Monday, August 25, 2008

I want Trixie Belden's house!

One of the unexpected bonuses of my Weight Loss Challenge Walking has been the discovery of all sorts of places in my neighborhood I didn't know existed.

Today, I went down a side street leading to the lake that's in the opposite direction to the one I usually take. Now, given the proximity to a large body of water, there are many million-plus dollar homes, with more older homes being torn down and replaced by mansions seemingly daily. I went on a tour of one yesterday. Very posh, very lovely, not quite my cup of tea even if I could afford it.

Then today, I saw a house that made me drool.

It was not large. It was not on a lake lot, although its lot was enormous (probably half an acre). It was small, white stucco with stonework and a veranda (I crave a veranda nearly as much as a mudroom).

I've been thinking about renovating our house, and one look I keep coming back to is white siding with black shutters.

And it suddenly occured to me -- I want Trixie Belden's house. Or my mental image of Trixie Belden's house. Not Honey Wheeler's cavernous mansion (although I'd likely love her closet space). No, it's Trixie's house for me.

Even after all these years, the influence of those books lingers.

The epiphanies you have while you're walking...

5 comments:

Maureen McGowan said...

Oh, Trixie Belden. That brings me back.

Cheryl St.John said...

Slip a camera in your pocket and take a PHOTO on your way by! I wasnt to SEEEEEEEEEEE

Cheryl St.John said...

spelling challenged in the AM

Margaret Moore said...

Great idea about the pictures! I should take some for my own future reference, too, in case we decide to renovate. There's very much a "theme" to what I like.

And let us not forget Trixie's beau, Jim Frayne. I think he was my first literary crush.

Cheryl St.John said...

Margaret! Kristin and I were walking about two blocks from home, and I saw the strangest thing in a front window. Dsiplayed in the big front picture window is a stuffed brown bear in a walking position.

It takes up the whole window area. It's just plain -- well weird. Can you imagine sitting in their living room looking at a bear? A whole bear.

Do they dust it or vacuum its fur?

I had to tell you--no Trixie Belden cottage in my neighborhood.