Bountiful

I spent most of 2010 getting to know my new city and today I’m in quite a different place than last December. This year I’ve explored downtown Denver, surrounding suburbs, the I-70 corridor and its ski resorts, Boulder, Rocky Mountain National Park.

After meeting lots of great people, taking up the ukulele, and rediscovering the joy of a bicycle, I realized this has been a great year in Colorado and I feel very comfortable here. And with this new found comfort and ease, I decided to take the plunge and become a homeowner.

Last month we moved into a lovely bungalow built in 1921 in a multi-cultural neighborhood in Denver. While the world around us seemed focused on Christmas preparations, we’ve had a busy month of unpacking and getting settled in. The house appears to be one of those kit bungalows that were so popular in the early 1900s. I keep envisioning that the original builders ordered the kit from Sears and worked through the summer to build it. It has very basic bungalow features like a low roof line with a small dormer window, hardwood floors, simplistic wood frames around windows and doors along with a few arched doorways. I’ve fallen for the charm of the bungalow, so I’ve been reading about bungalows as much as possible during the past month and making plans for little bungalow “updates” here and there like adding stenciled details and Arts & Crafts light fixtures.

Over the next year or so I’d like to learn how to build a beautiful garden in this dry landscape and to do hand embroidery. Meanwhile, Pauline would like to be able to explore the house’s cellar and crawlspaces and Izak wants to find pretty places to nap.