I’ve lived in my bungalow since 2010. When I first met John, the original owner, he told me the house was already about 50 years old. That might sound old to some, but the moment I stepped inside, I could tell he had taken good care of it. The structure was solid, the charm undeniable, and it carried a kind of quiet dignity.
One of the little things that won my heart was the cedar sidings. They weren’t just on the outside — they seemed to breathe life into the house. Every time I opened the front door, I would be greeted by that faint cedar fragrance. It’s hard to describe, but it’s earthy and calming, almost like nature whispering, “Welcome home.” Isn’t it nice when a house greets you like that?
Before moving in, I gave the inside a renovation to make it more comfortable. The exterior, though, I left mostly unchanged — solid brick with those cedar sidings that had already stood the test of time. For more than a decade, that was the face of my home.
Now, this old friend of mine is getting a little makeover. Over the past few days, a renovation crew has been busy putting up new aluminum sidings. They didn’t strip away the cedar; instead, they wrapped it in a special protective paper first and then carefully covered it with aluminum. In a way, it feels like giving the house a sturdy new coat while still keeping its original heart intact.
Because of the Labour Day holiday, work is paused right now. Today is Sunday, tomorrow is Labour Day, and the crew will be back on Tuesday to finish up. By then, the project should be complete.
Watching this transformation has been both exciting and sentimental. I see the old bungalow gaining strength and freshness, ready for the next chapter, while still holding on to the memories of the past. Houses, like people, carry their years with them. With a little care and attention, they can continue to shelter us — not just with walls and roofs, but with warmth, history, and that welcoming cedar fragrance that never fails to remind me: this is home.
自從 2010 年起，我就一直住在這棟平房裡。當初第一次見到原屋主 John 時，他告訴我這間屋子已經有大約 50 年的歷史了。對有些人來說，這或許聽起來有點老，但當我一踏進屋內，就感覺得到他一直細心照顧著它。房子的結構很穩固，魅力不減，還帶著一種靜靜的尊嚴。
讓我一見傾心的小細節之一，就是那片雪松木外牆。它不只是裝飾在外面——而是好像替房子注入了生命。每次打開大門，都會聞到一股淡淡的雪松香氣。很難形容，那味道既樸實又令人心安，就像大自然在輕聲對我說：「歡迎回家。」一棟房子能這樣迎接你，不是很美好嗎？
搬進來之前，我對室內做了一些翻新，讓居住更舒適。但外觀我基本保持原樣——紅磚外牆搭配經得起歲月考驗的雪松木板。十多年來，那就是我家最熟悉的模樣。
鋁板外牆與保護紙
如今，這位老朋友正迎來一次小小的改造。這幾天，施工隊一直忙著安裝全新的鋁板外牆。他們並沒有拆掉雪松，而是先用一層特製的保護紙包裹起來，再小心地加上鋁板。某種意義上，就像給房子披上了一件堅實的新外套，同時仍保留了它原本的心。
由於勞動節假期，施工暫時停下來。今天是星期天，明天就是勞動節，等到星期二工人們會再回來收尾。到時候，整個工程應該就能完成了。
看著這場改變，我心裡既興奮又感傷。我看到這棟老平房重新獲得力量與新鮮感，準備迎接下一個篇章，同時依舊守護著過去的記憶。房子，就像人一樣，會隨著歲月累積痕跡。而只要稍加照料，它們就能繼續庇護我們——不僅僅是牆壁與屋頂，更是那份溫暖、歷史，以及始終提醒我「這裡就是家」的雪松香氣。
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