Saturday, October 13, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
The House that Grandma Built......
I will always be grateful to my mom and her mom,my Grandma Florence and Step Grandpa Ted for the reality of our summer house in Wisconsin. When my grandmother passed away she left money to my mom , who generously shared it with me and my brother ,as well as her sister in California and and brother in Oregon. My Grandparents lived a very simple life with few possessions, paid cash for their house , with help from the renter that lived above them in a Milwaukee two flat ,and saved the rest of their money for basic expenses. The gift from my grandmother's inheritance was enough for a down payment on a 100 yr old farmhouse with 6 acres in Wisconsin, when my girls were just 7 and 9 yrs old and Dave and I were 40. It is a lovely older home that would be a place for summer months and other school vacations.
As I spend a week alone cleaning and enjoying this late Summer and early Fall weather here, I was again reminded of the many ,many blessings and memories of the last 20 yrs in this house on family weekends and vacations.So many "things" inside this house remind me of family members. Let me take you on a "virtual tour" of each room with words and descriptions of the sentiments of this special house.
Much of the furniture in this house came from my Grandma Florence's house and our "early married" yrs. In the front room is Grandma Florence's mohair couch that I spent many a sleepover on as a child. It also holds our first lazy boy chair that we bought when we had our first child....Katie, for the late night feedings in her nursery. There are two end tables from my grandmothers house...one she used to keep her tiny elephant "nick knacks"on( that Liz now has, but i remember well as a child).The floor lamp belonged to my parents and sat in their front room for all of my childhood...its golden glass shade and warm glow remind me of those early years. On the walls are many photos of our family and friends through the years recreating here, a sailboat print and poster ( we lived in Boston during the Americas cup the year Katie was born) , a moose plaque from our honey moon ( we camped around all the Great Lakes!!), photos of Lake Michigan light houses and Salmon fishing sunsets,and a special lighted frame" Dave made with an old window from one of the Lake Michigan islands with a beautiful sunset coastal photo he took and enlarged.An old teapot sits on the wood stove,it is from "Uncle Tom's" store in Door county ,that he used it in his house for many yrs.( He sold pancake mix door to door by delivery truck in the early yrs of business and later opened a store selling the same, plus candies(our favorite was peanut brittle ), and free popcorn. It still exits in Door County and we stopped on our way to the island ferry on many, many trips to our house!!It was run by his sister after his death. I remember stoppinbg one time and the sign said "closed but come to our house if you want to buy something". We found her house nearby and after purchasing some things we chatted and and she offered to put us up overnight if we ever missed the ferry..how nice was that!)
The music room(old dining room), has an antique desk that Dave shared in his bedroom with his 3 brothers growing up( we use it for our computer).On top of this desk sits a wooden clock and 2 old antique blue lanterns that belonged to my dad. We also have an old radio cabinet that my grandpa Ted kept in his basement for tools , but I use as a bookshelf ,with an antique "tube radio" on top that still works! I also have a small two door 1930 record cabinet used for the storage of glass /78 records, that my grandpa used for tool storage in his basement workshop, but I use to store the many glass /78 records of my dad's collection. (He got this collection as collateral on a loan of money to a friend ...who never paid him back....Dad really treasured these old records as they were his favorite possession.) Due to having my dad's record collection but no record player that could play them, I had the opportunity to purchase an original 1940's Rock*Ola Juke Box that plays 78 records( it as a present for my 50th birthday)!! I also have my parent's 1950's radio/turntable console with wood cabinet and built in speakers, for playing Dave and my 33 record collection...CSN, Joni Mitchell, Jethro Tull, the Beatles.etc...Here would also find the photo albums and journals from our family times over that past 20 yrs! On top of the large,old, "bar type piano"(which was left in the house when we bought it) , is a collection of all the small natural treasures we have collected beach combing by boat from the islands between Wisconsin and Michigan, through all the years of summer vacations with our girls. On the piano also sits a pretty lighthouse and sailboat tray- a present from a girlfriend and former co-teacher friend of mine , who gave it to me as a thank you present after a stay at the house. There is also an antique hutch I bought at a resale shop in the county, containing some of the antique dishes and glassware I have collected over the years( including drink glasses with swedish dancers, 4 pretty small blue and white "cafe" cups, green glass luncheon set,Miller High Life tall beer glasses,and pretty liquor glasses of rainbow blown glass bought from a fisherman's house yard sale in the community .The music room is completed by the two rust and brown colored love seats Dave and I bought the first year we were married!
