our old stone home

large snowfall in Spain

2011-12-31T12:08:00.000-08:00

It is snowing in central Europe, according to the top of this thrifted tabletop.

I spent a lazy hour or two last evening clipping coffee filters and paper cupcake holders into snowflakes. Even though this new/old table was one of #1 Son's Thrifty Christmas gifts, I stole it for my crafty purposes. He won't mind.

As for the table, it was a $10 auction bargain which had a damaged top. So I covered it with a vintage map and lots of layers of mod-podge. Anthropologie called & and they want it, but they cannot have it.

2011-11-14T06:45:00.001-08:00

Before the guests arrive, I roll soft white napkins around the silver
and then the November sun deigns to warm them.

love people, not things

2011-11-04T06:49:00.000-07:00

After the guest room was furnished with an antique brass bed, a night stand, a bedside lamp, an area rug, and little else, The Quest for a suitable wardrobe began. This was over a year ago.

We scoured local auctions, flea markets, roadside sales,and antique shops all over the North country & even beyond. Unless we were willing to part with a large amount of moolah, the wardrobe-thing didn't look promising.
The LOTM was in on this hunt too, and even resolved to build one from scratch -even tho' he generally takes on bigger projects. Like whole back wings or large sections of sidewalk.

But as you can see, our determination prevailed.

We scored this beautiful find at our local auction house for a very fair price. It is large, regal, and deep. (Can someone say, "Narnia"?)
The carved top had to be shaved a few inches to fit, but my guys took care of that, easy-peasy!

Now we -(when I say "WE", everyone knows I really mean "William Edwin", the fortuitous name of the LOTM) need only to customize the interior ( which is as large as the Louisiana Purchase) with shelving & closet racks, and we are ready for a small family to move into it.

We (again, that "WE"-thing) will leave just enough squeezing room to slip through the back panel into a lovely, snowy place where reside Victorian lampposts & talking beavers & such.

Now, I don't mean to make this little ole' blog into a list of things we have acquired. Oh no. But I really must share one more addition to our old stone home with you.

-namely, an old oxen yoke- turned- architectural curlicue.

A man named Blieux Coyote dragged it all the way from Mexico to Hudson, New York, just to sell it to me.
In the process of the sale (read: dickering & bargaining), he told me his story while #1 Son & myself stood transfixed.
Everyone has a story, and I am learning to just listen.

So thankful am I for this old painted hunk of wood, and not just because it adds a splash of exclamation to our kitchen wall. It reminds me to watch, look & listen for the tales that people need to tell.

I am richer for them.

wake up time

2011-10-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

The sun has awakened me these past two mornings. I always rub my eyes in wonder when I look from my bedroom window, but especially when the last days of autumn are upon us.

Blessed am I!

a perfect day for a new sidewalk

2011-10-10T19:38:00.000-07:00

This is the kind of day it was; a rare day of autumn warmth, sun, breezes, blue skies, and cement.

Those kinds of days don't come along very often. One must seize them when they do.

So, around 10 am, when the ground rumbled with the arrival of a cheery red & white cement truck, the guys
tossed on their wellies & grabbed their rake or shovel of choice.
The cement truck really thrilled me. When the back went round & round, the red & white stripes looked strikingly like a candy cane on Christmas morning. I think I was the only one who noticed this.

Cement truck drivers are a special breed. And that's all I have to say about that.
-But I had to say SOMETHING, anyway.

See how expectant these guys look? They know that this is the last time their lower backs will feel good for, say, 48 hours at least.

Then the job kicked into gear when the first river of sliding cement dropped down. Ah, its a lovely sound!

Allow me to get out of the way ( which is what the LOTM regularly tells me to do) and show you what transpired:

I'll just say this one thing: that girl in the background?

Yeah. Her.

She stuns me with her beauty. And her ripped up jeans. And her brother's hat.

It was an eventful day.
Now I get to throw in more more thing, and it is this:

When life gives you three wheelbarrows full of extra cement, you think really really fast about WHERE ELSE CAN CEMENT MAKE MY LIFE EASIER.

With me, it was a fast answer: I KNOW! Why, the bottom of the hill as slick as an oil spill! You know, that stretch of hill that always lands me on my bottom on my way to my kayak!

All it took was two really helpful & strong guys who didn't mind me being a tad bit bossy. ( "Dump that heavy load here." "Put that really big rock there" -and so on & so forth.) I suspect they were extra gracious to me because they knew I had a double-meat casserole in the oven with their names on it.

I am so entirely happy with what they made for me, that I trotted down those steps tonight & hopped into my kayak for a quick spin on the river. I didn't even land on my bottom ONCE.

That's how I spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S!

As for the sidewalk, it will be quite useful this winter. And in the spring, the Lord of the Manor will install the gorgeous slabs of paving stone that he dragged home from Pennsylvania.

Won't that be ever so nice?

sure footing

2011-10-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

What is the purpose of this mess?
Is it a moat? A new kind of security system? The ravages of a large marsupial?

Nope.

It's just what happens when the Lady of the Manor sweetly suggests to The Lord of the Manor that we might possibly need a real sidewalk before winter. Last winter, we balanced upon wooden planks, the kind that pirates place over the open sea & forcibly urge prisoners to trot upon.

If my memory serves me well, ( and I pray it does) -all last winter's guests to the Stone Home were accounted for; none were lost in the mire, nor skated away over the hillside beyond rescue ---depending upon the rise and fall of the season's climate.
Early this spring -when these planks rested gingerly upon a veritable sea of mud-, M'Lord bestrewed some sundry stone in place to make the way a bit more pleasant:

(No side-by-side travelers, here. Single file, please!)

But I digress. I left you, kind reader, at my sweet entreaty for a proper sidewalk.

"The Royal Coffers cannot support such an Expensive Endeavor!" -quoth the LOTM.

(royal silence before the Lady replies)

"Neither can the Royal Coffers support the Hospital Bills of the Common Folk who mayeth fall on their keisters this winter." quoth the Lady --who thinks of such things.

So the LOTM saddled up his royal steed ( the Suburban) and hitched a jolly wagon ( a flatbed) to its hinder parts & hied himself to the Stone Quarries of Pennsylvania, where he had to go near anyway for another reason. And he brought home some little bits of paving stone.

These little bits of paving stone weigh a few tons. But their cost was well-discounted, even considering the efforts it took to obtain them and lug them to their new home!

We also have a humble pile of stone which we gathered from around the yard. No sense leaving these to waste.

It was kind of fun to take a can of bright orange spray paint & lay out the Royal Sidewalk Pattern this morning! As you may note, we changed out minds a few times. But nonetheless, the die was cast -thanks to the borrowed machinery (also bright orange) from our generous neighbors.

More on the new sidewalk very soon!

harvest-display

2011-08-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

Mornings find me puttering in the garden. I am usually dirty before my morning coffee. And my sneakers are wet. Never mind my fingernails.

I play with my vegetables before I eat them. Today, they are arranged on a recently-acquired Turkish platter. Later this afternoon they will find their way into hungry mouths. But for now they are art.

so many things to show you:

2011-08-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

Summer means many things to many people. To me, it means not sitting down at the computer to post pictures of what's getting done around here.

Obviously.
Over the months of June & July, the back wing was completed. I, for one, will not miss the white tyvek-paper that proclaimed we bought it at Lowes. Instead, I will regularly get a happy kick from seeing our beautiful stained hardwood siding.

It was a labor of love, let me tell you. Each piece of siding was hand-routed by the Lord of the Manor (LOTM, remember?). He rules my kingdom.

At this very moment in time, I am enjoying the finished screened porch. I have a great view of the waterfalls from the table here. We were very careful to make a smooth transition between the old stone of the original house and the wooden addition. I hope we were successful, because this porch STAYS.

Around the other side of the house, one can see the edge of the upper driveway and a make-shift stone path which lead to the back door. Before winter, we need to have a permanent walkway. Stay tuned for that!

Let's not forget the garden, where one can find me most mornings wiping mud off my hands onto my jeans.

Sometimes one can find me dragging a sprinkler around, lugging produce into the house, pulling stubborn weeds, or admiring my eggplant -which are almost too pretty to eat.

But mostly one can find me wiping mud off my hands onto my jeans.

Down in the lower driveway, the minions have been as busy as bees working on "The Cottage". We are not allowed to call it "The Garage" anymore. Orders of the LOTM.

One of my personal-fave minions is cutting sheet-rock while wearing a tool-belt. Presently, he is in far-away Uganda wearing a steadicam. Ask me later & I'll tell you all about it.

I miss him like crazy. I may start a whole other blog about how much I miss him, but after about 4 or 5 entries, I don't think anybody will read it.

It's kind of the same old thing over & over & over.

Oh you may think we are hardly doing ANYTHING around here, but you would be dead wrong. BECAUSE:

Over on The Town Square, the minions have been overhauling one of our apartment units. In deference to my blog-audience, I shall discreetly leave out the details of this particular overhaul.

-but I am compelled to mention that one of the bedrooms was "affectionately" dubbed The Cat-Pee Room. And one of the other bedrooms had been housing chickens.

You read that right. And might I add one last thing: there was no affectionate name for that room.

To quote Forrest Gump: "-and that's all I've got to say about that."

From the front window there is a great view of the town square, where one can spy on the Amish when they come in to town.

P.S. they buy chewing tobacco & powerade.

We also own the house on the end of the square. I have never seen the inside of it. I'll bet they are housing piglets.

Just kidding. They are nice people who read the fine print of their rental agreement.

Inside the Big Yellow House (as we call it), we find Geoffrey who does not have a friend-number. He deserves one after all we put him through. He claims, and I quote:
"This apartment has sucked my soul." He was fed well & comforted daily while he was working with us. Poor guy.

I don't think he was overcome by the fumes here, I think he was merely adjusting his equipment. -At least that's what he told me.

As I was departing the upstairs apartment at Big Yellow, I came upon this. I was rendered speechless.

Don't worry: it was summarily scraped off & painted over with Navajo White.
Two coats.

Perhaps if I follow up that last image with something stunningly beautiful, you will forgive me. This is a shot from the back window of The Cottage.

One last thing. Clever Tommy was able to install the mad-cool lighting on the porch. These are IKEA candle lanterns which he wired for us.

After installing them, he did what all clever people do: relax on the porch while taking in the view.

a fast fast train

2011-08-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

The summer started quietly. After all my commitments at Crane were behind me ( concerto auditions, German Diction, recitals, etc. etc.), I had a glorious week or so for twiddling my thumbs & planting my garden.

I hardly remember what that lazy week was like. Was it a dream?

June & July were a ride on a really really fast train. Except every morning I woke up here in my old stone home --which was a fantastic perk. Also: this fast train had the people I love on board.

And now the month of August is before me, the sweet & wonderful month of August! But before I breathe deeply & take the August-plunge, allow me to throw some pics down which illustrate what June & July have brought me:

My Saturday Friend & Constant Companion. I am blessed beyond measure with her steady company.

For weeks on end our yard was full of sawhorses & busy guys. The whole back wing is DONE now.

This was the view from the roof where I sat to converse with #1 Son as he caulked. By the way, #1 Son packed up his stuff & moved home from the Big Apple for 3 weeks, only to leave us a few days ago for a month in Uganda.

This was the driveway. Please note the person in the doorway of the RV. I love when the Eastmonds live in our driveway!

One week we had a young visitor staying with us from Madrid, Spain. She walked on our roof for fun. She begged for piano-advising sessions. She saw fireflies for the first time ever. She read books whilst curled up in the porch on a wicker armchair.

