Memories of Home

By Beverley Reid

A beloved family home situated on a beautiful picturesque island is listed for sale. The nature of "home" is discovered through poignant memories of the events and experiences of a close knit group whose lives are shaped by the community which envelops them. From generational traditions on major holidays to a chance encounter with The Rolling Stones, "Memories of Home" invites the reader to share in the passage of a unique way of life enjoyed by few but cherished forever by those fortunate to have lived it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Beverley Reid
• Release date: Mar 24, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310622175

Beverley Reid

Beverley Reid is an award winning director and producer living with her husband and three cats on an island off the coast of British Columbia. She is a co-founder of Coming Home Films Inc. From the Mekong to the Nile, her documentary films have told the stories of adults and children working and living in some of the most challenging places on earth. She has been honored at numerous US and international film festivals and had her productions shown on television networks in North America, Asia and Australia. She is the author of two textbooks, a non-fiction book, essays, and scripts too many to mention. A college teacher, hockey fan, and avid dragon boater, her favorite time is spent with her much loved grandchildren.

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Introduction

The anecdotes and stories which follow are drawn largely from a blog I wrote during the first eight months our family home was listed for sale. To say that it was a stressful time, would be a massive understatement. By writing the blog, I found a retreat from the worry which never seemed to go away as well as a perspective on what our island home had meant to us.

The entries are by no means comprehensive. They are simply the high points of my memory, colored by the magic of living on an island and the security of belonging to a vital small community.

"Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave,

But not our hearts." Oliver Wendell Holmes

2

The Decision to Sell

We’d lived in our seaside home for 27 years. During that time, we'd seen our five children grow up, marry and start their own families. Five grandchildren had played in our yard. Our family dogs had run on our beach and our numerous cats had climbed the huge trees which framed our property. We’d expected to live there forever not realizing that as time passed and the years rolled by, our dreams might change and our need for new adventure become more important.

As documentary filmmakers, we had been fortunate to travel and work extensively in the developing world. We had made wonderful friends and were anxious to reconnect with them in person. As well, our house had become too big for us and although it remained the perfect place for great family get-togethers, it seemed empty during the times when we were here by ourselves.

The final decision to list our property was made one March after much discussion with our children. The time of year was perfect and we’d hoped to cash in on the usual summer real estate market. But before we could even think of putting up a For Sale sign, there were things that had to be done both inside and outside the house.

"Your true home is in the here and now." Thinh Nhat Hanh

3

Staging the House: Part One

It had been many years since we had sold a house. The last time, in fact, was in the early 80's when getting ready to sell was pretty straightforward. You cleaned things up, mowed the grass, and made sure all the kids' toys were out of sight. We were soon to learn that getting ready in the 21st century was a different matter completely.

We were fortunate to have a very successful real estate broker in our family and we knew we would be relying on her experience, wisdom and chutzpah. Once we had decided to sell, she walked us through our house and gave us some timely tips about staging a term we had previously heard used only in connection with the theatre and war. It would turn out that getting us up to speed would have elements of both.

Our house was full to the gills of stuff we had brought back from our travels. Movie posters of our own films lined the walls and there were shelves and shelves of books everywhere. In short, there was no uncovered space and although we loved it that way, we learned that most everything would have to go (somewhere) in order to allow a potential buyer to imagine themselves living in the house. A plan of attack we was drawn up and the troops were called home.

The first siege was set for a weekend mid-March and by Friday night the battle had begun. All the rooms upstairs were emptied into the living room in preparation for the first wave of the