Crashed

 Lukas had me up at 3 AM and after sorting him out. I read until my grocery order appeared a bit after 6, put things away, took out the household trash and some recyclables, ate a small breakfast of leftovers and made my way back to bed. The phone was off and it has stayed quiet, so enjoyed a lengthy sleep. including bits of a dream about houses of all things.

I'm not sure where my brain was going with this but I have never had my own house. Those that were lived in as a kid included the grandparents government-owned in the Canal Zone, a small two-bed 1950's era, also government-owned in the Canal Zone and a slightly larger house, courtesy of the government in the same place following a move after my mother and stepfather married.

None of the homes or multifamily apartments in the Canal Zone were privately owned and all had been built to be used by employees and their families. The house we had depended on family size, seniority and job site location. The grandparents lived near their jobs and had a house large enough for their three children and one baby once my mother moved in with me following a divorce. They lived there from 1959 to retirement in 1971. Bedrooms were small and sometimes shared and there was one family bathroom in the hall.

The house my mother and I eventually lived in after two apartments was two bedrooms, one bath, tiny galley kitchen and small front room with a carport and porch on the back, Built in the 1950's it was concrete block and had good windows and cross ventilation needed in a tropical climate. During my childhood, we had air conditioning but my mother and generations before her were not so fortunate. The rent for your residence was deducted from the family paycheck, as were the utilities costs. Food could be purchased through a commissary, the local Chinese gardens or in either Panama City or Colon, depending upon one's location. My mother worked in a military base school and her husband at the hospital on the Pacific side. Because of his job requirements, we moved house as a family following their marriage and although I have a painting done of the porch or patio on the back of that house and lived there until high school graduation, I was never fond of it or the neighborhood. 

My bedroom was just large enough for a twin bed, a small chest of drawers and a console table with a stereo. I also had a small desk for schoolwork. It always felt cramped and given that an average house size in 1950's America was about 983 square feet, it may have been. Our house had the porch or patio added at stepdad's request, along with a slightly enlarged den, used for entertaining and guests. Two of my favorites were nuns from an orthopedic hospital outside Bogota. Colombia.

So, why the sketchy dreams of houses? No idea although I am drawn to restoration shows such as HGTV's Hometown or Hometown Takeover which are a lot more positive and upbeat than the news or lack thereof. depending upon one's perspective. 

Do you have a favorite house?