1894 Folk Victorian/Tingle House Renovation

October 2010

2010-10-27T13:34:00.000-04:00

Leaving tomorrow for the house! I cannot WAIT to get there. Will be renting a tiny tic tac car for the journey as the jeepers needs some adjustment after it's lift. Will be meeting the mortgage appraiser, the insurance inspector, pulling a permit for the natural gas lines, and refinish french doors. Its my first halloween there, so I will put up a few decoraitons outside and sit ready with my candy bowl. Then down with Haloween and up with Christams decorations to ready for when we arrive in December! Will be focusing on my yoga and henna! Have my new laptop so I will be able to post pictures from there!

Namaste!

July 2010

2010-09-23T20:12:00.000-04:00

Melissa came to the house for the first time in 2 years! She was accompanied by her then-boyfriend Zach. A sweet guy but not for her. We had an adorable 6 month old cat adopt us, only for us to find out she had kittens of her own! We were moving the last of the major furniture to the house that ww would be moving until our FINAL move from NJ. Car problems, three tows later, we managed to get there and back. As usual..a trip to the aquarium was necessary..went swimming at Mom and Dad's. Due to the stress of the trip I didnt get much done but cleaning and setting furniture, but it was a joy to have Melissa at the house.

Huge ass trailer to drag 650 miles...too bad the rover had issues!

The sofa! It has arrived. Fit exactly where we pictured it.

Yes, the hall may be a strange place for a couch, but it works.

My desk has made it to it's cubbyhole in the library.

Sitting on a giant frog at the aquarium.

My library again, with a refinshed chair and Moroccan pouf...can u tell I just love this room? I should I created it just for ME!

Master Bedroom wriring desk

Melissa and Zach on the ferry to New Bern

Mom and Dad's pool

Rearranged furniture in the Fireplace Bedroom to accomodate the daybed.

This works better!

Next post Novemeber 2010!

May 2010

2010-09-23T19:55:00.001-04:00

It's May already and I havent been to the house since January! Too long a time to be away from home. I took two weeks off from work in order to meet the tree guy who will take our trees to be milled, thus the income from that giving the ability to work on the kitchen wing. But despite my efforts, we were not able to sync our schedules...again! But I used the time well...I got to spend the first mothers' day in years with my mom, not just a card and a call, but a "lets cook together, have some wine and spend some time' mothers' day.
I also had the internet line installed. BUT despite the gas company, phone company and electric company being there, the phone company still managed to hit our sewer line...GEYSER! I went to the New Bern Antigue car show..this town is obsessed with Bears. But I also refinished the foyer floor and the back parlor floor. The porch got a new paint job and I finished painted some areas upstairs. Graham our neighbor and caretake a.k.a "Schneider" closed up the opening in the kitchen floor and set us up with a temporary kitchen sink.

MuShu chillin in the dog run

Dad an Mushu chillin at Mom & Dad's house..

New paint for the porch.

Definite improvement.

Stripped back parlor floor with the start of polyuretane.

The start of stripping the paint off the foyer floor. Another BIOTCH!

Fabric on the foyer cieling (can't sheetrock until both bathrooms are refinished) and finished foyer floor.

Finished back parlor floor

Oops! We hit the sewer line!

Upstairs Hall - new paint

Finished the last wall of the master bedroom

Graham hooked us up with a sink in the kitchen wing..no more going upstairs to do dishes! yea!

Dosent seem like much, but this section was open to the ground..allowing all sorths of creatures to come into the house.

One of the Bears in New Bern (there are dozens of all different themes)

Lovin' my library

Got this cool light for the library in Portland ME when we went to see Ali for her 16th b-day

December - 2010 interlude....Christie

2010-09-23T19:20:00.000-04:00

I lost my beloved Jack Russel Terrier just 2 weeks before leaving for the house...my heart wrecked and empty despite having her puppies with me...this is still almost a year later, this was an event that has changed me as a person forever....

Our first night staying at 588 Main...Doing what she did best..chillin out

Why is Copperfield in my bed?

That face is etched on my heart..

Christie and a baby Mouse-Man, our awesome orange kitty

Christie, Mouse and a baby Buji, the day we brought Buji home..he would become the father of her puppies.

Christie and her 3 babies in the whelping box..Mushu, Bear and Maizie.

Christie and I on our 74 mile hike of the New Jersey section of the Appalachain Trail, Christie did 40 miles, then went home as her paw was irritated.

And my tribute to her (please remember I was terribly distraught and hearbroken when I wrote this)

Dear Christie,

I remember bringing you home,
You were so small with tiny feet and buggy eyes and your ears flopping. So I called you "Buggits" or "Critter Bug". Once in a while you would let out a little yelp or very often pee on the carpet to mark this as your home.
Making a mess and chewing on everyone’s dirty underwear became a passion of yours!
But when I scolded you, you just put your head down with those big innocent eyes.
You laid in bed with me for six months after my back surgery; a happy puppy content to lay with her mommy, only four months old. You weren’t a typical Jack, you didn't jump and climb, you just wanted to snuggle and love. (Bear gets that from you) You helped me to heal, kept my spirit up. And as you got older, you were the protector of the house; I didn’t know that until you were gone. The three of them are lost without you; Buji looks for you and howls every day.
We hiked; you did 40 miles on the Appalachian Trail marvelously, strong and loving every moment with the bear-bell on your neck. We kayaked; you heading the stern like a good captain. It was so funny every time you fell in the water! Your children came; and you waited until I came home to go into labor. For eight hours I stayed waiting for your three beautiful babies to come. And you were an awesome mommy.
When I sat down to read or watch TV you were always there, a little snuggle bug, and you would nudge me to get my attention, just so I would pet you and you would go to sleep with your head on my leg. Every night you would scratch the cover of the bed to come under to go to sleep, curled up next to me. You became a part of my body, my soul. I can't sleep properly without you.
And then you got hurt. I knew as soon as you ran, one of the three of you were going to get hurt. I was screaming your name. I really thought you were going to be alright after I brought you in the house. So much blood Critter, so much blood. It was my worst nightmare come true. I saw it in my minds eye every time you or the boys escaped previously.
With tears steaming down my face, I drove you to the vet for the last time. I prayed they would tell me that you had just broken your nose and leg. But no, and the option they gave me was not an option for you. You need to run, to play, to love. I made the most difficult decision of my life, that you needed to go to the Rainbow Bridge; to be with Denver-Dog. Otherwise life would not have been as you knew it.
This time I was not lying next to you, but I held your head in my hand, as you shook with shock and pain, and your head fit my hand perfectly as it always had. You looked at me; as if to say ‘Thank You, Mommy for loving me and taking care of me”, and I watched you slip away. MY LOVE, MY LIFE, MY DOG.
And all I could think of was to say “Thank you, Christie Mathewson Saxton, for taking care of ME for six and a half years.” You were named after the child we never had, after a very famous baseball player, after your daddy's uncle. You were taken from me, and much too soon. Even fifteen years would have been too soon.
Your children are safe, very much loved, and this will never happen again. Daddy & I are making sure of that. I love you, I miss you every day, and I will never forget you. Until we meet again under God’s Rainbow Bridge I will have you in my heart every second and wear you ashes around my neck.
Love,
Mommy
P.S. Please tell Denver-Dog that I love him and miss him and I will see you both when I get there.

December 2009-January 2010

2010-09-23T18:57:00.001-04:00

John & I went down for two weeks, for Christmas and New Years..We realized the 2 weeks is just not enough to spend the time and get projects done, so this coming year, it will be back to our three weeks.

Ali came down to spend Christmas week with us, and we had a cold snap. The coldest it had been down the county for 20 years. So we took Ali to the aquarium (cant miss a visit there when someone comes to see us at the house!) and to Atlantic Beach. We spent Christmas Dinner at Mom and Dads. Johns main focus was to sister up the beams in the foyer ceiling, while I refinished the floor in the fireplace bedroom after Ali went back to Maine.

It was so cold, John kept his hat on...

The killer antique fridge John & picked up for $100.00. No more mice in the pantry! MuShu is checking out the spice rack...

Lots of storage space for the dry goods..We will work this into the future kitchen.

Me and Ali playing chinese checkers..my first time so she totally kicked my butt!

My first gingerbread house too..it was really lame but Ali & I had a good time making it!

Ali is a crab at the Aquaruim!

Atlantic Beach

John & Ali

Christmas at Mom & Dad's

Refinishing the French Doors...a project that did not get finished this time around...my feeling is the need to be dipped.

Hardware from the french doors...Brass and Ivory..they came up beautifully with polishing.

Reinforcing the beams in the Foyer Ceiling..a major project to be completed.

After this pic..no more support posts!

The stripping of the Fireplace bedroom floor..frankly it was a BIOTCH!

Start of the polyurethane...we were pleasantly surprised to discover the floors upstairs are heart of pine, and when poly'd they come up RED!

After layers and layers of paint and linseed oil..we are back to just the natural beauty of the wood.

And this is the result of walking across the Fireplace bedroom floor, stepping into the open air vent and crashing thru to the library below....some bruises later, I was basically really pissed that I have to redo the ceiling in the library!

I promised, so now I will Deliver....November 2009

2010-09-23T17:24:00.000-04:00

November 2009...well, as usual I went down for a week and worked on refinished the front parlor floor. Shane the trim guy had finished the molding in there while I was away so it was an awesome sight to see when I came in the door.. Ahhhh..the feeling of coming home never stops when I arrive at the Tingle House. After finishing the floor, knowing John & I would be there for Christmas, I decorated the house up..so pictures...

The mantle that was once purple in the Library is now a high gloss black.

The start of the stripping of the Front Parlor Floor..this was a difficult one as it had deep gouges.

(Buji was helping)

Look at those scratches! (Bear is helping too)

Wow! Hello!

Buji is lying the decorations..he decided the garland was the best place to nap.

Ready for Christmas 2009!!

The foyer was tough, but I did the best I can.

In addition, John finally reconnected with his birth sister, Aubrey. Same father, different mother, and he had not seen her since she was about 3 yrs old. She and her boyfriend Braden came to spend thanksgiving with us at John's brothers, Geoff's.

Aubry on the Glenwood section of the Appalachain Trail

Aubrey & Braden

I Sorry!

2010-09-18T15:18:00.002-04:00

There have been no post for a year! OMG! A year! I promise when I get back from my hike next week, I will spend some time uploading all the updated pictures and info on the house!
See you next week!