The dining room ,contains a cabinet showcasing all my Grandma Florence's china and silver...it is a beautiful pattern of pink and yellow roses ( her most cherished possession) , with a few other antique dishes I have collected over the years . The dining room table and chairs are from our house in Illinois when the girls were younger. There are other collectables like an old oil painting of a coastal scene whose frame is missing a few pieces, but that Dave really loves( as he said it is so peaceful),and a pretty rosemalled end table containing an engraved tea service , a fun long handled hot chocolate pot, and tin of tea from China a missionary friend of ours gave us as a thank you for staying in the house(our former pastor's daughter and an old girlfriend of my girls- one of the frequent "sleepover kids" of years gone by).Above this table on the wall is hung a wooden clock with geese and a handled woodened tray with hand embroidered insert and /glass top. In each of the three windows hangs a small stain glass on the top portion and each is without curtains so as to let in the natural light and give a beautiful view of the alfalfa fields that surround the house (and often a glimpse of our neighbor Ted's Belgium horses grazing in the fields just behind the house in the eraly morning and around supper time).This room was a new addition we added with a laundry/furnace room and handicapped equipped half bath attached( that we needed when I brought my mom up to the island for some summer weeks in her later years- grreat memories with mom-real precious times). We also added a floor above this to add a closet area and master bath attached to our bedroom upstairs....such a great addition!! This turned into quite a project as we also added siding to the wood outside and a new roof to match the new addition (as labor intensive painting was needed every few years due to the damp climate here), as well as new windows and doors( many were rotted when we did the siding) ,as this is a 100 yr old house after all!!We also had to upgrade the old septic systen to allow for the new one and a half bathrooms. The besg pat of the remodeling was a glorious covered wrap around porch which is a delight every year we use the house, and prefect for sunset views.
In the kitchen ,you would find my grandma's old "Ice Box", that she stored the quilts her mother sewed , and that she kept in her basement.Two of these quilts - a pretty pink one that my grandmother pointed out was made with squares from her mother's and grandmother's dresses that she recognized,and a larger blue one of the same type and tied with yarn knots...real treasures of my family!! (I use the ice box for dry storage of food items and paper goods.) On my kitchen wall , you would find a small still life framed picture of teapot and fruit from my grandma's kitchen wall, a lighthouse keybox(with 4 matching coffee mugs in my cabinet) from Dave's mom as a house warming present, and some antique cooking utensils hanging on the wall and in my kitchen drawer( ice cream scoop, cheese slicer,jar opener, wooden rolling pin with wire heart wall holder, wooden handled egg beater, flour sifters, dough cutter and pie edge trimmer( all still useable- a hobby of mine, collecting them from the resale shop called "Twice Around" located here- benefits go to the medical center/Dr's. office ).On top of my kitchen cabinets you would find a dozen of my dad's blue canning jars he kept in a wooden barrel in our basement, my grandmother's copper electric coffee percolator and my grandmother's original pressure cooker form the 30's( which i still use- great pot!!).On top of my gas stove you would find the large old wooden salt and pepper shakers..."Salty and Peppy" from grandmother's house, and above those you would see the "little Dutch girl" statue hanging on my kitchen wall that my grandma had in her kitchen and that was my favorite as a child.Also on the front of my real fridge you would see a number of colorful church bulletins with beautiful natural scenes accompanied by a bible verse- to remind me to start each day with the Lord( I could not bear to throw them away as so pretty and such great verses)!
