Independence Day has taken on a new meaning for Gary and me this year because two days ago we closed on our house that had been for sale for two years.

     This was the house of our dreams that we had built in 1978 after spending hours driving around eastern Monroe County and western Wayne County looking for just the right piece of land. We looked at hundreds of house plans before choosing this saltbox design. There was an energy crisis at the time, and we thought that eventually we’d be putting up solar panels on the long, steep, slanted roof in back. We picked out paint, wallpaper, cabinets, carpets, and plumbing fixtures. Over time we put on a two-story addition and added a pool, but we never did install those solar panels.

This was the home where we raised our daughters and where their friends gathered.  We hosted countless parties and celebrated every holiday there. I can still picture the backyard covered in tents and the living room floor covered in bodies in sleeping bags.

But life moves on, and our daughters now have beautiful families and homes of their own. Gary and I decided to downsize. Two years ago we moved to a patio home where we’re very happy. Unfortunately we put our big house on the market just when the housing market collapsed. So for two years we’ve had double expenses and double work and only half as much fun. Our dream house had become a burden. The last straw was when a pool line broke this spring, and we had to tear up the patio for a costly repair.

So now we’re celebrating being free of that burden – independence from caring for two houses.

Now, if I could just stop crying…