The Downtown Farmhouse

See this paper? This is how I start. I need paper. I know there are computer programs, apps, professionals, blah blah blah. I need a piece of paper and a pen. So here we go into the attic to create a plan.  

Currently the attic is only accessible through a small hole in the ceiling. Steve is very agile on the ladder. He swoops his long legs up the ladder and hoists himself through the little hole. Me? Not so much. I am afraid past the third rung of the ladder. I need a hand hold at every step and when the ladder wiggles………choice words might escape. I’m not exactly tall so hoisting up into the hole is not an option. It’s more of a hang on for your life and Steve pulls me up. So I make it up, I sit on the edge. I am pretty proud of myself for making it up there. Of course a picture is necessary and then……back away from the hole because I might throw up.

The attic is by far the coolest part of the house. You can see the slanted roof line and the old wood. Oh and then there is the nasty old insulation that will need to be sucked up with the giant vacuum cleaner. Kind of looks like a bunch of dirty sheep laid up there and shedded everywhere. Kind of smells like it too. 

The brick fireplaces make me happy every time I see them

So the plan is to turn this sweet little space into a theater room. Yep, recliners and couches, popcorn machine and a big screen. My friend Renee came over last week and her daughter said “Call me when the movie room is done.” I think this might be a popular place to hang out. Cant wait.

Love,

the girl who will probably never leave home.

P.S.

this window almost makes me cry. I love it so much

Since buying our new/old house, we have met a few people that used to live there. We recently met Blanche and Bea, a mother and daughter duo. Blanche is 92 years young and according to her still married to Will who now lives in heaven. She wears is ring around her neck and is still very much in love.

Will and Blanche lived in our house in the 1940’s as a young married couple. Those who follow my blog will understand when I say they lived in Christmas Tree guy’s apartment upstairs. Later in the 1960’s Will and Blanche bought our house and brought their family to live there. They had 3 daughters and other varied family members that lived in the apartments.

Bea was born and raised in Ocala. She still likes to drive past our house just to see what’s going on. She was so sad to see it in such disrepair in recent years and when she saw work being done on it, she stopped by. Mom and Dad were working that day and Bea came in and introduced herself. She called her Mom, Blanche and said “You will never guess where I am.” A few weeks later Bea brought Blanche by and we were all able to meet.

I love when the house comes to life. They talked about Will and the updates he did on the house. Where he built the stairs so that people didn’t have to watch through their living room to get to their apartment. How he loved the paneling installed in many of the rooms. Oh Will……….They talked about Christmas and where they put the tree. They talked about Will building the garage and how he used to pour cement squares for the oil to drip on. The cement squares are still there and Bea is going to take them the next time she comes by. What a privilege it is to be able to give her a little piece of her Daddy.

I hope Bea and Blanche will let me take their picture next time they come over.

love,

the girl with new family members

Our house has a bad reputation. It has been beaten and abused. It has had drugs sold off of its front porch and who knows where else. It’s the black sheep of the neighborhood.

No more.

Now it is loved. It has friends. It has bible studies on its front porch even before it’s lived in. It is transformed. Ironically the name of our last church wide study. Transformed. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12v2

I asked our small group to meet on our porch for the last week of our study. We are friends, we laugh together, cry a lot together, support each other and genuinely love one another.

We finished up the study, has some food (of course) and then……….. this is what happened.

These people, our friends, chose scriptures from God’s word and lovingly wrote them on the walls of our home. They wrote in Mom and Dad’s “little house” and they wrote in our “big house. They wrote in the dining room, in the bedroom and on the doorways.  They wrote in the kitchen and upstairs. I can’t think of anything better than for our home to covered with the word of God. The insulation and the drywall will eventually cover up all the words but like God’s love for us, even though we can’t physically see it, we know it’s always there.

One day when we are no longer around and another family loves our home and they are renovating and maybe need to replace some drywall they will find the words of our Father written in love by our friends.

love,

Daddy’s girl

There are no words………

from the girl who refuses to pee in the yard.