2009-09-15T19:19:00.005-04:00

Sorry folks, its been a while. Hell, life is darn hectic. I was at the house in July and had the absolute pleasure of meeting Nancy Tingle Deacon and her cousins, Sally, Flora & few more of which I cannot put the name to the face at this point - Nancy! Help! It was a short but excellent visit..picture 8 women chatting away all at one time. They gave me so much history on our beloved home, seemed to like the changes I made and confirmed many suspicion I had about the house, like the kitchen was actually the dining room and the summer kitchen was the origional kitchen. I wish it could have been a longer visit and I really wished I had videotaped it!

Nancy & I found the time to go out to her property in Merrit. An amazing river-front piece that anyone would be blessed to own. Simply beautiful. I would scoop it up myself, had I not already been married to the Tingle house. Although Nancy & I have spoken on the phone and emailed quite often, to meet her in person was wonderful. So pretty, soft-spoken and just had an aura of warmth around her..I wish she did not live so far away. It's official...I have adopted her, but she can choose the rank; aunt, cousin, sister...

I was mainly at the house to meet with the logger who will be removing many of the trees. The trees will pay for further restoration, and bring the land back to a farm, which is what it will be again. They will be leaving many of them, along the property line, easement, etc. for privacy and I simply cannot strip the land of all of it's beautiful foliage. I also had Shane Harris come in and do the door frames, door molding crown molding in the front parlor. He did an amazing job as usual, at a reasonable price. Unfortunately, I did not get to see the finished product, as his other job was delayed and I had to leave that Saturday. But I look forward to my next visit! The puppies were with me and Bear proceeded to eat an entire box on De-Con mouse/rat poison. I was panicked! I conted my vet in NJ & NC, and was told the dog had to throw up. How do you make a dog throw up? Hydrogen peroxide..I never knew that..1 tsp per 20 pounds. He was okay, and had to be on vitamin K for 3 weeks, but boy, scary.

We are waiting to decide on a logger before I go down. Mills are closing & reopening like crazy, prices are down, and the property will require 2 weeks to log, of whch I cannot spare from work, so we are trying to work that out. But being as I have halted all other outside contractors for now, I will be refinishing the floors in the front parlor & back parlor and start on the 7 french doors that need to be stripped and refinished, (night-time work). Chris the electrician will finish the high hat lighting, swtiches and outlets in the back parlor while I am there, so we can move into that room while we are there for three weeks at Christmas.

Other than that life has been really busy...work, Melissa, my daughter started college and is working full time...she got her drivers license and sadly I barely get to see her, I am going thru mom-withdrawal. Having some issues with family that I am working very hard to resolve and some medical things we are working on too. The puppies are still crazy but improving. Ali, Johns daughter is a sophmore in high school and has become captain of her JV Field hockey team. Both girls are working really hard. I completed my Appalchain Trail hike, New Jersey, 71 miles in 7 days. An amazing journey that has changed me forever. John & I are spending great time together now that we are children 'single'. We have been kayacking on the Wallkill River, enjoyed a great pigroast with our friends and have been doing a lot of off roading. Every dent & scratch in my jeep is a war wound of an excellent off-roading excursion. I am looking forward to the trees being done, I need a rest! Lol...till next time...

2009-09-15T19:17:00.001-04:00

MuShu

Bear - very tired after the poison ordeal

Crown Molding being prepped for the front parlor.

2009-09-15T19:12:00.002-04:00

Nancy's Property - Amazing!

Nancy Tingle-Deacon, I have officially adopted her!

The Tingle Decendants & Me

Ha ha someone asked me if this was my work crew!

An amazing bunch of Ladies..

I Built the Library- All by Myself!

2009-05-19T06:21:00.006-04:00

Back Parlor - the next room to be attacked

Finished Mantle in Fireplace Bedroom

New Moldings in Front Parlor

Library by day

The Cubbyhole where my desk and computer will eventually be, still need trim around the edge and base molding

Library doors by night - I love my Batik curtains!

Yes, Folks, and I build it all by myself!

Second section, the start, thursday

The library 1st section, took all day Wednesday, as I was figuring it out as I went...The room is so crooked I drove myself crazy the first half of the day with "do I run with the crooked or do I force it to be level?" Anwser....run with the crooked.

Hi All,, Was down at the house for 6 days...my reason at first was to go down to secure up the house due to the break in.....But luckily and thank God, it turns out it was the electrician. He was waiting for our neighbor to let him in, and our neighbor was late, so Chris shimmied under the back porch and let himself in up through the gutted first floor bath. BUT, if Chris can get in that way, so can anyone. So added locks, security cameras, the works...now if someone wants to get in, they will have to break a window.

But I wanted to get the library built, so I arrived Tuesday afternoon, took measurements, and was off to Lowes the following day at 6:30 am. I arrived home by 8:00 and began to build. From start to finish it took Wed, Thurs & Fri, all 16 hour days. Friday I finished about 5 pm, but stayed up until 2:00 am unpacking and sorting books and getting them onto the shelves. Then I was able to decorate! I love the morrocan/indonisian feel, so that was my goal in this room...thus all the really bright colors. I definitely need a chair and an ottoman, perhaps a small table. Still to be done is the trim edge around the desk cubbyhole, and floor molding, which will happen in July when I go down.

Also had the trim guy come over and do the molding around the windows in the front parlor. I have some sheetrock maintenance to do in that room, as the cuts around the windows were not the best, but I have to stain & poly the molding first; again - July.

I got myself a wonderful tool...a heat gun, and used it to continue stripping the paint off the front door. Cut the time in half, and a heck of a lot less messy than the goopy paint remover stuff. I will be tackling the mantle for both the front parlor and the library, so they will be ready to travel back down with me in July, to be re-installed.

Then the sad part...I was driving home Monday, left the house at 3:30 am and by 4:30 I had reached Greenville. I missed my turn, as it was pitch black and pouring. I saw some sort of small animal run across the road, and I pulled up to it. It was a little dog; blonde, floppy eared, no collar, but looked healthy. I called to him/her, and she stopped and looked at me. I did a u-turn, and got out of the car to try to call her out of the road...it is a 4 lane highway...she took one look at me and ran away, and got hit by a car!!!! I screamed! The car just kept going, and the dog, who got clipped on either the shoulder or the back quarter, ran off screaming into the bushes! I can only pray that she made it home ok, and that her owners had enough sense to take her to a vet. I am very worried for her, and the image keeps replaying over and over in my head. I cried for an hour while driving home.

Back to life in NJ, work, selling the house, the veggie garden, and our septic tank is being pumped today, so I will have to put my front garden back together - oh the damage...but for now...see you later..I will post more pictures of my trip later today...

The Library Looks like the Carribean!

2009-05-03T08:13:00.007-04:00

So, after the terrible sheetrocking job, which cost me twice as much to spackle, My trip in March concentrated on getting the library and front parlor painted and the floor in the library refinished.

YES! It's Chartreuse, very bright. Right now it reminds me of our trip to St. Lucia.

The Desk Cubbyhole, also known as Harry Potter's closet...

I began stripping the paint off the floors, which actually preserved the wood, and found this beautiful-ness underneath layers and layers of paint.

My Handsome puppy MuShu - I left his brother, Little Bear in NJ...But you can see the difference of the stripped floor and the old painted area.

The first coat of urethane is layed down.

Beautiful!!!

My upcoming trip will be to build the shelves in here, stain & poly them. Then the books up and a area rug and a lamp. The shelves and books will calm the very bright color of the room, but it will still be very cheery! And of course add all the new locks and security devices!

Ta ta for now, will post again after I get back!

The Police Come to 588 Main

2009-04-30T14:08:00.004-04:00

Yes, people, our house was broken into!
Last week, our awesome, most helpful neighbor alerted us to the fact that lights were on in the upstairs of the house. Immediately we had him call the police. Lights should not be on, as I always turn off the power at the panel when I leave, and the only light I leave on is in the Master Bedroom, which goes out when I turn off the panel. But the lights were on in the bathroom and the fireplace bedroom, not in the Master Bedroom. Very strange.

So the police arrive, and see no immediate signs of forced entry, but then try the lock on the french door to the library. It's unlocked. Hmmmmm.....I locked that door before I left, checked it from inside and out, and then tied a rope around the handles inside for extra measure. The rope was still there, but the door was unlocked. The police cut the rope to get inside, but before stepping in, they see one set of footprints leading from that hallway to the french door, then back to the hallway. Even stranger, as I just refinished the floor in there in March, and put the first coat of urethane on the floor the day before I left. No one has walked across that floor since March.

Things get stranger still. The beds upstairs were not disturbed, nor was the liquor and wine in the parlor gone, no tools were stolen, etc. Had it been kids that broke into the house, they most definitely would NOT had turned on the lights, the alcohol would be gone, tools would most likely have been stolen, and the place would have been damaged. None of that. Nor would it be a homeless person. That place would be the grand prize to a homeless person...alcohol, clean sheets, dry and canned goods to eat, a means of cooking; but we highly doubt they would turn the lights on to bring attention to themselves.

At this point the police feel that is a person that has been in the house before and knows the layout. The means of entry was they wriggled under the back porch, and came up into the kitchen by the hobbit door, where the floor was open. They would have had to know where the electrical panel was, and that the electric is turned off while we are gone. The names of all the contractors that have worked on the house have been given to the police and the police are keeping watch.

Originally, I was going to cancel my next trip to the house, but in light of the situation, I will be going down and beefing up the security big time at the house. Following that I will be building the shelves in the library, doing the molding in there and the front parlor, as well as refinishing the front parlor floor. Primarily interior work that needs to be completed. The dogs will be with me as usual. Can't live without my buddies!

Will post pictures of the completed paint in the library and the finished floor later on..right now, back to work!

Work while I'm gone..coool

2009-02-17T17:21:00.008-05:00

NANCY IS SLEIGH-RIDING!!! WOOT! YOU GO!

Ack, this winter is killing me! Please be done already! The snow is gone, and I do see a snowdrop here & there coming up in the NJ gardens, but I am ready for warm! Been super busy getting the NJ house ready to go on the market. Painting, tileing, cleaning carpets (thanks Puppies, Bear & MuShu) and a whole laundry list to get done.

