope. I never lose hope. I got that from my mom. I am expecting a great year. Not because I think I won't have trials this year, it's because I am stronger than ever before. So, a few days ago I was listening to something. I can't even remember what it was. But I heard the word BLOOM. And I instantly knew God was saying that this is my word for the year. I don't always take a word for the year, but I knew God was speaking to me. He told me that this is my year to BLOOM. The old is put away and the new is coming. I am walking i
Read more

Warning: Do you think your child may be Dyslexic?

Image
Three years ago today our world changed so much here at the Reynolds Nation. On that day we found out officially by the psychologist that Judah was dyslexic. I had been concerned for about 9 months that he was...I had heard on Good Morning one day what are some of the signs of dyslexia. Though I always watched my kids for dyslexia, Judah just didn't have the classic signs... like the turning of the letters B, D and P.  Everyone always looks for that, but Judah didn't do that. But he was behind in his reading. And wasn't progressing in a rate that was okay. So, we had him tested. And it was confirmed. And on that day I started an intense search to find what help we could find for Judah. Several people pointed us to the Barton Reading and Spelling program...and that's the avenue we took. I took the training program and I tutored Judah...he went from a reading level of a kindergartner/first grader to a sixth grader when we were finished with the program. And then I s
Read more