I love this shot because of the blur Joe's hand going for the rolls. It is a typical scene & it wouldn't be summer without it.

Don't even ask me how many meals were served nor how much money was spent on groceries. You MAY ask me how much fun we had at the table. Answer: LOTS.

Somebody around here owns too many guitars.

Lunch on the screened porch is a daily event. Even strangers line up for a chance to eat here. I have checked the front porch for hobo-signs just in case. The "talk religion-get food" sign particularly works around here. Just sayin'.

Starving musicians were busking for cash. They really need cash. I mean, look at their clothing!

We took time out to watch a bed race. I'll bet you haven't done that lately.

Again, lunch on the screened porch. Many jugs of Iced Rooibus Tea were consumed.

I never sat on this deck. I only wished I had.

Dessert of the Day: cupcakes. What's not to love?

Crafty friends on the porch. On this day, we painted rocks. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Our old stone home. Come & sit for a spell sometime.

the garden-muse

2011-06-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

Although the Blog-Writing Muse has not graced me with her presence very much lately, the Garden-Muse has. Every morning, in fact.

This past week, we have begun to imbibe in gourmet greens. I like to toss them with balsamic dressing, crumbled feta, and maybe a slice of tomato. Of course, this little meal will rise to new heights when REAL tomatoes are in hand.

Also on the garden-meal docket: sugar-snap peas. Oh my goodness. One can't even begin to compare those evil soggy nasty-tasting canned things ( that go by the name of "peas"!!) to what we steam lightly, swirl with butter, and eat while swooning.

And that's all I've got to say about that.

a small thought

2011-06-18T14:28:00.000-07:00

It takes only a small thought for beauty.

Earlier this afternoon I spied some wild iris and wild mint on our riverbank which I claimed for mine. A dainty silver vase was extracted from the back shelf of the dining room hutch.

And the place of honor for this delicate display? The laundry room.

Wasn't it a treat to forget all about this spot of beauty until late this afternoon? Washing up from the garden was made ever so nice!

two porches

2011-06-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

I haven't accomplished very much today.

-But was you can see, it is entirely not my fault.

Our two porches are to blame.

all sorts of gardens

2011-06-01T10:03:00.001-07:00

It happened a bit later than I had hoped, but the garden was finally planted this week!

You would know this if you saw me pick up a container of dish detergent from the bottom shelve of WalMart.

Oh my lower back.

But here it is in all its dirty glory. Please note the river in the background. It makes everything so much more beautiful with its sparkling cheer and its constant presence.

This is the view from the front porch. The LOTM's stone wall is holding up nicely, and now has some sort of resident creatures that tunnel in & around it. I predict chipmunks, at least to myself.

The option of snakes --however harmless & good for keeping pesky critters at bay blah blah blah--
gives me the willies. Additionally, if one EVER pops out its head at me, I would dance the Irish jig all over the front yard in full view of passing traffic.

Please do not wish this upon me, however funny it might be. I have performed the Mouse-in-Hair Dance before, and it did not add to my personal dignity in the least.

With the help of #1 Daughter, I snagged a few wheelbarrows full of straw from the loft of the barn. It is antique straw, which means it is good for nothing else but mulch. I have about another 8 - 10 years of supply up there.

Over in front of the stone wall I planted many flowers. I will now patiently await their arrival, comforting myself with the fact that I spent around 6$ (seed packets) for them, not $160 (trays of ready-to-plant seedlings). I do love flowers.

Speaking of flowers, I bring you this pic of the most treasured flower I have. She is such a beauty it takes my breath away.

As for the care & nurture of this beautiful blossom, I am honored to keep on keepin' on.
Throughout our lives we encounter all sorts of gardening & I'm good with that.

Happy Mother's Day around here...

2011-05-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

This was the view of the side porch last week; the day we dined there for the the first time this season. We shared a pasta dinner with our friends down the street. Let's just call them the 1942 Gang.

They know who they are.

While we slurped up authentic Italian sauce and munched on salad, the river churned away. Some crazy person on a kayak took this shot. Somebody needs to remind her not to venture out in such fast water.

Really, if one stays to the edge and away from the current, it is perfectly safe. I promise.

Anyway. Back to the side porch.

A few days later, a new phase of construction took place: the installation of the ceiling!
The LOTM stood back & exclaimed, "Happy Mother's Day" to me.

I'm good with that.
When the ceiling is finished and then painted, these terrific lanterns will be hung! Clever Tommy wired these for me last fall. They are IKEA candle lanterns with a new, more electrifying life!

Won't they look lovely on the side porch??

2011-04-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

You can bet your Easter bonnet that there is plenty going on over here at our old stone home.

The cedar shakes are being installed on the side porch, much to my glee. They will be stained a pale version of the rest of the siding, and then trimmed in white. I can envision it now.

While I am indoors envisioning things where it is 68 degrees, my faithful guys are bundled up against the cold. They rock my world, I tell you.

Who said that one needed to wait until a porch was DONE before using it? Not this lady. Last summer, we partied on this porch the very day the last floor nail was pounded in place. We decorated it with balloons & tropical color and had us a birthday party.

Ahh, memories.

Across from the side porch, the new water treatment plant is getting a make-over. It seems to be the thing to do these days around here.

The LOTM is feeling pretty good about how things are shaping up. Plus, the fragrance of fresh cedar shakes is an exhilarating elixir, for certain.

Have I mentioned to BE CAREFUL recently? You bet I have.

This boy is home for a delicious week from his post in Manhattan.

I would spin a few more yarns for y'all, but I have mucho work to do. Twenty people for dinner tomorrow evening for a new tradition: A home Good Friday service! Also, 10 at the table on Easter Sunday. Oh yes, worship practice tonight with a new song that I have not heard yet. And piles of manuscript paper on the dining room table, awaiting my orchestration expertise -such as it is.

We won't even mention the stack of music on the piano....

Have a wonderful & inspiring Easter weekend!

down by the bridge

2011-04-06T07:46:00.000-07:00

Down the bank at the foot of the stone bridge, there are things to do.

These things involve sticks. And frigid water that dashes merrily past sneakered feet.

Here are two entirely happy brothers.

As their dad looks on, they hit things with sticks. They throw stones and sticks into the river. They climb on rocks. They ask if they can go wading, fishing, swimming, exploring.

Please, Dad?

They stop their important work to smile for the camera.

Oh, to be the fortunate boy to have brought his boots!

Then there are those who are too cool for boots.

The camera did not manage to catch the Great Nerfball Toss, an epic event which involved fishing the ball out of the raging stream. With a stick.

A good time was had by all.

shady business

2011-03-25T13:21:00.000-07:00

I scored these mid-century teak lamps at last Saturday's auction. They set me back ten bucks.

Gratitude goes to my auction-buddy, Margaret, for envisioning them in our family room! I love hanging out with people who have vision.

-especially when adopting their vision doesn't cost me very much money.

An integral part of this "vision" included a fresh fabric on the lamp shades. This was a maiden voyage for me, but I was all over it like white on rice.

I had a little problem with getting started, as my first fabric purchase had to be set aside for -let's say-"other purposes". That's what happens when you have JUST ENOUGH fabric & then cut it the wrong way.

I did this in front of other people which provided much mirth for them.

I could have thrown straight pins at them. But I didn't.

Instead, I went on my merry way to covering two lamp shades with a bounce in my step & additional yard (and 1/8) of fabric.

The results make me happy! The back wing of the house has really been a place for me to play with new colors & prints that aren't my usual cup o' tea.

Speaking of cup o' tea, I may brew one, put my feet up, & enjoy my auction lamps!

the ice leaves town

2011-03-21T16:01:00.000-07:00

It was an exciting afternoon here at our old stone home on Saturday. The sun was shining so strongly that the ice on the river decided it was time to give up ship.

We left our house behind, grabbed jackets & cameras, and hopped down to the bridge to watch the ice break up. We weren't the only ones fascinated by this thundering attraction: cars were stopping on the bridge & at the town park to take in the sight.

It was so entirely satisfying to see these icebergs bite the dust. Proverbially.

It has been a long, drawn-out winter.

If were were regular champagne-imbibers, we would have risked the open container law & popped a few corks. It was THAT celebratory.

A few onlookers mentioned that it soon would be kayaking season for me. I blessed them for their words which brought me great joy.

two sunny days

2011-03-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

A few sunny days in a row have given the menfolk a chance to work on the Cottage.

I like when this kiddo is home. He has been crawling around on a roof now for two days. I feed him occasionally. Fish Fillets on a hard roll with mac & cheese, for example.

I love the light in this picture; how it reflects off of the saw and onto the physique of the handsome LOTM.
Now, this boy. This boy needs to call his mom.
When I posted a pic of him on facebook yesterday, his mom commented, "oh. I wondered where he was."

He is on a roof, mom. Along with the other guys. He is being fed well.

He is being told to be careful at a constant rate of every 14.366 minutes by a mom who watches from her kitchen window.

Speaking of windows, this is the view from the dormer window. Wow-sah.

BE CAREFUL.
-and please do not drop anything on someone's head.

Watch for splinters.

and come in for coffee & pie.

This update has been brought to you by the Lady of the Manor -who will be visibly relieved when all the construction moves inside.

will we EVER hear the end of it?

2011-03-08T11:07:00.000-08:00

"goodnessgraciouswouldyouSTOPwiththekitchenalready?"

-If you have said or thought these words when you have checked my facebook or blogs, kindly skip this post. But if you are remotely like every red-blooded American homemaker (-into which category I gladly lump myself-) ,then READ ON WITH UNBRIDLED GLEE.

Recently, #1 Son did a photo shoot of our finished project: the totally remodeled kitchen of our old stone home. For those who have followed this project from the beginning, much of this information will not be new to you. But if you subscribe to the camp that believes one can always hear good news twice, you won't mind in the least.

We purchased our old stone home two years ago. There were many things to love about this house: the marble plaque above the ground floor entryway into which was chiseled "1843",
the deep window sills that looked out on the Grasse River & falls, the generous dining room with a fireplace/sitting area, the built-in bookcases, and much much more.

But we cringed in horror at the kitchen. Narrow, dark, lined with cobalt blue tile, equipped with a non-working oven, tacky cheap cupboards, and a resident rat.....well. Let's not go there.

It's in the past.

All the more reason to rejoice along with me in this glorious space.

Allow me to tell you a little bit about its components.

The kitchen island has a story all its own. It was originally a general store counter. I discovered it in a friend's barn a few years back & after waxing rhapsodic over its dusty dirty glory, this generous friend agreed to give it to me -in exchange for a few hours of my husband's plumbing expertise.

She definitely was assured she got the better end of the bargain.

(You can read more about its transformation here and also here.)

About the countertops: on one side of the kitchen we have practical formica, which I love.

On the "baking" side of the kitchen, we installed reclaimed slate chalkboards. We got them at no charge from our church which meets in the old Madrid High School. They were happy to see them go, and we were happy to take them! They took a bit of elbow grease to become our pride & joy.

You can read all about how they became countertops here and here.

This useful hutch was also the recipient of a makeover of sorts. Again, it is an antique which a friend helped me find. I love its stately height. It has been the perfect repository for our everyday dishes.

(You can read about its transformation here and also here.)

A little note about the open shelving: it took me a few months to figure out exactly what I wanted as far as spacing & such. The LOTM was super gracious about building it. It took four boards from the lumber yard, a can of stain borrowed from the hutch project, and metal shelving brackets from Lowes.

Oh yeah, and a ton of obsessing about their exact placement.

