scattered pieces to build
Greetings from Downerson Manor! Hmm... Down-erson.
Even that name strikes a sort of melancholy chord as our house is no longer defined by two couples joined together for the purpose of flipping a house.
Truth be told, the mission of this house and the very people who now reside in it has changed quite dramatically in the last two years, and a new chapter is unfolding right before our eyes. But more on that later.
For those of you who don't know me (or perhaps just don't know me well), my name is Debbie Sue... or around here I'm usually some variation of Debs, Debster, etc. I moved in here temporarily in February 2012 to escape an unusually sick house and find some peace and quiet for my body and soul.
In April 2012, I came home to four giddy smiling faces, a bouquet of flowers and a formal invitation to become a part of this family. I cried... of course (as I'm totally the resident crier, but not the only one ;)... and then joyfully settled right in to my closet-sized bedroom- ready to share one bathroom and a small back section of the house (maybe 300 sq ft) with two married couples.
Let me just say that fans are many a splendid thing.
So, I settled in. Well, sort of. It actually took me about 6 months to officially put my toiletries in the bathroom. Perhaps I was waiting for an eviction notice or a bomb to drop. However, slowly but surely, I took off my necklace of nerves and past experiences and realized that I was genuinely welcome and wanted here. Soon after that, my whole life started to change. But more on that later.
To know me just a wee bit more... I will say that I am affectionally deemed the generally energetic, verbose, positive, silly and somewhat obnoxious morning person in the house. Though I have learned to greet my housemates with an energy and candor they can swallow, I must admit that I also occasionally take the opportunity to shove them right out of their comfort zone... just cuz it switches things up.
Sometimes, I do this by saying "GOOD MORNING!!!" in the most energetic creepy voice I can muster and other times I catch 'em all off guard by yelling random things like "Agh SH*T BALLS"... you know, just because I can and because it makes them laugh.
Today, I'm currently sitting near our large family room front window, on one of our white cushion chairs- a chair lovingly referred to as my "perch." Rightfully so, since most of the time when I'm at home, I sit here... eating, writing in my journal that's falling apart, editing photos, writing lyrics, or working on homework. HOMEWORK. Did I mention, along with two jobs and a volunteer position, that I have been in an accelerated night school program full-time since I moved in? YEP. And Monday was my final class. HOORAY!!!
I guess you could say, I've been a little busy... always sort of flying in and out- like a hummingbird- sprinkling my witty ways and words of encouragement.
It's true I've been busy, and fairly inactive in the house-building process, but not so busy that in every new season I haven't been available to either go out for coffee with my pal Luke, watch artsy documentaries with gratuitous sex (sort of kidding ;), throw baseballs at the park, sing at the piano with Janell or watch our seasonal weekly shows like American Idol, Grey's Anatomy, So You Think You Can Dance, Glee, Felicity and Parenthood. Yes, we were devastated by the sad death of Finn Hudson.
Well, now that you know more about me and how I view typical life here... let me just tell you what it's been like living in community and constant house remodel for 1.5 years. Apart from the perpetual cloud of dust, miscellanous fixtures strung about, and obnoxious banging at wee hours of the morning/night... it has truly been one of the best experiences of my life!! And as I prepare to leave for my next big adventure in just a few short weeks, I can't help but look back with pure wonder and gratefulness!
It's hard to even put into words what it's been like to participate and often simply observe while countless pieces of an unknown puzzle are gathered from the ends of the earth to build and create something we never dared to imagine.
Without even realizing it, we have all found some scattered pieces of our own beauty and brokenness and we've managed to come together around life's working table and use our pieces to create something uniquely beautiful and authentic.
Not only were pieces gathered to build our house (from Habitat for Humanity, Restore, Home Depot, and other random places), but our own scattered pieces were drawn together to build our very lives...
and with that in mind, I would gladly do it all again!
Even that name strikes a sort of melancholy chord as our house is no longer defined by two couples joined together for the purpose of flipping a house.
Truth be told, the mission of this house and the very people who now reside in it has changed quite dramatically in the last two years, and a new chapter is unfolding right before our eyes. But more on that later.
For those of you who don't know me (or perhaps just don't know me well), my name is Debbie Sue... or around here I'm usually some variation of Debs, Debster, etc. I moved in here temporarily in February 2012 to escape an unusually sick house and find some peace and quiet for my body and soul.
In April 2012, I came home to four giddy smiling faces, a bouquet of flowers and a formal invitation to become a part of this family. I cried... of course (as I'm totally the resident crier, but not the only one ;)... and then joyfully settled right in to my closet-sized bedroom- ready to share one bathroom and a small back section of the house (maybe 300 sq ft) with two married couples.
Let me just say that fans are many a splendid thing.
So, I settled in. Well, sort of. It actually took me about 6 months to officially put my toiletries in the bathroom. Perhaps I was waiting for an eviction notice or a bomb to drop. However, slowly but surely, I took off my necklace of nerves and past experiences and realized that I was genuinely welcome and wanted here. Soon after that, my whole life started to change. But more on that later.
To know me just a wee bit more... I will say that I am affectionally deemed the generally energetic, verbose, positive, silly and somewhat obnoxious morning person in the house. Though I have learned to greet my housemates with an energy and candor they can swallow, I must admit that I also occasionally take the opportunity to shove them right out of their comfort zone... just cuz it switches things up.
Sometimes, I do this by saying "GOOD MORNING!!!" in the most energetic creepy voice I can muster and other times I catch 'em all off guard by yelling random things like "Agh SH*T BALLS"... you know, just because I can and because it makes them laugh.
Today, I'm currently sitting near our large family room front window, on one of our white cushion chairs- a chair lovingly referred to as my "perch." Rightfully so, since most of the time when I'm at home, I sit here... eating, writing in my journal that's falling apart, editing photos, writing lyrics, or working on homework. HOMEWORK. Did I mention, along with two jobs and a volunteer position, that I have been in an accelerated night school program full-time since I moved in? YEP. And Monday was my final class. HOORAY!!!
I guess you could say, I've been a little busy... always sort of flying in and out- like a hummingbird- sprinkling my witty ways and words of encouragement.
It's true I've been busy, and fairly inactive in the house-building process, but not so busy that in every new season I haven't been available to either go out for coffee with my pal Luke, watch artsy documentaries with gratuitous sex (sort of kidding ;), throw baseballs at the park, sing at the piano with Janell or watch our seasonal weekly shows like American Idol, Grey's Anatomy, So You Think You Can Dance, Glee, Felicity and Parenthood. Yes, we were devastated by the sad death of Finn Hudson.
Well, now that you know more about me and how I view typical life here... let me just tell you what it's been like living in community and constant house remodel for 1.5 years. Apart from the perpetual cloud of dust, miscellanous fixtures strung about, and obnoxious banging at wee hours of the morning/night... it has truly been one of the best experiences of my life!! And as I prepare to leave for my next big adventure in just a few short weeks, I can't help but look back with pure wonder and gratefulness!
It's hard to even put into words what it's been like to participate and often simply observe while countless pieces of an unknown puzzle are gathered from the ends of the earth to build and create something we never dared to imagine.
Without even realizing it, we have all found some scattered pieces of our own beauty and brokenness and we've managed to come together around life's working table and use our pieces to create something uniquely beautiful and authentic.
Not only were pieces gathered to build our house (from Habitat for Humanity, Restore, Home Depot, and other random places), but our own scattered pieces were drawn together to build our very lives...
and with that in mind, I would gladly do it all again!
Nicely spoken Debbie!
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