Basements

My safety basement at our Pennsylvania house - 1980

This past Sunday as we were driving into our development we noticed that one of the empty lots had a big hole dug in the ground.  Bill wanted to get out and see what was going on.  Shortly after he approached the big hole, an older man from a nearby house came bounding out.  Turns out he had brought the lot for his son and was building a house.  

The workers on our new house in Pennsylvania (in the woods) - 1980

The hole in the ground was for the basement.  He complained "I don't need a basement but the homeowner's association says we have to have a basement."  He then said "Who uses a basement anyway? I don't and I don't see why anyone else would." Oh Mary, Joseph and Jesus, I didn't want to disagree with my neighbor but I USE A BASEMENT.

The entrance to our basement at our Pennsylvania house - 1980

In fact, I wouldn't live in a house without a basement.  Eight years ago, when I ventured into the model home at Henlopen Landing, the discovery that the home had a basement SOLD me on that home.  Yes Virginia, we have a basement.  Oh so many reasons why we have a basement. Let me list them:

Protection from tornadoes
Cool in the summer, warm in the winter
Storage for all my junk
A place for Bill to live

The basement entrance to our Pennsylvania house - 1980

There are just a few reasons folks why I HAVE to have a basement.  I don't consider a house complete unless it has a basement.

Another view of the basement entrance of our Pennsylvania house - 1980

I grew up living in a second floor apartment.  I didn't live in a house with a basement until 1958 and then for only one year.  The next year I graduated from high school and joined the Army.  No basement housing in the Army folks.

Finished basement entrance - 1980

Then after the Army I lived in a series of apartments and then Bill and I bought a house in center city Philadelphia.  It was a townhouse, 16 feet wide and 50 feet deep.  NO BASEMENT.

Bill at the basement door - 1980

We lived in that townhouse for eleven years until we moved out "into the country."  Then I insisted on a basement.  The series of photos in this blog were taken in April of 1980 during when our house "in the country" was being built.  As you can see I had my safety basement.

Bill at our Pennsylvania house basement ready - 1980

Basement below - our PA house 1986

We now live in a beautiful development in Delaware where all the houses have basements (in our community that is).  We have a totally finished basement.  Did it cost a lot?  You bet but it was worth it.  Bill lives in the basement.  I have my "magic room" in the basement where I store all my mementoes that I've collected over the past seven millennia.  I often go to the basement.  

Me (of course) at the basement door - 1980

Two years ago we had a tornado pay a visit to our area.  I'm here to tell you that I was scared sh__tless but I knew I could go to the basement if the worse happened.  Thankfully we were spared unlike those poor people in Oklahoma.  I feel so bad for them but come on folks, why not a basement?  I hear that the reasons for "why not" was because it costs too much.  Really?  What's a life worth?  Red clay?  That's stopping you?  From what I see of the devastation most of the folks there could afford the big SUV's and trucks.  Hopefully some lessons are learned and some of those folks in Tornado Alley will pony up for a basement now.  

Our beautiful Pennsylvania house which we could no longer afford to stay (taxes) - Bill misses this house everyday