Our Old House.

When the girls were in Ottawa they drove by our old house and saw it was listed up for sale. For 551 K! Holy shit! We couldn't even afford to live there anymore, or at our old house in Toronto,either! We used to have $$$$ but circumstances change, investments fail, audits happen, the economy crashes, reduction from 2 salaries down to 1, and  things change. Now we just barely get by, struggle to survive and can barely pay the bills. They did many changes since we sold it 15 years ago, and the kids don't even remember it, although the youngest 2 weren't even born yet and the 3rd youngest was only 4 and the only thing she remembers is the little clubhouse my hubby build in the front which is still there. I love the French doors and hardwood they still kept.

Livingroom.The walls used to be blue.

Diningroom, still the same except for the wall; we had it a salmon colour with light pink sheer curtains.

This is my old room(and also where the fire started; you'd never know, right?) and I'm honoured that they still kept my old floral wallpaper, even after all this time and despite all the chages they did make that they liked my wallpaper enough to keep it.

The rec-room. We had the in-wall shelves put in after the fire and it's nice to see they're still there.

This is the outside. The window is new(I like it!) and the stucco has been re-done over the gross tan colour(ours was white) and you can see the little play house beside it my hubby built for our kids when they were young. The oldest was just 14 when we moved. I really liked that house and I never wanted to move and we had a life there, friends, church, homeschooling fellowship,jobs, etc. but dangerous, threatening circumstances forced us to flee. When I first heard our old house was up for sale nostalgia came back and momentarily I had the thought maybe we could move back there but then I remember the reason why we left and had to move and I can never go back there again, not even to Ottawa, the memories would be too painful and traumatic. Then when I saw the price...there's no way we could afford that now. We can hardly afford the house we have now and barely get by and even had to take out a loan just to pay the property taxes. My hubby and mother want to move, to downsize, but we wouldn't make enough $$$$ selling this one to cover the cost of another house and pay moving expenses without taking out more loans, and we don't have the $$$ to pay it back so in reality we can't even afford  to move. If they do move, I just hope I die before. I hate moving; it's such a stress, hassle and expense, and besides, I loathe packing!!

As well, my cousins just got back from another 2 week cruise to the Caribbean(which is my fave. place, and my Happy Place, and when I die that where I want my ashes to be scattered, at the beach. I've been there several times and have been to most of the islands) and a few months ago spent 2 months in Australia,and this time they all went, my cousin and her hubby, all 3 of their kids and spouses, and all 9 grandchildren. They're lucky and cruise 4 times a year! I used to go once a year (last year I went to Cuba....solo....best time ever....and other times with my mother and others with the kids) and have been to 36 countries, but now we're so broke we just don't have the $$$$ anymore. I do want to go to Jamaica (Bob Marley country!) before I die though. That's on my Bucket List.