Melissa's college applications are in, whew...that was a stressful bit...she was a beast from stress...and we had two "Do you Remember?" go into the Pamlico news, one of Jim & Gertie, and one a photo of the house. And we had snow in Aliiance! 2 inches. My neighbor took a photo and it looked so strange to see the roof and lawn to have snow on it! Oh the poor Camillas must be frost bitten.

But workers are at the Tingle house getting the sheetrock done...(lots of seams..oh dear I do hate to spackle) in the Library, which was Jim & Gerties bedroom. I am amazed at the anount of light that is coming into that room now with the French Door in the front & the brightness of the sheetrock.

I will be down at the house in March to spackle, prime & paint the Library & to paint the front parlor, and will start the refinishing of the floor in the library. In addtion, burn privet piles, cut more privet....oh the list is endless! Waiting on the inspection of the joists in the back parlor, then Chris can run the electric, and more sheetrock, hopefully all that is done by May. And July it's meet the Tingles! That I am very excited for, and my parents will be there to to meet all of them.

I have also started a new blog of our Victory Garden : http://veggievictorygarden.blogspot.com/

Ack....winter..Veggie Victory Garden

2009-02-07T14:09:00.008-05:00

I am sooo done with winter! Although I am accomplishing a lot in the New Jersey house in prep for sale, and directing construction guys by phone at the house in North Carolina, I just want to get outside! I am dying to start the Veggie Victory Garden! I think I will have to start a new blog for that project, but the background:

We had beautiful woods across the street from our house (NJ), and they were a huge reason I bought the house 17 years ago, that I had a lake in my back yard and woods accross the street, only neighbors on either side. Well for 16 years, I enjoyed those woods so much. On my way home from the NC house last year, I came to a screeching halt as I pulled onto my road. ALL of the trees were gone!

Now the neighbors had been fighting a builder who wanted to build a house or two there, so it seemed that no matter how many town meetings were attended, or letters we signed, this guy was going to build! It literally was a vicious rape on the land. The wetland were trudged through with the machines (the poor turtles and froggies) everything was a mess! Beyond the fact it is a terrible place to put a house or 2, flat then straight up a mountainous hill...after the 30' required setback, you would be looking at a hill out your back window.

But then I started thinking.....dangerous of course....the builder was not going to build for 2 years, and I am putting my house on the market, so why not put in a veggie garden? Plant some flowers, and seed the rest of the land with wildflower and sunflower seeds? Why not, the hideousness left behind after the destruction of the trees dropped the value of my house even more than the current market..lets at least make it into something beautiful, productive, money saving and perhaps money earning.

So I set out my plan, ordered my seeds, figured out planting schuedules, and began work on the soil. It was pretty good to start with, as all the leaves falling there for so many years, and the fact that we had been putting our kitchen waste over there for 17 years. I chopped down weeds for 2 days, then begain rototilling the soil with my neighbors tiller (damn thing is like 30 years old and weighs a ton, but it did a great job) Multiple trips to Oxbow Stables for Manure, more tilling, landscaping friend brought me grass clipping and leaves, more tilling....seed over with green manure and....wait for spring.

As I am waiting my way through this very long, very cold, very icy winter, and training the two puppies (the fruits of Christie & Buji's loins..ooopps!) I get a letter from our lake community. I figured it was a bill for our yearly lake dues. BUT it was a copy of a letter from Vernon Township sent to the owner of the land across the street. (the land rapist) They are suspending and removing all of his permits for construction unless he repairs the 'water propblem' cause by his excavations. What?!! I am jumping up and down with joy as I get to the second paragraph! In order to re-isuue his permits, he must hire an engineer to design plans to remedy the flooding that is running over the street into the lake from the wetlands (where all the turtles and frogs were displaced) at his cost; even tho...get this...Vernon Township owns the wetlands!!! HEHEHEHAHAHAHAHAHAH

This would entail some enormous expense, considering the road would have to be ripped up, a concrete drain run, all the fill, putting the road back together, repaving, re-routing traffic....and being that this guy bought the land site unseen and did not even know there was a lake across the street. Just a land grabber...build build build is what this guy does.

So in that he cannot build, I am moving ahead with full force as soon as the weather permits. Perhaps I'll even get a few chickens too! lol

Christmas and New Years 2008-2009

2009-01-05T07:13:00.015-05:00

We had two weeks off for Christmas and New Years, and spent them at the house. The week of Christmas would just be John & I, the first Christmas spent in the house, and the first Christmas where neither of our children would be with us on Christmas Day. Ali was to fly in on the 27th, same day as Melissa, but Melissa's flight was cancelled, so she flew in Mon. 12/28. We left NJ with 15" of snow on the ground and freezing rain, so it took us quite a bit longer to get to the house than normal. Christmas morning was very relaxing, just chilled, had coffee, then opened gifts. I got the Expresso Machine I had been wanting & John got a remote control Helicopter!! We had Christmas Dinner with my parents and some friends of theirs, and it was a really great time. Good food, good conversation.

I scoured all of Pamlico & Craven Counties for a Christmas Tree. Nobody had any left. I finally got the LAST tree at Lowes, in New Bern. For 50% off I might add, $17.00. The tree should have been free it was the most Charlie Brown thing I have ever seen. Once it was decorated up tho it was alright and all the presents were set underneath it.

My concentration this trip was reclaiming the land. We walked the property the first day, trying to follow the property lines (not much luck) and found that we have 5 acres of PRIVET. Have I mentioned that I hate this stuff? It is so invasive and just grows and grows even after you chop it down 100 times. But I started over by the grape arbor and began working my way around, chainsaw in hand cutting down and clearing away privet trees. We have a small ravine that runs the width of the property and only fills up when it rains really hard, but it makes a good deliniation line for the back yard. I got about halfway across, leaving huge piles of privet to dry out to be burned on my next trip. Did a lot of burning. By the grape arbor there was a huge old pile of limbs, sticks, vines, etc; about 15 feet across, 7 feet wide and 4 feet tall. Burned it all. The area at the start of the ravine will make a very pretty wood-land type garden, a great place for me to bring my hostas down from NJ. I also did discover a 2x3 cement slab over by John & Judy's side of the house...might it be our ever-elusive well?

I also insulated the library after the inspection for the electrical was completed. Recently our carpenter, had installed the french door in the library that we had been planning on. It brightens the whole room and sets the tone for the wood finish I will do on the shelves and the desk. Needed to get a few more things done in there, but I ran out of time, so will pass those jobs onto Sean.

John's concentration was the back parlor ceiling. The span of this room is 16'x18', and had only 8 joists total. The floor above literally shook when you walked on it...very, very scary. We did run into the issue of everything being closed from Wednesday to Sunday due to the holiday and we really needed the LAM (laminated) beam. This was the central point from which all the sister joists and the new joists would run from. So in the meanwhile we had the building inspectors, Ray & Skip, come out to look at the work that we had done, and to discuss the plans for the ceiling joists, They gave us a go on everything, so I went to Bayboro and got our permit for the Billiard room addition, the total refurb, and insulation. All we need now is plumbing and heating.

John also took down what was left of the wall between the foyer and the back parlor, giving us a huge, wide, open room which also open up a total view into the dining room and kitchen. (What used to be the kitchen & the summer kitchen, refer to older photos if u don't know what I am speaking of.) He removed the nasty brick veneer from the back parlor chimney, and revealed that there is a fire box on that side, so we will be able to do gas fireplaces in both parlors. Way Cool.

After the girls arrived, we took off on Tuesday to get haircuts and to go into downtown New Bern for lunch and window shopping, leaving John alone with the incredibly heavy, unweildy LAM beam. Ali had not been to NC since she was 9, so I wanted to show her downtown. My parents met us for ice cream later, then the followed us back to the Pamlico Palace. Dad have John a hand putting up some of the joists, as he needed an extra set of hands, and then came back the following day to help some more after the lumber was delivered. All in all John got it done and did an amazing job, bringing the room from 8 support joists to 23 support joists in all. And, we were able to move all our boxes up to the Bow Bedroom, and get them out of the foyer. So much better.

New Year's eve we spent at home, with a yummy meal and some fireworks. New Year's day I went to my parents for a few hours to use their computer to work on the appeal of the denial of our driveway application from the NCDOT. (Sooo Corrupt it's disgusting). On Friday we had my parents to dinner, and I whipped up a yummy meal in my crazy little makeshift kitchen.

The only bummer about the trip was the dogs! The puppies are now seven weeks old, and all over the place. Christie, the mom, is used to sleeping in bed with us, but the puppies learned how to climb up on the bed, so all five dogs wanted to sleep in the bed. It drove me crazy! Not a solid night sleep the entire time. Usually it's the rooster & the owl that wakes me up, but this time it was our own critters! And Buji is on the bathroom schedule of 5 am when Melissa gets up for school, so the first few days he was following that. So much for sleeping in. We finally got him to wait until about 7:30, but whoop-de-doo, still not sleeping in. Also too, the dogs from the neighborhood run free, and a few nights, Buji knew they were outside and would bark and howl & whine. Argg.

As usual, I did not want to leave, I love that house and would spend all the time there in the world restoring it if we had unlimited funds, but sorry folks, we don't and it's back to the real world.

2008-08-02T11:21:00.003-04:00

Update on the house....I was down in July and got all the planties in...I looked like a traveling jungle driving down route 95....and burned all the brush and trees that we had cut down in January..it took 2 and a half days, but it's all gone! I actually left a bit early, as I really missed John & Melissa. I got pulled over leaving my parents house after going out to dinner, because apparently in NC, when there is an 'emergency vehicle' on the side of the road, you are required to pull allllll the way over to the other side of the road. I just kind of went around them leaving about 5 feet between the police car and me. 2 seconds later, the lights are flashing behind me, and a GIANT state trooper is asking for my info. He also had me take a breathalizer test! It seems that is automatic when you get pulled over down there. Long story short, I got a $370.00 ticket!!!
Since I have left, the workers have been busy beavers on the house. Chris the electrician got all the work done in the front parlor, and Graham is sheetrocking the front parlor. Sean installed three windows in the library, a gift from Mom & Dad, and has been diligently working on the fine trim work and hanging the door in the fireplace bedroom. We have had a cat or some sort of creature sleeping on the bed in there while I have been gone, so the new door really needed to be installed. Sean was pulling out the little hair he has installing the mantle surround, as the house is crooked, very crooked. But he did a great job, and forwarded me some pictures from his phone. The room is definitely shaping up, and although some of the ceiling wainscoting needs to repaired, the floors refinished and the floor and crown molding to be done, this is much progress!
Also working on getting approvals from the NC DOT on our driveway on the commercial side of the property...lots of paperwork, but if that guard rail is installed, it's going to be an agonizing process to get them to take it back down. Keep your finfgers crossed for us!
Unsure if I am going down in August, I may put the trip off until September, where I hope I will have the opportunity to meet Nancy (Tingle), the grandaughter of Papa Jim & Gertie. Hopefully she will be pleased on what we have accomplished so far.