They are the perfect place for all my canned goods, spices, and coffee; practical & beautiful all in one!

The beautiful cabinetry was custom made by our friend Eric. Since he never advertises, allow me to do it for him. His business is called From the Heart Cabinetry. (For heaven's sake! does he not even have a website?)

Got to get on that stat. This guy & his craftsmen are AMAZING. Plus, Eric & his wife Lisa have the most amazing kids.

(I received NO discount for saying that.)

There is not one thing I would change about this kitchen. That's how much I love it.

Moving on to the other side of the room, here is the unique light fixture that Clever Tommy fashioned for us. You can read all about its humble beginnings here.

The banner over the sink says "Love One Another". But I like to think that it directly translates as "Do The Dishes for Your Mother".

This little chair was stationed here merely for the photo shoot, but I really like how it shows off the shaker-style cabinet doors.

The flooring is hand-scraped birch from Lumber Liquidators. We chose it for its imperfections, as befitting an old farmhouse kitchen.

Lastly, I leave you with the aerial view from the loft. The blue propane bottle atop the fridge is there to keep me humble. After all, if it were a perfect kitchen it wouldn't seem real.

Over the past year we have filled this room with all sorts of people, serving up heaping helpings of food & fun. I am ever so grateful to do so!

more of The Cottage

2011-03-07T12:33:00.000-08:00

Stepping out our back door, I find a cheerful blue sky.

Down at the entrance to "The Cottage" I look back to our old stone home to take in a deep breath of fresh air and admire the freshly fallen snow.

As much as I am aching for spring, I still find it within me to enjoy the winter view.

Inside, the LOTM is requesting coffee. But first, I snap some shots of his work in progress.

The upstairs bedrooms are framed. (The installation of two dormers will have to wait for warmer weather!)
Pardon me while I am distracted by the view of the river from the upstairs windows.

Turning 90 degrees from that fantastic view, one can see down into the kitchen. The ceiling will remain open to the upstairs landing -which, by the way, will be THE PLACE to sip coffee and check the laptop in the morning.

Here is the landing, with temporary railing for safety's sake. We are scouting for some reclaimed iron or wood for the final railing.

This is the view from the kitchen looking up! What a lovely, cozy place this is going to be!

like

2011-03-02T05:46:00.000-08:00

From almost every window, one can see the river. I like that.

Sweethearts Dinner!

2011-02-11T10:14:00.000-08:00

We are lucky enough to host a Sweetheart's Dinner tonight.

This is the time of winter to insist on the kind of evening event that will stun the doldrums right out of one's system. A fancy dinner at our old stone home with other couples falls into that category quite nicely.

Over the last 168 years, there have been other parties at this house. I plan to throw a few more while we are blessed enough to reside here.

This busy bee has been in her kitchen, a-buzz with food-fun. My very first Beef Bourguignon!

-with Baked Garlic Mashed Potatoes on the side.

Please indulge me with a few pics of the "new" china:

Oh boy. Am I ever having fun.

If I remember to grab my camera for the after-dinner entertainment, I shall share how grown-ups get greedy. We are having a good ole' Yankee Swap this evening. Wish me the best of grab-bag luck!

Cottage update

2011-02-06T13:12:00.000-08:00

A brisk stroll across the bridge was definitely in order yesterday afternoon. I took Poodie with me.

How can this view NOT take one's breath away? Someone hold me back from throwing my little green kayak into the frothy current.

From the other side of the river, we beheld our humble abode. Please note the ramshackle red garage. We have been instructed by the LOTM to now call it "The Cottage".

Upon arriving back on the ranch, we popped into the Cottage to see what was what.
Above is the kitchen.
Here are the stairs. They aren't usable quite yet. But soon, soon.

Instead of trying to use the unfinished stairs, we trotted around to the other side of the Cottage to ascend the outside stairway.

This is what it looks like up there.

Eventually, it will all make sense!

alluring winter

2011-02-05T09:24:00.000-08:00

Who could resist a winter's afternoon stroll? Not I.

the cottage

2011-02-02T08:03:00.000-08:00

The only blizzard I would ever order is possibly one from DQ. Oreo, please.

But today we received the Mother Nature-type with horizontal precipitation, no cookies included.

The horrid weather does not keep the LOTM from his commute: a trot down the snowy steps to the garage. ahem: "the cottage", as he has dubbed it.

The transformation has begun to make the unused space above the garage into a state-of-the-art apartment with the best view of the river anywhere around.

The entryway and kitchen will be on the ground floor.

A staircase will lead upstairs to a living room and two bedrooms. Pictures forthcoming, you betcha.

As for the view, what can I say?

Stay tuned for the amazing project that will bring us The Cottage!

card number 300

2011-01-31T06:34:00.000-08:00

For many years I have been dreaming of acquiring some china.

For the record, I have never been a china lover. (All that potential breakage! Let's go with stoneware, ok?)

But even more since we moved into the our old stone home, (which gave us a real dining room, for goodness sake!) I have been scouting the local auctions & thrift shops for a humble set of china to pull out when company comes a-calling.

I also dreamed for a setting for twelve. Call me crazy.

Now be it known that this crazy so-not-in-love-with-china girl lugged home 4 boxes full of the stuff this past Saturday.

I just love Blanchard's auction house. And although I arrived quite fashionably late on Saturday afternoon, it only took ten minutes for me to wave my card wildly in the air.

Sold for $70 to number.....300.

Then my resident muscle (the LOTM and Clever Tommy) brought in my inherited china closet, which has been residing in the barn since our move. Luckily, there was one small wall left that could house such an item.

The facts: around 120 pieces of Carlsbad china, place settings for 12 with only a few missing pieces, manufactured in Austria (actually Bohemia -where my grandparents emigrated from!) in the late 19th century. Cream background with gold-rim and dark brown design. Who knows what its worth --but it fits our dining room decor perfectly!

-And we will share many a happy meal in its company.

one bad thing, sixteen good things

2011-01-06T06:49:00.000-08:00

I try not to use the word "maniacal" too too much. The last time it made it appearance in my musings, it was a few years back -and not even in this particular blog. Do you remember this?

But I digress.

Last evening, I came home from a prayer meeting (which was going full steam ahead, I might add) in order to ready the house for hungry company. I set out the food, warmed the pot o' soup, and decided to light a fire in the dining room fireplace. I fanned the flame, shut the door tightly, and went into the back wing to oversee the staff.

Haha. Caught you there. No staff; just me in an apron.

Five minutes went by, in which the front two rooms of the house were filled with gray smoke.
Now I can insert the word maniacal. Actually, I will spare you the description and ask you to employ your imagination of my antics. While wearing an apron.

I might also add, for your enjoyment, that I was whooping loudly although there was no one at home.

It seems that either the flue or the chimney is cracked. Or both, I don't know. But now we have a new decoration on our fireplace to keep the cold drafts at bay. Do you like it?

There was no smoke damage. Only a barely detectable tinge of smokey smell to the house when company arrived. As for me, I was redolent of a chimney-sweep.

In the department of Things That Make Me Happy, I bring you this: my new plates. Eight bowls and eight sandwich plates with l'il birdies on them. How I love them!

They were a splurge with Christmas money from my mom. She will be glad to know that they look great in Aunt Diane's hutch, which she also gifted me.

Thanks, mom.

soup's on

2011-01-05T15:15:00.000-08:00

After the prayer meeting tonight (the last of three this week), a small crowd will gather around the kitchen island for some soup & sandwiches.

The soup is chicken vegetable.
The sandwiches: egg salad on home-made bread.

Just as our bodies are nourished by food, so our souls are nourished & fortified by prayer & fellowship!

the tree

2010-12-12T05:57:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, Ben & Bill chopped down a a 10-foot tree. How lovely to have a vaulted family room!

Grandma Jean helped trim the tree. She hadn't decorated a tree for many a year, so this was special.
Jon was in charge of stringing lights. Good job, Jon!

Poodie lent her artistic touch decor. Then she fell asleep on the couch while I read "Amahl & the Night Visitors" aloud to the fam.

Please don't ask me to explain the mess on the other side of the room.

I mean, wow, people.....

our first

2010-11-27T18:54:00.000-08:00

We celebrated out first Thanksgiving in our old stone home.
We dined on turkey with all the trimmings.
We ate beets & butternut squash from the garden.
We wrote what we were thankful for on slips of paper & read them aloud after dinner.
We sang hymns around the piano.
We played games & watched a little football.
We enjoyed the company of family, friends, & neighbors.
We sighed with contentment.

It was a wonderful day of giving thanks!

gratitude

2010-11-24T11:03:00.000-08:00

Psalm 105:

1 Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
3 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!

Wishing you & yours a gratitude-filled Thanksgiving.

home-sick remedy

2010-11-17T09:28:00.000-08:00

"I like when you post pictures of home," said she. Done deal.

I know its merely a rug. But it makes me happy every time I look at it.

A real snapshot of the kitchen. That's five days of mail on the island.

Isn't is nice to know that the old chalkboard is finally up? It's the same board that resided in 3108, only now it's smaller.

Of course, in its previous life, it was in room 203 at the old Madrid School.

Today, I tacked the closet. THE closet. We only have one in the entire house.

As for recent vignettes, here is one my Texas girl will enjoy. We got the globe in a thrift shop in Cape Cod for $5.
The funky green couch. It's prettier than it is comfortable, but whatever.

Our soggy front porch with a rescued rocking chair.

The view from the front door. I wish she was walking through it. Right this very minute.

the river guide speaks

2010-11-14T14:16:00.000-08:00

After church, I stole away on my little green kayak.

steal: to move, go, or come secretly, quietly, or unobserved: She stole out of the house at midnight.

Thank you, dictionary.com. I might add: She stole out of the house at midnight with her kayak.
-because it is something I might do. I just haven't done it yet.

e house at

Thank you, dictionary.com.

I might add: she stole out of the house at midnight with her kayak -
because it is something I reall would do. I just haven't done it yet.

May I share with you a few shining moments from my trip?

The above scene is the view as one rounds the corner of Cow Island. I call it Cow Island because there are usually cows along the shore. No cows today, but I did startle a lone blue heron in the marshy grass.

He must have missed the last southbound Blue Heron bus. Poor guy.

The trees are bare, but they are still beautiful to me.

My beloved railroad bridge comes in to view. I have never jumped off of it into the water. But my kids have.

As I pass under its rusted trestles, I see the homestretch.

I paddle past my beloved church, too. There are a dozen cars in the parking lot, which makes me wonder if I am missing something.

From here, I guide my little boat as near the falls as I dare. It's as close to living dangerously as I ever get.

After I drag my trusty craft up across the road and stow the paddle in the garage, I go inside & make a fire in the wood stove.

The End.

breaking bread

2010-10-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

There are so many things I enjoy about our old stone home. One of them is simply the play of morning light across the dining room table.

Last evening, I reveled in the beautiful faces that dined here:

Hubby, tired & somewhat sunburned from a satisfying day's work. He ripped shingles off of a roof in the Indian summer sun.

Ben, the best boy in the whole world of boys. After a morning of college classes, he joined his dad on the roof.

Ana, who is such an very very good girl. She worked from 10-3 and then went kayaking with

Philip, who lives up the street. We love having his dazzling smile around these here parts.

Summer, who wrote & directed a most stunning film which is in its last legs of editing. You just WAIT until you see this film!

Jonathan, who pulled into the drive while we were lifting our forks to our mouths. Lucky for him, we had plenty to go around. He enriched our discussion of Conditional Immortality over dinner.

