Bluewell, WV

It was 1952, I was five years old, and moving into our new house located in Bluewell, WV…. My parents and 11 children. My parents had this home built and mom made some design changes to the rooms. The rooms were very large, and just right for our family. There was a large eat-in kitchen, dining room, living room and two bedrooms on the first level. One was my parent’s bedroom and the other bedroom was for the oldest sibling…..usually the oldest girl got that bedroom.

The upstairs had two bedrooms, with a bath between the two rooms. The rooms were so big; mom had two double beds in each room. On each side of the house there was a large attic. One attic was turned into a bedroom. There were still six girls and three boys living at home. (My brother Danny joined the military and Betty got married.) I can remember at times there were two (somestime three) girls in one bed. It was truly fun. We would laugh and giggle until Mom would call upstairs for us to be quiet and go to sleep.

Hardwood floors were throughout the house. I remember on Saturdays we all helped clean house. The most fun was when mom would clean and wax the hardwood floors. With our socks on, we would dance around on the waxed floors and pull each other with old towels; while one of my brothers would use the buffing machine. Thus, putting a great shine on the floors.

I remember the day we moved into the new house, the new television arrived before our furniture and mom said we could watch TV, but we had to sit on newspaper because she didn’t want us to track up her beautiful new hardwood floors.

Mother died in 1967, Dad followed later in 1999. We sold the house in 2008, after my brother got too sick and had to go into a nursing home.

Today, the house is back on the market. It is sad when I think of my childhood home, both happy and sad memories, without a loving family to run the halls creating new memories.

This house, that was my childhood home, located on a hill overlooking Bluewell, was mother's pride and joy, will always hold a special place in my heart, as will the memories.

No, No, I don't mean monetary, I mean wealth as in:

My loving husband, Claude. He is the most caring and compassionate person I know. Last night while I was working on my Active Rain blog -- setting up my outside blog, commenting on blog posts, learning new techniques, installing new links, or writing posts, he was in the kitchen preparing our dinner. Having Claude in my life, gives me a wealth of happiness.

My family - Both my parents are deceased. My brother, Donald, recently passed away leaving a whole in my heart. I feel very blessed to still have 9 siblings; 6 sisters and three brothers. The youngest is 57 years of age, and the oldest being 75. When my sisters and brothers visit, we always reminisce about our parents and our childhood. Growing up, I always wondered what it would be like to be the only child. I suspect that we all wanted to be an only child at one time or another. But, I was truly blessed to have a big wonderful family...AH... to be so wealthy.

Pictured here is my Mother 38, and Dad was 41, with 9 children; the 2 youngest, Linda and Avis, were not born yet. Mother had lost one child. I am sitting on my Dad's lap.

My health - If you don't have good health, what good is money? Eat healthy, exercise regularly, keep your mind active (i.e., post and comment on Active Rain) and you will have a wealth of good health. I am so thankful for my good health.

My friends - Since my husband and I moved to Lewisburg, WV, in 2007, I've met so many wonderful people that turned out to become good friends. Since my retirement, many of our friends from Northern Virginia have visited us; and love this quaint historical town. As a new agent in this town, the real estate agents I work with are so supportive and helpful. It has been said, if you can count the number of your friends on your hands, you are indeed wealthy. So, again I say, "I am wealthy"!

My faithful companion, Zeke - a chocolate lab, has become a part of my extended family. He is so adorable with the best personality. In fact, better than some humans I know. Zeke gives unconditional love. No matter how I feel when I get up in the morning or come home from work, he is always there to greet me with all the "hugs and kisses"....in dog language that is "licking and jumping".

I am so wealthy to have Zeke!

But, above all, MY FAITH in God. My parents had great faith, and growing up, had instilled in us about the love of God, and about having faith. Without my faith I could not get through every day of life, especially those days of suffering and stress, and those times of complexity and challenge. I truly am wealthy because God lives within me!

My husband, family, health, friends, faith in God and my faithful companion, Zeke (who is the chocolate icing of my life) is all the wealth a person needs to have a full and complete life.

I AM INDEED A WEALTHY PERSON!