This Old House

I know this is crazy, but we just bought another house in North Dakota.  It's like the old houses with potential that I've been dragging my hubby to look at all these years. He looks at the houses and says, "No Way.  No How.  We are not buying this house."  So here we are, out of desperation in finding a house to buy not rent, in the house of my dreams.  We've spent 4  nights here and every night when he lays down, he says, "I love this house." and I say, " Who ARE you? What did you do with my husband?"  I love it too.

The house was built in 1910

 - our neighbor says it was a Sears Kit House -

 it came to town on a rail car and somebody put it together.. 

A realtor's ad would describe it as a two story, unfinsihed basement, two car garage, hardwood floors, some new windows, updated bathroom, appliances included, corner lot ...
with potential.

The best part of the house is that the fantastic woodwork has not been messed with.

and is clean except for cigarette smoke

which comes off best with
 vinegar and water,
 Murphy's Oil Soap,
 Scrubbing Bubbles.

and a lot of elbow grease!

This bedroom

began to reach its potential

When Fabulous Fran worked her magic.

I've wished for girlfriends advice so many times that

my man has told me to just get them up here!

The truth is, I know some of what they would say:

Paint that furniture black (or turquoise) - Jackie

Paint the door red - Julie

Paint the patched wood to look like the hardwood - Nathalie

Let Dad keep his Indian blankets - Holly

No Cowboys or Indians - Julie

Faux or stencil - Jennifer

Use colors all on the same color card - Everybody

So with all their influence and little of Fran's,

 the house is starting to reach it's potential.

Potential,
 according to an online dictionary, is

 possible as opposed to actual;
capable of being or becoming.

Like the children's song,
this old house also says:
"I am a promise
I am a possibility
I am a promise with a capital "P"
I am a great big bundle of potentiality"

That's snow outside.
It's a good day to work on a house.

Stay tuned for more on
The Potential of This Old House.

Now faith,
 is confidence in what we hope for
 and assurance about what we do not see.
(Hebrew 11:1)