It tickles my fancy to no end that such lovely faces break bread around our table.

for what it's worth....

2010-10-09T12:23:00.001-07:00

For curiosity's sake, I searched online for "antique general store counter",
and found this.

Gracious me! $4,500???

Ours looked so very much like this one. We rescued it from a friend's barn in exchange for some plumbing work. I think we got a sweet deal.

green tomatoes

2010-10-07T12:54:00.000-07:00

It has been a great summer for tomatoes.

I put in around thirty plants; twelve of them being "Amish Paste". This has proven to be a winner for sauces and all kinds of cooking, as there is a lot of meaty paste & very little seeds.

We experimented by canning home-made ketchup. Why not?

It got the thumbs up from me; the rest of the family thought it was a great dipping sauce, but it's still not the same stuff as Heinz.

Ketchup Babies.

Anyway.

Last week, I trolled in all the green tomatoes & prowled the web for what to make with them. I was enamored with this recipe, perhaps only because of the web design. But really, the recipe sounded great.

I made 14 pints and dubbed it "Green Tomato Salsa" -because that's the way we will use it! We scarfed up two pints already, accompanied by two bags of white tortilla chips.

Now some of you will say, "this entry doesn't say ANYTHING about the new addition!" and you woulds be correct. The back wing looked really good for two days, and then all the mess began again: trim, carpet, paint, wood-stove pipe, and putting together the Lord of the Manor's office.

It is presently in a state of disarray, believe me. Better to talk about green tomatoes!

loving....

2010-09-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

...our new guest room.

the color on the walls: Olive Branch
the coverlet: Pottery Barn
the crocheted blanket: circa 1970 from my Aunt Elsie
the framed print: North country Neighbors flea market
the brass bed: yard sale

the new addition

2010-09-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

I was waiting until we were ready for House Beautiful before I posted pics.
-you know, potted ferns, perfect lighting, every detail attended to.....

Then I decided to quell the online begging & post pics just the way it is. Gloriously unfinished!
The woodstove needs a stovepipe. Cardboard boxes & piles of tools abound. We don't have a TV cabinet yet. The end tables are borrowed from Ben's bedroom....

But I am so happy with the almost-finished product.

We wasted no time opening our doors to entertain....
As a matter of fact, we unfurled the rug, ushered the couches in ( which I might add, led us to the discovery of a lost itouch and our extra phone...), and plugged in the thrifted lamps MOMENTS before 25 guests arrived on Sunday evening for a church leadership gathering.

We like to run things right up to the wire around here.

It was a perfect meeting: sharing, prayer, food, fellowship, laughter, the best folk in the world, and a time of worship that raised the rafters.

Check this spot for more! The guest room is being assembled over the weekend.
-because we have a guest coming, of course!

the news

2010-09-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

We eat tomatoes from our garden EVERY DAY, in some shape or form. They are heavenly!

My fears about the shelving looking "cluttery" were unfounded. Boy, I likey these shelves!

After obsessing for months about the right rug for the family room ( and one that we could possibly afford) I found this one online. I ordered it around midnight on Wednesday & it was delivered to my front porch on Friday morning. ($2.95 shipping. I am a believer in overstock.com!)

It's absolutely perfecto.

It is late. 11:27 pm. And these three guys are installing the handrail to the spiral stairs.
One might admire their work ethic and rightly so. But the whole story is this: the boys didn't want to wake up early to help Bill, so they talked him into doing it tonight.

And that's the news from Madrid NY!

old is new

2010-09-13T13:01:00.000-07:00

Not all the progress is going on in the back wing around here. Oh no.

In the dining room (which is now REALLY a dining room; not a make-shift family room or kitchen) a true feeling of serenity is beginning to reign. Last weekend we moved the pantry cabinet back into the kitchen (again, the REAL kitchen!) and finally my recently-inherited hutch was hoisted into its new home.

My generous mom gifted me with this lovely piece. Before she owned it, my aunt displayed white ironstone in it. There in her New Jersey home, it was surrounded by her antiques which brought her & others years of joy.

After my dear aunt passed away, my mom took this hutch into her possession for a number of years before she INSISTED that it belonged in the dining room of our 1843 stone home.

I think it looks perfectly at home here.
Thanks, Mom!

full speed ahead

2010-09-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

Finally things are getting quite interesting around here. It's full steam ahead on the back wing!

This was the view looking to the back wing from the kitchen island on Saturday morning. The flagstones are scattered on the floor. They are awaiting the Young Master's touch to become the wood-stove hearth.

Over to the left is the Old Master ( the LOTM, as he is known) kneeling in the mudroom hallway. I have chosen the hue of this hallway: Chocolate Raspberry.

I figured if it didn't look good, I could always eat it.

Behind me, in the bowels of the kitchen, my domestic slave is sorting through our pantry goods. We moved the pantry back into the kitchen from the dining room, where it had resided for a month.

Don't ask why.

In the back yard, the LOTM expresses himself with spray paint.

This is not a modern sculpture for the garden. This is the handrail for the spiral staircase.

These are the treads.

The Young Master is putting his jigsaw puzzle skills to good use. He is numbering the flagstones with chalk so he can build the framework.

See with what artistic gestures he attends his craft?

Afterward, he sweeps. I like that in a guy.

Speaking of things I like in a guy, how about rolling two coats of paint in a gigantic room? He did a fantastic job! The Lady of the Manor will now trim the windows with a dainty trim brush.

We have a new fan, too.
We have EVERYTHING.

We even have an expired building permit. Cool.

not very interesting

2010-09-04T18:19:00.000-07:00

Allow me to show you some not so very interesting scenes.

All white walls.

Ladders. Scaffolding.

Taped-over doors & windows.

Ladies & Gentlemen, this is our back wing. And someday soon, it will be very very beautiful.

moving along in the back wing

2010-08-27T17:53:00.000-07:00

Here is the view from the outside of the back wing. Please excuse the wheelbarrow. Also, the blue cooler.

(Obviously, we are not quite ready for the Home & Garden shoot.)

From inside the kitchen, the view is a bit more obscured. We taped a plastic wall up between the kitchen and the back wing in order to keep the dust out of the house until the taping, mudding, and sanding is completed.

We hope to spray a coat of primer paint early next week.
The windows are getting a beauty treatment; each one meticulously trimmed with molding and a 7 inch shelf at the base of the sill.

Might I inform the general public that a sheet of plastic does keep out the dust, but not the decibels of a table saw?

vacation inspiration

2010-08-21T19:24:00.000-07:00

Even while on vacation, my thoughts are always close to our old stone home. One of my favorite traveling past-times is oohing and ahhhing out the window of the car as we pass through little villages. Main Street of any New England town is of special interest.

I love it even better when on foot, where I can scrutinize the details up close. This house was in the wharf district of Salem, Mass. Some might say that it needed quite a bit of TLC, but I was very drawn to its weather-worn appearance. What a perfect example of a Greek Revival entryway!

I wanted to knock on this door just to tell them so.

Also in the wharf district of Salem was this gorgeous historic colonial. I swooned on the sidewalk and my kids had to use smelling salts to bring me around, the old-fashioned way.

Kidding, mostly. Although, ladies back then often got what they called "the vapors", far be it from me to lay claim to such nonsense.

This amazing pagoda was in a park in the heart of Boston asked Hubby to replicate it in our backyard.

He said it was within the realm of possibility. Those were his EXACT WORDS.
Vacation brightens the horizon, I always say.

I leave you with a photo of this absolutely perfect door. The color must have been inspired by the sea. Or the sky after a storm.

Who knows if any of these inspirations will end up making the "final cut" of what we add to our endless remodeling around here? But one can certainly dream!

bedroom make-over

2010-08-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

Last week, there was stuff going on upstairs in Ben's room.

He attempted to explain the changes to the bedroom decor, but I needed to see it on paper in order to grasp the whole plan:

Luckily, he already had this master blueprint taped to the wall. It illumined me completely. The new wall unit will accommodate shelves for books, floating speakers, and two computer screens for film editing.

Somehow I got sucked into the vortex of helping the project along.

Within a few days, things began to take shape!

Here is the desktop before the custom-cut glass top was installed.

The shelves are multi-purpose.
I like the floating rectangular shelving. They were a last-minute idea.

This project is not finished quite yet, but it's come a long way. Next week when we are back from vacation, I will post pics of the final make-over!

bent willow furniture make-over

2010-08-07T18:02:00.000-07:00

I purchased these three bent willow pieces at an auction recently. They came with cushions which were in excellent shape, but I didn't like the print (too country-cute) .

So I painted the seats pure white. Please don't ask me how many cans of spay paint I emptied. I promised Mother Nature I would never do such a nasty thing again. Plus, I got some on my tongue. But you didn't need to know that.

After spray painting and then using a paintbrush (and a bucket of exterior white paint) for many hours, I began to wonder if my auction "bargain" was such a deal!

But then I scooped up some awesome fabric ( especially for outdoor use!) on the clearance table at Jo-Ann Fabrics. Friend #12 is working on making slipcovers for me.

Don't I have all the luck?

Here is the finished couch. It's quite comfy! The view from the side porch is so perfect, too. Tonight we spotted an osprey dipping & diving over the falls.

Life is good.

spiral staircase

2010-08-06T07:46:00.000-07:00

This came via truck to our old stone home the other morning!

-and the results are in....

2010-08-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

Ta-dah! The thrifted light fixture is now a crown jewel to me.

It is wired to a dimmer switch with very amazing results. We all love it.

What do you think?

all sorts of cleverness

2010-07-08T16:33:00.000-07:00

In the category of "loose ends which need to be tied up", I bring you my kitchen sink.

Rather, I present the question that has puzzled me for quite a while, namely: what light fixture should be installed over the kitchen sink? I have been mulling over this one even before the kitchen was installed.

In comparison to all the unsolved dilemmas in the world, I realize my light fixture issue ranks pretty low on the totem pole, but to me it's pretty crucial. I mean, I have been doing dishes practically in the dark every night for months.

Although the industrial pendants in the rest of the kitchen are way cool, I held off in putting an additional one here.

I imagined something different, something catchy and slightly quirky and fun.
Not a pendant, not even a chandelier. Nothing too country or even totally modern-
a unique, one-of-a-kind, practical yet out-of-the-ordinary fixture.

One that wouldn't cost a heap o' dough, of course.

One day a few months back, I presented this conundrum to my most creative friend, Amber. I knew she would pull the perfect rabbit from her bag of decorating tricks. She stood back from the bay window, stroked her chin (just like her brother does when he is deep in thought), and snapped to attention within seconds.

"What are THOSE?" she inquired, pointing to three triangular glass storage jars that were minding their own business on a shelf nearby. I assumed she was changing the subject.

"Oh, I got them at the flea market in town for a few bucks. I might use them for cooking oils or....something, I don't know. WHY?"

"Well," she explained, "they would make a really cool light fixture- if you could find someone clever to wire them!"

Our house is regularly spilling over, bursting at the seams, with clever people. And after this clever person (whose initials are TQ) was done purchasing the supplies to do the job, the total-including the few bucks I paid for the bottles-was under fifteen bucks.

When this baby is finished, I will be sure to post the stunning results.

Thanks, Tommy. I already told you I LOVE YOU way too many times today.
Get used to the love.

the side porch

2010-06-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

Today's project: the side porch.

The "side porch" -as it is already affectionately known- is located off the kitchen and the family room.

It faces the river.

It will have removable screen panels. It will be a great place for eating, lounging, playing games, jamming on guitars and fiddle, late-night discussions about the meaning of life, and sleeping.

