When I tell people I'm moving to Winnetka (those who are from the Los Angeles area) either ask... "Illinois?!?" or "Where the heck is that?"
Then they ask "Why?!?"
So I might as well start this blog with the where, and then the why....
So, where is Winnetka, CA? Winnetka is a small section of Los Angeles located in the west San Fernando valley. It's not a seperate town, it's just an area that has a bunch of history. It's bordered on the north west by Chatsworth, the north east by Northridge, the east by Reseda, the south by Tarzana and the west by Canoga Park. How do you get there? Well, you can take the 101 north and exit on Winnetka blvd, and go north... Pierce college is located a the southern border of Winnetka. The northern border is up near Parthenia. The "ranch" as some have called it, is near Roscoe and Winnetka.
The next question... why there?
Well, it started about 5 years ago when my parents moved here to Los Angeles. They first moved here in a Motorhome and stayed in a park in Northridge... We tried looking for a house, but it was a bad time for me to help purchase one for them. So after a while, they moved into Park LaBrea.... and were there for 2 years. That was OK, but my step father hated it... felt like a prision. They came from Upstate NY, so they are used to haveing at least an acre around them... so to him, it was a prision.
Well, we decided to start looking for property and I spoke to an agent... then I started getting Emails of new listings.... and one week about 2.5 years ago, I recieved one that say the lot size was 19,500 sq in Winnetka. Really? That big? Yup, that big. I sent the email to my parents and got a call later that day... "Can we see the inside?" (They went to look at it and were outside...)
So, they made an appointment and saw it the next day. Mind you, it was a day after it was listed... we all decided that this was a place for them... it was on a corner, and the lot was huge... about 100' x 200', and the neighborhood didn't have sidewalks. Come to find out, it was also zoned residential agricultural. (Meaning, you could have horses and chickens, etc...)
We closed on the property in Feburary of 2007, and things were going well... My parents did some renovations for them to move in July of 2007. And my step father Dick really really loved it there.... It is a one story ranch style... and he had his space...
But things only last for so long... a year went by and in July of 2008, on the 13th to be exact, my step father had a compression fracture. When he went in a few days later to have xrays, they found 3 spots on his lungs. Long story short... small cell lung cancer. Dick passed away on September 2nd, 2008 and I do miss him a lot.
In the same time, My Mom's parkinsons got worse while Dick was sick... and she had to go into rehab and now needs 24/7 care since she can't walk. Not to mention, with parkinsons comes dimentia. So she can no longer care for herself and can not live alone.... so the house needs to be lived in...
That's where this starts..... well, almost...
On the same day my step father had his spinal compression fracture, I met my soulmate. He has been with me through all the thick of losing my step father and having to sort through and take care of my Mom... At this point, he has seen my ups and down... and hasn't walked away yet... and after almost 11 months, I don't think he will....
So, what to do with Winnetka? MOVE IN!
But, not just move in and live... but transform the place to be as self sufficient and eco friendly as possible... And we have just started.... hence this blog.
I will find the original photographs of the house and post them here for everyone to see where it started before my parents... and now where it is started with myself and Craig.... it should be quite a journey....
-g
