It's a Mystery!

On our way to take our annual bluebonnet pictures this past weekend (pictures coming soon), we stopped at our rental house in The Big City to set some rat traps in the attic (cue the collective "ewwww!") and pick up some mail that our renter was holding for us.  Our sweet neighbor happened to be outside and we visited with her for a while.  She couldn't believe how much the kids have grown since she'd last seen them and then made us a little sad when she said she's about to put her house on the market.  Her house is officially designated as an historic site because it's the oldest, free-standing brick (former) grocery store in the neighborhood.  In fact, the people who owned and ran the grocery store nearly a century ago used to live next door to it in our house (also about 100 years old).

Anyway, that was quite a tangent considering what I really wanted to write about what was one of the letters that our renter was holding for us.  Although it was addressed to both Ryan and I, neither of us recognized the handwriting or return address.  It read:

Dear Sir,


Back in 1962 I owned the house at _________.  I would like to know the owners' names and phone number so I can call them and see if a picture I painted on the wall is still there.  Thank you so much.  My address is _______ and my phone number is _______.  Enclosed is a stamped envelope to mail back to me.  


Thanks,


His Name


The house he was referring to is two doors down from our rental house.  Neither of us had ever talked to the people living there so we have no idea if the painting he mentioned is still on their wall, but I did jot down a few notes about the condition of the house as we drove by it.

As soon as we got home, I looked up the owners' names on the county's website and found their phone number in The Big City phonebook.

I mailed a response to the man this morning and I'm sure we'll never hear from him again, but the whole thing has really piqued my curiosity about both the painting on the wall and the man who wrote to us.

Who knows if the painting is still there after nearly fifty years, but wouldn't it be really cool if it were?