My Trails into the Past

In 1980, just before we were married, my husband bought an old house, built in the late 1930s. It had a large picture window in front, a built-in cabinet in the living room, and an arched-hall. There were three small bedrooms with miniscule closets, one bath with no shower, and a large kitchen with little storage area. There was also no garage but the house had a half basement, accessed only from outside. The price was right. He used his eligibility for a Cal-vet loan. After we were married, he added me to the title. Our first major project was to remodel the kitchen. There was an alcove off the kitchen area that was likely meant for breakfast nook. Because the area of the kitchen was not dimensioned so we could put an island in the center and still have room for eating, we decided to put a Pullman kitchen in the alcove. That is where the cabinets and sink are. We couldn’t put in full-sized cabinets and countertop on both sides, so Norman ordered upper cabinets for the lower and buil...