A house that once was, but now isn't a home.

There is a kids book with that title--The House that Once Was. It is a lyrical and sweet book. Check it out on my book blog today if you want to know all my thoughts and feelings on it. 

Anyway, that phrase has been going through my mind a lot lately as we were in the middle of moving out of and selling our little house. 

As ridiculous as this is, I can't find a picture of the front of our little house. So I am putting up one our real estate agent took. 

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I think part of the reason I loved this house so is that it reminded me of that book, The Little House that was my absolute favorite when I was a kid

Okay, okay, it might not be an exact replica, but it sort of looks like it. And this book anthropomorphizes houses. This little house is happy, curious, lonely, overwhelmed, sad, and then relieved by turns. 

Houses have feelings!

And I have feelings about houses. 

I didn't find pictures of the front of the house, but I found a lot of pictures of the inside that Gilbert took when he occasionally steals my camera. 

These aren't stellar pictures, but they are pictures of our house, full of life. And Gilbert's fingers.

We had a lot of fun in this house. I mean, there was plenty of not so fun times, but overall, life was pretty grand. 

There were a lot of sunrises and sunsets

And even a lunar eclipse this spring!

After reading books that gave houses generous doses of feelings, I had severe pangs about selling this house that had been so faithful and sheltering to us for all those years. How could we just walk out and leave it? It would miss us and all our noise and confusion! It was cruelty! 

Moving out was done very quickly and efficiently. We had a large team of super awesome people who got the job done lickety-split. I didn't manage to take many pictures because things were a little busy, but here is a picture of them moving the piano. And people who are willing to help you move a piano are people you should work hard at keeping in your life because that kind of person is somewhat rare in this world. To be fair, I probably know several other people who would have helped if they were around. But here is Dale, Dan, and Owen helping Justin get the piano out the front door. 

After all the fuss and bother of sorting, packing, moving, and settling in, the reality of leaving our dear little house became a little more real. I didn't want to acknowledge this reality, so I pretended it wasn't happening. Our closing was delayed several times due to clerical errors, so I didn't have to really face it too much. Then came the day of the buyer's final walk through. And while the sentimental me didn't want to sell it, the practical me, who is fully aware of the fact that we have a new foundation to build on and building upon it requires money, wanted the final walk through to go well. So I went over to check on the house and tidy up the flower beds for fall for the last time ever. I cried a lot the night before. Okay, I full on sobbed. I felt like I was losing a friend who saw me at my worst and maybe my best and still was stoically just there for me. But then, after saying tragic goodbyes to all the plants I planted, loved and tended for almost a decade, (Wah!!) I went inside. 

And there it was. And it was still a dear little house. But it wasn't ours anymore. it was a house that once was, but now isn't a home. 

I will still be sentimental about this house. The first house we ever owned and the house that saw so many milestones and life events. But I have a level of detachment about it. Because once you take out the things and the people, it stops being the same dear friend and just becomes cabinets, floors, and windows, and walls. 

(Side note--Do you ever think about the useless knowledge we accumulate in life? Just looking at this picture, I remember the feel of opening the different cabinets and where things go and just the right angle for the perfect temperature of water for washing dishes. I will never need to know those things again. But my brain will likely hold on to them for a good while. Maybe forever. The things we carry with us.) 

So goodbye sweet little yellow house. You loved us well. 

Palmer

Another Alaska post!  

We went to Palmer to meet some friends for the Friday fair and went to the Palmer visitor center. Which has a lovely garden.

LOVE THIS FLOWER. Not sure what it is. 

We had sunshine today for the first time in weeks (seemingly) and looking at these pictures of flowers makes me long for brightness. 

Inside the visitor's center is a display of various things. 

I forget what these gloves and slippers signify. I feel like they were a gift to Alaska from someone. But I could be wrong. 

Miners

There was also a display about the Palmer Colony. During the Great Depression, Roosevelt encouraged people from Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota who were out of work and on relief to volunteer to go settle Alaska. 

The New Deal paid the families' fare to Alaska via trains to Seattle and then a ship from there. 

Before the colonists arrived, Palmer was not really a town, just had a few sparsely spaced old-timers. 

Teaching school when they first got to Alaska. 

Hilltop Homemaker's Club

They had vintage clothes for dressing up

Orianna in a fancy hat. 

The Butte 4-H Club. 