Back to the jamming on guitar part: this boy can really really play.
I'm telling you.

Why does #1 Son insist on holding his power tools in a threatening manner?
If he didn't know how to really really play the fiddle, we might relocate him.

Not really. Not by a long shot.
Who am I kidding.

We realized the other night as we were watching the Bluegrass Festival firework show that it will be THE prime location for viewing the fireworks over the water.

We have visitors living on our driveway this week. They actually live in their state-of-the-art camper, so it's not as bad as it sounds. Anyway, one of these visitors (the one who can really really play the gee-tar) has been sucked into the vortex of working with the LOTM.

Cookies, along with premier access to the side porch and all its amenities, will be his reward!

the process

2010-06-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

The reason why I am inside posting on a blog instead of scraping & wire-brushing is....

because it hurts my arms to do it for more than twenty minutes at a time.

I am really not a baby, just a grown-up prone to tendonitus.

Bit by bit, the front porch will be prepped for a fresh coat of white paint. I don't mind the process; not with a cool summer-like breeze on my shoulders and this view.

around the yard

2010-06-14T04:03:00.000-07:00

Can somebody say "a lot of work"?

I have a truckload of vision for this side yard, but can only live one day at a time.

When it gets overwhelming, I turn around to calm myself with this lovely view.

-and this lovely view.

I am so thankful for a friend's generosity. He brought over tubs & tubs of perennials yesterday. I gave him iced tea.
Over on the other side of the house, I putter in the vegetable garden.

Things seem to be growing slowly but surely. I have had to replant the beans, the cukes, and some butternut squash, owning to the clay in the soil and a few torrential rains.

It will take a few seasons for our soil to improve. Hubby already added many loads of sheep manure from behind the barn which was tilled in thoroughly. If we add mulch and manure every fall, I may even grow carrots here in years to come!
Along the stone wall, we transplanted hostas which we found around the yard. Next year they promise to be beautiful! The road crew planted two juneberry bushes along the road, which I hope will be pleasing to the eye.

They also seeded the lawn, but we had to re-do this little strip of lawn as weeds took over. We brought this to their attention and they agreed to weed & seed the front lawn again

This week, I begin the front porch makeover. I hope to enslave a few teens to wash and wire-brush the whole thing. Then we will give it a fresh coat of white paint. Zappy blue (the name of the front porch table) was painted a regal red yesterday, which was the kick-off for a new look!

Stay tuned for the results!

the new driveways

2010-05-15T05:25:00.001-07:00

This was the view from our bay window yesterday morning. The lower driveway was positively teeming with construction workers and their lunky equipment.

They started right in with their favorite activity: making noise.

First, they worked on the lower driveway.
Then they lugged everything big up the road apiece to the upper driveway.

Hubby is presently on the runway at JFK, eagerly anticipating a look-see of the final product.

He can't bear to reach the Dominican Republic without a survey of these photos.

And so I oblige him! Have a great trip, dear!

sketching out the plans

2010-05-13T09:08:00.000-07:00

The LOTM (Lord of the Manor, for the initiated) stands on his domain. He pounded this turf into meek submission with a roto-tiller last week.

This freshly prepared patch of smelly dirt is our new garden. There was never a garden here before. Actually, in days of yore there was a house here. It was the oldest frame house in Madrid when it was torn down decades ago.

The harvest table is a very appropriate place to sketch out the garden bed, don't you agree?
This is certainly the largest garden I have ever planned. Although the size is a bit daunting,

I AM RARING TO GET A-PLANTING!

catching up

2010-05-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

It takes so very little work to download a few pics, it is a wonder that I haven't had the inclination to do so. But it is only fair to keep my house-blog readers up to date, so here we go:

Welcome to my back yard where we had snow last week.

The Lord of the Manor had spent the previous day putting in grass seed and spreading straw. Never you mind that rusted tin barrel that is on the right. It's days are numbered.

See that black thing sticking up over the edge of the hill? It is the tip of a fallen tree. Every time I glance out the kitchen window, I think there's a man down there. An interloper.

I may have to go out there in my apron and chop it down.
-but not while it's snowing, for goodness sake.

Here is a random picture. Our Korean friend, Song, invited 12 of her friends over for dinner at our house. The way it works is this: we provide the kitchen and she provides the food. Korean food, of course!

After dinner, we gathered in the front room for dessert. (American dessert, that is. Chocolate cake, if you simply must know.)

A little night music helps the chocolate go down.

In other news, our sidewalks were poured today.

This one is in front of our house. The public sidewalk is across the street.
This is our "private" sidewalk. You must ask permission to roller-skate here.

I stepped out of the back door to see this scene. It is a real thrill to see a work crew knocking themselves out in our yard. It makes me want to put my feet up & drink iced tea.

Please disregard the porch swing. It has been patiently awaiting its final destination for almost a year now.

Now that the sidewalk from Grandma Jean's door to the driveway is poured, maybe we could hang that swing. I'm hoping!

Remember the new kitchen. I sure as spit-fire do!
I posted about giving the island a zap of color -and as you can see, it got one! I call this shade "Saffron". I think we'll keep it.

From the bay windows, this is the view. I love love love the industrial-style lights!

I also love X3 the hood vent. It is an Italian model that was on clearance at Home Depot.

Can someone tell me why my counter-tops look curved? In real life, they are not so.

bar stools

2010-04-30T07:43:00.000-07:00

I just ordered four of these retro-looking bar stools for the kitchen island.

When they arrive, we may drink chocolate malted milkshakes to celebrate.

the new front walk

2010-04-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

I ventured out in my little green kayak the other day. This is not a view for pedestrians. Only fish & birds get this angle of our old stone home.

Any landlubber can step out of Grandma Jean's door to see this, though.

We are getting a new front walk, courtesy of the the bridge crew.

This sidewalk is new on two counts: fresh gravel, blacktop & stairs AND a new location! The previous sidewalk went from Grandma Jean's door along the front edge of the house, and ended on the main road. It was old & cracked.

The nice men smashed it up & carted it far away. I was not sad to see it go!

Since the bridge crew is ripping up our driveway & replacing it, they offered to do anything we wanted in the department of How to Get to the Front Door from the New Driveway.

I don't know why there was never a direct route before. But there is now!

I envision perennial beds fanning out from either side; bulbs, low flowering shrubs, and herbs.
Any specific suggestions would be welcome!

little happenings

2010-04-15T05:40:00.000-07:00

Here is a beautiful shot of our old stone home.

And now I bring you the un-retouched photo.
I think the over-sized yellow construction machinery gives it that personal touch, don't you?

Now that over-sized yellow construction machinery has been mentioned, I thought I would let you in on all the brouhaha around here.

Once again, the men are digging large holes in our property. Here, they are looking for the town sewer hook-up so they can lay some pipes for our garage. That way, we can have sewer and water for the guest apartment. Some day.

I love when the guys hop into action.
This shot reminds me of the movie "Holes". I love that movie.

I also love the way the late-morning sun illumines them, like they are involved in a noble task. One might imagine they are searching for King Tut's gold.

But really, it's only a sewer line.

Across the street in the yard of the town dock, my favorite large rocks are still waiting to be moved to their final destination. They spent the winter here; a big change from the edge of the riverbank on the other side of the bridge.

Of course, before they were cast aside as junk when the gristmill was dismantled, they earned an honest wage grinding wheat and corn for the whole town. I am looking forward to giving them a place of honor in our side yard in tribute for all their wholesome labor.

Speaking of wholesome labor, let's go up the street to the falling down house next door, where a bit of "landscaping" is going on.

I tried to get to the operator to beg him to just "landscape" the whole eyesore to the ground.

-but upon instruction from the LOTM, the road crew wouldn't let me on the scene.

The LOTM really has some sway with the road crew.

Instead, I reveled in the many beautiful & wonderful things that are happening around me, and tucked in to a little plein-air lunch on the front porch.

Come join me any time!

recyling & re-using

2010-04-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

From the wayyyyyy back of the property, one can see the Canadian geese frolicking in the chilly waters.

But stepping back about twenty yards, one can see a man frolicking with a large yellow toy.

This man has a nice-sized sandbox to play around in. He spent the early afternoon pushing around dirt in an organized manner.

He made a big pile.
-and made that pile nice & tidy.

Now, the back of the barn is ready for some chickens or a few sheep. I think it is way cool to live smack-dab in the heart of town and harbor a mini-farm in our wayyyyyy backyard!

After he was done with the dirt-sculpting, my dear hubby decided to sling some rocks around.

This large collection of rocks is what was garnered from the tall fireplace/tower that used to be part of our old stone home. But I must say, they originally were part of the stone grist mill that was first built in 1802 at the edge of the river on the other side of our lot.

So I guess you could say these stones have been "re-re-purposed"! A new stone retaining wall will grace the front edge of the vegetable garden.

the new garden

2010-04-08T08:32:00.000-07:00

There are so many projects happening here at our old stone home.
Yesterday, for example, the Lord of the Manor decided to make our garden bed.

In the very back of the property, there is a barn yard full of years & years of sheep manure. The goal was to transfer that rich soil from there....

-to here, the front side yard.

I agree; it is an unusual place to have the vegetable garden, in full view of the traffic cruising by. But the full sun is quite the draw, along with the fact that we will never use this piece of yard for anything else.

Also, as the Lady of the Manor, I will be able to keep a snooping eye on who comes in and out of our little town on the river as I yank weeds and swat black flies. See this post for how I can entertain the neighborhood.

We were making this up as we went along. How would we edge the front slope? How close to the road do we pile the dirt? What about a path from the front porch?

The LOTM solved some of these puzzles with the idea of a stone retainer wall. He trucked load after load of the stone from the demolished chimney (dubbed "The Tower", as you may recall) to the front yard. Then, without much fanfare, he began to build a stone wall.

"Have you ever built a wall before?" I inquired hopefully.

Grunt. "Nope," he said in between heaving large rocks into place.

Our front foyer window will give me a beautiful view of the bunnies munching on my spinach.

the kitchen island

2010-04-05T17:39:00.000-07:00

We plan to eat many a snack at the kitchen island -which may explain my joy at its existence.

This past week, the Lord of the Manor has spent many hours crafting the reclaimed slate counter tops. Here is a picture of the slate being installed on the antique general store counter which serves as the kitchen island:

Tommy thinks he is Vanna White.

The crowning glory of this island is the light fixture. I thought a juxtaposition of styles would be cool, so I picked out an industrial light fixture.

The new addition to the kitchen was christened immediately with colored chalk -which makes total sense when you remember that for many years, teachers and school children expressed themselves on it in the very same way.

It's a chalk-artist's free-for-all until the tops are sealed. Seeing that the next day was Easter Sunday, bunnies and Easter baskets were all the rage.

A few hours later, a sweet young lady decorated the island top in a different kind of fashion.

We really really love this beautiful and functional piece! But now that it is in place, we think it may need a little tiny zap of color.

What do you think?

the slate counters

2010-04-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the perfect day for stone-grinding -if you are into that sort of thing.

Hubby donned a yellow wet suit and set up shop out in the side yard. He spent hours wet-sanding our reclaimed slate counter-tops.

It made quite the racket. I could hear the noise all the way up the river in my kayak, where thoughts of baking on those smooth, luscious black counter-tops made me shiver with delight.

He made numerous phone calls to our kitchen guy and local hardware stores to inquire about sealing the finished top. No one really knows for sure what to use. If it is left unfinished, it looks quite gray. But when wet, it glows with a rich inky depth.

