Monday, December 10, 2007

Candlelight Tour of Homes

Yesterday I went on a Candlelight Tour of Homes in a very unique neighborhood in Florida. The homes were built around 1900. The architectural styles were diverse, elegant and quaint. The houses ranged from Craftsman to Queen Anne Victorian. The neighborhood is known as “The Old Northeast.”

The houses were wonderfully restored cared for and some had undergone fantastic high tech renovations. These grand homes have views of the waterfront; sit between brick streets and back alleys. Old oak trees draped with Spanish moss, huge clay pots spurting water and wrap around friendly porches welcome all.

Sidewalks were lined with luminary candles adding ambiance to the tour. Tranquility and perfection greeted you as you walked through the homes and the magnificent yards. Alluring outside sitting areas pulled you back in time where life passed at a slower pace.

Inside these elegant homes I saw no laundry baskets, no newspapers left on the coffee table, a weeks worth of junk mail perched on the kitchen island. The bathroom sinks were void of wads of toothpaste crusted to the rim. Actually I didn’t even see a toothbrush or an old ceramic toothbrush holder. I made a mental note of my own bathroom: a towel drying across the side of the tub, a shampoo bottle open and dripping green liquid down the side of my shower. Where was the most needed bathroom item? The big ugly black plunger was nowhere in sight.

I went home with wonderful ideas and great memories. This was my first Candlelight Tour of Homes in the “Old Northeast “neighborhood and hopefully not my last. Sadly, I have come to the realization – even if I owned one of these elegant homes – mine would not be on the tour. I wouldn’t know where to hide the plunger, the kitty litter box; the dog food dish and all my JUNK STUFF that I enjoy piled high everywhere.

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