As I contemplate on how to begin my first blog post, Charles Dickens is called to mind. Perhaps it is the Victorian home I live in influencing my thoughts, perhaps it is the classic opening of many of his novels, or perhaps it is because I teach high school English. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. So begins A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, and so begins the Renovation Girl blog.
It was the best of times…a red brick Queen Anne Victorian circa 1880, mostly intact even after 50 some years as an apartment building.
It was the worst of times…a beautiful old home used to fill a void where a child should have been.
It was the age of wisdom…learning new trades while making many mistakes, reading how-to books, and calling on the experience of those who have done this before…
It was the age of foolishness…learning the hard way to “measure twice, cut once” over and over and over again…
It was the epoch of belief…that we would bring this house back to its original form, while maintaining the integrity of the home…
It was the epoch of incredulity…the child we thought would never have all of a sudden was on his way…
It was the season of Light…the anticipation of the birth of our child, the almost-completion of our biggest renovation on our home-all at the same time…
It was the season of Darkness…the awareness that perhaps we were in over our heads, financially, physically, and emotionally…
It was the spring of hope…a small, growing bundle of amazement, the dream of finishing the restoration of a loving home…
It was the spring of darkness….a taxing dream, an exhausting dream, a dream that was years in the making which would take even longer to achieve…a dream of building our family never realized…
We had everything before us…at least, we hoped so...
R.G.,
WOW! What an opening post! To me that was beautifully written. Excellent way to introduce yourself! :o)
Kat
Posted by: Kat. | February 07, 2008 at 08:47 PM
R.G.,
WOW! What an opening post! To me that was beautifully written. Excellent way to introduce yourself! :o)
Kat
Posted by: Kat. | February 07, 2008 at 08:47 PM
R.G.,
WOW! What an opening post! To me that was beautifully written. Excellent way to introduce yourself! :o)
Kat
Posted by: Kat. | February 07, 2008 at 08:48 PM
This post was amazing! It was so creative and well written.
Posted by: April | February 07, 2008 at 10:07 PM
Classic, like the literature you read. Very well done post. It may have taken you a week longer but you nailed it. You really set the stage here for your blog.
I'm looking forward to reading more.
Posted by: Black Belt Mama | February 07, 2008 at 11:15 PM
What a beautiful read...I'm hooked! Can't wait to hear more of your life story. To argue a bit with Dickens, though, I would have to say ignore his advice and do not "Keep yourself to yourself." Bravo on your first post!
Posted by: Topsy-Techie | February 08, 2008 at 10:59 PM
OMG...I have NO idea why my comment posted three times! I'm so sorry! :o) You have 2 "Kat"s posting to your blog...funny! :o)
Posted by: Kat. | February 09, 2008 at 09:00 PM
I also enjoyed this post...it was a really great the way you used a classic tale to open your blog. great job!
Posted by: SpinDiva | February 10, 2008 at 07:12 PM