Photos from Avalon: Homesick

One of the other things about the Avalon trip.

It made me homesick.

Not homesick, like homesick: depressed or melancholy at being away from home and family;

But homesick, as in homesick: I miss the house I spent my formative years in.

Once you've spent time in an American Foursquare, you begin to recognize the architectural stylings.

I was innocently peering out the car windows on our drive through Avalon, looking at the various housing options: condos from various eras, beach hotels of varying skeevyness, older cinder block houses, Cape Cod and Tudor-esque homes, and then the new construction of the multilevel, multi-porch, multimillion dollar McMonstrosities, when I saw this light green home:

Seem vaguely familiar?

My room was the one on the right on the second story, with the 3 windows over the porch.
I actually had 4 windows in my corner bedroom.

I thought I liked the enclosed porch and widow's walk on the light green house, until I was in our rental and out the kitchen window I glimpsed this regal edifice.

Another American Foursquare, this was a much fancier model. An established home on a corner lot, you could tell it was one of the older houses in the neighborhood, due to the mature plantings and the care that it's been given. Look at the dental- and fancy details in the porch work. The enclosed porch widow's walk: imagine the views to the beach! Fancy diamond-paned windows!

And a matching bird house?! How can I get the keys and let myself in?

I can almost imagine what growing up was like in that house. Almost.

I wouldn't trade my time in my 1923 Foursquare for anything.

Sadly, it's still on the market.

Sadly, it would cost me less to pay for a monthly mortgage payment than what I pay in month's rent right now, IF I could get financing, and IF I wanted to move back to CT and deal with that much house ....

and the ghosts of childhoods past.

Please do me -- actually, my folks-- a favor. Please pray to the Deity or deities of your choice that they get a viable offer soon. After almost two years on the market, countless showings, etc., it's time for us all move on and let another family learn to love our American Foursquare.

Even me.

It's good to be homesick, but better to be homesick for things like this:

Home is where your family is.