This Old House

Thursday night found the seven women's retreat team members at the home of one of our memebers. Cheri lives in Rensselaer and recently moved to a home formerly owned by her parents in law. We have heard about this house and the excitement she had for acquiring it for at least a year now. She invited to host the meeting at her "new" house while conditioning us that it was a work in progress and not to be troubled by dirt and mess. Cheri grew up next door to us when we lived in town many years ago. I knew she wouldn't live with dirt and mess so dismissed her comment with, "whatever". Five team members carpooled in my van the twenty miles to Rensselaer. The house was easy to find using the landmarks she gave me. "Turn by the ice cream stand, go south two blocks and there we are." It was dark when we arrived. There was a corporate verbal expression of delight when we pulled in front of this huge white house. The wrap around front porch lights were proudly displaying the massive front of a two story house built in the late 1800s. With stone steps leading to an immense front porch flanked with large swing on one side and Adorondack chairs on the other, we got to the door. The front windows displayed a tall crystal container glowing with candlelight. Entering such a home is an experience. The sights, sounds and aromas bring one back a hundred years. Immediately questions come to mind. Who was the original owner of this grand house? What did he do for a living (we know it wouldn't have been a "she" in 1800)? Once in the door, the roomy front parlor stood proud with several six foot long windows, each pane beveled in exquisite beauty. The wide oak stairway begged one to climb it to see more. Not yet. We needed to wander the first floor. The second parlor was filled with a pool table. That was the only thing in the house that didn't lend itself to the time period. Once through that door, we entered what must have been the servant's quarters. Floor to ceiling oak cabinets lined two walls. The upper cabinet doors were long and thin and shining glass. Cheri is a lover of crystal and china so each pane in those cabinets displayed one of her crystal treasures. It was a beautiful sight. Through that small kitchen one entered the main kitchen. It was also large as was every room in this house. The back porches were the full width of the house and there were two, one on the first floor and one on the second. Both of them were closed in. We circled back to the room from which the candle light burned its beauty in the front window. That was the dining room where we would spend our evening discussing and planning the retreat day which will be February 23, 2008. Our tour guide then took us up that gorgeous stairway. At the midway landing, a window filled with stained glass in tones of golds and browns took our attention. Eventually we made our way through five or six bedrooms. Yes, some of them are still filled with boxes from the move. Some of them had wall paper from perhaps the sixties or seventies. To say Cheri and her husband have their work cut out for them is some what of an understatement. I think they will meet the challenge.

One of the gals called the place a castle. That is too cold a description in my view. Perhaps the term mansion would fit it better. The house is truly a treasure that speaks of history and nostalgia. I love it. I can't say I would be up to the challenge of getting it decorated and in some cases restored. It is going to take mega muscles and mega money to get it as they would like. I suppose in order to stay sane, they have conditioned themselves to know this work in progress will be a work in progress for years. I admire those that salvage and maintain historical buildings. Cheri's house is a dream house for many and I'm so delighted she is the recipient. Having lived next door to Cheri's family, I think of what her mother would think of it all. Dorothy would be in the thick of things. She, too, loved elegance and beauty and would be delighted for her daughter.

I now know where to go when I need my fix of nostalgia and glammor. I'll call Cheri and tell her to get the tea pot on for I'm coming over to just sit and let it all sink in.