History in an old House

There's alot of history in a 100 year old house. 102 years to be exact. The last woman who had the house before me,lived here about 15 years ago. She bought it with her husband and 3 kids. She did a lot of remodeling, expanding the kitchen, doing wallpaper and custom floral carpeting. Unfortunately her husband had an affair with another woman and left her and the kids. She lost it to foreclosure. I met her a few years ago when she came by, I let her in for a tour of the house which she enjoyed, with her new husband, so she did move on.
The next owner was (by local neighbor's accounts)was an eccentric, artistic and wacky guy, who had numerous lovers, one of which he shot in the house... (not mortally, I gather) and had "preformance art" on the front porch in his toga. He would make a stage on the large porch and dance to loud music for the neighbor's (dubious) entertainment. From the account given to me by a reliable neighbor, he had some loud music on and was gardening in the yard next door, which at the time was his property also, when someone called the police because of the loud music. The story goes that the 2 police who came, one of which was a younger rookie cop, and when (allegedly) the owner Drew attacked the cops with a pitchfork, the rookie unloaded his gun into the owner and killed him.
This was quite a scandal in the neighborhood and town. The next owner, my ex boyfriend Bob, bought it from the bank, he said the previous owner never made a payment on the house and was also being foreclosed on. Bob owned it no more than 6 months,and as I said, I found him working on it and made an offer and purchased it basically before the paint was dry.
Sadly, Bob died of a heart attack a couple years later.
I had a friend who was a psychic, who when she came through the house said there were "many" spirits residing in the attic and not to go up there after dark.
I never felt spooked living in the house, I felt like Bob would've been there to take care of me from any adverse characters residing with me. In fact, I felt like the house was very welcoming to me and kept a close watch on me. So, if there were any of the spirits not wanting me there, they stayed upstairs and I let them be.
I hope the next owner will feel the love here that I did. I wish them well.
It is a lovely old home and neighborhood is mostly calm and generally a wonderful place to live.
One of my favorite neighbors, Vera is 81 years old and grew up in the house across the street, and her husband Richard, (now deceased) grew up in the house next door to me. They were married for 50 years and made/ make the neighborhood something classic to be cherished. Today she is like a mom to me and made me feel loved here.

My house

Is a 100 year old Victorian. I wouldn't have bought it, probably. But I ran into an old boyfriend, the love of my life who I had been with for 12 years, off and on....
here at the house. Bob loved houses, old houses especially. As do/did I. That was one of our occupations when we were together, was looking at houses, looking in windows, or going to the open houses. Bob, being the bold brash crazy man that he was would sometimes jiggle a doorknob or window and get inside to look at a house if he wanted to. While I would hide out in the car and hope not to get busted.
I remember looking at this house when it was for sale many years ago, probably early 1990's, or thereabouts. We came up on the porch and peeked in the windows then. No sale sign at that time.
I moved to Colorado in the early '90's since our relationship didn't seem to be progressing very well, 6 years and no proposal! I went back with my teenage daughter Kali and we bought an old Craftsman house in Grand Junction. It needed some TLC, but was a very nice house for us. After Kali graduated and wanted to come back to California, I moved too, to Dublin and bought a little house there. I had seen Bob many times after I went to Colorado, he seemed to not think that we had broken up, but that I was somewhere nice for him to go visit, every month for 5 years!
When finally, I put the pressure on him to commit, or not, we broke up. Again.
So, coming back to Antioch to visit my dentist, I saw his truck in front of this beautiful old Victorian. We hadn't seen each other in nearly 2 years, but I had never gotten over him.
So there he was, in the back porch, building some steps going up to the back door. When I appeared there, I thought he was going to have a heart attack when he saw me.
But he looked so pleased, and I couldn't help having the same old feelings flood over me. So, after we talked, and he told me he had a woman living with him now, nearly broke my heart. But I wanted this house. Maybe it had to do with him, but I know the house was my house from the moment I saw it. It scared me to death.
And I wanted it so bad. But to be honest, the connection with him was just as strong as it ever was. He was a big burly man, loud and boisterous, and crazy and loving.
So, I bought the house.
And I knew at the time, it was more than I could deal with. But it welcomed me in.
And made me love it. I gave it my heart.
It's been a lot to me, the love of Bob, and the love of old houses... And everyone said how nicely my antiques fit into it. As if they were bought for this old house.
I've been here nearly 11 years, and didn't think I could keep it this long.
But with the downturn in the market, my real estate career was such a struggle.
And Bob and I never got back together. He stayed with the woman he was with, and he died in 2002. So we never got back together, but I know he was happy with me getting this house, and loved that I lived here this long.
I lost it to foreclosure a month ago, and am being evicted. The house was being sold short to a friend who was going to rent it back to me, but the stricter guidlines that the banks have initiated have made it too difficult for him to buy it for me.
And though I've asked other people if they would buy it so I could rent it back, haven't found anyone able or willing to do this. So, it fell through the cracks, as did I. And I am dealing.
I am trying to be philosophical about this. There are many places in the world to live, so maybe I will move out and move somewhere else. Maybe I'm just a turtle with my stuff in my car, or in storage, and it is time to go. To move it on.
Such is life.
Such is the journey we are all on.
I will survive.
And I will smile again.
Trying!
It will all be good again.
I have my family, my friends, and my health.
Katie