613, Second Avenue Northwest. For sale in the historic district. Such a beautiful home outside, but buyers could not look past the dark and dreary inside. Heavy pink velvet curtains drawn shut, thick hunter green carpet, dark kitchen cabinets made the room feel claustrophobic. Formal living room, but no family room all made it impossible to sell. But when I walked in, I had a clear vision of what it could be. By ripping down the curtains. We exposed the magnificent sunlight through 32 windows. We pulled up the carpet discovering pristine hardwood floors. By knocking down walls. We opened up the kitchen and learned there was a brick chimney that became a focal point between the kitchen and the breakfast room. Then there was the addition of a great family room with a screened in porch.

It was a great transformation. In the summer evenings I would sit on the screened-in porch, which overlooked the swimming pool and listened to the cacophony of crickets and the other insects in the backyard. The pool lights were on a timer and when they came on, hundreds of bugs would be circling above the water. I'd be mesmerized watching the bats swoop down, catching the bugs while in the background, the train passed through the night and sounded its last whistle in the distance.

I put so much into this home because I thought I would be there forever. But once Josh, and later Chip were gone, it became just a house. I drive by there now, at least once or twice a day. And while I feel a great sense of pride for the accomplishment...I Don't miss living there. It's just a house to me. And it's someone else's home now.