Make a House a Home

Mary Ellen's family home in Boston, courtesy of Google Earth

"My heart and soul is still in that house"

This is where I live today with my mom, step dad and siblings. It is in a cul-de-sac in Falmouth, Maine where I spent my high school years. This is my favorite house – we renovated it entirely, added a barn to the right (hidden by the tree) and made it completely our own. Between you and me…my friends and I would sneak out of the barn in high school through the window, run up the hill and meet up with friends (cough cough boys). Were we doing anything illegal? No. Did we think we were badass? Absolutely. Did my parents ever catch us? NOPE. To have all my high school memories in this house and still be creating memories there is awesome. When I look at this picture I see so many memories. Prom pictures being taken in the front yard, learning to parallel park on the curb with my stepdad, my dad dropping us off in the driveway after spending time with him, the tradition of hanging the spray painted sheet on someones birthday, watching the guy who took me on my first date come to the front door, ring the bell, and shake my step dads hand, and being dropped off at my house from god knows where and walking up to the side door where the light was, and still is, always left on for me. I would be devastated if we moved from this house. This is where my growing up took place. The petty fights with my parents, the various boyfriends that were introduced to the house, the process of becoming an adult - it’s all housed under the same roof. This is the house I waved goodbye to from the backseat as my parents drove me to college and the house that I miss so much when I’m away from it for too long. Who would have thought a big mass of wood meant simply for shelter from the elements could mean so much to you? Could house so many memories? This will forever be my house that welcomes me home and I am so thankful for that.

When my parents got divorced in 2000, I moved to Flintlock Lane in Falmouth, Maine with my mom and siblings. This was my soon to be step dads house and is where my memories of learning to adjust to having a blended family began. The coolest part about the house? The indoor pool in the section of the house to the left in the picture. I lived here from ages 9-13 where new memories with new additions to my family took place. 

After we moved out of the house my dad built, we moved into Summerfield Lane where my absolute favorite childhood memories were. I lived in this house from ages 4-9. My best friends all lived in the neighborhood and all of my memories from being a kid – climbing the tree in the backyard, getting on the bus at the bottom of the driveway and playing kickball until the sun went down in the street were here. My two younger siblings were introduced to me here and the strong tie that had held my family together for so many years was severed here, ultimately causing my relationship with this house to never be the same again.

The home Kate Middleton grew up in!

Favorite quote - "This is the vestibule, I don't know whether i should say this. But you go in the vestibule, then theres another door and if you like the boy you let him in the vestibule to kiss him goodnight. If you didn't like him you say goodbye on the porch."

We'll see where it takes me but I feel like the future is bright. Tell me your story! I'd love to hear it

Everyone moves on I suppose. There's a nice Russian mom and daughter residing in my grandfathers house now. He only lives a minute down the road  - literally moved to a house the street over for reasons I will never understand. She still calls with questions about the house. There are nice families living in mine and my uncles house as well. I was going to walk over and ask if I could walk through my house but I figured that would be weird - intruding on what they feel is solely theirs now and no longer mine to "walk through". Maybe another time.

This is the first interview I did with my Dad. Forgive the sloppiness, he was nervous. Like the other interview I posted, I wanted it to sound natural and free-flowing. Although he doesn't get too emotional - he's just not that kind of a guy - he does give me more information than I ever knew about his project. 

When my grandfather built his house with the help of his two sons they were 18 and Grampy was working as a crane operator for Cianbro. When my dad built his house he was 25 and working at UPS and Grampy was still working for Cianbro. In the interviews I will post, you'll hear that all the building took place at night, on weekends or during vacation times. No rest for the weary is how my dad likes to sum it up.