The Lila Peterson in the front is a good friend of ours. She still lives in the Butte, going strong at.... 94 I think it is. 

We went to Lila's and her son Dave's for supper the Sunday before we left. We used to go to meeting at her and her husband's house. They have a really special testimony. Lila professed from the time she was young, but her husband, Fritz did not. When they got older, Lila's eyesight went. Since reading the bible was important to Lila and Fritz loved her, he read to her every morning and evening. Eventually Fritz started coming to meetings and professed. And then Lila's sight came back. Fritz passed away a few years back, but such a special couple with an open home. 

Cute little 1930's homemakers

The Palmer Colony is pretty interesting. There is a kids book about it.  

Pretty good book! 

I read it out loud to the kids while we were in Alaska, so we asked Lila about it. Her mind is still sharp as a tack, so she told the kids about it, about turning 9 the day the train pulled into Seward after the boat trip. 

Feed sacks

Elsie and Gilbert loved the Balto statue

Looking toward the Butte

The  historic train track in Palmer that clearly isn't used any longer.  This is where the colonists would have arrived when they got to Alaska. 

Driving to our friends house from Palmer, up toward Hatcher's Pass

The kids and Isabel

The girls had such a nice time with Isabel. 

A fuzzy picture, but love this one of Isabel!

Driving back into Anchorage from the Valley this summer, we frequently saw a plane flying this Geico ad. We were all interested since we don't see airplane advertising very frequently. I was intrigued about how this was at all cost effective. Lindsey said it was probably a beginning pilot who is willing to do it practically free just so they can accumulate hours toward getting their commercial licence. 

Downtown Anchorage on Friday Night

Another random post that never got done this summer! 

The first Friday of every month, Anchorage has a art night with galleries staying open late and with all the extra people around, most of the other stores stay open too. So Lindsey took us on a tour of the art galleries. 

I was told (after I took a lot of pictures) that I wasn't supposed to take pictures. 

So. Don't try to sell these people. And if you want the real picture, contact a gallery in Anchorage. 

Loved these quirky animals

This artist had down syndrome, which was pretty neat! I love seeing people with Down's Syndrome doing great things. 

Loved this artist! 

There are a lot of artists in Anchorage actually. 

A totem pole

Hanging with the bears

A pretty window

I so want all of these. They are so cute and fluffy!! And they are all doing different things, sewing, gathering berries. 

I was amazingly tempted by these pictures. However, I resisted.

The weather was so beautiful, everyone was out and about. Pretty crowded!

There was live music in most of the galleries. 

This bear just kills me. It is the most surprised looking bear I have ever seen. But the kids liked it. 

Flowers in Anchorage are just so lovely. 

The visitor's center with the grass roof. 

Large fiberglass animals dot the city, painted by various artists. 

Such a gorgeous evening!!

Gnomies! 

A lovely green teapot with a clover covered counterpart. The clover teapot would have been a great gift for Clover, but it wasn't as vibrant or green as I thought it should be, so I didn't bother. 

Nasturtiums! I have never seen nasturtiums grow as lushly as they do in Alaska. 

This is the sun. Anchorage has a scaled down solar system. Pluto is 13 miles away. 

Gilbert was very enthusiastic about the musicians! 

The inlet

After walking around town, Lindsey took us down to see the planes flying over..... now I forget what Point it was. However, the airport had to repair a runway, so the planes were diverted to a different runway and weren't flying right overhead. But we had a lovely time anyway! 

Orianna my little Alaskan girl. She was born here and wants to move back. 

Me and these kids I love

My little geologist. She immediately had to start looking through the rocks and dirt to see if there was anything unusual lurking around. 

My little creator. He was convinced he needed to take this tire because he wanted to make Aunt Loy a four wheeler. Since it has been sitting on the beach for a few decades, we convinced him it wasn't a great idea. 

This was a whole vehicle chassis. I am not sure of the back story here. But since it is Alaska, that might be just as well. Alaska is weird and wacky in a mostly good way. 

On our 2 mile ride home, this moose wandered past our van. Which was terrific! 

This was about all I really bought. But it was exciting enough! SUCH good tea. And an adorable little tea ball. Though, to be honest, I must prefer Justin's tea infuser to this one. His is basic and uncomplicated. This one is a little finicky and occasionally leaks. 

And just so you know, this is Justin's tea infuser that I love. Because everyone needs good tea infusers (or strainers) in their life. This one is just so straightforward and easy.