Getting Ready For July!

2008-06-11T12:07:00.002-04:00

I am going down to the house in the beginning of July. We have been swamped at work and at home, lots going on....our tenant is moving out (in 17 days!) & we are so excited to have the full house for the first time in fifteen years. Buji is going to puppy school, Melissa is taking finals and getting ready to go to the Shore, and Ali is leaving for China on June 27th! I am glad to be going down, as I am going to be doing more yard work, and bringing some of my hybrid plants that I have spent a lot of time cultivating, and am not willing to leave for whomever buys our house in NJ. The Scotch Broom bushes will be coming too as they have gotten wayyy too big for the spot that they are in the yard. With any luck I will be able to get a few pallets of colonial fieldstone to ring the magnolia tree and the big birch in the front yard, fill it with soil and start some gardens in there. It will also just be nice to be out of New Jersey for a while too, and to see my parents, even though I miss John & Melissa while I am gone...but at least the two of them will be able to enjoy entire house while I am away!

2008-04-18T06:54:00.012-04:00

Well the trip down to the house in April was productive, but as usual, too short. The plan for the week was to have the electrical done in the front parlor, support the ceiling joists in the front parlor, insulate and sheet rock. Unfortunately, my electrician came down with the flu, so that part was not completed, but I did the joists, insulation, and moved onto the foyer. I removed all of the wainscoting, cut it to 36 inches, rehung, it, insulated and sheet rocked. I also began the long task of stripping the 18 layers of paint off the parlor mantle and front door. It is amazing the detail in the wood under all that paint. I did a lot of yard work, and was so happy to see the wisteria, azaleas and dogwood trees blooming. I moved some daffodils from the cemetery also. They are so clumped together that they wont bloom. So I passed some along to Mom & Dad, and Judy, and replanted some in the front yard. In conjunction with this, I removed a bunch of privet roots from the cemetery, giving myself a nice case of NC poison ivy. We also discovered that I have a very rare breed of lily on the property, so I have begun cultivating those also, and planted a little garden in the front by the Camilla tree. I began our privacy hedge of iliagnus bushes (to hide the compound next door) from plants donated from Mom & Dad's yard. It was Buji's first trip to the house & his first experience with grass, as we have no grass at the NJ house - only gardens. It was so funny to watch him romp and play in it. Poor Christie came down with some sort of doggy IBS, so she had to go to the vet, and was on medication all week, and just not herself. Poor thing looks worried all the time. My next trip will probably not be until June, as we are so busy at the Mason yard this time of year - it's just go,go,go. I am very tired, but 'tis the season. Enjoy the pictures & will post more soon!

Heading Down

2008-04-04T08:31:00.003-04:00

I am leaving for NC on the April 6th. Over the last sveral weeks I have been speaking with Nancy Tingle, the ganddaughter of James Tingle, the man who built my house. She has been a wealth of information along with being so sweet! I have copied and pasted bits of emails from her pertaining to the family & bits of information. Forgive me if it is choppy.

You asked about Papa Jim's farm lands and I don't really have the answers in detail. I know that he had quite a lot of property and that he was a "Produce Broker." I am sure that he grew tobacco and I believe I recall that he grew cotton, corn and sweet potatoes too. I remember mother telling how she and Aunt Lennie would take a burlap sack (was is a tow sack or a toe sack?) go behind the real cotton pickers to see if they could get what was leftover. Mother said it was not easy and that you had to learn how to do it without hurting your fingers and hands too bad. Anyway, I will defer this question about acreage and crops to my cousins, Sally, Flora and Libby. It is very exciting to hear of your business in Alliance. More beautiful flowers will be on the Tingle property to brighten things. Will you take down all of the trees on the highway? I'll write again when things calm down.
I forgot to share with you that the house has been out of the Tingle family for many years. Ola Tingle Woodruff was the last that I recall having ownership or living there. I can get that clarified by an older cousin. Do you see why I am so thrilled that after all these years, love once again comes to the house? I had talked of trying to buy it myself but I have my riverfront property to sell now. It has all worked out for the best. You could probably search the County's public records and find when Ola & CE Woodruff sold the property.
Sally McCotter Saunders and Flora McCotter Buie will no doubt be making contact with you. They are the daughters of Dora Tingle McCotter and Perry Mccotter. There was also a son who is now deceased. Sally is one of the older cousins and she should be able to help fill in some gaps for you. Flora is younger than I but Flora always has input.Linda Holland Matthews and Trudy Holland Mills are daughters of my mother's identical twin, Lennie Tingle Holland. Libby Staples is the daughter of James and Helen Tingle. Her brother, James is deceased.Nancy Smith is the daughter of Mayona and Richard Noble. She had two brothers Richard (Dick) who is deceased and J.C. who lives in NC.Ola Tingle Woodruff and CE? Woodruff had two sons we called Billy and Buzzy. They are deceased and likely buried in VA.My brother, Charles Sutton (Chuck) Woodson, Jr. and I, Nancy Tingle Woodson Deacon finish out the gang, I guess. I do not know any more of our generation. I feel sure that some are going to want to contact you. I have no idea how the Richard Tingle family might connect. I'll talk to some friends in the County and see what they say. By the way, do I remember that it was Judy who give you my number? I thought the realtor was going to do it but I know how those things can be forgotten. Whoever helped us make a connection, to them I am deeply indebted.
I did want to let you know that Judy's house was not built for a daughter but by/for my Uncle James Tingle, the only son of James and Gertie. He died suddenly at an early age, from a heart attack in the early '60's. Uncle James as we called him was adored by all of my generation. He was the one who took time to wrestle with all the kids in the yard between Papa Jim's house and his house. He had business selling tractors and related equipment and later expended to have a Chevrolet Dealership. The business was located a short distance West of Papa Jim's house in what is now a run down brick building until a new building was built in Bayboro. That was about the time he died. I think Uncle James was the first Mayor of Alliance but I wouldn't swear to that. We always lived so far away..... Uncle James was the first of our family, that I can remember, who was buried in what was called the new cemetery behind the Methodist Church, instead of the family cemetery beside his house. I really don't know his reasoning. He had two children James became a minister and eventually moved to CO and started a real estate business in the mountains he came to love. A few years ago, he was fatally shot by a mentally ill man. It's still unimaginable. Uncle James and his wife Helen, also had a daughter, Elizabeth Tingle. She is now Libby Staples and she lives in Southern Pines, NC. All of this is probably more information than you really want but as I touch on a person, I thought I would give a little background.
Hopefully Nancy and her husband Otto will come to see the progress we have made on the house in May. For now I will be in 75 degree weather, working on the front parlor, insulating, sheetrocking, spackling and bracing the ceiling joists. I am also going to work on the restoration of the fireplace mantle, in an attempt to remove the 18 layers of paint that has hidden the beauty of the mantle. Talk to you when I get back!

2008-03-08T19:50:00.005-05:00

(Pictures areFrom Left to Right: Daffodils growing by the Chimey, The cleared electrical easement, our cemetary loaded with daffodils, Annie Lucy Tingle's Stone, Burney & Nancy Tingle's Stone, Nina Era Tingle's Stone, Papa Jim & Gertie's Stone, the new color in the our bedroom (front room), New Colors in the Bow Bedroom, and the beautiful Camilla Tree blooming outside the bow bedroom window.)

Well I am still in NC while I am posting this so I will put new pictures up later. This trip in March of 2008 has been amazing. No demolition, no ripping things apart, no getting hurt, but putting back together and connecting with the past. I left New Jersey on Sunday the 3rd, at 3 am with my U-Haul Truck and it was twenty degrees! Finally we are moving all of our stored stuff to the house and then I will be renting a car while I am there. Amazingly I made it to the NC Border in 7.5 hours! Unheard of....So I unpack the truck as much as I can and get situated. My goal for this week is to get away from the hideous gray NJ winter and work outside and paint the master bedroom and the "Bow Bedroom" or what will be Melissa's room, and what we are currently using as our living room/make-shift kitchen. I get to NC & It's 70 degrees - heaven on earth and no creepy Mexicans staring across the way at me (if you don't know what this is ...read past posts) The Camilla's are in full bloom, the trees are budding and when I open the door to the house I smell fresh lumber, not mold and decay and yuck. Life is good.

I go out the next morning to start raking and moving the piles of wood from the demolition of the first floor and I see my mysterious neighbor in the awesome white craftsman house next door. Now I say mysterious because I have only seen the man once, mowing his lawn and the lady, never. But I knew from Miss Carol down the street that she had been ill...I see her and wave and she comes over in her fuzzy bathrobe and her awesome dog, Mika (she rescued this dog from a previous tenant in my house that was mistreating her). Her name is Judy and a totally holistic, healthy, natural person who also sees ghosts - my kind of woman, and she is an animal lover too. I find that the Tingles I have been looking for are buried in the cemetery on her property, as apparently, James A., (Poppa Jim) built that house for one of his daughters. I go over and see Burney & Nancy & James & Gertie and family members and the children they lost and I am estactic!!!!! Judy gave me the phone number to the GRANDDAUGHTER of the man who built my house, Poppa Jim! What a stroke of luck - I have been searching all over the web for information, and here was the link right next door! Bless you Judy!

I called Nancy immediately, and what a sweet woman! She told me so much about the family, I could have stayed on the phone with her for hours, just gleaning information! I learned that the family sang a lot, and that it was a home filled with love and happiness. They had eight children and Nancy said she would scan and email me pictures of Poppa Jim & Gertie! This means so much as I truly feel that I am a steward of this house, as much as it is my home, it is theirs too, they built it, and it is my duty to pay my respects to the house and to the people that built it. I want so much to put a portrait or picture of Poppa Jim & Gertie in the front foyer, where they belong, front & center!