Here is a view of the unsealed top. It's divinely buttery soft to the touch.

Pie crusts all over St. Lawrence County will be lining up to be rolled out here. Just you wait & see!

cooking up all kinds of fun

2010-03-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of grime and a 3-in-one tool. They seriously duked it out the other day.

After about five hours, assisted by a wire brush, hot soapy water, and the demise of three formerly useable kitchen towels, the 3-in-one tool was declared the winner.

Now we can actually use the shelves under the kitchen island!

The island itself received two coats of primer and a coat of "Prairie Dance". (More pics to come when the slate top is installed!)

In other news, Hubby got creative on me and crafted the panels for our double-oven cabinet.
He used the leftover wood from the original general store counter.

He re-created the look of the kitchen island with the oak panels.

Cool, right?
They were painted a color very closely matching the cabinetry.

The ovens ( which had been purchased over a year ago!) were installed....

along with a fantastic 5-burner cook-top! I am so happy to be using gas burners once again.

And speaking of happy, I don't think you have to ask Ana how she feels about all this!

seeing into the future

2010-03-28T06:17:00.000-07:00

A colorful and fanciful imagination is indispensable around these here parts.

Presently, our rescued-from-firewood harvest table is standing in its rightful place in the dining room. While we scurry to move 6,397 items into the new kitchen, this table has come in handy as a giant catch-all.

I beg you to employ the imagination that God gave you in order to envision the following:

-candlelit dinners
-Christmas breakfasts
-Easter egg decorating
-birthday celebrations
-summer buffets
-group craft projects
-prayer time
-book studies
-guests from all around the world sharing stories

I could go on, but you get the idea!

pics for the curious

2010-03-26T05:05:00.000-07:00

The big black trailer pulled into our driveway around 8:20 am.

Three guys began unloading very large birthday presents in assorted sizes.

They drilled & sawed and barked orders back & forth in a birthday-party sort of way.

Every once in a while someone scratched their head.

But around mid-morning, the bare-bones of our kitchen began to take shape.

I was pretty excited.

Here, Eric had an "eureka" moment. At the last minute, he had re-designed the sink cabinet.
From his hooting & hollering, I assumed he was pleased with the results.

He actually performed a variation of the I LOVE PINK dance in our kitchen. (see my other blog for details on THAT.)

I am not making this up.

We picked out a monster of a faucet. One can take a post-workout high-powered shower with this baby.

At lunchtime, Hubby took the guys up to the town square to the Hometown Cafe.
I would have fed them myself. But one needs a working kitchen for that.

Calm down, Nancy.

It's just your handsome husband
wearing a toolbelt
while putting the windows back on your hutch.

The hutch is heaved into place. We like its new home.

The baking center will have reclaimed slate for a countertop. Hubby will build them soon.
Notice the lowered counter for rolling cookies, pizza dough, and mixing.

One of my neighbors came down to view the progress. She had a new kitchen installed last year.
So she knows how I feel.

Here is the baking center side. The antique general store counter will be positioned in here somewhere. More on that later!

Stepping back into the unfinished family room, here is the view!

birch flooring

2010-03-24T14:01:00.001-07:00

The kitchen flooring was installed by the Lord of the Manor today. He started at the entry to the kitchen, where I began oohing and aahing immediately.

The color is very light and natural. It fits the style of our 1843 stone home.

It's called hand-scraped pre-finished birch. And I like it very very much.

Here, the LOTM takes a phone call. Notice that the phone is wireless but the floor nailer is not.

The late afternoon sun is making our new floor look quite shiny. But really, it is a humble satin finish. The hand-scraping gives it a well-loved and country farmhouse feel.

Now we are ready for the kitchen cabinets! Will I sleep tonight?

I DON'T THINK SO.

swoon material

2010-03-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

This image rocks my culinary socks.

We purposely DID NOT have any upper cabinets installed in the new kitchen. This way, I can take my time with designing some open shelving. I have envisioned shelves that would allow for home-made canned goods, spices, and other wholesome things stored in apothecary jars.

Floor-to-ceiling shelving won't need to happen over my way, but that doesn't mean I can't swoon over it online!

in which the Lady of the Manor needs therapy

2010-03-18T19:43:00.000-07:00

Last week, Ben was on break from college.
In his dad's vocabulary, that meant Ben was available to work at home.

-which is fine with Ben. He got to demolish things. Like this temporary wall.

I lived with it for three months and now that it is gone, I hardly remember its presence.

After it was gone and all the pink insulation rolled up and carted away, the guys hardly knew what to do next.

Not really. If they stood still for a few moments, its was only to catch their breath before diving back in.As for me, I climbed up into the loft and snapped pictures.

This was my view to the left:

and the view straight ahead:

Someday soon, a woodstove will replace that three-story tower of tools.

Dear me. This picture doesn't belong.

But as long as it showed up, I might as well admit that I traveled to Ottawa to see the National Arts Center Orchestra last week. It had something to do with needing structure and perfection in my life -where previously there had been weeks and weeks of clutter, dust, and cacophony.

Wait. This picture doesn't belong either.

It surely means that the Lady of the Manor escaped the premises via kayak.
In the middle of March!
whilst glacier-like structures still perch on the frigid and perilously swift waters!

Henceforth, I promise to keep to the subject at hand; namely, the kitchen project -and leave my therapeutic ventures to another blog.

decisions, decisions!

2010-03-09T16:23:00.001-08:00

After hours & hours of online shopping, I came to a snap decision about the dining room chandelier.
The chandelier I liked was just too expensive, so I hunted & hunted for one like it with a price that we could live with.

Couldn't find one.

So I logged on to JC Penney's clearance sale and went a whole different route. This lovely light
will do the trick quite nicely. Our table is over ten feet long and I was beginning to wonder if one chandelier in the middle would be enough light!

This chandelier is black iron, in a rustic style, and has some class. It will also allow the person sitting at one end of the table to see the face of the person at the other end of the table!

On top of this, the price tag simply cannot be beat! Down the road, I could easily justify an upgrade -but don't tell Hubby I said so!

the hutch

2010-03-09T07:55:00.001-08:00

I purchased this huge step-back cupboard last fall, thanks to an insider's tip from my friend Margaret.

We literally designed one side of the kitchen around it. It's that big!

The plan is to strip off the finish and then stain it a dark color. I am leaning toward a charcoal stain, but if by sheer accident, the color leans toward a rich plum, well then it can't be helped.

Hubby votes against the dark plum because he doesn't want the kitchen to look like a Mexican restaurant. (He didn't mind consuming my pulled-pork Tex-Mex casserole the other night, though. So in my mind, I have some leeway.)

As I was working on the inside of the bottom doors, I realized that I liked the "wrong" side better. The simpler trim will match the kitchen cupboards. Hubby said "no problem" to pull a switcheroo and flip them around so the inside will be the outside.

Isn't that fun?

a busy Saturday in March

2010-03-06T16:37:00.000-08:00

This particular Saturday, we had a lot going on in the remodeling department.

Hubby and Tommy bashed out another wall:

: and installed a door and a window in its place.

Jon replaced the window which will be over the baking center. It is lovely.

One day, the view out of it will be lovely, too.
But not today.

Ben made lots of noise. He drilled holes through walls and floors.

He also worked for hours in the stone cellar working on electric. By the way, he is such a goofball.

Tommy cleaned up the yard:

This was really necessary.
He did about 1,001 other things, too. He also had three helpings of pulled pork Mexican casserole for dinner, but I won't begrudge him his sustenance.

I swept up piles of rubble. These piles of rubble were making their way into every room of the house, including my bedroom. I don't know how that happens.

Ana baked cookies and helped with dinner. (That's after she cleaned someone else's house all morning!)

But back to the kitchen.
The guys have decided to break off the old plaster and wire brush the original stone:

You are looking at the future home of our 5-burner gas stove-top.

To accommodate the extra space behind the counter-top and stove, we will build a shelf which will extend the length of the wall. This will be a great space for stuff that would normally clutter up the counter-top: spices, cooking supplies, salt & pepper, utensils, and whatnot. Nice!

I abhor kitchen clutter, but if necessary things are up on a shelf and off of my work space, I think I can deal.

Also, we have decided to keep the peak open to expose the stone here, also. A wide piece of crown molding will separate it from the rest of the wall.

The original stone will look AMAZING . We are pretty excited about keeping it exposed.

From the stone house at the foot of the bridge, over & out.

all kinds of work

2010-02-25T14:26:00.000-08:00

We all have a job to do. Usually, mine involves schooling my one brilliant student, keeping house, and not practicing the piano as much as I should.

This cozy corner is where I do a lot of stuff. Like lose scrabble games online.

This guy? Well.
This guy doesn't let any grass grow under his feet, no sirree.

In the past few days he has finished taping & sanding the guest room and the office. Then he primed them.
Here is the office all primed.

And here it is with its finish coat of "Lattice Work" and the new floor. This flooring has been in storage for a few years, waiting for the proper time to shine its rich, wooden glory. It's real wood; an exotic import called merbau. Check it out!

Hubby bought it for a $1/square foot from his brother, who had it left over from a job. Isn't it warm and expensive-looking?

Sometimes I leave my cozy corner, don paint gear, and get 'er done.

Today I did this project all by my big-girl self: two coats of "Olive Branch". The flooring is being installed as I type; the same flooring as the office right next to it.

Hubby will install baseboard heat and all the trim (which I will then paint). Then on Saturday, furniture will be moved into these two rooms to make space for the kitchen demo.

In the midst of all this clamor, we are generally enjoying ourselves immensely. We've never been the type to stress out during renovations. Isn't that nice?

the general store counter comes through the door

2010-02-22T08:20:00.000-08:00

I love this. Don't you?

At our old house, I had this magazine clipping tacked to the kitchen bulletin board. Now it is finally time to make something similar happen in our new kitchen!

Last evening, Hubby enlisted the strong young men who were hanging around. He marched them to the barn with our newly-refinished harvest table ( for storage until we are ready to use it!) and brought them back to our old stone home with this little thing:

It is twelve feet long.

Hubby plans to take it apart and rebuild it to suit our needs. We envision a kitchen island with a reclaimed slate top.

Here are a few shots of the beautiful detail on this baby:

I am enamored with the dentil molding, the panels with engraved lines, and that crown molding!!

My thanks to the guys with the brawn who muscled this thing through the door!
*post script: would it be crazy to go with that mustard yellow pictured in the magazine?

a beauty

2010-02-19T19:42:00.000-08:00

She's a beauty, alright.

Even Hubby is totally sold on my auction-bargain. This fact comes in quite handy, seeing as there is another auction tomorrow!

in which I am won over

2010-02-17T13:23:00.000-08:00

The saga of the harvest table continues. This chapter of the drama concerns paint color.

Does this look charcoal black to you? I humbly submit that this, my friends, is a rich shade of chocolate plum.

In more direct light, the chocolate gives way to pure plum. I wasn't even hungry when I declared the color names. Honest.

I had gone to the paint store to buy a shade of charcoal; one very similar to the shade of my ladder-back chairs. The plan was to paint the legs and apron to match the chairs, leaving the beautiful pine top to be covered in a clear poly.

I lingered over the paint samples until I found the correct shade of almost-black. It had a tinge of deep brown in it. It was called Coffee Clatch.

I liked that.

But what I brought home looked suspiciously a lot like purple. Because I personally have nothing against purple, I slapped a little on to see what it would look like.

-and fell head-over-heels in love with the results.

