My First Weeks at 480

 I have been in residence at 480 for twenty-six days. Much of my time has been taken up by getting parents settled in the nursing home, at first, and moving my cats here, one by one, which was a monumental undertaking, in and of itself!

I have three cats; Charles, Winston and Ruby. Needless to say, they do not go willingly into the carrying crate. It was quite a process to get them crated and moved over to 480. Once here, they hid, as cats will do when suddenly presented with new accommodations. It took a few weeks for them to feel comfortable enough to venture out from their hiding spots for more than just eating, grabbing a quick drink of water and using the litter box. Now the three of them are quite comfortable in the front of the house, where they are closed away from the dog, for the time being.  

Charles

 Charles, the boldest of the three, has even ventured into the part of the house where I am with the dog! After a few days of the dog barking at him, she has finally accepted him and Charles is passing freely between the front and the back of the house. I’ve rigged the door so that it’s propped open just enough for a cat to slip through, but not wide enough for the dog to get to their side. Winston and Ruby have made brief tours into the back of the house, but have scurried quickly back to the safety of their territory. So, it’s a process and I must be patient and hope that Missy (the dog) will eventually accept the other two cats as easily as she has Charles.

 My brother helped move a lovely spool bed from upstairs to what was my Dad’s study. There is a lot of work to be done in that room to make it a bedroom rather than a study, but I will get to it, a bit at a time. So far, I have the bed and a TV set up in there, and it’s very comfortable. Thinking of emptying the small closet next, so I have someplace to put my clothes, which are now folded and stacked in paper grocery bags.

Bedroom

Have not heard or seen anything paranormal as of yet, and hope I don’t. However, I must admit, it can get a little creepy in this big old house alone at night!

Welcome!

 

I grew up in the beautiful house you see pictured above. The gentleman in the photo below built the house, which was completed in 1892. His name was Captain Roland B. Kelley. My name is Lady K.

Captain Kelley married my great-grandaunt, Amelia Thacher, also in the photo, along with five of their seven children. The children pictured are (l to r) Roland Jr., Frances, Paulina, George and Eliza. They would have two more daughters, Amelia and Gertrude, to complete their family. The photo was taken circa 1888.

The home fell out of the family in the 1940's and 50's. Happily, when my parents were looking for a summer home in 1961, the old Kelley home happened to appear on the market! They purchased it for $11,000 two days before I was born. I have always felt as if the house and I came together! Certainly, my first excursion away from our home in another Massachusetts town was to the "new" home at number 480.

As it turned out, the builder of the house, my great-granduncle, Captain Roland Kelley, who had died in 1923, had not, in fact, left his cherished residence! My mother began to hear footsteps descending the stairs, which were located just outside my parents' downstairs bedroom, in the middle of the night, followed by the two front door handles rattling in turn as, presumably, they were checked for being locked. 

The Kelley Family

Frequently, items would disappear from the house, such as a pair of scissors or Mother's reading glasses, only to re-appear a week or so later in the strangest locations! Once, a much-used recipe book went missing, only to turn up on the piano in the music room some days later! We became used to the Captain's activities and decided that he was a friendly spirit, reluctant to leave the beautiful home he had so lovingly built for his family. More on Captain Kelley in future posts!

I moved away from 480 in 1980 when I got my first apartment with a friend of mine. This blog is about my re-locating to my childhood  home! My parents, who have lived there the whole time, are needing nursing home care at the present time, and are scheduled for admission next week. My three brothers all have homes, as do I, but they have no desire to disrupt their current circumstances. 

I have decided to move in to care for the house, as well as my parents' dog, in their absence. How long will I be there? It all depends on my folks. When they pass, my brothers and I will be forced to sell the house, as none of us can afford to maintain a house that is nearly 130 years old. I have always loved this house, and have decided to take my final chance to live in it before we have to sell it. 

Perhaps I will be there for only five months, or maybe it will be five years - only time will tell. But, I'm resolved to cherish each day that I am blessed to live there..... Captain Kelley and all! Follow me on my journey as I make 480 my own and settle in to life in this exquisite home for one last time.