So I painted the Master bedroom - I will have to remember to ask Nancy who's bedroom that originally was - a beautiful Pumpkin color - bring life and fire back into the house. I had to sleep in the fireplace bedroom while the paint dried (and who's bedroom was that) but it turned out to be a very comfy room, even with the door removed. I guess the new windows really keep out the exterior noise & I slept like a baby although we had a huge tornado like storm during the night. I would have slept through it, but I dreamed that my husband was calling to me to shut the windows, so I got up and shut the windows.

I then began painting the bow bedroom, two shades of sage green in a 12 inch stripe with and 1 inch eggplant stripe between them. Well got the green done & I cannot tell the difference between the two colors at all. I began on the eggplant stripes, but it was so humid & damp the tape was not sticking properly to the walls and I did not want to have to go back & repair 35 stripes. So I chilled, watched a few movies, cleaned like crazy, took walks to the cemetery and hung out with my mom & dad.

I leave tomorrow morning and I will post more but I just had to chat about this!! Post Pictures Soon........C.S.

January 2008 Trip

2008-01-24T09:53:00.000-05:00

Well well folks, we spent three weeks in Sunny NC working on the house - amazing how much you can get done - but how much more needs to be done. We really could work on it every day for a year (with unlimited funds of course) and just maybe, maybe we could finish it. The kids, Brian and Alicia came down with us for a week and we spent New Years at the house....funny first time in how long that we did not see the ball drop and that we have not spent a new year with our friend, Craig. We worked our butts off that week but we also tried to do some fun stuff to show the kids the state, we went to the aquarium in Atlantic Beach, we went to M & M's for dinner, and attempted to go to Fort Macon Beach, but took a different route and got totally lost, which we were all bummed about, but did go through a few towns called "Betty", "Stacy" (pop 202), and "Sea Level". Went to mom's for dinner too and they made us a kick-ass Lasagna & a killer Antipasto Salad.

The first week was really spent on demolition (as usual) and electrical work. The boys got the old kitchens out of there, removed the old kerosene furnace, gutted the downstairs bath and put new joists in, so my friend the mushroom is now gone. They built a new header between the back foyer and the new dining room....which is level bu the house is not...lol... John & Brian re-wired the fireplace bedroom too. John was pleasantly surprised that the electric was not as bad as we thought, and there was a combination of the spool and knob wiring, romex, and believe it or not aluminum wiring. John spent hours and hours over the three weeks, removing a ton of the knob and tube, running new romex, and removing old dangerous wiring and cleaning up the electrical panel.
While we were there the first few days, the guy who put the windows in the front parlor had to come back to re-do one, as it was a total abortion. He had one of his workers do it, and he just screwed it up completely. In addition the idiot used the only room that we have set up as a kitchen and living room to cut the wood for the frames on two of the windows. As a result the first night Alicia and I spent two hours cleaning up about 2 inches of sawdust from the floors, furniture and appliances. I was Pissed! Of a whole house that has so many rooms gutted and under construction, he HAD to use the one that we live in. MORON!
So while the crew was there re-doing the window, ten-year old Austin from down the street comes knocking on the door. Alicia & I were in Lowes in New Bern, so the kid was knocking & knocking and knocking, but John figured he would just go away. (Austin is very persistant) Finally John opens the door and Austin says "Is Mr. Tom here?" (Picture hugely heavy southern accent coming from a very small ten year old with a lazy eye - no shit) So John lets him into the house and tells him Tom is in the Front Parlor. Austin announces"Mr. Tom, your weed is at the house!" Tom is like "What? Get the hell out of here boy!" totally embarrassed, as he dosen't know us from Jack and for all he knew John could be a cop. (like I would ever marry a cop...lol) John is assuring him it's okay, and jokingly says that he should have Austin bring the weed to the house. So Tom yells out the window: "BOY! bring my damn weed here!" and Austin's face just lights up and is like, really? Tom laughs and tells him to get the hell out of there. Funny, funny shit. Turns out the hairdresser place down the street is a big pot distribution area - you get get your hair done & get baked all at the same time.
We met our neighbors down the street, Graham & Laura, who are originally from the North, but have lived in the South for 30 years. They have an 1874 Victorian they are restoring with the hopes of turning it into a bed and breakfast one day. Graham is hilarious and a total garbage picker....all the stuff we were pulling out of the house, he was carting down the street to his house...Laura was ready to kill him! He helped John to move the hot water heater from the kitchen to the hall closet - a huge job that took all day, but John put the lines backward and now our toilet flushed hot water!!! Ahhh lovely steam on your butt. So we had them to dinner that night - salmon steaks and veggies on the grill..yum! We went to their house another night for dinner and had some Bambi turned into stroganoff and it was delicious - their house is amazing - there is a fireplace in every room, and so much character... But Laura was like - You have done more in 5 months than we have done in three years! She was ready to Choke Graham...lol. Great to meet people like us though and I can't wait to see them when I go down again.
Alicia and I cleared the cemetery of the Privet that is growing all over the property. It is the most invasive crap i have ever seen and i HATE it! But we were able to find all the stones - 22 stones in all, and we marked the boundaries of the cemetery with bright orange tape so when the loggers come they will not disturb the site - I could get in trouble as it is a registered historical site. It turns out that all the Tingles of the Tingle house are buried at the house next door, apparently that was once Tingle Property too.....they had a huge farm at the time, and I guess eventually sold off pieces so that there is just the six acres left. It was lots of work and we were really sore the next day, but huge accomplishment. Went back there the day before we left and there are hundreds of daffodils coming up - like a sea of daffodils in the cemetery - can't wait to see them in bloom.
She and I also wallpapered the one wall in the Fireplace bedroom - the boys helped us with the sheetrock and off we went. I have not wallpapered in about 15 years, so it was a bit stressful at first but once we got the hang of it, we did a really good job.
The kids had to leave the monday after we arrived, for Brian's court date, which turned out neither of them needed to be there, but we were so glad for the help and the company.
John & went to a tool sale in New Bern and picked up some stuff at really good prices, including a chainsaw to start re-claiming the property. We trimmed down five of the ten crepe myrtles on the Courtland Ave side...now when I say trimmed, we brought them down to six feet tall, but we took off twenty to thirty feet of tree above it. Also some tall privet trees and a two others that were dead...we still have a lot to go, but it is a start. We left all the debris in a huge pile in the yard, of which we will let dry out and hopefully Graham will take some, we can burn some and the rest will go to the dump.
John spent the majority of two weeks working on the back addition to the house. It started somewhere in 1910 when they added the kitchen on, you can still see the spot in the chimney where they had the original wood-burning cook stove attached to it...but they added two more additions on behind that - and what a jumble and shoddy construction! Everything he opened was a Pandora's box. The main support beam in the room was rotted from a leaky sink, the weight of the hot water heater and the weight of the furnace caused other beams to sag.....so he had to rebuild this from the ground up. We did find lots of old bottles, and letters and stuff, which was really cool and will go into the collection of stuff found in the house. I tell you we were making trips to Pamlico Home Builders every five minutes, but he replaced all the beams, and about 30 floor joists, and of course there is still more to do! He got the electrical working down the too so we wont be in the pitch black down there, and this enabled him to work into the night, as every minute was precious!
I got sick while we were there - a left over from whatever I had at Christmas, so I lost two days of work being miserable and in bed...boo hoo. But i did get the upstairs hallway spackled and primed, no more horrible blue molding, and also spackled and primed the bow bedroom - the room we are using as the kitchen and living room - as it was a hideous pink! Started working on the wall that we have to close up in that room to, to close up the door between the master bedroom and the bow bedroom, and to flip the closet from the bow bedroom to the master...another project on the list!
The sad part is we did so much work that will be hidden under flooring and sheetrock! It's like our money just disappears inside the walls, but we can't make it beautiful without fixing it first!
Next trip - February - I get to de-nail the walls & ceilings, do some insulation and a bit of sheetrocking, and finish taking down the sheetrock in the back foyer!

Getting ready to go!

2007-12-28T10:21:00.000-05:00

We are leaving Sunday (new Years Eve) to go down to the house for two weeks! This will be the first time John will be seeing it, and the Kids - Brian & Alicia will be coming with us. Doggies in tow too...Bringing furniture and tons of stuff with us - mainly to get it out of our tiny house in NJ - the more we move now - the less we have to move later on. John & Brian will be doing a lot of the heavy work - getting the floor of the Bow Bedroom braced so we can jack it up to where it is supposed to be....electric..etc.. Alicia & I are going to keep working on the fireplace bedroom - sheetrocking & wallpapering, molding on the new windows, etc. Have to get a chain saw - we have a lot of tree work to do in the yard - not to mention trying to make some pathways into the woods. Lots and lots to do... Wont have much computer access, but will try to post while there! Have a great New Years!

Clumsy as Usual..

2007-12-11T08:28:00.000-05:00

Ok trip is cancelled - I fell up the stairs sunday night & sprained my ankle! Can't drive 12 hours and lift sheetrock with that! House will have to wait until we go down on the 30th! Merry Christmas!

Leaving Again...

2007-12-08T20:54:00.000-05:00

I am leaving for the house tuesday the 11th and will be returning the 18th - more windows and more work on the fireplace bedroom!

November Trip to NC

2007-12-08T08:55:00.000-05:00

Okay actually made it home in 10 1/2 hours - record time - even tho there were 50 mph gusts of winds on Route 95. Got a good amount done this trip - refinished the fireplace in fireplace bedroom, ripped down the sheetrock & painted the Wainscoting - did molding on 2 of the new windows, was supposed to have the other two installed, but Randy the window guy tells me "I'm sorry, Miss Christine, the windows won't be in until next Friday" So I am heading back down December 11th. Also finished gutting the library where I found a neat secret hiding place under the stairs, which I am going to keep cause it's really cool - Opened up the 'Harry Potter" Closet into the room, and I think I am going to make that part of the room - like an alcove - just cause it adds some dimension - I did get wacked above the eye with a flying piece of wainscoting - bled like hell & not I have a pretty little scar.
Went to see the Flotilla in New Bern on the Neuse River Saturday night, all the yachts and boats decorate themselves for Christmas, then parade around union park - that was neat, but it was friggin cold!

Stayed an extra day as we had the snow/ice storm here in NJ, so I locked up on Saturday and went to spend that nght at my moms. So I took the ferry from Minnesott Beach over to Havelock across the Neuse - that was cool - as I had never done it before. Helped mom & dad put up their Christmas tree and do the decorations outside.
So I am home running around trying to do all the holiday shit that I have to squeeze in before going back on the 11th, and in addition I have to renew my license. Bleh! Also have to get the back window fixed on the jeep - its hanging on with Duck Tape!
busy busy - see ya!

