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Answers to the Grey Mare questions…

 1. It’s a doorbell ringer!  You pull the knob out and it pulls a cord that rings a bell! No electricity required.  Some of you knew this!.. I’m impressed.

2. A shutter dog, or holder.  Most of you knew this 🙂

 The owners of the property that the abandoned house sits on want it removed.  So.. there would not be a refurbishment right there on the spot.  This means, the BONES of the house would be used again somewhere else.. as we did here with this old house.  Our house sat here on this spot, but we dismantled it and moved it back 40 feet off the road.  The frame of the grey mare, which is still in great shape 200 years later… the mantels, the stone foundation and fireplaces, the wide planks you see in the walls… all good.  The “fluff” of the house is shot.   So, the plan would be to take the house down, having Jeff and his crew once again dismantle and number the pieces, and store them in a trailer until a suitable location can be found to put her back up again.  Jeff and Mike will go take a look again this week and perhaps make a decision.  Otherwise, I’m afraid she’ll be a goner, and that’s just sad.  What a beautiful old girl, can’t imagine how she could have been left to rot for all these years..right on a main road too, in plain sight!

 We did find two previous occupants on the premises… a cat’s remains in the old kitchen and a moldy mouse.  You’re welcome.

Will keep you posted – 

The Old Grey Mare

…she ain’t what she used to be.
House in Chester, CT  – approx. late 1700’s-early 1800’s.
Possible take down and put back up.
Personally, I think she’s too far gone
but M makes the big decisions around here, don’t ya know.

 Can any of you tell me what this item below is?
It still works!
If you get it right, your third cousin twice removed on your father’s side
 will win the lottery and leave it all to you, no kidding. 

…and who can tell me what this is used for?
Look at the depth of the chip on this paint.

*love* the old wallpapers…

Stairs very similar to those here at This Old House

The second floor looks like this… already stripped to some degree…
notice the size of the wall planks – huge trees were available and used back then.

This chimney and brick have crumbled due to the excess of rain rot over the years…

                                        M heads to the attic, where the floors were pretty soft. 

Original owner’s handwriting?

Why is it you’ll always find old Nat Geo’s in an old abandoned house?

Ceiling of the summer kitchen…

  .. there’s still some Grace amidst  the ruin of this place.

A Soul warming Soup

 Sandra of Thistle Cove Farm posted this recipe the other day…I made it last night and it is absolutely delicious in taste and simplicity.  My family loved it.   Sandra is one of those amazing people who has an abundance of Grace and good humor…  even in the most difficult times.

Sandra’s Thistle Cove Farm Soup for a cold winter day…

Straight up from Sandra –
Chop and brown a couple of sweet onions in a TBL of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Slice a package of kielbasa, add to onions
When those are browned, add 1 quart chicken stock
and 4 cans cannelini beans (I used 2)
Simmer for an hour or so – it’s a very forgiving recipe -smile-

When the soup is thirty minutes from the table, add at least 1/2 package of kale. (I used spinach because the store didn’t have Kale)  I add the whole package but some folks might think that’s a bit of overkill  -but, in the winter, can we get enough green? I think not.

Stir the kale in and simmer for about thirty minutes.

Meanwhile, back at the counter take a loaf of stale bread and cut it into rough pieces. ( I used a fresh loaf of french bread )  Melt some butter…if I told you how much butter I used, your arteries would collapse! but I don’t think a stick is unreasonable, do you?…  ( I don’t!  I used a stick too!)   pour it on bread pieces, spinkle some herbs…Oregano, Basil and Garlic,  Pepper,  Salt. Slip the bread into a hot oven and bake for the last thirty minutes of the cooking soup.

When the soup goes into the bowl, place some pieces of bread on top, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve. Most of the time my bread is stale; yesterday, the bread was hard enough to beat a crow so letting the bread soak in the soup juices was a Very Good Thing.

Thank you, Sandra 🙂

Gratitude

My day started with the mundane –
laundry, dishes, barn and coop chores.
College girl texted “what are you doing today?”
and I texted back.. “Just stuff around here”.
And I realize.. how LUCKY I am
to be able to text…
Just stuff around here.
Around here – this home we were fortunate enough to
be able to buy and refurbish – truly a dream come true for me.
Clothes to clean and a washer and dryer to do it with.
Dishes from a comforting meal the night before.
Barn chores – I am able to HAVE horses and chickens and dogs
and take care of them the way they deserve to be cared for.
My kids have more than they need, and extended family nearby to grow up with.
I have spent years in offices – one of which had no windows to the outside.
I know the 8-5:00 grind.
I am so grateful it’s a distant memory.
I have the luxury of time to figure out what comes next.
And I haven’t figure that out… yet.
Grateful.
In the comments section, let me know five things you appreciate today,
even if it’s your starbucks coffee or the pizza delivery guy. 

  

She ain’t kid’n.

State Trooper says  –  I made a traffic stop on an elderly lady the other day for speeding on U.S. 166 Eastbound at Mile Marker 73 just East of Sedan , KS.
I asked for her driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance.

The lady took out the required information and handed it to me.

In with the cards I was somewhat surprised (due to her advanced age) to see she had a conceal carry permit. I looked at her and ask if she had a weapon in her possession at this time.

She responded that she indeed had a .45 automatic in her glove box. Something—body language, or the way she said it—made me want to ask if she had any other firearms. She did admit to also having a 9mm Glock in her center console. Now I had to ask one more time if that was all. She responded once again that she did have just one more, a .357 Magnum in her purse.

I then asked her what was she so afraid of.
She looked me right in the eye and said,
“Not a f*cking thing!”

Can you imagine? ….

  I had a n early errand to run this morning and so I found myself at the shore at 6:30 am, just as the sun was about to rise over the water.  I stopped briefly because the scene was so beautiful… calm waters, mist on the fringes,  and the hint of the rising sun on the horizon…  peaceful.   Can you imagine living in this house, out on the edge there?  It’s not a fancy house, either.. perfect in size and simplicity. 

“At the beach, life is different. Time doesn’t move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides, and follow the sun.” – anonymous