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The Old House is Such a Spiritual Place.


 
Selling the family home these days is commonplace for many families as so many people change jobs and relocate across the country more often than in the past, but some old homes remain in the family for generations and such is the case of the family home at 276 Nantasket Ave in Hull, MA.


And as for 276, I understand 'striking while the iron is hot' and selling it in its currently maintained state, before a major problem develops that the family can ill afford to fix down the road. I've visited the house several times and have fond memories of it as well, especially my hours within it, in 2015, before my sea legs disappeared from our sail trip with Jerry across the Gulf of Maine, and its grand stair steps would rise up to meet my feet and its shower walls were anchor points as it was luffing up in my mind--and I was laughing because it was such a weird experience.

The old house is such a spiritual place in anyone of the family's sense. All the kids and adults, and friends of the family as am I, fill up with it just stepping across its threshold as the memories flood in. The young still leap from Grandpa Joe's sailboat in a swim race to shore; Nanna still putters about her little kitchen making sammies for guests and a hundred kids; laughter and music is heard in every room of the great old house; someone quietly reads in a chair on the porch overlooking Hingham Bay; Mark repairs some window sill, door hinge, sailboat part, bathroom tile patch, plumbing leak; The garage door open, neighbors stop by to drink a beer in the basement; Someone rows the dingy out to the Navho for an evening sail; and a million other memories will return on the waves along the shore there.

Sad to see it go.

Comments

Joe - Wednesday's Child said…
I can just see those windows - 20, 30, 40 years from now - still looking down the road for WannaskaWriter and Ned's father to pay another visit and make another memory.
June 22, 2019 at 6:13 AM
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