My grandparents built a house together. Carved into a vista cliff, pointed out west and overlooking the sea. Some mornings you could see all the way out to Catalina, when it was clear and crisp, not hiding what was below in the light mist. They divorced after JFK's son died. Or was it before? I don't think the two things are related, but they are in my mind. I wonder about that house. What the new owners changed or kept. Did they remodel the ’70s out of the kitchen? Removing the tiles and their dark orange hue? Glazed terra-cotta I believe. What's stored in the cupboard at the bottom of the stairs? My aunt's Barbie Camper, my dad's Lincoln Logs, Christmas decorations. That's what used to live there. Is the fireplace still exposed brick? Or has it been painted over? Covered? Maybe dismantled piece by piece? Where did the mallard ducks from the mantle go when she moved? I haven't seen them except in my memory and pictures. Just a part of the backdrop and witness to childhood, as they sat. Does the family that lives there actually make use of the pool? It was only Cate and me who did. Not when it was getting cleaned though. We'd fear the moving white snake that lived at the bottom. If I ever won the lotto, I know what I would do. Drive up the hill, down the long drive, walk right up to the side (but main) door, and give it a tap. What would you like for my favorite home and the memories that live here? Name a price. Zillow says this should be more than fair.
Meghan Albizo (Fri,) studied this question.