Things are starting to bloom at our rental home.  Peonies are almost open, Irises are next.  Hosta’s look great and even the raspberries we replanted are taking shape.

Yes, we did save a lot of plants from 4020.  They would have been bull dozed as I have previously written about.  The backyard at 4020 is back to dirt, just like it was after we remodeled.  It makes me sad all of the time and work it was and now it is gone.  However, it is nice to see everything look so nice here at our rental home.

On Saturday, my husband, cleaned out the hot tub that our landlords have here and got it in working order.  He spent all day cleaning it and getting it ready to go.

On Sunday we put down a deck under the porch where it was all dirt.  It looks really nice. I finished up planting my garden, adding popcorn, yellow squash, and mixed greens to our tomatoes, peppers, kale, lettuce and herbs. Not as much as I usually have, but enough for this year.

There are three houses left to come down on the project.  4020 is one that is still left.  I know the house has been gutted as much as it can be and our landscaping has all been dug up.  It will be better when it is done and over.  I won’t drive by it anymore once it is gone.

When I drove home on Friday, I saw a women taking photos of one of the homes.  She had a younger child with her, maybe around ten years old.  Too much traffic to stop.  Should of, would like her story also.  Guess I am not the only one that continues to drive by.  She was the second person I have seen taking photo’s of the demolished homes.

Everyone has a story.

~Susan

One of my appointments yesterday was with a couple I have have known for many years.  It had been a long time, many years since we reviewed their policies.

Over time, I have got to know them.  They were people I could tell about our situation.

We know each other well enough.  Know their parents.  Interesting that the man in the appointment, remembers his parents losing their home when he was a child for a road project.

It was a Victorian home (our first home was a Victorian – built in the late 1800’s), they couldn’t take anything because they were paid for the “whole house”.  Yet he remembered driving by and people had gone in and took doors, woodwork etc.

In the end the fire department burned the house for training.

Okay, that was my clients story.  Given his age and knowing of the road project he was probably my kid’s age when it happened.  That is when I “got it”.

“It”, meaning Eminent Domain, is never is gone.  You may win, you may loose, you may be indifferent, it will never leave you.

So, I get it. Eminent Domain will always be with me, with us.

It is was it is.

~Susan

Well, the project is underway.  Wow.  After all of these years it is really starting.  Hard to believe, even though we have been gone from 4020 for eight months and living in a rental home.

Both my husband and I go a little bit out of way to work to drive by.  Four houses have been demolished this week and a lot of trees have come down.

Today on my way to work, I drove by and saw a man at one of the houses taking photo’s.  I wish I would have had time to stop and talk to him.  My best guess is that he was taking the last photo’s of his parents home.  But, I had to get to work.  Wish I knew his story.  Wish I knew how everyone else felt.

I reflect on when we first found out.  Our youngest was one month old (he is now nine) and we had just finished up our remodel.  Our backyard was dirt and had not been landscaped.  That was in March of 2005.  The powers to be told us not to worry, finish up our project, anyway it turned out we would be fine.  That is what they told us.  We were told we would be fine.

Back then, I guess I thought “fine” meant “good”, or “fair”.  Not so.  “Fine” is a word I do not use much anymore.  Fine is not good, it is less than good.  It is less than fair.

I remember contacting our city council members, people I was never concerned or connected with.  We were not involved with local politics.  Since that day, we make sure we vote at every election, no matter how minor.  I have to think we do make a difference when we vote.

I think back and wonder if I did enough.  Our City Council Representative, who by the way, was the only one to vote against the project, went with me to get signatures for a petition.  I remember my feet hurt, I was nursing and had a baby at home.  I didn’t make it very far.  Would it have mattered?  I really do not think so.

I also know which Council Members did not have time to call me back.  Yes, that is why it is important to vote at every level.  You never know if something will affect you.  We had no idea and put a lot of money into a house that soon will be demolished.  Crazy.

We have been getting a lot of phone calls from friends and people we know.  They have been by 4020 and are checking in on us.  Yes, we know what is going on.  We are okay. Sometimes I think others are more sad than we are.  We are okay because it has now been nine years and at some point, you just go numb.

Yes, we are fine.

~Susan