A Little Piece of Heaven Lost

When we first saw our house back in 1995, it was already 10 years old. We fell in love with the house immediately. It had a wonderful floor plan, which still amazes me today. It's the perfect home for entertaining. It has a big, open kitchen, a connecting family room, and so has tons of space for people to mingle and visit. And the livingroom, although also connected and part of the flow of the house, has a semblance of privacy. It allows people to feel that the house has somewhere to go when there are lots of people here. When our kids and grandkids come to visit, there are small oases of privacy for small groups or just a solitary soul.

But one of the features of the house that sold me on that first visit, was a large backyard gazebo. I could envision future wedding receptions held on the grassy lawn, perhaps with wedding cake being served in a twinkly-light covered gazebo. We have had 3 wedding receptions or open houses in our home, and are getting ready for #4. Amy's open house will be here in just a month. So, we've (I use this term loosely... I mean Bruce and his crew) been working on the yard, trying to get it ready for the big event.

Amy, our child #2, is getting married next week in Salt Lake City. Her dream wedding and reception will be held far from home, but 3 weeks after the Utah wedding, she & her groom will come to Southern California for the Open House (translated: the Eskanders are throwing TWO parties.... you do the math), which will be held in our back yard.


Bruce called me at work the other day, to break the sad news: the Magical Gazebo had to come down. I knew it was termite infested. I knew the roof was covered with moss, and the floor was unstable. I just figured we'd slap a coat of paint on it, and NOT serve cake or anything in the gazebo. I was still envisioning those twinkly lights. But, in reality, it made no sense for the gazebo to stay. With new landscaping coming in, having it there would just make it more difficult to work around. AND we'd just be throwing money away, fixing up a gazebo just to tear it down.
But I was brokenhearted.

Today, as I watched sadly, Bruce and his Merry Band of Helpers and Missionaries, pushed and pulled and, with hardly a whimper, the gazebo toppled over and collapsed to the ground. Broken and rotted, I could see why Bruce insisted it come down NOW. (click on the photos for a closer view)

Just so you can see, here's a lovely image of the Magical Gazebo in happier days.