November 27, 2007-Tuesday

2007-12-08T08:54:00.000-05:00

Day 2 in NC
Hey everyone - just letting you all know that I am alive and well - the trip down was no problem, and I am working my ass off on the fireplace bedroom. Turns out the sheetrock was for shit, so I took it all off and I am painting the wainscoting, which is actually very original to the house, as that was the walls in 1894. Did some masonary patching on the fireplace which I will be tiling,- that will be a back breaker of a job- funny angle to be working from- but should look nice whan I am all done. Weather has been good - some rain yesterday and last night but sunny and about 67 today....No injuries so far- just a splinter in my finger and a glob of paint in my eye.....and tons in my hair.... Christie is a chicken shit and totally scared of the house - I think that she just dosent like that it is under construction and the noise and all that - she literally sits there and shakes.....coward!
Miss the Beaner and My Monster fiercly! I love you two so much!!!

Denver Has Gone to Doggy Heaven

2007-12-08T08:53:00.000-05:00

After 14 1/2 wonderful years, at 16.5 years old, we put Denver down. I adopted him in 1993 when he was 2 years old, a rescue - the people that gave him up said he was the worst dog they ever had - because he barked....so they beat him..
From the moment that Denver entered our lives, he was a joy - the most loyal and loving guy...granted in the beginning he would take his 'walks' around the lake and I would have to pick him up many times at Doggy Jail....but that is the only thing I can remember about him that was disobedient. He would do the "Denver Dance" when we came home, and would talk to us - must like a husky does. He was just happy to be with us.
Almost 5 years ago - Denver began to slow down, so we brought him a best Friend - Christie, our Jack Russel Terrier - what a comical act they were together, and I swear she added another 5 years on his life - that and all the vegetables he ate.....Denver's Favorite food was SALAD - yes....salad....and he just always seemed so grateful that he was with us.
In the last year, Denver really got old - we would joke and call him a fossil, but for 16 years that really is old for a dog. His hips were going, he was pretty deaf, he had cataracts, and started losing his bathroom control - which resulted in me having to clean the carpet on a consist ant basis - but I knew it was just that he could not help it - he was an old man - a grampa.
On November 19th - we sent Denver to where all the good dogs go...over the Rainbow Bridge.....I have read this before but our Friend Ali just sent this to me and I think it is the perfect words of sending your dog from you into the arms of another to care for him.....

"When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food and water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing: they miss someone very special to them; who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. The bright eyes are intent; the eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to break away from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. YOU have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
THEN YOU CROSS RAINBOW BRIDGE TOGETHER... "

We Love You Denver Dog -
February 1991-November 19, 2007
You were our best friend.

October Trip to Alliance House

2007-12-08T08:50:00.000-05:00

Okay so it took me a while to post this, but I spent a week in October a the house to work on it. My first time staying alone at the house! Mom and Dad were in Europe for three weeks so no option to stay there. Gotta say I was all nervous because of my sensitivity to ghosties - not sure if there were any there...but I guess this would be the time to find out. So got there about 5:00 pm on Sunday, unpacked, dragged my mattress upstairs and situated lights in every room of the house - as I am like a five-year-old, and deathly afraid of inside darkness. Outside dark - no problem I could walk around in the woods all night, inside - forget it. So I am back upstairs getting my bedroom and the bathroom situated, and I go to walk back downstairs and every single lamp I plugged in is out! WTF? Turns out as the electric is so damn old, I blew either a fuse or the sockets fried, so no lights for me down there. Luckily the dining room and the parlor have ceiling lights, so I leave those on.
Our plumbing is wacky - the toilet upstairs was clogged - so off to the hardware store for a plunger and drano - and the upstairs shower leaks into the foyer below - so a bucket and plastic will do for now to catch the waterfall coming out of the ceiling. When I walked into the downstairs bathroom - a giant mushroom is growing in the middle of the floor! And to top it off, a huge water bug is in the tub - well on that note, I shut the door and walked away, and pretend neither were there all week. Such a girl thing to do. I wonder if the mushroom will be bigger when I go back in November.
Monday I start in on the rest of the parlor, and get it totally stripped down. As I opened up one wall the wysteria plant that is growing outside is also growing up inside the walls - all the way up to the Master bedroom - ah - balloon framing. It was funny tho - me the ultimate plant lady with plants inside the walls. Luckily this trip around there were no injuries like the last trip - although the parlor window fell out, landed on my tricep- hit the floor and broke - oh well - windows being replaced friday anyway - oh and I did step on another nail- but it was a trim nail- small and no damage - luckily.
The Mexican - oh the mexicans - I can't stand em. I dont know what the deal is with male mexicans but there should be a law that they are not allowed to STARE! Monday I have to mow the lawn - there is almost two acres of lawn before the property goes to woods. I have a push mower so it is a bit of a task. Before I start ripping apart the parlor - gotta mow the lawn. Across Courtland Avenue is a commerical plumbing business, and some of the Mexicans that work there used to live in the house - they are the ones that left it like a pigstye....anyway - the minute I walk out of the house - 6 of them stop, lean against the construction trailer, and proceed to watch me the entire time I am mowing the grass - Three hours!!! Three Fucking Hours!!! So creepy - I am going to plant some Eliagnus Shrubs on my next trip down between the Crepe Myrtles and the Cedar Trees so I can block their view- and mine of them...I hate them And for the rest of the week, every time I stepped out of the house - either to go to the store or to bring construction debris out to the back - they stopped and stared! Arg!
Nighttime was a bit of a freaky thing at the house - the first night was terrible - kept waking up to the sounds of CHICKENS - yes chickens clucking and giant trucks zooming down the street. Unfortunately right now Main Street is a by-pass of Highway 55 - with a one-lane bridge -that makes lots of sense..That will be closed up once they reach that part of 55 - making it a 4-lane highway so they will close up that particular entrance to Main Street. Anyway, at all hours of the night - huge 18-wheelers would come whaling by the house - scaring the shit out of me every time. I also left my bedroom door open - I guess in the back of my mind was the ghostie thing, and I kept waking up and looking into the hallway - so after that I shut the door - much better. Also too - no TV, no Computer, so one it got dark (about 6:30) it was like upstairs, and thats that. Even to put Christie out to pee was a freaky deal. She felt it too and would not hang out downstairs AT ALL. As soon as I would let her in - zip - right up the stairs. My protector - ha! So advil pm and wine helped me along through the nighttime - like a farmer - up with the sun to work, and in bed at darkness.
Tueday - ripped down the dining room ceiling - a 5 hour jobbie - again with 100 years of dirt falling in my face and on my head as I went. After I cleaned up, I showered and went for a burger down in Oriental and M&M's....nice place - great burgers. The decision to stop after the ceiling was that a definite shadow passed me as I was working - scared the piss out of me, and I ran out of the house! I went back in and yelled at the house! Told whatever might be there that I am fixing the house and I will share the house with them, but no more scaring me! I gotta get Tracy there to see if she feels it too, as she is about 10,000 times more sensitive to the paranormal than I am.
The remainder of the week was spent gutting the rest of the dining room, more of the foyer and I started on the library. By far - that room had the most dirt, sand, dusts, and nests inside the walls out of all of them. I guess due to the fact the the Fireplace bedroom above it - it's floors need some work so a lot of dirt from over the years came to rest between the floor and the ceiling below it.
Friday - they guys were in to replace seven windows (out of the 40 that need to be replaced) and I got about 3/4 the way through the library and I was like - I am done! My hands were killing me - I had blisters on my blisters (swinging that crow-bar and hammer all week will do that to ya, I guess) and my carpal-tunnel in my wrists was really bad. So I wait for the window red-necks to leave - and oh boy were they red-necks, and I shower and think about going out. But, I am so freaked out about going downstairs in the dark - the decision took about two hours to make - to actually walk downstairs and out the door, and into the jeep. (how old are we?)
I wanted to go to the New Bern Historical District Ghost walk on Friday - I was going to even ask my neighbor, Miss Carol, to come with me, but it had been pouring all week and friday was especially torrential -- so that wasn't happening. Finally, I get up the guts - and I am going to go to M&M's for Dinner.......Being a person who is not used to locking doors in my NJ house, I didn't even think about the deadbolt lock on the front door. So I go zooming down the stairs, rush to the front door, and pull it open and proceed to rip the deadbolt right out of the door frame! Just goes to show that if someone wanted to get in a good kick to the door would have done the trick. So fuck it, I say, and hop in the Mighty Jeep - to take me away from the scary house. Well, as we have no driveway - I have been parking on the grass by the front porch....I back out and proceed to RUN OVER THE MAILBOX! ASSHOLE! Again, fuck it and go to dinner.
Now the problem is that I can't lock the front door when I get back home. John is bugging out on the phone that I need to put a board up or something - so I am in the foyer - in the dark - with a flashlight, sorry but I think flashlights make things worse when you are scared of the dark....cast a bunch of shadows. So in the end I put one of those security chain locks on. I am leaving the next day so I figure I can go out the back door, and lock the bolt behind me......well this is the true test of being in the dark.
Saturday - wake up at 5:40 am - pouring rain - sheets of rain outside. I go around and shut all the windows - forgot the bathroom tho - my father later reports to me, get all my shit in the Jeep, and I am ready to go. BUT I have to turn the electricity off at the box that is in the summer kitchen. Even in the daytime that room is DARK...so now it is Pitch Black. I have Christie on her leash, and I chain lock the front door....flashlight in hand, so I walk back to the summer kitchen, and shut the power down....by the time I get to the back door in the foyer - I am fucking sweating! The back door is also 114 years old, and has a wacky knob on it that makes it difficult to shut from the outside...well I played with the deadbolt for a long time (it was prob 3 minutes, but when panicked, time is different) Think I get it locked, and run to the Jeep in the Pouring Rain. Off we go! Idiot me did not put my back window in - I left it in Jersey, so the rain is just coming in getting me and Christie both soaked and shivering. The rain was so bad I literally could not see two feet in front of me - but eventually I drove out of it - by the time I got to Virginia, so we dried out a bit.......Home at last eleven hours later. But it took me about a week and a half to get over the freakyness of the house.
Next trip: November 25th! ..

