Do you believe in manifestation? It took me months to write this post because I wanted to let the experience sink in. It has been incredible, and I can't wait to share it with you!
I wrote a blog post last year about my connection to The Ozark Mountain Daredevils that prefaces this story, but it all started after I bought my house and heard rumors that Rune Walle, one of the band members, lived here in the early 1980s.
After I heard the rumor, I thought, "Wouldn't it be cool if I could find a photo of the band practicing in my basement?" Or just any photo in GENERAL. I left it at that. Well, for a little while.
I went on Facebook to do some "research." I might have sent a few DMs—I have no shame—but I didn't get anywhere. A year later, I had pretty much moved on from the idea.
Last winter, a woman named Ana Walle commented on a mutual friend's photo on FB. I recognized the last name but assumed she was Rune's sister. But because "I have no shame," I sent her a message. I figured it was a long shot. But she replied, told me the rumors were true, and left this comment on a photo of my kitchen:
As you can imagine, I was completely ecstatic and couldn't believe my eyeballs, especially when she mentioned Munchies. I wasn't around in the Munchies' days, but I heard about them. It was the spot where all the hippies hung out in downtown Springfield in the 1970s.
And Ana was a waitress there. She met Rune there, too. They later got married and bought my house. Well, their house. Our house?
I already had two things in my house from Munchies— a set of matchbooks and a framed print of their logo. Cosmic goodness.
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils: Buddy Brayfield, Steve Cash, Larry Lee, Michael "Supe" Granda, Rune Walle, and John Dillon. To make a long story short (which I'm terrible at doing), soon after our first message exchange, Ana sent me a bunch of old photos, and we talked on the phone for 2 hours. We both felt like we had known each other for decades. I know!
I went from thinking about how great it would be to see a photo of the Daredevils having band practice in my house to forming a friendship with an amazing woman. We have sent each other care packages. I sent her a text on Mother's Day. Lol. I feel very close to her and don't care how crazy it sounds!
I wanted to share some of the photos she sent me. I hope you feel all the fuzzy feelings I felt when I first saw them. Who am I kidding? I still feel them.
Related Post: Why I'm Obsessed with The Ozark Mountain Daredevils
Here's a peek at the kitchen. The WALLPAPER. The orange curtains. 🧡
Here's a fairly recent photo of the kitchen now.
The large, original window in the dining room had three panels, and you could open them! I'm thankful to have a large, weather-proof version of this window today, but I love seeing how it originally looked.
It's hard to imagine, but the whole house (minus the kitchen and bathroom) was covered in carpet. You can see an old TV in the corner and the original fireplace.
This photo is PRICELESS. Apparently, there was a rock BBQ grill in the backyard that matched the house (!!!!). It's sadly long gone, but this photo of Rune and a friend makes me feel slightly better about it.
This picture of Rune's parents painting the back of the house really got to me.
Due to age, the wood needed a fresh paint job, so I started scraping the paint down to the bare wood last year. I scraped off three layers of paint: orange, brown, and blue. 😢
PSA: I need to finish this project this summer!
I snapped this photo on a snowy morning so I could compare it to the one Ana sent me.
Remember when Ana mentioned eating smoked lamb on Christmas Eve? Here's a photo of Rune in front of the big dining room window that night.
Ana told me this house was filled with positive energy, music, and love. People were always in and out, and it was a happy place. I've never been more sure that this is where I was meant to be. My forever home! xoxo, Jacki