In the bedrooms upstairs, you would see my grandmother's floor and table lamp with beautiful life-like butterflies on the shades. You would also find the dresser Dave's sisters shared while growing up (and we were given by Dave's parents to help us furnish our first apartment) . We also have an antique desk from the 30's that my grandpa used in his basement workshop (and I now use as a dressing table with a dining room chair of grandpa Teds). On the walls are many family photos of our girls while young and on vacation,a 1950's wedding photo of Grandma Florence and Grandpa Ted ( second marriage for both), along with my Grandpa Ted's 1914 Confirmation certificate written in German and in a beautiful golden frame( Teddy as we called him always said the Lords Prayer before every meal he ever ate!).There are also some older photos of my mom and grandmother when they was young and our family when I was a toddler.You would also see a number of pictures in frames my grandma made by using colored magazine pictures.... a little girl sleeping with her doll and puppy and women farm workers. On my dresser is an antique pink glass dresser set from the 30's ,that was on my grandmas dressing table when i was young.There is an old trunk from my dad's attic (that we now store blankets in), and a low chest with two draws that Dave's sister Ann had from when she lived in Japan for awhile( when in the army training to be a dentist.,Ann died at age 30). There is also a covered wagon lamp you turn on by pulling the hitch ,that sat on my dad's dresser in his bedroom .You would also see some 1st and 2nd place county fair ribbons from Liz and Katie painting wood boxes and ,Liz making a rock collection ,and participation ribbons from the girls joining in the "Viking Games"( held for kids at thecommuniity"Scandinavian Fest" held here each year). All three of us have even danced in the fest for a few summers while here after participating in dance lessons- a photo of the thrree us in costume is hanging on the wall of the steps going up to the bedrooms . We all worked in the "Vacation Bible School "/VBS for many years held at our church in this community each summer. I tuaght classes and the girls first attended VBS as participants, then babysitters for the pastor's kids, teacher aides, music assistants, and eventually as teachers or actors in the skit and a number of the kid's art projects are in their bedrooms( Katie painted a cute "Fruits of the Spirit Apron", made hats with her name on them, a sponge boat that says "Jesus loves Katie" and a bible verse blue jean pocket painted by her).There are lots of old board games at our house too. Some games belonged to my grandma and Ted( Parcheesi,Dominos, and cardboard poker chips), some from my childhood(Magic Mary magnectic /paper dolls, Higgily Piggly /farm game, Clickity Clack/ marble game,Clue, Password, Monopoly,Life) ,and some were the girl's games from when they were young(Spirograph,ConstellationStation,Ballderdash,Blockhead, The Charde game and giant checkers with table scarf). Community girlfriends came over for yard and board games, painting wood things,watching old Beta and VHS movies(esp Disney, Anne of Greeen Gables Series and TCM movies ),supper and even sleepovers at our house over the years.The girls also painted many rocks and made braided yarn bookmarks which they tried to sell at their end of the driveway lemonade stand, which Katie would cheerlead with pompoms to get cars to stop(girls gross profit, mom net loss--hehe).
In the garage, is my grandma's clothespin bag,rope board, and wash pole( to hold up the line)...I use these every summer when hanging laundry to dry outside. We also have the sleigh bells my Aunt Jan used on her farm near Madison(we took a sleigh ride once in the snow pulled by aunt's old horse Duke.)...the bells are on an old leather strap and the sound is deafening!!Also in our garage is our large family canvas camping tent,my dad's childhood wooden walking stilts and shuffle board sticks, my mom and dad's archery bows( which we have restrung), my grandpa Ted's hammock ,as well as a very old croquet (sp?) and badmitten set from the 50's.We also found a very old Bissell wooden floor sweeper left in the garage wiith german writing in gold print,which I plan to donate to the community museum.
