Our Home our Haven

Our Home our Haven

Tuesday, August 7, 2012







                                                   The Journey of our little Home.

Twenty tow years ago when we lived in the next town 10 minutes away,our lives changed forever after a fatal car accident...no it was not us in the actual accident but Bob was an Ambulance driver and having attended many horrific scenes over the years,a little girl was killed ,not a mark on her body...this time the Ambulance driver could take no more and a shell came home that evening,3 weeks later the roller-coaster ride started.Bob had a massive breakdown,Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome it is referred to now,and he and we changed forever.
We were in a home provided by our work, a nice modest home and we loved where we lived.Government jobs are not very sympathetic when they find that the worker cannot return and after 6  months it was obvious that Bob could not,he was still a very ill man.So in all their kindness they gave us 5 weeks to get out! lovely! we were given the choice of Bob resigning or being sacked,we were  advised that we should let them sack Bob that way he would get more benefit from his Superannuation,this we did.
It was not a lot of money but enough to buy our home,our haven.For Bobs return to health the priority was to get a safe place for him,for him to feel secure and no one could put us out,so the search began for something cheap that we would have no mortgage for.There was nothing until we asked about our little town,it was not eveyones fav place to live ,now everyone wants to live here lol.
Then we found a little box house full of character and affordable...so the Johnstons moved in and life started to get to some normality,it took 10 years Bob eventually he got better,her is different but in a good way..life is funny.
So we bought this little home and as it had no shed or kitchen! we had enough change to put a kitchen in and built a garage for Bob or a shed as we call them.
Lots of people comment on our front verandah imagine the neighbours reaction when on a whim Bob investigated to find that those 2 front windows were in fact once a verandah all filled in to make 2 tiny extra rooms and so the little box became the princess she now is,those two front room take all the afternoon sun in summer and it almost cooked us inside the house,now we have coolness and breezes come through and we love her...so here is the now and before's .


After......



Before,new roof,gardens,verandah wrought iron and a face lift ,I don't think you can see them properly but there are 2 green frogs at the base of the steps and they are still there,where I grew up we had 2 chooks on ours lol must be an old Aussie thing. Anyway thats our little story,and although the gardens have changed again and the verandah now has a swishy settee to sit upon and wall ornaments,she is still home even the before pics are wonderful as we were blessed to find something affordable in the times when everything was starting to get more expensive,we paid $60,000 for her and her value is now almost $300,000 what a strange world of finance we live in.how hard for the young to find their nest. I have just found that the pic is not saved correctly and I can't seem to change it but I think you get the general idea lol typical me!!!

14 comments:

  1. Wow. That is a big change.
    Your home is just lovely Carole, inside and out.

    xxx

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  2. Thank you for sharing the views of your house now made beautiful, not just be decorating but by all the love that you share together.. -

    The Trauma that your darling went through obviously took a long time to recover from, but wonderful that you found a place you could settle, feel safe and make a home.. I love that sunshine the photo shows, over here this summer has been absent most of the time, and now we are almost in September!! Life is very short and no picnic for many, we just have to take it one day at a time, but thank you for sharing your thoughts, they are very interesting and give one time to ponder over! hugs from across the other side, J

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  3. I just love your home Carol you and your hubby have made it a beautiful place.

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  4. Carole, you have made the house Your Home, indeed Your Haven... and what a lot of rich history it has...

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  5. Every time I open your page, I see that beautiful house (home), and I smile. It really is a classic. Every time I look at my own home I feel happy; I know you must feel the same about yours.

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  6. Hi your home is beautiful. I would love that style to,especially having a veranda to.
    I am glad Bob has grown stronger. I always think ambulance crew have such a tough job being the first on the scene. I remember one of my husbands first jobs was as a hospital porter at a childrens hospital & he had to do the morgue duties & move bodies. This was upsetting for him & terrible for the families . he would always look very pale on those days. He no longer does that job but does work in the medical sector which does involve him being involved with parents who have suffered loss. Some days I think he would rather not be working within this sector.But he does like helping people to.
    Sounds like you & Bob made wise choicesthat paid off really well Take care x x

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  7. what a beautiful story, thankyou for sharing it with us.
    I love your home and I see now why you call it your haven.

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  8. I always love the header photo of your home, so it is lovely to know a bit about the history.
    Lovely to have a place you can call your own now.

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  9. Wow, what a transformation. You have both worked wonders.
    Love from Mum
    xx

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  10. Definitely a big difference and it looks lovely now.

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  11. Hello Carole
    Thank you so much for your comments on my latest post.
    I have also to thank you for this sad but happy ending story, which I found very endearing and has made me feel that little bit closer to you .... a blogfriend over there in OZ :-) Home for me is a very important factor in my life without having my OWN home I'd feel quite miserable. Therefore I can quite understand that having your own house and creating it into your own home,has been a major asset in pulling you through the hard times of your hubby's illness. You've done a wonderful job on that house what a difference I really love that front porch..... I could while away the time there with my crochet and some good music for hours LOL!


    Keep well

    Amanda :-)

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  12. i can comment again,yipee.xx

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  13. Wow...what a story. I feel privileged to know you. Just don't know what to say but want to send hugs your way. Joan

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  14. Hi Carole, I've just come over for a visit from Joan at pembrokeshire lass. I've enjoyed reading some of your posts and your easy style so decided to follow. I hope you'll come over for a visit sometime too.
    Love your house, verandahs do it for me every time :)

    blessings,
    Diana

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