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My daddy is selling his house and I can’t bear the thought of anyone except one of you buying it!

This is no sales ploy, my friends. (How dare you even think that!) It’s just l’il ol’ me, your friend Northwest Ladybug, asking one of you to buy his beautiful home in gorgeous Ashland, Oregon… so I can come visit you!

And if you don’t want me to visit you, I wouldn’t.

Which, I guess, makes this a sales ploy after all. Fine!

But it’s only because I love you. And him. And all the amazing people who live in Ashland, home to the country’s greatest Shakespeare Festival.

So let me tell you a little about this house. It is truly a one-of-a-kind find. Just look!

Wait! Don’t you dare leave! I’ll grant you “weird” -- but don’t just crinkle up you nose and close your mind. This is a house you need to experience to fully appreciate.

Yes, it’s five geodesic domes put together, with this pond in the middle of the five:

My parents thought it was a little “different” when they first saw it, too. But my mom fell in love with it immediately because the very high ceilings and open floor plan cured her claustrophobia every time she set foot in the place!

Behold:

How’s THAT for high ceilings?! This dome is over the living room. The other four soar high above the kitchen, the dining room, and two bedrooms. When you stand in this house, your spirit just opens up! I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s true.

And if you must see it “naked,” here you go – although these pictures bother me because it seems that all the life got sucked out of the house when it was emptied… and I think that’s why it hasn’t sold – because really, which says “home” more to you – the above photos or these?!

Yeah, me too.

(My brother Chris and I both felt lost walking through this empty house. Please buy it and fill it with love again!)

(Yes, the rooms are huge, not just in height, but in breadth!)

When our kids were little, Opa (my dad) made a loft that looks over the kitchen so the kids could watch Omi cook, and we could all visit and chat, but they were out of the way – ingenious, eh?

Yes, nice. But the ingenious part is this:

See that rolling ladder? It can be tucked completely out of the way in a tiny little alcove next to the built-in bookcase. This way, the kids could go up to the loft (and they often built forts and spent the night up there) only when adults were around to supervise! (Of course Dad installed a railing – and a pretty one, too!)

Yes, the inside is nice (and it’s “the ‘U’ word” too!), but the outside is fabulous! Dad had this black-bottom lap pool put in immediately after he and Mom moved in during the summer of… what was it… ‘91?

Some of my most relaxing memories are of times I spent floating on this pool with the only sounds being birds singing and the wind rustling through the trees.

Damn, I’d love to be there NOW! Can you believe that no one’s enjoying this splendor this summer? It’s such a shame!

As much as I like the house, my heart has a really special place for the cottage that Dad and Mom built in 2001. It’s a few steps down a winding pathway from the main house and I called it home for days and weeks and even almost a month at a time during the years when Mom was sick and I’d travel to Ashland from Seattle to spend time with her and Dad. Everything about this cottage feels like home – the smell, the cozy atmosphere, the open layout (especially for a relatively small space):

This is the view of the cottage from just outside the front door of the main house. Sometimes I’d shuffle up the pathway to sip morning coffee with Dad and Mom and then come back to the cottage to get some work done in the quiet serenity.

This is the pass-through from the living room to the kitchen:

And looking into the living room from the deck:

The kitchen is, for some reason that I can pin-point, probably the coziest kitchen I know!

I know, right? It’s a totally Bavarian kitchen! Hey, did you expect anything different from my Bayerische mutti?!

There’s even (gasp!) a bedroom!

Yes, I love the house (though it’s not as loveable when it’s empty) and yes, I adore the cottage – but you know what I really love?

The town of Ashland, Oregon!

The Plaza and Lithia Park are just a 10 minute walk down the hill from Dad’s place.

If I got to vote for the most beautiful city park in all of America, I’d vote for this one!

Ah, my kids spent many a happy summer day wading in this stream…

…and running on this lawn…

…and feeding the ducks on this pond.

Have you ever been to the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland? If not, you’re totally missing out!

And even beyond the city (actually, more like town) limits, there’s plenty to do.

Kat and I went river-rafting a few summers ago…

…and our family “pre-union” a few years ago (when the family of Dad’s new love, Lou, met our family) was at Howard Prairie Resort, just 30 minutes’ drive from Ashland.

You know, if I could I’d buy Dad’s house because all this reminiscing is making me all verklemmt! But since I can’t, you should! Then I’ll come visit you and show you around and we can stop on Main Street (no really, that’s actually the street name!) for an ice cream cone. Because Ashland really is the best of what America has to offer… and Dad’s beautiful and unique home really is the best of what Ashland has to offer!

Want more information? Did I pique your curiosity and whet your appetite?

Then visit the official real estate page, where they don’t say things like “l’il ol’ me, your friend Northwest Ladybug” and where you can check out the real-estate-ish details, like price and square footage and financing options and the MLS number. And hey, if you’re interested, let me know. Maybe we can meet there for a dip in the pool… or that ice cream cone – once you’ve settled in, anyway!