I have always wanted to live in a Large Stone House. It's been a private dream of mine for a long time. I've even chosen the style of Stone House that I like best. It's made from 4" chopped white limestone, and the foundation is so sturdy that the house will be standing in place for several hundred years. There are lots of windows, and there's a wonderful view out the back of the house. The house is not too big, not so big that it's unmanageable or opulent. It's not too small, either. Inside the Stone House the furnishings are arranged and numbered so that no matter how small the room may be, it always feels spacious.

When someone enters the Stone House, the first thing that's noticeable is that the entryway is tiled with Sorrento Stone. It was brought directly from the quarry in Italy, where the builder, who was a famous builder from California, has a personal connection with the Quarry Owner. It's absolutely beautiful tile: blue - my favorite color. Beyond the entryway, the floors turn into hardwood, White Oak. There is a tile floor in the kitchen that is Saltillo, from Mexico. The floors are always clean, because they're easy to keep that way.

The walls in the Stone house are not made of any special material, but they have a finely done texture that is covered in a Faux finish that gives the appearance of real stone. Truly, they're simple sheetrock, but the care that was taken in the construction and finish makes them appear much more elegant than the common materials from which they're constructed. But, I must admit the truth of the matter. This is all a dream of mine. I actually live in a tenemant house, and the walls are worn and badly in need of repair. And the floor is cheap carpet that always appears dirty, no matter how much I shampoo or vacuum it.

But my mind wanders to the Stone House. My fantasy and imagination dwell there, no matter how desperate my actual surroundings. People who live in Stone Houses have no cares or worries, especially about making the rent payment or covering their loved ones for groceries. People who live in Stone Houses always appear happy, and don't seem to get sick from worry about whether there's enough of the basic sustenance or abundance necessary to care for themselves or their families. In my tenement house, there are drunks in the halls. Sometimes they barf on the floor. Sometimes they shit in their pants. Sometimes they wail in the night. It's enough to make one withdraw. In the neighborhood where my Stone House is, the neighbors are always kind, well dressed, and they always behave in a pleasing, civil manner.

The street where my Stone House is located has lots of Stone Houses. They all have impeccably maintained yards, and the vehicles of the owners are always new and clean. The smell of Hickory Bar-B-Que lingers on holidays and most Sundays. And all the owners of the Stone Houses have extremely fine educations and careers that make the lifestyle of the Stone Houses a matter of expectation for their children. My car starts on most days. I sweat the car payment every month. As I drive home from the place where I work part time, I pass lots of people who are on the streets with signs. Once I looked into the eyes of a person who was holding a sign. He was right in front, at a stop light where I had to stop. I tried not to stop, but I was afraid that I'd get a ticket for running the red light. When I looked into his eyes, it was like looking into the eyes of a cat. There was much mystery there, and I wondered if he had Stone Houses in his imagination. I wondered if he lived in a tenement house. Or did he live in the hallway. I wondered if he could turn out the lights at night, or close those big eyes, and freely fly away to a Stone House.

Sometimes I wonder what is Grace. I was taught about Grace when I was a child in Parochial School. The Nuns told us that Grace came from God. I never understood what Grace was then. I don't understand what Grace is now. Do Stone Houses come by Grace? Does a lifestyle that doesn't require a sign by the side of the road mean a person is living in Grace? If the people in the halls get their wine for the day, did Grace bring it to them? Who determines what Grace is or isn't? And how does one go about getting some of this Grace stuff?

I suppose that I should be grateful for what I do have, especially as compared to what I don't have. I've been told that before. And I know it's true. But sometimes I really wonder about things. I wonder if Heaven has a Stone House for everyone.