The Visionary
In some relationships, both husband and wife are on the same page. In others, there's one who has to do the convincing or see the potential. Josh and I fall more often into the second category (especially when it comes to large purchases).
Ten (almost now eleven) years ago, celebrating his passing the GRE exam at Abigail's in NYC, applications for advanced degrees were underway. Josh received an acceptance to BU and UMDNJ. I won't ever forget the huge poster boards we took into our then 750 square ft. Washington Heights apartment as we discussed (maybe argued) the pros and cons. Soon after, I was onto searching Craigslist for apartments (old school and perhaps considered sketchy now). We landed in Malden, MA, seeing a multifamily home. The rooms were dusty, the wall paper was 1960's and I didn't want to move. Josh promised me it would work.
It did. Putting our own touches into the unit, a few years later, at eight months pregnant, the landlord decided to sell both units (due to lead issues). I will never forget buyers entering the unit, marveling over how nice it looked. They wondered if the Ikea kitchen island would stay, given lack of counter space and other amenities that we owned. They liked the little nook with benches that I recall my father would nap on (he liked this corner, though not sure why). It was then that I despised renting and the lack of security it provides. Within two or three weeks, we found a listing for a 2 bedroom condo on Boston.com.
When the condo got a bit snug, and Jewish education became more of an apparent need, we began checking out open houses in Sharon. At one such gathering on Pleasant Park Road, we met Dianne Needle. Around March we started to search more seriously, putting offers on houses and Dianne represented us in the purchase and sale. We noted how much she too advanced in the real estate world, having been in it now 7 years, which makes when we met each other her second year.
Sharon, having a top public school system and rated at the time as the best town to live in Massachusetts (likely still ranked as such), proved making a deal rather challenging. When we learned of a colonial that would go on the market in April, we leaped. However, the 1940's home was far from perfect. The kitchen had clunky wood throughout, red formica countertops, laminate flooring, one bedroom we couldn't even see inside of it given accumulated junk and another was in similar shape.
Josh, being the visionary in our relationship, told me it had potential and that it would be perfect. Watching the pregnant bunnies in the backyard (and myself being eight months pregnant, again), I held onto the idea that 19 Pine Road was somehow meant for us because it was almost the same number as my parent's house, 1219 Pinecrest Circle (remove the 12 and the crest -- following?!).
The listing for our house went live today. As brokers came in the morning, every single one walked out saying "this house is beautiful." They ooed and awed our 19 day old newborn. Not only have we proven that we move every time we've had a baby, but that we have put our heart and soul into every corner and fixture in the places we've lived (soon to be place #5!).
Josh's first project was painting our master bedroom. It was my birthday gift. I'm not sure how we got through that day with a newborn and our son being a little shy of three years old. The summer was hot and we installed an air conditioner that we named "The Dianne" for its powerful source. The driveway was repaved. After a year, the "green monster," as we dubbed it in our kitchen was removed (see photo below). Two years later, Josh woke up one morning and a new kitchen went entirely underway. We found during the renovation a door post that someone marked the height of their children in the 1930's. In the basement we found a postcard from Cuba. When water in our tub stopped going down, we gutted the bathrooms. We installed mini splits for air conditioning, light fixtures in the bedroom ceilings (we had pull chains that weren't to code!). An electrician found a cap that proved old and kept it for his students.
Though we've only been in Sharon 5 years, looking at photographs of just how much we put in, creates such nostalgia.
This is why Josh is handling all the aliyah paperwork. More than just a leader, with him, everything has its place and becomes home.
Ten (almost now eleven) years ago, celebrating his passing the GRE exam at Abigail's in NYC, applications for advanced degrees were underway. Josh received an acceptance to BU and UMDNJ. I won't ever forget the huge poster boards we took into our then 750 square ft. Washington Heights apartment as we discussed (maybe argued) the pros and cons. Soon after, I was onto searching Craigslist for apartments (old school and perhaps considered sketchy now). We landed in Malden, MA, seeing a multifamily home. The rooms were dusty, the wall paper was 1960's and I didn't want to move. Josh promised me it would work.
It did. Putting our own touches into the unit, a few years later, at eight months pregnant, the landlord decided to sell both units (due to lead issues). I will never forget buyers entering the unit, marveling over how nice it looked. They wondered if the Ikea kitchen island would stay, given lack of counter space and other amenities that we owned. They liked the little nook with benches that I recall my father would nap on (he liked this corner, though not sure why). It was then that I despised renting and the lack of security it provides. Within two or three weeks, we found a listing for a 2 bedroom condo on Boston.com.
When the condo got a bit snug, and Jewish education became more of an apparent need, we began checking out open houses in Sharon. At one such gathering on Pleasant Park Road, we met Dianne Needle. Around March we started to search more seriously, putting offers on houses and Dianne represented us in the purchase and sale. We noted how much she too advanced in the real estate world, having been in it now 7 years, which makes when we met each other her second year.
Sharon, having a top public school system and rated at the time as the best town to live in Massachusetts (likely still ranked as such), proved making a deal rather challenging. When we learned of a colonial that would go on the market in April, we leaped. However, the 1940's home was far from perfect. The kitchen had clunky wood throughout, red formica countertops, laminate flooring, one bedroom we couldn't even see inside of it given accumulated junk and another was in similar shape.
Josh, being the visionary in our relationship, told me it had potential and that it would be perfect. Watching the pregnant bunnies in the backyard (and myself being eight months pregnant, again), I held onto the idea that 19 Pine Road was somehow meant for us because it was almost the same number as my parent's house, 1219 Pinecrest Circle (remove the 12 and the crest -- following?!).
The listing for our house went live today. As brokers came in the morning, every single one walked out saying "this house is beautiful." They ooed and awed our 19 day old newborn. Not only have we proven that we move every time we've had a baby, but that we have put our heart and soul into every corner and fixture in the places we've lived (soon to be place #5!).
Josh's first project was painting our master bedroom. It was my birthday gift. I'm not sure how we got through that day with a newborn and our son being a little shy of three years old. The summer was hot and we installed an air conditioner that we named "The Dianne" for its powerful source. The driveway was repaved. After a year, the "green monster," as we dubbed it in our kitchen was removed (see photo below). Two years later, Josh woke up one morning and a new kitchen went entirely underway. We found during the renovation a door post that someone marked the height of their children in the 1930's. In the basement we found a postcard from Cuba. When water in our tub stopped going down, we gutted the bathrooms. We installed mini splits for air conditioning, light fixtures in the bedroom ceilings (we had pull chains that weren't to code!). An electrician found a cap that proved old and kept it for his students.
Though we've only been in Sharon 5 years, looking at photographs of just how much we put in, creates such nostalgia.
This is why Josh is handling all the aliyah paperwork. More than just a leader, with him, everything has its place and becomes home.
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