Chapter 2: Growing Up/Tub Tales:Life in a Tub

We left the Bible camp and moved into "the old house". For us kids, it was an adventurous place full of secret stairs, winding halls, and hidden rooms. For my parents, it was a a dilapidated old house whose chimney caught fire twice. Perspective.

I don't remember much about the bathroom, except I preferred to avoid the bathtub and bathing in general; it infringed on my play time. I do however remember my mom telling me a bath story of her own. She and dad had just been married and she was over at a friend's house taking a shower before a party that was to happen there. She took off her wedding ring and forgot it on the edge of the tub. Someone stole it during the party. Dad bought her an identical one to replace it.

all dressed up with my cousin (far left) and siblings in the "old house"

Later, Mom and Dad put a bid on a house that the government was selling off because it was in a flood zone, and won the bid. They bought land and placed the "new" house on it. Lots of work followed; it was a renovation war zone. Nothing was safe from being potentially ripped up, torn down or updated. Carpet left in clouds of dust, soggy wallpaper rolled sloppily down the walls in strips, and there was lots of painting. The bathroom was one room that was the least renovated, though, until one fateful day. Mom was commenting on how small the bathroom was and wasn't it a pity it couldn't have been bigger. We couldn't expand into the porch, because it was not heated and we wanted to keep the porch space. A small light bulb flashed in my brain. If they tore down part of my bedroom wall that bordered the bathroom and expanded into the bedroom, it would afford more space and even get the washer and dryer up out of the basement. No sooner said, then it was done.