I now live in ranch in a nice subdivision. My parents stay in the basement in their “condo.” It has two bedrooms, a full bath, a living area and a wet bar. On the first floor my kids share a bedroom. We have an extra room that doubles as the kids’ playroom and my workout room. It’s definitely a step up from my old house. My old home was a small, extremely old colonial. The upstairs bedrooms is a converted attic. It was so old that in the basement the ceiling was made of timber. It even still had the bark on it. Once my dad was sweeping up the basement and the house got super dusty. Part of the floor is dirt. He couldn’t figure out why he kept sweeping and it was still dirty. When I moved out the house was 185 years old. It was one of the first homes built in our town.
I wanted to buy a house in Ann Arbor, but I couldn’t afford it. I looked at houses in Parma, Jackson and Mason. I ended up in Grass Lake and I can’t imagine raising my kids anywhere else. My house was in the village and the neighbors were amazing. They minded their own business but would 100% have their neighbors back if anything bad happened. Our next-door neighbor was a vet and a fix-anything handyman. He would bring us over freshly made baked goods and once gave us an entire pineapple upside down cake. Grass Lake is super conservative and I’m not. I have tattoos on both arms (and not a sleevelet that stops at the elbow). When I go out for a walk I need to use a rollator. I’m usually wearing running shorts and a tank top and a Carhartt hat. Not once have I felt the pressure to fit in here. Growing up in a wealthy, conservative city I often felt out of place.
We’re still in Grass Lake. I know the bus driver and two of the kindergarten teachers live in my neighborhood. With everything that has happened, I had to say goodbye to my first house. I moved there when my oldest was a few months old. I brought my second baby home there. My ex and I drank beer in the backyard, chipping light-up golf balls at night. We grilled burgers. We took turns burning the trash (we had a burn pit). And in this old house a door was broken, then another, then the same one that was already replaced. A tv was smashed, a gridle, a crib. The crib was actually a funny story. My baby got his leg stuck in the rails and I was going to grab olive oil but it was too late. No more crib. Welcome to sleeping in a bed, baby boy.
I have a lot of memories there. Some good, some bad. But it was my house. I don’t drive my car anymore. I’m on long-term disability. Until recently, my mom was the primary contact for the school, my doctors, everything. She even set out my pills in little organizers for me. That house was the last piece of adulthood I had left. I’m bitter that this happened but so grateful my parents were here to advocate for me getting the best medical care and making sure my kids were still taken care of. I probably would have lost custody of my children if this wasn’t the case. I’d still be blind. I wouldn’t have been able to go to physical therapy or speech therapy, which has been so helpful in becoming more like my old self.
I had my dad drive me to say goodbye to my old house. I brought a backpack with my laptop, one beer, and my noise cancelling headphones. I thought I would write. Instead I sat on the carpet in the now empty living room and cried. I told myself I had to stop crying so I did a little yoga with David Bowie playing on my headphones. Just the Warrior 1 and Warrior 2 poses. I have to use my cane to get into the stance, but I still do it.
I used some of the earnings from the sale to buy an exercise bike. I’m finally going to get sleeve filled (it’s a tattoo of the flowers Ophelia collects at the riverside in Hamlet). I bought a money tree for my bedroom because I love plants. My oldest named it Biolante, the plant monster in old Godzilla movies. I’m putting some money aside to train my future dog. The rest is going towards the mortgage of the house I bought with my parents.
I’m getting used to my new neighborhood. It’s definitely more upscale than I’m used to. Not being able to walk to the local grocery store or even a gas station is rough. I went to Play It Again Sports and bought a single golf club for five dollars. My dad is working with me on chipping. I’m terrible, but it’s fun to be outside and just goof around with chipping nets. I joined the neighborhood book club (I am the only women drinking beer instead of wine). Everyone is super welcoming and friendly. That’s what I love most about Grass Lake
There’s a doorbell to the basement that my kids love pressing to see if they can go downstairs to see their grandparents. It’s adorable. We’re lucky to have nine-foot ceilings in our basement. This does mean more stairs to the basement. Totally Jillian-proof.
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