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swirlie · 31-35, F
Just a short story for your post...
When my grandmother passed away, I ended up purchasing her property to keep it in the family. I would go to her house as a child and every window in the house back then was covered with 3 layers of drapes, sheers and horizontal window blinds as if she were preparing for a nuclear attack.
It never occurred to me as a child nor as a curious teenager, that her window blinds were always closed, because I figured it was either to keep the sun out or to keep the cold out during the deep freeze of winter. Therefore, she had good reason to keep them closed all the time, is what I deduced.
After I purchased the property following her passing, the very first thing I did was take down every drape, sheer and window blind from every window in her house because they'd all been installed in the early 1970's about 5 years before the end of the Vietnam war!
As each drape, sheer and blind came down, something magnificent happened! It suddenly occurred to me 'why' my grandfather had built that house where he did on the property and why he had purchased that property in the first place!
The property itself I've since discovered, contains the highest quantity of commercial aggregate (sand and gravel) still buried in the ground within 100 miles of itself. The property location is the highest point of land within 20 miles in all directions, which means rain water flows in all directions 'away' from my grandparents lawn!
On that farm at the peak of it's highest point of land, is where my grandfather built their house by hand, which my own mother was born and raised in. As soon as I removed all the window blinds and opened the entire house up, suddenly all those open windows revealed a 360 degree vista looking in all directions at the surrounding countryside which slopes downward and away from their house! The house itself was designed with 4 complete sides comprised of giant windows, almost looking like a greenhouse on 4 sides.
For all the time my mom lived in that house growing up and for all the time I spent there as a child, neither one of us were aware of the scenic vistas that house afforded anyone who was sitting inside looking out, because my grandmother wanted her privacy!
Despite living in the middle of a 100 acre farm, she thought the neighbors were all staring at her with binoculars, so she closed off THEIR view by having window blinds installed after my grandfather passed, which kept the neighbor's view blocked from scrutinizing her activities in her own house from that day forward!
When my grandmother passed away, I ended up purchasing her property to keep it in the family. I would go to her house as a child and every window in the house back then was covered with 3 layers of drapes, sheers and horizontal window blinds as if she were preparing for a nuclear attack.
It never occurred to me as a child nor as a curious teenager, that her window blinds were always closed, because I figured it was either to keep the sun out or to keep the cold out during the deep freeze of winter. Therefore, she had good reason to keep them closed all the time, is what I deduced.
After I purchased the property following her passing, the very first thing I did was take down every drape, sheer and window blind from every window in her house because they'd all been installed in the early 1970's about 5 years before the end of the Vietnam war!
As each drape, sheer and blind came down, something magnificent happened! It suddenly occurred to me 'why' my grandfather had built that house where he did on the property and why he had purchased that property in the first place!
The property itself I've since discovered, contains the highest quantity of commercial aggregate (sand and gravel) still buried in the ground within 100 miles of itself. The property location is the highest point of land within 20 miles in all directions, which means rain water flows in all directions 'away' from my grandparents lawn!
On that farm at the peak of it's highest point of land, is where my grandfather built their house by hand, which my own mother was born and raised in. As soon as I removed all the window blinds and opened the entire house up, suddenly all those open windows revealed a 360 degree vista looking in all directions at the surrounding countryside which slopes downward and away from their house! The house itself was designed with 4 complete sides comprised of giant windows, almost looking like a greenhouse on 4 sides.
For all the time my mom lived in that house growing up and for all the time I spent there as a child, neither one of us were aware of the scenic vistas that house afforded anyone who was sitting inside looking out, because my grandmother wanted her privacy!
Despite living in the middle of a 100 acre farm, she thought the neighbors were all staring at her with binoculars, so she closed off THEIR view by having window blinds installed after my grandfather passed, which kept the neighbor's view blocked from scrutinizing her activities in her own house from that day forward!
Musicman · 61-69, M
@swirlie That is terrible 😢 I feel so bad for her and your mother growing up. 😢 I couldn't imagine living in a closed up house or being that paranoid. I feel so bad for her. And now removing all the curtains, drapes and blinds you get the privilege of seeing those fantastic views. 🤗💖💖💖
swirlie · 31-35, F
@Musicman
At the time, my mom said she really never noticed the place being always closed up like that because that's what she got use to seeing while she lived there. Her mom was outside most of the day anyway, so she also got all the sunshine she ever needed!
But for some reason her mom got it in her mind that if she could see a farm in the distance that was 3 miles away, there'd be a good chance that they'd be looking at her standing in her living room looking at them! I don't think my grandfather took into account that they'd never lived in a place before that had such open views, which was now totally foreign to my grandmother when all she could see was everything around her!
My grandfather designed and built the house based on the views the property offered to those inside the house, not to those looking at the house from 3 miles away! lol!
At the time, my mom said she really never noticed the place being always closed up like that because that's what she got use to seeing while she lived there. Her mom was outside most of the day anyway, so she also got all the sunshine she ever needed!
But for some reason her mom got it in her mind that if she could see a farm in the distance that was 3 miles away, there'd be a good chance that they'd be looking at her standing in her living room looking at them! I don't think my grandfather took into account that they'd never lived in a place before that had such open views, which was now totally foreign to my grandmother when all she could see was everything around her!
My grandfather designed and built the house based on the views the property offered to those inside the house, not to those looking at the house from 3 miles away! lol!