Now you know and understand how special this family house is.....it is like living with my grandmother, grandpa, dad and mom , and other family members with us even though some are now are no longer alive. We hope to be able to pass along this house to my daughters someday ,so they can continue to add to the memories in this special "house that grandma built"!!What a blessing to have this in our family and the oh so many precious memories it holds for all of us!!!
As I spend a week alone cleaning and enjoying this late Summer and early Fall weather here, I was again reminded of the many ,many blessings and memories of the last 20 yrs in this house on family weekends and vacations.So many "things" inside this house remind me of family members. Let me take you on a "virtual tour" of each room with words and descriptions of the sentiments of this special house.
Much of the furniture in this house came from my Grandma Florence's house and our "early married" yrs. In the front room is Grandma Florence's mohair couch that I spent many a sleepover on as a child. It also holds our first lazy boy chair that we bought when we had our first child....Katie, for the late night feedings in her nursery. There are two end tables from my grandmothers house...one she used to keep her tiny elephant "nick knacks"on( that Liz now has, but i remember well as a child).The floor lamp belonged to my parents and sat in their front room for all of my childhood...its golden glass shade and warm glow remind me of those early years. On the walls are many photos of our family and friends through the years recreating here, a sailboat print and poster ( we lived in Boston during the Americas cup the year Katie was born) , a moose plaque from our honey moon ( we camped around all the Great Lakes!!), photos of Lake Michigan light houses and Salmon fishing sunsets,and a special lighted frame" Dave made with an old window from one of the Lake Michigan islands with a beautiful sunset coastal photo he took and enlarged.An old teapot sits on the wood stove,it is from "Uncle Tom's" store in Door county ,that he used it in his house for many yrs.( He sold pancake mix door to door by delivery truck in the early yrs of business and later opened a store selling the same, plus candies(our favorite was peanut brittle ), and free popcorn. It still exits in Door County and we stopped on our way to the island ferry on many, many trips to our house!!It was run by his sister after his death. I remember stoppinbg one time and the sign said "closed but come to our house if you want to buy something". We found her house nearby and after purchasing some things we chatted and and she offered to put us up overnight if we ever missed the ferry..how nice was that!)
The music room(old dining room), has an antique desk that Dave shared in his bedroom with his 3 brothers growing up( we use it for our computer).On top of this desk sits a wooden clock and 2 old antique blue lanterns that belonged to my dad. We also have an old radio cabinet that my grandpa Ted kept in his basement for tools , but I use as a bookshelf ,with an antique "tube radio" on top that still works! I also have a small two door 1930 record cabinet used for the storage of glass /78 records, that my grandpa used for tool storage in his basement workshop, but I use to store the many glass /78 records of my dad's collection. (He got this collection as collateral on a loan of money to a friend ...who never paid him back....Dad really treasured these old records as they were his favorite possession.) Due to having my dad's record collection but no record player that could play them, I had the opportunity to purchase an original 1940's Rock*Ola Juke Box that plays 78 records( it as a present for my 50th birthday)!! I also have my parent's 1950's radio/turntable console with wood cabinet and built in speakers, for playing Dave and my 33 record collection...CSN, Joni Mitchell, Jethro Tull, the Beatles.etc...Here would also find the photo albums and journals from our family times over that past 20 yrs! On top of the large,old, "bar type piano"(which was left in the house when we bought it) , is a collection of all the small natural treasures we have collected beach combing by boat from the islands between Wisconsin and Michigan, through all the years of summer vacations with our girls. On the piano also sits a pretty lighthouse and sailboat tray- a present from a girlfriend and former co-teacher friend of mine , who gave it to me as a thank you present after a stay at the house. There is also an antique hutch I bought at a resale shop in the county, containing some of the antique dishes and glassware I have collected over the years( including drink glasses with swedish dancers, 4 pretty small blue and white "cafe" cups, green glass luncheon set,Miller High Life tall beer glasses,and pretty liquor glasses of rainbow blown glass bought from a fisherman's house yard sale in the community .The music room is completed by the two rust and brown colored love seats Dave and I bought the first year we were married!
