Our home is about halfway done in the siding job that will help seal and protect its century-plus timbers and plaster. We've replaced plumbing and upgraded electrical service. We've replaced the aging slate shingles with a modern roof. We've repointed our chimneys.
But these changes didn't change the fundamental look of the home. It always looked like a Greek revival farmhouse from 1864.
Now it doesn't. The only detail left is the doorway.
The simple truth is we couldn't afford the upgrading and painting of wooden clapboards. The siding, once it is done, will mean that my wife and I won't have to worry about this aspect of home ownership for the rest of the lives.
With any luck.
I've saved some of the wooden pieces that were removed and will install them as shelves in one room of the house.
Perhaps I shouldn't fret so much, since the house has undergone its initial construction and then two additions. I just feel I'm subtracting something, though.
I had a very satisfying turn-out for the book signing at the Holyoke Barnes & Noble on Saturday. It's reassuring to see people buy multiple copies of your book and one gentleman came back to get another copy as a gift since he liked it so much.
My old friend and best man at our wedding, Joe, surprised me big time as he was in town for a wedding. An Springfield native, he now lives in Arizona. It's apparently true you can take the boy out of Springfield, but you can't take Springfield out of the boy. Joe, by the way, always had the best taste in shirts.
Please goover to my Fleischer site as I've decided to start adding some images from my collection to it.
1 comment:
It looks beautiful Mike. All your neighbors will be jealous, or else they'll be burlarizing the house to see where the rest of your millions are hidden. Can you steal aluminum siding and have it recycled like they're doing with copper wiring and pipes?
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