D ~ Demolition Delayed

These are the continuing adventures of a Swedish immigrant during her first year as an American. She boldly went where she'd never gone before...please come along on Adventures in America.

You might be wondering more about our first American house, besides the fact that we had parking meters in front and a backyard pool. The house Grandma Vivian fixed up for us was really quite spectacular.

Grandma Vivian, among her many skills in investing VERY well in the stock market was also skilled in real estate investing. She had bought this property, newly zoned residential/commercial and the plan was to tear it down and build an office building, which she would then lease space in. With us coming, she fixed it up instead.

(These are from a Creative Memories album my mom made me, so I can't rip 'em out and take a better shot, but this is the front door and Grandma Vivian had hung a welcome banner)

We had come from a ranch style house, with a sunken living room, and decent sized backyard. We moved into a brick, two story house with a finished basement, and a much bigger back yard with HUGE trees. She even found us a used swing set (which The Swede was forever tightening the screws on...) 

(You can see not only the swing set, but to the right, part of that basement rug with the game boards)

and the rug in the basement had the boards for all kinds of games: checkers, Chinese checkers, hopscotch, etc. Of course she bought the over-sized game pieces to go with it. We LOVED playing in the basement.

At first my sister and I shared a room. I adored that room ~ it had a window seat with a built in cedar chest, and a closet that was big enough to be a playroom! We could FINALLY set up our Barbie "house", or our doll playing stuff, and not have to put it all away every time we were done playing. Oh the joy!

However, when I broke my hip my little brother and I changed rooms so that all my nursing needs wouldn't wake up Swissie. (I bet you're wondering what letter that will be...and I feel like telling you...but I also want you back each day...so I'll tell you this. I'm trying to keep these stories as chronological as possible. I broke my hip on December 13.)

(I did not break my hip during this fire drill, but I wanted to show you the back of the house, which led to the kitchen)

That room I moved to was really cool, too. Smaller, but decorated in purple, and there was a window I could look out of while lying flat on my back in bed.  And we used it for this drill.

I have no idea where she got us all the furniture, but being a woman of means, I'm thinking she just bought it all. We sure felt welcomed, and spoiled. We settled in quickly, and felt right at home, despite the distance from “home”, the lack of neighborhood friends, and those darn parking meters. I think it was the obvious love she put into making us feel so welcome that did the trick. Starting with the ice-cream, of course.