Monday, July 21, 2008

Want Ad

Wanted: A happy family to buy my childhood home. Must have lots of kids to run around in the backyard (and occasionally do some yard work). Must be willing to eat breakfast and dinner on the deck from May through October. Must promise to hold wedding receptions, birthday parties, neighborhood breakfasts, and other such events on a regular basis. Must love old houses with all of their charms and their beautiful woodwork. Must promise to never put in vinyl windows that would compromise the beauty of the original craftsmanship. Must adore Coastal Redwoods, ocean breezes, and detached garages.

It is an added plus if you love to sing together, want to lay on the grass at night to watch the planes fly overhead, and don't mind an occasional siren (as the police station is only a couple of blocks away). I hope you'll love all the trees, including the original Whittier Haas avocado trees, the persimmon tree (we can give you recipes for that one), and the space for a vegetable garden. You'll be pleased to know that there is plenty of room for food storage, camping storage, and storing your kids' stuff when they are too grown up to live at home but not grown up enough to have a place to store their own things.

I hope you'll build a tree house where ours once was and hang a hammock under another tree-- a place for a bookworm to escape and while away an afternoon with a great classic. There are plenty of places to play Star Wars, Davy Crockett, and GI Joe (if you're into that). The basketball court will help your kid develop their athletic ability--or not.

Be sure to take walks and bike rides to the nearby library, to the Whittier College campus, to Michigan Park. In the spring, the jacarandas bloom everywhere and then snow purple all over the streets. It's positively dream-like. Your out-of-state relatives will all want to visit since you'll be within minutes of Disneyland, and a short distance from Los Angeles, the Pacific Ocean, and Irvine. You'll be glad for the guest apartment over the garage (unless you decide to rent that out to a college student.)

This home has been in our family for over 30 years now and we will be sad to see it go. You can probably buy it even if you don't meet the above qualifications, but it will be easier for us to hand over the keys if you do. Then we will know that we are providing a place for another family to build 30 years of memories together--and it is the perfect spot for that.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a wonderful Place to grow up.... I'm sure you will miss it but the memories will last forever...
Mandy

Macy said...

What great memories of your home. I have great memories of the guest apartment above the garage. Your mom was so nice to let Molly and I come stay.

Prudy said...

Such a sad post! Why should it be when I've long been away from Whittier. Something just seems melancholy about knowing that gorgeous romantic home will no longer be filled with Johnsons. Could you at least try to sell it to someone with that last name?

Becky said...

I'm balling over her Michal!! I was just there on Saturday and I too remember all of the happy memories that house and yard provided. I'm sorry that we all have to move on but I pray that we will all have the same kind of joy in the future, wherever that may be. Ok, I can't see through the tears now, I'll go.

Allison said...

I love that beautiful house and cherish all of the memories that I have had there over the last 30 years.

Yvonne said...

Oh, how I wish we could sell the one we bought over here in E. Whittier and fill that one with joy and laughter! I love the pictures and I love that time period! I am sure that a wonderful famiy will be there, and I understand how hard it is to let go of a family home. Keep us posted on how it goes.

Rebecca Blevins said...

This post makes me so nostalgic. I don't know why, because we lived in quite a few different places growing up.

It sounds wonderful there. I would be thrilled with avocado and persimmon trees! (I spent a few years in Florida as a child.)

Gorgeous imagery and pictures.

The Red Hen said...

What a beautiful home and even better memories! Makes me want to move to Whittier (just a tiny bit!)

mahina said...

i love that house of your mom's! it must be a bit sad to say goodbye to it! good luck to your mom on the sale!

i love your ad and description of all of your memories in that house!

Mozi Esme said...

Sounds like you've got some hefty requirements of your buyer - that house is sure worth a lot! What awesome memories.