The dining room ,contains a cabinet showcasing all my Grandma Florence's china and silver...it is a beautiful pattern of pink and yellow roses ( her most cherished possession) , with a few other antique dishes I have collected over the years . The dining room table and chairs are from our house in Illinois when the girls were younger. There are other collectables like an old oil painting of a coastal scene whose frame is missing a few pieces, but that Dave really loves( as he said it is so peaceful),and a pretty rosemalled end table containing an engraved tea service , a fun long handled hot chocolate pot, and tin of tea from China a missionary friend of ours gave us as a thank you for staying in the house(our former pastor's daughter and an old girlfriend of my girls- one of the frequent "sleepover kids" of years gone by).Above this table on the wall is hung a wooden clock with geese and a handled woodened tray with hand embroidered insert and /glass top. In each of the three windows hangs a small stain glass on the top portion and each is without curtains so as to let in the natural light and give a beautiful view of the alfalfa fields that surround the house (and often a glimpse of our neighbor Ted's Belgium horses grazing in the fields just behind the house in the eraly morning and around supper time).This room was a new addition we added with a laundry/furnace room and handicapped equipped half bath attached( that we needed when I brought my mom up to the island for some summer weeks in her later years- grreat memories with mom-real precious times). We also added a floor above this to add a closet area and master bath attached to our bedroom upstairs....such a great addition!! This turned into quite a project as we also added siding to the wood outside and a new roof to match the new addition (as labor intensive painting was needed every few years due to the damp climate here), as well as new windows and doors( many were rotted when we did the siding) ,as this is a 100 yr old house after all!!We also had to upgrade the old septic systen to allow for the new one and a half bathrooms. The besg pat of the remodeling was a glorious covered wrap around porch which is a delight every year we use the house, and prefect for sunset views.
In the kitchen ,you would find my grandma's old "Ice Box", that she stored the quilts her mother sewed , and that she kept in her basement.Two of these quilts - a pretty pink one that my grandmother pointed out was made with squares from her mother's and grandmother's dresses that she recognized,and a larger blue one of the same type and tied with yarn knots...real treasures of my family!! (I use the ice box for dry storage of food items and paper goods.) On my kitchen wall , you would find a small still life framed picture of teapot and fruit from my grandma's kitchen wall, a lighthouse keybox(with 4 matching coffee mugs in my cabinet) from Dave's mom as a house warming present, and some antique cooking utensils hanging on the wall and in my kitchen drawer( ice cream scoop, cheese slicer,jar opener, wooden rolling pin with wire heart wall holder, wooden handled egg beater, flour sifters, dough cutter and pie edge trimmer( all still useable- a hobby of mine, collecting them from the resale shop called "Twice Around" located here- benefits go to the medical center/Dr's. office ).On top of my kitchen cabinets you would find a dozen of my dad's blue canning jars he kept in a wooden barrel in our basement, my grandmother's copper electric coffee percolator and my grandmother's original pressure cooker form the 30's( which i still use- great pot!!).On top of my gas stove you would find the large old wooden salt and pepper shakers..."Salty and Peppy" from grandmother's house, and above those you would see the "little Dutch girl" statue hanging on my kitchen wall that my grandma had in her kitchen and that was my favorite as a child.Also on the front of my real fridge you would see a number of colorful church bulletins with beautiful natural scenes accompanied by a bible verse- to remind me to start each day with the Lord( I could not bear to throw them away as so pretty and such great verses)!