Now I am compelled to paint all of my charcoal black ladder-back chair in the same color. Here's hoping and trusting that this warm, rich shade pairs up well with the dusty blue on the walls of the dining room!

new stuff

2010-02-12T14:07:00.000-08:00

It has been a lonely stretch here at home without the Lord of the Manor. He is on his way home from a trip to the Dominican Republic and as far as I am concerned, he can't get home fast enough.

While he was away eating rice & beans and also turning the island upside-down for Jesus, I have been busy shopping online for a few little things. Kitchen lighting, for one. Family room rugs, for another. Also, kitchen stools. I haven't bought anything, but I am very ready to!

I have requested #1 Son to take these (scroll down to the pic of the blue shutters!)and incorporate them into this.
I'll bet he can do it. It will be the perfect thing for under the flat-screen TV that I really don't care a single whit about but the family is all a-twitter over.

our table goes for a stroll

2010-02-06T15:31:00.000-08:00

Our future dining room table had an adventure this morning. Two strapping young men took it out for a walk. They opened up the yellow barn and rolled up their proverbial sleeves.

Their real sleeves they kept snug against their arms, as the temperature hovered around 10 degrees. But the sun was so very inviting!

A brisk jaunt through the town square was just what this table needed!

Around the corner & down "Mill Hill", they headed for our old stone home. We were thankful that traffic was at a minimum. Make room for the dining room table!

Up the drive.....
...and somehow, through the back door. (Ben proclaimed that if it didn't fit, we would have a winter's feast outside instead.)

Here is the perfect view of how "rustic" this table really is! Somebody bring me a tub of elbow-grease. Stat.

It wriggled through with inches to spare! Only a very small corner of drywall was harmed in the process.

We are not quite ready for dining upon it. A healthy scrub and a pass with the sander may bring out its beauty. If not, a coat of paint will have to be employed. Whatever it takes. This baby is going to work somehow.

As a fisherman measures his catch, so the Lady of the Manor measures her harvest table: 10 feet, 2 inches long by 4 feet wide!

imagining

2010-01-28T05:15:00.000-08:00

No pictures today.

Rather, I invite you to use your imagination. It's what I do when I can't seem to wait ANY LONGER for our new kitchen to be up & running .

I close my eyes and imagine an antique general store counter, re-vamped into a kitchen island. It will have a re-purposed slab of black slate on top. In its earlier life, this slate was a chalk-board in the old Madrid School. Teachers would write homework assignments upon it. Naughty students would copy "I will not bring my pet mouse to class and terrorize the girls with it" one hundred times. The writing would get messier and tipsier as the sentences progressed.

That's my imagination working overtime.

Take a deep breath and picture this: maple cabinetry with a butternut stain, custom made by our favorite cabinet-maker. He's our favorite because he's the only one we know. Plus, I like his wife a lot.

These amazing cabinets will be built in this simple style. But even better, they will actually OPEN and CLOSE, which is a trick my present cabinets have yet to master. Actually, some of the existing doors do open, but in a willy-nilly style; as in when ones' head is in the way because one is chopping walnuts and one is not anticipating a cabinet door which is redolent of a hamster cage swinging open and hitting one in the ear.

Just saying, is all. Not really complaining; just saying.

Back to imagining. How about this? A double-bowl corian sink that has a river view.....with a sprayer that doesn't have a tricky handle which sticks and then sprays the next unfortunate soul who turns the tap on. This happened numerous times until we figured out that the present sprayer was a tool of the devil. Or at least the tool of #1 Son who angelically does the dishes very late at night after everyone has gone to bed but then forgets that mom will fill the coffee pot with cold tap water the next morning when she is barely awake.

Hey, how about this? A countertop that is not made of two-inch tiles that need to be scrubbed when flour and then egg white and then powdered sugar is strewn upon it. A countertop that does not illicit unintentional outbursts of mirth from people who see it for the first time. (although, truth be told, a few friends with retro-taste have actually liked the Moroccan blue...and when one calls it "Moroccan blue", I almost like it.)

(Almost.)

I will go on imagining in this way, for therapy's sake. And when the new, extremely improved, sanity-saving, user-friendly, temper-tantrum -free, budget-blowing kitchen is DONE,

I will be forced to start imagining another project.

progress

2010-01-27T07:15:00.000-08:00

The check list for the back wing goes something like this:

wiring? done.
insulation? done.
office & guest room sheet-rock hung? done.

12' pieces of sheet-rock hung? done.
phone conferences about next week's trip to the Dominican Republic? done.

Hubby has been full steam ahead on the home-front project. Here, he looks over all his accounting & bills for the next few weeks. On Tuesday, he and his best buddy fly to the DR for another series of adventures.

When he comes home, he will hit the ground running, so to speak. A few short weeks later, we have the kitchen installation scheduled! All must be ready by then.....

It's been an exciting winter here at our old stone home!

the back wing

2010-01-12T11:45:00.000-08:00

The back wing is getting some big attention today and for the next few weeks. As declared by our G.C. and Lord of the Manor: "Let's git 'er done."

Here he is, in all his contractor-glory.
This is the Loft.
I'm not sure why we needed a Loft. But we do. So we will have one.

Up in the Loft, one can think lofty thoughts. There will be an extra bed. Maybe some exercise equipment. And way-cool built-in bookshelves. Oh, and a great view of the river -compliments of the windows the guys installed at the peak.

Please do not feed the monkeys. They are on a strict diet of grilled ham & cheese sandwiches, chips, and juice.

If this monkey behaves himself -and also finishes the wiring on the back wall -he may receive a fistful of jam thumbprint cookies.

The Lady of the Manor is very excited to see things shaping up!

dining room dreams

2010-01-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

I spent some sweet time at the little yellow house around the corner last evening.

While dawdling a little one with wispy red hair on my knees, I laughed uproariously with three other kiddies as we watched a Winnie the Pooh video. The part when Pooh gets his big bottom stuck in Rabbit's front door sent us into a tizzy, with kids rolling over the couch while holding their stomachs in hilarity.

I had forgotten how much I love love love Winnie the Pooh. And hiney-humor is all the more over-the-top when shared with people under the age of 7.

After tucking the pajama-ed darlings into their beds, (and after a few gentle shush-es from the responsible adult in charge)- I settled into a comfy spot with a quilt and a few magazines. I haven't looked into a magazine since last year.

haha.

Here are a few things that excited me:

-the paint in this room
(click on to slide #3 for the best view)

-these frames displayed against a very similar color

-this chandelier. Our long harvest table would require two of them, though!

When I spotted that shade of paint on those pages, my eyes were entranced. It is the exacto-mundo shade that adorns the (future) dining room at our old stone home. Back in June, I was not sure if it was a keeper. But now that I am completely sold on it, I see it everywhere.

Friend #7 says she "discovered" it, although she hasn't yet been able to dig up the copyright FOR A COLOR.

Anyway. I have the proper accoutrements to accompany this perfect shade of blue/green/gray. An old manila envelope in my dresser drawer contains some treasure: breathlessly beautiful old black-and-white photos of Hubby's father as a child. Click here for details.

Won't they look wonderful in the dining room?

Christmas in our old stone home

2009-12-26T17:43:00.000-08:00

The strains of voices lifted in song resounded throughout our old stone house this week. Our church's Christmas Eve choir met for a thorough rehearsal on December 23.

Ana baked a berry pie for a friend. I love that she bakes pie. How very old-fashioned! She even bought the ingredients with her own hard-earned cash.

My favorite part about this pie is the holly berry cut-out decorating the crust. I also like that she dons an apron -a hand-crafted one!- to work in the kitchen. What a girl.

We celebrated our first Christmas in our old stone home with a lovely breakfast: French Toast and Fruit Salad.

It wasn't a fancy, over-the-top celebration. Mostly simple. Only a few extra faces graced our table, but they were especially dear faces.

Who needs a new kitchen to be radiantly happy? Not this housefrau.
Dark blue tiles (which need to be sanitized daily) and cabinets that swing open without notice don't keep me from sharin' the love.

The food love, that is.

Christmas Eve only gets better with a cup of fresh coffee. Caffeine is not an issue when one is staying up late to wrap presents anyway. Think of it as a gift-wrapping stimulant.

We open one gift each before turning in for the night & dreaming sweet dreams. Visions of sugar-plums are nice, too. But we like gifts we can really use -like t-shirts that say funny things.

I am not sure how this photo came about, but a certain boy better have put my reading glasses BACK where he found them.

Grandma Jean basks in the glow of the Christmas tree. We love the fact that she lives downstairs; only a few descending steps away.

It as been a treat to celebrate such a special time in our new/old home. We look forward to many happy times here.

Merry Christmas to friends near & far!

the kitchen begins to take shape

2009-12-11T06:52:00.000-08:00

This masked man did the awful deed.

He and one of his constant cohorts (Mr. Thomas Q.) ripped down the back kitchen wall yesterday.

In order to prepare for this major demo, they installed a temporary wall between the old kitchen and the new addition. This wall is well insulated, and will serve as a mud room of sorts as the new kitchen is installed. Also, this wall eliminates the need to heat the entire unfinished back wing of the house.

Smart thinking, says the Lady of the Manor -who is eager as a beaver to have a new kitchen.
Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas for the next 22 years, says the Lord of the Manor -who is covered in dust and only wants a fresh cup of coffee and a balanced checkbook.

His needs are so simple, while mine are complex because they involve reclaimed slate, an antique general store counter which serves as an island, and recessed shaker-style cabinetry which you can't buy at Home Depot or Lowes.

Oh. And a bay window over the kitchen sink so I can watch the fishies play in the river while I scrub pots and pans.

The far window is where the main sink will be. The fridge has a new home: it will be framed in.
To the right of the fridge will be a door leading into the screened porch.

Imagine that blue tiled peninsula at the bottom of the sea. It will not be lonely, as my camera awaits it there. Also imagine -in its place- the antique step-back cupboard that I found with the help of a good friend.

Here is the wall opposite the kitchen sink and river view. Under that rectangular window will be the baking center: reclaimed slate set a few inches lower than a standard countertop, easy for rolling cookies, shaping bread, and mixing by hand. Where the white garbage pail sits will be the double ovens. To the right of them will be a large yellow cupboard which will serve as a pantry.

Between the bucket & mop and the baking center will be the island. It will not be a tropical island, but other than that it will be perfect. It will also not have sand, which gets into everything. So in that way, it is better than a tropical island.

I get goofy and giddy when things are going my way.

Now I must put away the computer and pick up where I left off with that mop.
Cheers!

little happenings

2009-12-03T14:02:00.000-08:00

Please disregard the clutter and focus on the candlelit mantel, please.

I have never been the possessor of a real fireplace before. The last two homes sported wood-stoves. Do not try displaying a candle near a wood-stove.

It's been tried.

Anyway, Hubby was triumphant this afternoon when we tested to new insert and IT WORKED.
We have had all sorts of trouble getting an updraft from the flue, which dictated a higher chimney pipe.

We were so very blessed to have a few extra hands on deck yesterday, so now we have the tallest, skinniest stove-pipe in town. I hope Santa has been following that low-fat diet Mrs. Claus has him on.The bridge crew is not satisfied with completing the bridge (it opened last Friday when I was out-of-town!). They insist on pulling into my temporary driveway and shooting straw all over the place.

Luke mouthed "Hi Nancy" as he held this hose like a machine gun and proceeded to make it snow hay.

Yesterday was the second of December and some crazy lady decided to take her kayak out for a spin. Up the river and past the railroad bridge....one last big hoo-rah before the Long Winter.

