The Way They Were

Mem'ries,
Light the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored memories
Of the way we were
Scattered pictures,
Of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another
For the way we were
Can it be that it was all so simple then?
Or has time re-written every line?

This afternoon Chris emailed us the high resolution pictures of the early days of the Tombleson house, now our house, and they're too cool not to share. The first picture shows the exterior of the house which hasn't changed at all in 62 years except there's now a very large bougainvillea covering most of the brick wall to the left of the door.

The next photo shows the backyard and the waterfall cascading into the pool. The pool has been covered over with a deck for who knows how long. The oak tree is now mature and at least double in size. Looks like there were some Birds of Paradise planted around the tree. Seems appropriate.

Photos three through five show the living room. The furniture appears to be custom made and must have been very modern for its time. The television console is especially cool, with its ability to rotate the TV from the living room to the dining area. Look closely at the fireplace photo to see John Laughton's father's buffet cabinet in the dining room. Unfortunately, it's been modified and no longer has those very MCM pulls.

Then there's the kitchen. The oven and stove are kind of cool but the rest seems a bit more traditional than we expected. The bathroom, on the other hand, is exactly what we expected because it's pretty much the same today. The wall heater, mirrored vanity and shower door are gone, but the rest is still like it was six decades ago.

We saved the best for last. The bedroom! The Lucy and Ricky matching beds are so 50s. And check out the matching bedspreads, wall paper, curtains and chair cushion. Wow! Last summer, we replaced the large window with a slider which provides nice access to the back yard. Who knows? Maybe someday it'll provide access to the restored pool.

Okay, back to reality. Yesterday, the plumber was the only one on site and he installed the faucet and dishwasher in the BBQ room. He tried to install the electric, on-demand water heater below the sink  but it was too tall. So today, the Tombleson guys cut a hole for it and now it fits. Hopefully, the plumber will return tomorrow to finish the installation for it and the other heater in the half bath.

Dave and Adam spent most of the afternoon painting over the messes the tile guys made and removing all of the other piles of trash that have accumulated around the site over the last month or two. They brought their dump truck and hauled it all away. And we now have a guest house door that can be securely locked.

After the crew left, Jack was let outside and he curiously explored the back yard. It's a lot cleaner than it's been for a long time and the nearly blind guy appreciates that. And so do we.

Mike thinks we'll be done by Thursday. We'll see….