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Goodbye House

In the small tri-level there was a toaster oven, and pictures drawn by 10,000 crayons,

and there were five little tots, with toys numbering lots,

and two tired grown-ups, with boxes all piled up,

and Aidan’s dollhouse, and evidence of mouse,

and a box, and a book, and a rolling-eyes look

and a wife who was claiming “how can I cook?”

Goodbye house.

Goodbye mouse.

Goodbye no attic fan.

Goodbye futile, non-hooked up ice-maker.

Goodbye garage I couldn’t park in.

Goodbye low-flow law-mandated water saving toilets,

and goodbye to the old lady who called the cops on our dog.

Goodbye scent of roasted hops and barley being converted into mediocre American beer.

Goodbye surprisingly huge, beloved backyard.

Goodbye neighborhood.

Goodbye, house.

Goodbye, memories, seemingly everywhere.

(any similarity to a certain book by Margaret Wise Brown is strictly surprising, because I had to use my memory. The book is in a box. Packed)

6 comments to Goodbye House

  • JoAnn

    Very good job. Since I read this more than 20x a day to Becca….you did a good job remembering.

    Good Luck the next few days, and we’ll see you when you get back online. I hope your new house comes together well and smoothly! 🙂

    Congratulations!

    JoAnn

  • What a lovely farewell to a house full of memories!

  • Shayne

    The little house was Peter’s favorite part of that book. When he was potty training, he always used to tell me that the 2 little kittens were going to go in the house and go potty. Weird kid.

  • My favorite page of that book is “Goodnight nobody”, which I remember always making me laugh and laugh as a child. When we moved from my childhood home, I scratched my name in the windowsill of my bedroom, thus claiming it for all time. Unfortunately, the people who bought the house invited us over for dinner a year or so later and shared that little fact with my parents, who were not so happy with me.

  • jasmine

    By this time you are in your new home! How wonderful, I hope it hasn’t been too stressful. I have missed coming here, due to our own move. Finally getting settled and happy to catch up on some great posts! Keep em’ coming, you make me smile.
    Cheers!

  • Russ Eldredge

    Loved the post, Gretchen! I think I can better relate to your version of a certain Margaret Wise Brown story than the real one. Huge congrats on getting your house! If the front door is any indication of what the rest of the house looks like, you have a real winner.. Best of luck to you during the move.

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