Three More Days!

2007-12-08T08:49:00.001-05:00

And I am on my way to the tar-Heel state. Last few days I have been poking around for more information about the family that built the house, the Tingles, and hooked up with a person who had the entire family tree all the way back to the 1600's from when they came over from England. Way cool. Am definitely going to spend some time at the County Seat, bayboro and try to go through old records, - land deeds, wills, etc. Have to try to contact the Pamlico County Historical Society too.
Really excited about going - think I am going to leave earlier on Sunday then I planned so I can arrive in the daylight and get my lamps and bed and closet-kitchen all set up. Doing all this in the dark is just a tad creepy. Very much wondering if there is any spirit activity in the house at all. Will try to snap random photos when I get there - before I start demo - as not to kick up dust - to see if I catch anything on film - and I am going to bring the digital voice recorder too...ya never know, may catch an evp or more. Probably should not freak myself out that way - but I do want to know.
Anyway - Three more days! Yea!

Almost time!

2007-12-08T08:48:00.001-05:00

October 16, 2007 - Tuesday
Almost time!
All packed and ready to go - Leaving for the NC house on Sunday! 5 days! First time staying there alone - no tv, no computer! Lots of work to do!

Update on Life

2007-12-08T08:44:00.000-05:00

September 27, 2007 - Thursday
Update on life

Not much posting since I got back from the house in August, so I will try to update on my life. Work, work, work, not just at work, but at home too, and I am so tired all the time. And my idiot daughter wakes me up this morning at 7:30 (my day off and the only day to sleep) telling me she missed the bus...arrrrg
Been trying to close out the storage unit, as we bought the quad and need to transfer the payment from one to another. Sounds simple right? NO - have to clean out our storage area in the laundry room (tons of shit in there) then go to the storage unit to bring stuff up from there....and we are going to be putting this HUGE dining room tables that was Pam's into our tiny house ...this table was built before WWII, and was used for war plans in Burma, which no longer exists. It is 9.5 feet long and 5 feet wide and can seat about 20 people. In order to fit this into the house, the bowflex has to LEAVE! Which is okay by me, as no one uses the damn thing anyway. But It weighs about 1000 pounds, and Brian and John had to Partially take it apart to get it outside. So there is a buttload of shit that I am selling and having a yard sale this sunday.

Mom & dad have been really active at the house, and of course had a catastrophe this week - in my ripping the kitchen apart, the sink was very precariously placed, and what a mess! The hot water shoots out all over my dad and scalds him, and they are freaking out trying to stop the water from going everywhere- luckily (i guess) there are holes in the kitchen floor, and the water can drain into there, but now I will probably have mushrooms growing under the house.

Then they are shopping for windows, as there are some seriously busted ones upstairs. Mom chooses 6 over 6 - totally wrong for the period of the house, and after much verbal back and forth they finally listen to me and order 1 over 1, which is right for the time period of the house. So the windows will be installed in October when I am down there to do more demolition. Then they totally surprise me and tell me that for our birthdays & Christmas gifts this year - they have purchased 3 more windows for the bow windows in the parlor. Omigod - so cool - I think when people as me what I want from now on I will tell them that I want a window and I will put up a dedication plaque under each one - like they do in church...lol
Planned my trips down for the next three months, then we will be closing the business for a month so John and I can go down to the house together in January (bringing Brain and Alicia for help) for about two weeks, then we will try to get down to the Florida Keys for a few days, just us and the dog, to relax. This is the first time John will see the house in person, but will be able to assess the headers we need to put in for opening the back rooms up to make one large area, he & Brian can remove the furnace and all the heavy shit I can't do my myself. Time away from jersey on the dead of winter will be fine by me too. So a working vacation....as usual.
So after we get this table in here, and have the yard sale - I can throw my efforts into the Harvest Party we are having on 10/7 and Halloween - having the great debate with my self if we are going to do the home haunt this year or if we will just wait until next year when Halloween falls on a friday night. Then off to NC with just the dog for a week, staying in the house, as my parents will be in Europe for three weeks, and can't stay there. Should be interesting, as the master bedroom is really at this point the only livable room in the house and I have to put a make-shift kitchen in the walk in closet, as we have no kitchen downstairs! Wonder if I will find out if the house is haunted or not. A week of no TV, no computer - I will have to keep a video diary to bring home with me.
Then we are talking about putting Denver down which is so upsetting right after losing the cat Itty-Bitty. But he is 16 and a half years old, and declining quickly....so probably in the next month or so, I am thinking.
Beyond all that, life is good - super busy, but good - If I could only get some sleep life would be perfect.
TTFN!

Almost Home

2007-12-08T08:39:00.000-05:00

ALMOST HOME
Ok folks this is it, the last day here for this trip. We met with JB the electrician yesterday, and it's going to cost a buttload to do the electric , as the wiring that we have now is so old that it still has the porcelain conductors. I also found the gas lines for the original gas lighting, which is pretty cool.
I think the house was a catalog order. Back in the day, you could order a home from a home catalog - really, you could and it would be shipped to you soup to nuts, windows doors, fixtures, everything; for about $3000.00. Every wall & ceiling that I have opened says "alliance" written on it in script, or "W-Alliance" meaning that piece goes on the west side of the house. I figure the kitchen & summer kitchen was an addition in about 1910.
Basically, the reality is: we have to gut this house down to the beams and studs upstairs & downstairs . Then we can begin the rebuilding process of electrical, plumbing, insulation (of which there is none now) heating system, new sheetrock, all the floor, crown & chair rail molding, and doors and windows too. Basically we will be left with original floors, original fireplaces, orig. doors, etc, but all the windows will be replaced too. Might as well start the addition for the billiard room at the same time - just take out every permit imaginable & go at it. Thank go we have 2.5 years before we have to move, as this is a ton of work. But if you do the math, even rebuilding this house is still cheaper than building a new one, and we are saving American History. In the end - we will have a gorgeous Victorian home on a great piece of property to live out the rest of our lives there. I have already told my daughter that I want to be buried in our cemetery.
Will begin research on how to get a grant to clean up and maintain the cemetery when I get home, as it is a registered historic site, it should not be too difficult (I hope)
Today, we are going out to the house on last time, as my dad & I are meeting a G.C., Freddy, to have him do a once over on the house. Freddy can hang all the new sheetrock for us - I can do it, but would rather a pro do that part, and does fine detail work like trim and molding, and there is a lot of molding in this house. Perhaps having to rip everything out will give me the chance to put REAL period molding in, we'll see. Also have to stop at Lowes and buy a chain and a padlock to lock up the trailer as I refuse to drag that PIECE OF SHIT home with me. It will make a very handy farm trailer, it think that is the future that is instore for it.
Mom has her book-club meeting at her house today - so Dad, Melissa & I have to hightail it out of here - I am SO willing - who wants to hang out with 9 bickery old ladies? Figure we will take Melissa into Oriental so she can see the town, maybe do a bit of shopping or something. Then mom & dad are going out to dinner, so she & I are on our own tonight -
We are getting up about 4 am to start our journey home, I can walk a bit on my poor foot, so that is good, but it is still really swollen & hurts like a bitch. I am limping like a retard, but I have had enough of the crutches. So! see ya all soon! Can't wait to get back to see my honey-monster and everyone else!
Love ya!

I think the House is Winning

2007-12-08T08:36:00.000-05:00

THINK THE HOUSE IS WINNING

So it's wenesday and the dumpster is leaving thursday so I have a lot of shit to do. Melissa comes over to be my garbage-picker-upper while I demolish shit. Got a ton done: wainscoting down off the parlor ceiling, sheetrock and wainscoting off the dining room walls the we are going to open to the foyer, and the kitchen - sounds simple but a lot of grunt work with a hammer and crowbar. So the tree guy is coming to look at the property & to go over what stays and what dosent. He is just arrivng as Melissa and I are putting the shitty plywood in the dumpster. The good stuff is being saved for later use. Dad is hangin up picking up sticks and crap from the lawn. All is great - I am well rested, feeling strong, got a ton done.
We go back for the 5th or so sheet, pick it up and star turning around, I step on another piece of plywood that is laying on the ground, and I step on A FUCKING NAIL! It's like a three-inch nail and penetrated my foot almost completely... I like, fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck. I look up and see my dad & the tree guy running towards us and I am like holy shit, my dad the fat man is going to drop dead of a coronary due to weight, age & the heat - so I'm like "i'm ok!"
I tell melissa to get me the first aid kit, and not only does she bring it, but she brings a beer too. What an awesome kid.
So I do my thing, put my sneaker back on and do our thing with the tree guy. Two hours later I can't put any weight on my foot at all. MOTHER FUCKER! But I figure, It's like 5 pm, and the dumpster is full and I got so much done, we can leave.
I make the mistake of taking my shoe off in the car, and my foot blows up like a puffer fish. I cant walk, I cant do anything, and we are locked out of mom's house..Call her and situate that, then Melissa and I can't find my moms crutches anywhere. She scoured the entire house, and nothing - now those of you who know my mom and her history of injuries - we all know she has about 6 pairs of the damn things, along with canes, walkers and wheelchairs.
Mom and Dad get back and are like oh- the crutches are upstairs in the third closet - like I am supposed to know this. What a sucky night - in so much pain so mom gives me a pain pill. Wake up at 2:30 am dying from pain, so much so that I look up the phone to the hospital and hobble out to the kitchen to look at the map to see how to get there. I took some excedrin migraine - all I had and tried to lay back down.. Not much sleep happening from then on.
Got up this morning & went to the Urgent care. They took an x-ray, nothing broken thank god, but I did drive the nail though cartilage, soft tissue, muscle, etc. From the x-ray you can see the puncture and it stops just before the skin on the top of my foot. What a mess.
Now I am on anti-boitics, anti-inflamatories, and pain meds (that's the only good part) and ordered to lay down with my foot up, ice on it, period. Dont even know if we can leave tomorrow yet.
Will tell you all about the electrician later - feeling a bit stoney from all the meds.
I WILL NOT LET THIS HOUSE WIN THIS FIGHT!!!!
DOSENT IT KNOW THAT I AM HELPING IT?