Now her kayak is sleeping in the barn, resting up for more water adventures in the spring.

all quiet for now...

2009-11-26T06:42:00.000-08:00

I don't have the luxury of time this morning. But I wanted to post a few pics of the state of our surroundings. Here are a few scenes from yesterday.

Piles of stuff in the side yard. (above)

Workers scrambling to finish cement-work at the foot of the new bridge.

All this stuff was in my yard. Seriously. There is still more, but it wouldn't all fit.

Up the road. Notice the new stripes. Notice the lack of traffic.

Down the road towards the bridge.

This smiling face brings me much joy. We will sorely miss seeing Luke work his tail off from our kitchen windows.

The bridge will unceremoniously open late on Friday. I will not be here to witness it. Will I remember on Sunday to come across it? Or will I automatically take the detour without thinking?

I'll let you know!

a new idea

2009-11-21T11:11:00.000-08:00

Today, Bill and his team are working on tearing off the old metal roof over the existing kitchen and prepping it for shingles. Bill also had the use of the construction crew's track-hoe. He used it to clear debris from the yard and move some very heavy items. (-like an old furnace, for example!)

We had our windows for the addition delivered. Also, Bill picked up our exterior doors. Soon they will be installed!

Yesterday, he brought home these windows from Merriman's. They were a special order that were never purchased, so Eric showed them to Bill with the hope that we would be interested in them.
We purchased them at a steep discount. They will be installed along the ceiling line in the family room. The chimney for the wood-stove will run up the center with the two sets of windows on either side. I think it will look great!

Ben was hoping for a single round window at the peak, but the wood-stove placement made that impossible.

Here is an outside shot to give an idea of where those windows will be: at the peak facing the river.

We like to go with the flow, as they say.

inside & out

2009-11-19T07:29:00.000-08:00

Here is our old stone home. She doesn't let all the fuss & feathers around her disturb her peace.
Above Grandma Jean's front door and tucked under the pressure-treated wood that supports the front porch is a white marble plaque. It is engraved with the date 1843.

I was first thrilled and then puzzled at this discovery. I mean, this is not the type of town that has marble plaque over the doors. We are a humble bunch of dwellings.

As far as I can figure, ours is the only house with such a regal thing.

Then I ran across an interesting tidbit in an old Madrid newspaper that illumined me. Originally, the ground floor apartment was a stone-cutter's shop. Its main business was carving headstones. Many of the beautiful stones that grace the cemetery down the street were fashioned here. Fancy that!

One can assume that a stray piece of white marble was put into service as a date-marker.

Across the street, we have new sidewalks! I resisted the temptation to scrawl my name into the wet cement. If I had done so, I could claim I was merely carrying on the stone-cutter's tradition.

The Big Project, as I affectionately call it, is coming along nicely. Here, Bill and his brother John seem to be taking a you-tube break. Hey, whatever it takes to get them through the day, I say!

We have windows galore. Almost every one of them has a river view. But don't confuse that bright blue of the tarp in the yard for the river.

From the outside, one can get the bigger picture. These sunny and relatively warm November days have given the guys opportunity to finish shingling the roof!

-and I say YAY to that!

a stroll around the yard

2009-11-17T09:01:00.000-08:00

These pictures were taken a mere ten minutes ago.

I wandered around our yard (I use the term "yard" rather loosely) with the camera to see what there was to see. Here is the mean machine that has been shaking my timbers all morning.

It is a veritable fire-breathing dragon.

Here is a member of the road crew. He is eating a hot dog. He is in need of a napkin.

Something about her expression tells me she doesn't want this picture of her eating hot dog to show up on the world-wide web.
From the front porch, I see this machine which is moving piles of dirt.

I see across the street towards the town dock.

I see my kayak perched on the bank of the town dock. It looks so cute there.

If it were warm enough to eat lunch on our zappy blue table, I would see this kind of stuff.

See the new bridge swathed in plastic? The plastic sheets are stretched over a wooden skeleton. Together, they keep the freshly-poured concrete from freezing. I call it The Greenhouse Effect.

Just a little more to the left, I see my side yard. Oh my goodness gracious dear me.
Can you understand WHY I chose not to rake this year?

Later today I may post some pics of the progress on the Big Project out back.

two teams at work

2009-11-10T15:31:00.000-08:00

I will bet my bottom dollar that not everybody had this going on in their front yard today.

Or even some of this.

You see, we have a few projects going on simultaneously. One project is The Bridge and the other is The Road. On days like today, they cross paths.

-and when I say "cross paths", I mean literally. Both crew were crawling all over our corner of town this afternoon. They all brought stuff that made lots of noise. As a matter of fact, when my piano tuner showed up at the front door looking rather bewildered and ruffled, he was wearing these. Really, it was that loud.

Here, the paving guys are doing their thing. These curbs are pretty industrial.

From my front steps, I watched as this nifty ( and probably 60 ton) machine formed them. It was like those plastic squeeze things that you put play-dough into.

Way cool.

guys playing with large machines

2009-11-04T14:15:00.000-08:00

I am sorry if photos of large machines are not your particular cup of tea.

But that's all I've got right now. At this present moment in time.

The crew is now ripping up my road. They already ripped it up to install sewer lines in July.
They ripped it up in August to install gas lines.

Last month, they ripped it up again just for the fun of it.
No. They had a reason, I'm sure. I am just not aware of it.

Now they are ripping it up to put a new road down. Then, in the spring, they will rip it up ONCE AGAIN because this layer is temporary. Just to get us through the winter.

I have a theory. I suspect these guys are ripping up the road merely so they can run heavy equipment and make noise.
As a matter of fact, on Halloween I spotted some of the very same guys going door to door with their orange vests and hard hats on.

Totally kidding. But my point remains: these guys love to dress up and play "construction".

When night falls (which is does an hour earlier now) they blare airport-quality spotlights
and keep finding stuff to do.

This is not the road crew. This is the bridge crew. But they are all cut from the same crazy cloth.

"Hey guys. I know what. Let's pour cement before we quit for dinner. So what if it is 5:17 pm and dark?"

This last quote was imaginary. But I truly heard them hooting and hollering with glee mere moments ago. I am not making this up.

gettin' 'er done

2009-10-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

Over the course of the last ten days, much has happened here at our old stone home. I bring you this update as proof. But instead of describing each photo in detail, I am choosing to do something different.

Without the fortification of protein, carbohydrates, liquid (mostly in the form of coffee), and sugar, these photos would not have been made possible. So I give you, in short form, a list of what makes these men get up & do what needs to be done:

1. Chicken & Biscuits

2. Apple Fritters

3. Shepherd's Pie

4. Ham & Swiss Cheese on Wheat

5. Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, warm from the oven.

-oh and coffee. I have found the spacing of every three to four hours to be of the utmost benefit.

Notice that in most of these shots, the work crew is not present? It is because they are inside eating.

I also egg the men on by reminding them that when I have a NEW & COMPLETELY EQUIPPED KITCHEN, there will be a lot more from where that other stuff came from.

Stop on down to the stone house at the foot of the bridge to gawk at our new addition anytime!

sights

2009-10-21T11:43:00.000-07:00

Around this time of year, some people decorate their yards with fake graveyards, inflatable frankensteins, dancing ghouls, witches who have met their fate by bashing into trees, and spider webs.

I don't go for any of it, actually.

But I think the green kayak on wheels goes quite nicely with the gray stone, don't you? I think of it as my tribute to the season.

The real action is taking place around back. Here, the decking for the addition is being installed.
Soon we will be able to get to the back door without doing a tippy-toe dance.

And that won't be much fun, will it?

Here are the boards ( on the right) upon which we perform the tippy-toe dance.
It's all the rage.

All kinds of action takes place around here, making me feel guilty for relaxing on the leather couch with a warm computer.
-But someone needs to document all of this. Right?

These are sights you don't see every day.

I told you so.

keeping up with the project

2009-10-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to keep up with all the progress around here, I bring you these photos.
In an attempt to stay humble about all kinds of things, I bring you a view of our side yard. What a mess!

Around back, things look much more hopeful. The perfectly parallel boards, the exciting smell of fresh-cut lumber, the sound of nail guns echoing off the back of the house, and the jolting rumble of the generator every ten minutes or so.....all of it is my bliss.

These kids know how to do stuff. I keep them well-fed and Hubby keeps them busy.
As for keeping themselves amused, they do just fine without parental input. Here, Ben is attempting to squirt me with some type of liquid fixative.

What a darling child.

Here is the scope of the project: family room to the left. Guest room, office and full bath to the right. The kitchen wall will be opened up to the addition, leaving lots of room for the antique general store counter which will be an island for food prep and dining.

Compare this view to this view. We have come a long way!

cement-walking

2009-10-17T12:23:00.000-07:00

We were spooning soup into our mouths, watching the crew do their thing from the warmth of our kitchen, when we realized that the men were actually slogging along in the fresh cement.

I grabbed the camera and hopped down to the foot of the bridge to see this interesting sight.

It was funny.
I think that guy dropped something into the cement by accident.
I hope it wasn't a camera.

kitchen plans and wishful thinking

2009-10-11T16:27:00.000-07:00

Understatement:I have been thinking a lot about the new kitchen.
Full disclosure: I have been obsessing about the new kitchen.

It's not like we have a deadline for any decisions. We don't even have a general plan for when major remodeling events may take place. The accepted time frame for completion could even stretch into spring. I try not to ask questions. Instead, I go to the computer and google "kitchen designs", "kitchen cabinets", "kitchen islands", "storage solutions", "flooring"....etc etc etc.

Here is my wish-list:

-lower cabinets will have drawers, not doors.
-upper cabinets will be open shelves. I am designing them to be in the style of a step-back cupboard (lighter and smaller items on top; heavier items in apothecary jars on bottom).
-an extra sink (prep sink) will be near the dishwasher
-the island will be a re-purposed general store counter which is sitting in one of our barns. Underneath the island will be shelving for large pots & pans, casseroles, cookie sheets, and platters.
-the flooring will be 4" width pre-finished maple. I think.
-the counter-tops will be either reclaimed black slate (extreme wishing here!) or formica which looks like black slate.
-a lower work station will be installed for bread prep, cookie rolling, etc. Here I would definitely want real slate.
-the main kitchen sink will have a river view...and a large bay window for potted herbs, etc.
-the pantry will be a re-purposed cabinet (Eddie Bauer) that will be perfect for dry goods and canned goods.
-we already have the double oven (yay!) and a five-burner gas stove-top. I am very happy to return to gas cooking after having electric at the last residence.

There may be space for an antique or re-purposed cabinet/hutch if I find the right piece. There will be plenty of time to scout for such a thing at local auctions.

There. I feel better having written all about it.
It should hold me for the time being!

the pull down!

2009-09-29T04:40:00.000-07:00

This was the scene last Saturday morning, before the work crew did their thing.

It was a cool, crisp morning and the mist was rising off the river.

Then, creaking ominously up the hill, came the Big Blue Monster. He was hungry.

Incidentally, the bridge crew had the day off -which I can't remember happening since their project commenced. This was providential for us, as Don (member of the the bridge crew) was
free that day, and volunteered to run the equipment for us.

We didn't even know Don. Wasn't that nice of him?

He is a veritable demolition artist.

After the "pull down", Don dug large holes for our footings. Bill, Ben, and Don then set the lines for the extension of the back wing.

Since then, Bill and the kids have mixed & poured cement to fill the square footings. They also placed re-bar and sonatubes in the holes. The next step is to fill the tubes with cement (or concrete; I never know which term to use!) .