New Kids on the Block

A photo of our current house, I found it on Google.  On Google! Is nothing private anymore?? We have since trimmed back the roses and honeysuckle, as well as the sweet jasmine since this photo was taken. Grass is brown--water shortage.

When my son-in-law Brian (he is a loving gift to our daughter, girls, and to both sets of grandparents) selected real estate for our possible new home, we had no expectations.  None at all.

The first house could be, but it was not. Every room screamed "1990" with its mauve and cornflower blue. The garden was big with many projects that were incomplete or overgrown--just what we wanted to escape.

The second house, oh the second house.  It was perfect in every way except the closets were not large. The square feet were about the same as our existing house, but one bedroom gone, dining room/kitchen/family room had no divisions.  It was wonderful.

But the best thing of all was the back patio. No gardening to do except for our own potted lilacs and succulents on the patio!  The most amazing of all: a view!

Trees!

We could look over eucalyptus trees on the left, golf course on the right, over to the city where evening lights would twinkle, across to hills. Not in single person's back yard!

For years, we have been facing our neighbors' fences on three sides with our street on the fourth.  Every conversation said around their pools or back yards, we could hear and wish we couldn't.

Brian took us around to three other houses, but I was blind to them, except one which had a superb closet. "Let's go back to that house..."!

It was as I recalled it to be.  This house is that I wanted, and my husband did by extension.  It was wise for him to like it as well.

Brian brought my daughter Erin and the girls to see this marvelous home, with the oldest (who is nearly twelve, old beyond her years, wise and with a good eye for art and balance) gave it her approval.  She did notice the closets were very small.

The final test was to visit The Club House, where all the action was.  Library, exercise room, club rooms, rooms for every thing. A swimming pool with a sauna was available.

streets twist and turn, in a California Community for 55+

It had it all.  But as we left, we looked at the card room where four women were having a drag out, down and dirty bridge game.  All were old, white haired, a little stooped.  One waved at us with an arthritic hand.  "Hello, dearies"...and smiled at the girls.

Erin looked at me with wide blue eyes. "Mom, you guys will be the youngest old people here!"

Somehow that does not sound so bad.  It has been years since we have been the youngest anywhere. Maybe some old lady will hit on my husband, while some old geezer will put moves on me.

Oh, yes.  We are buying that house, and moving in 27 days.

We are in no way loaded with money.  John's mother (I called her Mom, too) left each of her children money in a trust fund, which has allowed us to move.