The Historical Society asked that our house be included on the annual Home Tour ~ so of course we said yes. Not totally realizing the ramification of it being the day after the Akron race.
The Historical Ladies were two amazing women with lots of charm. They were fun to talk to and they seemed to really like our home. They even decided to put it on the front of the flyer and recommended it be featured in the News-Herald article. It was really a fun and interesting process. The only funny thing was the garden club lady who didn't like my tablecloth, so she brought her own along with a BEAUTIFUL flower arrangement for the dining room.
As the day drew nearer ~ I became a little more tense. Our house is not a showcase. It's our home. Where we live. Where we are ourselves. Where you're likely to find dirty socks without really looking. The chaise chair has a dog hole in it, fancily covered by a sheet. The carpet is old and, even after we cleaned it, showed its wear. But we love this house and we love it's history and we like to share it.
So Sunday we loaded up the kids and the dogs and off we went to look at the other houses on the tour. The first one we went to was the Mayor's house. And it was a showcase. Granite. Furniture showroom rooms. Beautifully faux painted walls. Luxurious carpet. And we both felt small and ashamed to have our house on the tour. I have never felt such shame ~ knowing I shouldn't feel that way. I was a little panicked ~ and I wanted to run home and tell everyone to leave. But, knowing we should be proud of our humble abode, we toured on. The rest of the houses were just like ours. Great character. Lived in. Homes. Seeing them reminded me of why I love my house, of why I love old houses, they all have something that makes them special and they are all filled with years of families and memoies and fights and love. I'm not one of those crazy "aura" people, but I think homes have a type of soul. It was a great day.
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