Yellow Jackets are the Gatekeepers of Hell

2007-12-08T08:34:00.000-05:00

August 21, 2007 - Tuesday
YELLOW JACKETS ARE THE GATEKEEPERS OF HELL

Tuesday - another scorcher - gonna be about 101 with a heat index of 110, and wicked humid. No on monday I got the back porch all opened up from when the migrant workers closed it in to fit another 40 of them into the house - porch has great potential, the ceiling is really short, but we can actually drop the floor, get it cleaned up and have a nice roomy screened in porch. I had piled up most of the plywood and 2x4's and shit, but since the dunpster had come the previous day, (along with the water being turned on and the electricity too) I figured that I would start getting some of the crap into the dumpster, started in the front and got all that crap in there & went around back to get the 2x4's into the dumpster as I figured the plywood would be to awkward for me to carry by myself. So as I am doing so, I am moving the plywood just to get it out of my way, and I drop the damn thing and it runs totally down my shin and smashes on the top of my ankle. Instantly it turned purple, began to bleed and swell. Cursing my fool head off I run to the front of the house and put ice on it from the cooler. Owwwwies!

By this time I am just tired in general from the killer ride down, and working 4 ten hour days...so to say the least, the plywood just pissed me off and increased my crankiness.
I finish loading the 2x4's into the dumspter and start raking up the shit around the yard...I got a lawnmower from my neighbors down the street for 30 bucks, and spent about 3 hours the day before mowing an acre & a half of grass, weeds, whatever - looks a lot better tho. A lot of sticks and shit were hidden in the tall grass so I though I start getting them cleaned up. Simple process, rake shit into a pile, scoop it up & throw it in the wheelbarrow, then dump it ocer by the collapsed garage to be put in the next dumpster rental in October - no problem right? WRONG. The HUGE magnolia tree right behind the house, which is super messy tree and there are just tons of these huge leaves under it in about a 20 foot round circle (total place fro copperheads to hang out) is also the home to a buttload of yellow jacket nests.
I dump the 10th wheelbarrow and one fucker zooms out & stings me through my shorts on my thigh. Ha ha! I will get the spray - the shit that hits 'em from like 25 feet away, right? I do this and think all is well, no, I just pissed about 50 of these little fuckers off and they swarm after me. I drop my rake, gloves, spray can and book off to the front of the house. They bit me in the armpit, on my boobs, on my butt, holy shit. I fucking hate bees and I know when I arrive in hell, they will be waiting for me a the gate before I am chucked in the pool of molten lava over and over.
At this point I just start crying, I am in so much pain from the bites, my leg is killing me from where I dropped the plywood on it, I call John & just blubber in his ear like a little girl. That's it - I am going back to my mothers house I am DONE for the day. I call Melissa to tell her I am coming home and I am still crying about my legs and the bites. So I split, go to mom's take a shower, my dad gives me some anti-bee-bite drug (he is allergic so he is armed with all kinds of shit) and decide that Melissa & I are going to go to the aquarium and go to lunch. Half way to the aquarium I am ready to pass out from the meds, but we make it alive, enjoy looking at the fishies, turtles & sharks, and we go get lunch and arrive back at the house about 3 pm. I immediately lay down and fall asleep and only wake up about 3 hours later with my dad bellowing that we are going out to dinner. We return by 9 pm, and I hit the bed right away - slept through till 7 am....Think I was Tired much?

Wear Armor When Trimming an Arbor

2007-12-08T08:31:00.000-05:00

Ok on Sunday when my parent's friends Hank & Debbie stop by the house to be nosy - Hank notices that we have a grape arbor in the side yard. Way cool, the thing is huge. And the grapes are good to make sweet wine & jelly - can't remember the damn name of them tho. On Monday I get to the house about 7:30 am and go right to work on the thing...it's held up by a 6x6x6x6 pipe frame and stands about 5'5" high. The main stem of the grape vine has got to be about 100 years old - it's huge. So I start trimming away & realize this thing is totally out of control.. it has grown up and into all the crepe myrtlys near it & they stand about 30 feet tall, some of the vines are thicker than my wrists. It has crept into a large privet tree on the left side, and is choking the damn thing to death.
The damn arbor is assaulting me as I am trimming it up and trying to get it under control. The young canes are thin & green & have wicked thorns on them, and everything has those little feeliers that just cling & cling. You think you have a section all ready to be pulled at with all your might, and one of the feeliers is hanging, laughing it's little grape ass off at you. I managed to also discover 2 really nice azaela bushed that were being choked to death by the grapes too.
Two hours later, the arbor is much trimmed and looking happy and I am bleeding from both arms, both legs and have about a zillion more mosquito bites from the mosquito "hawks", bloody but triumphant! Ha one point to ME!
From there moved to to more ripping down of interior walls & ceilings and just basically sweated my ass off all day - it was about 97 with a heat index of 105. On average doing ten hour days at the house, and I have decided that the house needs a name.....any suggestions would be helpful.

2007-12-08T08:27:00.000-05:00

August 19, 2007 - Sunday
day 2 - it’s going too fast, day three, what the hell day is it?
Ok so I get to the house at the butt crack of dawn, and I am determined to find the cemetery.....Remember there are wicked evil poisonous spiders, bugs, flying things and snakes here - I am a site - shorts, tank top, big yellow knee high rubber boots, my black patent leather 'jersey girl' bag over my shoulder, along with a lopper, rake and scthye - if you don't know what that is, it's a crecent shaped knife on a really long handle - leathel weapon - rocks! I look at the survey & figure the cemetery is about 60 feet into the electrical easment and about 60 feet back....so right I am...! I start chopping with the loppers...(have to tell you...my dad is listening to QUEEN right now...so random..) and start finding stones..I found at least 7-8 families between yestrday & today.......of course I want to move to a state that is second only to austrailia in evil poisonus bug ....some of the names are....(last names) Norman, West, Muse, Ireland, Riggs, Homan..and so on...oldest date of death so far is 1910....funny - we bought the "Tingle Family" house - not a damn Tingle buried there....so I chop and clean up for about an hour and a half - now Mr. Norman- well they didn't give him quite a decent buriel i am thinkin or he was really a big guy, or his buryiers were lazy. His grave was raised up and covered with bricks. I chopped all the small trees but there were these vines all over his brick tomb , and I was afraid if I pulled the vines, the bricks would fall off and I would expose his body!!!!!!
Anyway - go back to the house to start ripping down the ceilings to expose what we are dealing with.....all of the upstairs bedroom floors are mushy so the home inpsector figured that the joists werent on 16" and boy was he right....all are 24" +, but first - you have seen the house of 1000 corpses?
This is the house of 1000 layers. Underneath the sheet rock on both walls & ceilings is WAINSCOTING! typical of the era but holy shit.....actually a pleasant surprise in the reception foyer, but what a bitch elsewhere....Two layers of flooring and have to rip out the ceilings in order to look at the electric and fix the upstairs floors- (and from my un-treined eye the elctric looks like it's from about 1910), and see whats up with the floor joists//// all the cielings on the first floor must come down.....but now I have TWO layers....bastards.
Then I get the boner yesterday to start tearing up the kitchen which isn't a kitchen at all, it's a faker.....so I pull the plastic backplash off, then there is a layer of VYNAL TILE FLOORING, (wtf?) and then a layer of brick veneer and then a layer of sheet rock. Holy mother of god!
So I have these two little kids hanging about, Austin & Tyler, 10 & 7 yrs old. Austin is cool, Tyler typical ADD 7 yr old, just add in mini-redneck. Austin made me brownies this morning - totally nasty - but I ate one anyway just to be nice.....so yuck....but he's pretty cool and hands me my tools when I need them.....my crow bar is my best freind..... lol...random.....anyway...so they are hanging out... Alll the dogs in the south have their BALLS and dog balls are SOOOOO gross. They just run around the nieghborhood and come in the house and are like Hello, I am a dog & I am here. It's ok tho.
So I proceeded to toally rip down half of the reception foyer, and all the molding, and started on the parlor, and today (Sunday) I did a bunch of yard work - Huge yard that is a total wreck I might add, (but found a totally AWESOME grape vine that just needs to be trained and it will be GREAT) and then tackled the rear porch that a bunch of mexicans that were living there closed in to add another bedroom....apparently from the neighbors there were like 20 of them living there.....well they actualy buillt this thing well, with 9 million screws and 10,000 nails and double plywood, etc.... took me about 4 hours and I was sweating like a pig! The little kids were my bug killers - did I mention the fucked up bugs here? HUGE SPIDERS!!!!! We named one spider Herman, but it turns out it's a girl - but she's stuck with it - the most fucking huge spider you have ever seen.
I have about 50 bites on me,,,the mosquitos are about as big as BATS , and vicious, you need to put on bug spray about every 5 minutes....I am not complaining I am SOOOOOO loving this shit!
So tomorrowe we get electric, water and a 30 yard dumpster. I wish I could unload my camera here, you all would shit - and YES, it is SUPER easy to pick up the southern twang - I am damaged for life, I swear.
Tomorrow - rip down wainscotin off the parlor ceiling, take down sheetrock off dining room ceiling, put garabge in dumpster, try to buy a lawn mower second hand that actually works - southern rednecks....do yard work, chop the cemetery, and whatever else grabs me.....I am so fucking tired & loving it!
Hope fully will update tomorrow night If I have not been bitten by some evil bug - oh did I mention that I also got bit by a BEE/WASP/HORNET-THING today?
TTFN - Irish
PS Miss you Monster SOOOO Much & Schmulie & Ali West SHore!

August 18, 2007

2007-12-08T08:24:00.000-05:00

August 18, 2007 - Saturday
Ok day 1 Current mood: jubilant Category: Blogging
Arrived in NC after a hellish ride down - detail that later - want to talk about the house while it is fresh in my mind. August 17th - Day 1: got to the house after 2.5 hours sleep and started working about 8:30 am, waiting for the locksmith to come - house was wide open for months. A lot of cleaning upto do - nasty curtains, rugs, shades, blinds, garbage & shit - ripped down the UGLY cornices immeditaely from the reception hall, parlor & dining room. Much better. Locksmith man came and installed 3 dead bolt locks, while I was ripping the covers off the fireplaces - except the dining room - that's going to be huge task...ugly brick veneer. Parlor went fine, library one had a load of dirt & crap in it, but the upsatirs bedroon one had a fucking nest of shit - literally - a nest! and was filled to the brim with rocks & sticks and sand & leaves and shit. Gross.
My dad is screaming that dinner is fready (at 8:45 pm - that's early for the McNulty's) so will continue later. Arg.