That Day in Pictures - Little Bird

Almost exactly two years ago, we decided to move back to New Hampshire to stay for good, and year round.  When I married Dan three and a half years ago, I left New Hampshire to live in Alamo CA where he had been living and working.  Then he decided to retire and we were kicking around where we might live - I had kept my house in NH and we used it as a place to stay when we visited and really, I don't know that I would have moved to CA if I couldn't have kept one foot in New England - I am so bonded to here with every fiber of my being.  When were we dating, I made it clear that if our relationship was going to go forward, I had to know that I could always have a place to run back to for a quick New England fix when needed and to feel like I hadn't cut ties with a place I had been meant for and loved so much.  That might sound pretty selfish but when you are of a certain age, your kids have all left home and you've been quite contentedly on your own for a long time, you can choose more judiciously what kind of life you are willing to live and sacrifices you'll make.  I was crazy about and loved Dan too, obviously, or I couldn't have followed him to CA, but there was a caveat about the NH house and he readily agreed.  And after all, he loves New England, having started his career here 35 years ago and having raised his family here for 10 years.  We then decided that we wouldn't be snow birds or part timers or summer people with multiple houses, we would live in just one home but travel often, and specifically one week of each winter month.  At our Christmas visit to NH we both felt very strongly that this is where we should settle once and for all.  We also decided that we wouldn't live in my former house because it was full of me and my history and we really needed an "our" house.  We called a realtor and described what we wanted - old, but not crumbling, close to the beach but not right on it.  It was late December, 2 days after Christmas and there was snow everywhere -  not the best time to look for a house.  The first house we looked at was in North Hampton, 150+ years old, a couple miles from the ocean, pretty on the outside, quite large, and horrible, just as horribly remodeled over the years as can be done.  The second one was a half mile closer to the sea, 200 hundred years old, charming, not too crumbly, but too small.  The third one was a block from the beach, 213 years old, lovely on the outside and I could barely breathe when I began exploring inside.  Not crumbly at all - spacious but not cavernous, lovingly updated through two centuries and historic and modern at the same time.  As we were getting ready to go down stairs to the sub floor family room that leads out to the pool area, I stopped and looked up and beheld a little bird hand painted above the door trim.  In that instant, I felt that I must live here. The others went downstairs while I stood transfixed on that bird.  "Stay" he said, as I heard it (of course the bird didn't really speak - I'm not a loony - it was wishful thinking/pleading).  Now I did not want to pressure Dan in any way since he was the one leaving 25 full and satisfying years in CA and I was the old house person not he, so I kept pretty quiet during the whole house tour but inside I was screaming "Yes!  This is the house!".  As we were driving away in our car he asked what I thought of the house and I brought to mind the little bird and simply and evenly replied that I really loved it (without revealing that I felt I might die if we didn't live in that house).  He had been quiet during the house tour as well so I had no idea how he really felt about it.  Seconds later he suggested that we make an offer on it as soon as possible.  I don't need to tell you about the flood of joy and expression that came pouring out thereafter.  And here we are.  Just about every day we have this routine - Dan will say, "I really like this house" and I will reply, "I really love this house".  Here are the murals on the main entry walls painted by a Newburyport MA artist that goes with my little bird.

Coming from the second floor down to the landing at the central house/entrance to the house

That is the back entrance door - it goes out onto  a porch

That's the living room in there

This is the main entrance - it goes out onto the front porch

Look for the bird!  And just where I saw it the first time before going through that door there on the left.

See our house there?

This is the close up of our house in that mural

I snapped this picture the day of the initial house tour and I would go back and look at it again and again until we closed on the house and it was ours. 

I was noticing in the close up of the bird picture at the beginning of this post that there is a crack in the plaster - you can't tell from any other distance.  Not too crumbly - just right for an old house.