Where my Grandmother's house once was ... by kimariehere
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Description
Hello all!!
Ok there is a story behind this one that runs deep in our family... this is where my Grandmother's house once was (up till last year)... It is now the beginning of a Jack Nicholson golf coarse . All the memory's still float around and linger here. When I went back to Michigan My Mom and I ,we still drive here many times just cause it is still such a special place when we drive past.
My Grandparents bought this beautiful hilltop home in the 50's . I went there as a child in the summers it was a place of magic to me and I still sometimes remember the smells and feelings there .It was one of the only hilltop homes in Benton Harbor Mi and near the beach.
After Grandmother and Dad died My Mom went back to the family home and felt comforted by it with its many memory's and ghosts of the past- if walls could talk! . She restored it and put
80 thousand into the restoration. When the home was perfect and finished with its grand view of the paw paw river leading to the big lake ( can't see the river view in this pic on the other side ), Harbor shores developers/ Jack Nicholson reps tell my Mom she has no choice but to sell them her home & property!!! (http://www.harborshoresdevelopment.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=36&Itemid=16)
She tells them at first they can't have it that it's her family home and that she just restored it.
They say to her well its "hole 13" in the plans and even if she did somehow keep it there they would have to put a big net over her front yard and change the driveway from the back hill up. She cried. Here she just lost her Mom her brother, my Dad and this home and land was why she moved to Michigan & away from California for.
Anyways so my Mom got a lawyer and got a good settlement and bought a new beautiful home .She moved a lot of the landscaping to her new house across town some trees didn't make it. Sad story her river view is no longer and Grandma's beautiful home torn down where all the family dogs were buried. She took me to the land a few weeks ago after dinner . The land is 20 feet higher with fillers and waterways.. I hardly recognized that is was where Grandma's house was ! So I took this shot of it as the sun slowly sank with my memory's .
Its amazing you can own land 100% -...no guarantees out there you get to keep it though - they can still buy it out/ take it from you...
I am an optimist though - always have been so i try to look at the glass half full and don't mean to sound down about this at all ...just an adjustment. When I was walking around here I tried to remind myself that the good news is that the town of Benton harbor & area is being restored /beautified by this project. I am glad that it will be a beautiful place that people enjoy. I realize its sometimes a little hard to say goodbye to some places dear to the heart. Have you ever had to say goodbye to a property you have loved? It's a matter of the heart.
post work - ( just slight saturation
& curves, framed, and reduced )
-just thought I would share our story today.
Thanks for all your wonderful time and comments !!
Love to all
((( Big Hugs )))
~Kimmers ! ♥ :O)
Comments (114)
shutterbugs
A truly beautiful shot ... the colors are amazing!!!!!!
amirapsp
Such beauty in your work. Sad, but lovely memories sis...Hugs
Sylvia
Ahhh!! What a ~Evocative~ Story... You took us back in time, & your Lovely pic represents the Beauty of your Soul!! No one will never, ever take away our Memories as long as they live in our Hearts... THANKS FOR SHARING!!!
debz
a sad story Kim but a beautiful place!
MaraP
Amazing image, excellent catch my friend!!
mtc
This is indeed a very nice place and I understand that here you have beautiful memories. The curves of your image, the colors and the lighting are wonderful. I like also the ground textures and also the sun which meets the tree trunk and gives rays in the shape of a star effect. Congrats!
ElizaB
beautiful capture and narrative
e-brink
A beautiful composition! Lovely
busi2ness
The setting sun is so in step with the mood you conveyed and it is deeply saddening despite the good things you rightly pointed out. It is so wrong to be forced to resettle, so utterly wrong! Especially in the light of lust and greed. Maybe writing about it is the start of putting therapy in place for the years to come.
Charberry
Similar things happened to my grandmother's two homes (one was her retirement house). There is only one house left and that belonged to my other grandmother. No, our properties are mere leases, even though we pay dearly for them. It isn't fair. They really need to beef up the real estate laws here, because all of these shenanigans are ridiculous. Beautiful image, even though it is all for a memory.
virginiese
sad story ! It's really revolting to do things like this to peoples. I'd be upset to loose my home because of a big urban project. Nice shot. The atmosphere tells your story !
Art_Ramos
Beautiful image! But, it such a sad story that a house had to be destroyed! As a golfer, I am appalled!
Djavad
Somptueuse lumière
1402dandoy
Thanks for sharing memories...and a beautiful image
Mad-Mike
This sun is very beautiful in this pretty place!
CaressingTheDark
Gorgeous and a wonderful story
Robinho
wonderful shot!
timtripp
exquisite!
nikolais
Kim, this all is just awesome! Anyway, it's a sad story. Amazing how little you need to be happy: hole 13 puts you straight to bliss!
MOSKETON
Precioso amanecer. Genial.
THROBBE
Love the perspective, color, and texture!!!
DAVER2112
Beautiful image!!!
iaacf
Haven't read the story. Just want to say this is beautiful.
bmac62
Hi. Here I am two months after you posted this image. Something about it caught my attention. Then I read your story. Now I know what drew me to this photo...in addition to your fine presentation of it. A picture is worth a thousand words. Bill