In the bedrooms upstairs, you would see my grandmother's floor and table lamp with beautiful life-like butterflies on the shades. You would also find the dresser Dave's sisters shared while growing up (and we were given by Dave's parents to help us furnish our first apartment) . We also have an antique desk from the 30's that my grandpa used in his basement workshop (and I now use as a dressing table with a dining room chair of grandpa Teds). On the walls are many family photos of our girls while young and on vacation,a 1950's wedding photo of Grandma Florence and Grandpa Ted ( second marriage for both), along with my Grandpa Ted's 1914 Confirmation certificate written in German and in a beautiful golden frame( Teddy as we called him always said the Lords Prayer before every meal he ever ate!).There are also some older photos of my mom and grandmother when they was young and our family when I was a toddler.You would also see a number of pictures in frames my grandma made by using colored magazine pictures.... a little girl sleeping with her doll and puppy and women farm workers. On my dresser is an antique pink glass dresser set from the 30's ,that was on my grandmas dressing table when i was young.There is an old trunk from my dad's attic (that we now store blankets in), and a low chest with two draws that Dave's sister Ann had from when she lived in Japan for awhile( when in the army training to be a dentist.,Ann died at age 30). There is also a covered wagon lamp you turn on by pulling the hitch ,that sat on my dad's dresser in his bedroom .You would also see some 1st and 2nd place county fair ribbons from Liz and Katie painting wood boxes and ,Liz making a rock collection ,and participation ribbons from the girls joining in the "Viking Games"( held for kids at thecommuniity"Scandinavian Fest" held here each year). All three of us have even danced in the fest for a few summers while here after participating in dance lessons- a photo of the thrree us in costume is hanging on the wall of the steps going up to the bedrooms . We all worked in the "Vacation Bible School "/VBS for many years held at our church in this community each summer. I tuaght classes and the girls first attended VBS as participants, then babysitters for the pastor's kids, teacher aides, music assistants, and eventually as teachers or actors in the skit and a number of the kid's art projects are in their bedrooms( Katie painted a cute "Fruits of the Spirit Apron", made hats with her name on them, a sponge boat that says "Jesus loves Katie" and a bible verse blue jean pocket painted by her).There are lots of old board games at our house too. Some games belonged to my grandma and Ted( Parcheesi,Dominos, and cardboard poker chips), some from my childhood(Magic Mary magnectic /paper dolls, Higgily Piggly /farm game, Clickity Clack/ marble game,Clue, Password, Monopoly,Life) ,and some were the girl's games from when they were young(Spirograph,ConstellationStation,Ballderdash,Blockhead, The Charde game and giant checkers with table scarf). Community girlfriends came over for yard and board games, painting wood things,watching old Beta and VHS movies(esp Disney, Anne of Greeen Gables Series and TCM movies ),supper and even sleepovers at our house over the years.The girls also painted many rocks and made braided yarn bookmarks which they tried to sell at their end of the driveway lemonade stand, which Katie would cheerlead with pompoms to get cars to stop(girls gross profit, mom net loss--hehe).
In the garage, is my grandma's clothespin bag,rope board, and wash pole( to hold up the line)...I use these every summer when hanging laundry to dry outside. We also have the sleigh bells my Aunt Jan used on her farm near Madison(we took a sleigh ride once in the snow pulled by aunt's old horse Duke.)...the bells are on an old leather strap and the sound is deafening!!Also in our garage is our large family canvas camping tent,my dad's childhood wooden walking stilts and shuffle board sticks, my mom and dad's archery bows( which we have restrung), my grandpa Ted's hammock ,as well as a very old croquet (sp?) and badmitten set from the 50's.We also found a very old Bissell wooden floor sweeper left in the garage wiith german writing in gold print,which I plan to donate to the community museum.
Now you know and understand how special this family house is.....it is like living with my grandmother, grandpa, dad and mom , and other family members with us even though some are now are no longer alive. We hope to be able to pass along this house to my daughters someday ,so they can continue to add to the memories in this special "house that grandma built"!!What a blessing to have this in our family and the oh so many precious memories it holds for all of us!!!
Monday, July 9, 2012
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