CHAPTER 2 - THE WISH LIST

WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR

IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE WHO YOU ARE

ANYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES WILL COME TO YOU

At first, house hunting was fun. It was exciting to think about finding just the right house and location. After months of looking on our own, and weeks of touring houses with a realtor, we became frustrated to the point of wondering if we'd ever find the house we wanted. We saw many great houses - some in the country, some in small communities - but none really "spoke" to us until we toured the old colonial we're now in the process of buying. Actually, that house spoke to me before it whispered to my spouse. He was busy telling me the house was too big for us, afterall, we were downsizing, right? I wasn't worried about how large it was. I knew that was where I wanted to live but I didn't immediately tell him that I had fallen in love with the serene country setting, the rustic look of the house, and the warm cozy feeling I had when I walked inside it. I loved the whole package. After we'd decided that it was indeed THE house for us, I stayed busy for a few days, emailing back and forth with our realtor. One particular day I happened upon a list I'd made long before we had begun looking for a house. I called it my Wish List and here it is, unchanged from its original form:

I'd like to have . . .

1) Rustic looking house in the country
2) 3–4 bedrooms and 2 and ½ baths
3) Large barn – clean and safe for cats
4) Lots of cupboard space in kitchen
5) Walk-in pantry or pull-out shelves
6) Brick fireplace
7) Built-in bookshelves
8) Hardwood floors
9) No close neighbors
10) Split-rail fence
11) A few trees

Without realizing it, I'd found a house that had every single thing on my wish list. I'm still a bit stunned about that. Maybe I'd been subconsciously holding out for a house with all those attributes, but I hadn't even remembered composing the wish list. I don't know how this all came about and I don't need to know. I do believe prayer had something to do with it, but I'm not questioning. I'm thoroughly enjoying the anticipation of settling down in our new old house and I am extremely grateful it's in our immediate future. Wishes really can (and do) come true.