STILL AT IT!

WOW... Grandma would have been 112 today!


May 20, 2012





Can you believe that July is over!  It has been an extremely busy July with our family reunion, the fire near our house, Mark's accident and a recent overwhelming church calling.

 

July 31, 2012



 

So how is the house coming?  "SLOW  BUT SURE" our mantra.  The interior painting is ongoing, the orange living room is GONE!  Today the broken window in the living room was replaced.  Yesterday the pyracantha hedge was trimmed along with the ditch bank.   We are still trying to get the sprinkler system  in before summer is over.  With such a hot summer we have been busy just moving sprinklers around.

We cut down the middle apricot tree (which was dead) and now all that is left in the playground is a jungle. Grandma's trumpet vine is over 50ft, all tangled in the trees and over the fence.  We did find a rotted piece of the original baseboard under the ivy along the foundation - it will help when we have material milled for the historic restoration phase of the project.  (Mark said he would like to shoot whoever took the original millwork out :-) )

It was nice to have Aunt Dora and Aunt Meda stop and visit this past month.  Great stories, history, and house details.  Again PLEASE SEND ANY PHOTOS OF THE HOUSE...INSIDE OR OUT!!! 



Shelley "in action" - ridding the house of pyracantha, June 2012



We have removed 3 dumpsters (14 cubic yards each) of mostly yard clippings.  Including several wheelbarrows filled with clippings growing into the "family room" windows!  Yes, that's me in action.  Wow, pyracantha is very prickly!!!  Hopefully we can haul the rest of the overgrowth via a pick up! 

We are hoping to have the "rock garden" / "strange planter" removed sometime soon!  The decking in the photo to the left has been removed.  We had some of the deteriorating bricks replaced.   On the south side near the kitchen door I found a few of the grand children's name scratched into some bricks.  I need to take some pictures to post.  It is fun to remember those family gatherings when we would be there running around the house and playing tag or hide-n-go-seek, in the dark!  I remember hiding behind the large shrubs under the living room window, along with all the spiders.

The plan was to have it rented by August...BUT still more to do!  I am glad that when I am there...I have such fond memories.  Okay some days are better than others.  But I am happy to have kept this treasure in the family.