the house is quiet and the day is still dark. i relaxed in a steamy bath full of lavender oil last night before bed, so i slept perfectly. my wonderful co-workers have rallied to help cover a couple shifts at the bookstore this week, so i'll have another 12 hours in the studio today. sewing and cutting and gluing. at some point i'll have to start cleaning up the creative mess as well. this morning as i was groggily glancing at facebook, a random photo and comment appeared in the newsfeed. a photo of a beautiful white farmhouse with barns and shade trees, fields and pennsylvania's blue mountain rising up behind. and as i was admiring this photo
from a perfect stranger that one of my friends had commented on, it was mentioned that this house full of memories and laughter, heartache and triumph was going to be used as a practice burn by the local fire dept. i can't wrap my head around things like this. when beautiful old houses are overlooked and underloved, it's like the architectural version of elder abuse. all the beautifully aged wood, the trims and decorative features.....and the spirit of the house. my sentimental self takes over completely. and i feel an ache for the life that those walls protected through generations. i suppose that the purpose it is serving in training firefighters is an honorable one, but i can't help but be saddened regardless.i will sew again today and enjoy the wonderful energy pool that is flooding the studio right now and absorb the dreamy energy of the 180 year old house that shelters us.
our christmas studio sale is this coming sunday, december 11 from 10 until 4. i'll be reminding you every day....
What beautiful writing Annette, and I whole heartedly agree with your sentiments - it seems a crime to burn such a lovely farmstead and barn.
ReplyDeletewhat a waste...
ReplyDeleteGood luck with all the work you still have to do. I will attend your sale in spirit - I promise! xx
ReplyDeleteThat is so, so sad! I am glad you have your lovely old house to shelter and nurture you. Good luck with the studio sale!
ReplyDeletethis just bothered me so much at 6 am i had to blog about it. thanks for always brightening my morning, ladies.
ReplyDeletebpp....i'll try to remember to get photos and post them the next day. i wish you could be here, that's for sure.
It is hard to get your head around when beautiful old homes are used for something that they weren't intended for. We once had an old home...not as old as yours but old none the less. I spent a better part of several years removing years and years of old wallpaper and stripping the paint from beautiful old woodwork.
ReplyDeleteWhile, it was certainly a job, I loved doing it and it exposed the most beautiful wood and walls with no cracks!!! I couldn't believe it...beneath all the wallpaper (there was 3 layers going back to 1930) the walls were virtually perfect! They had never had paint on them...just wallpaper!
Oh kris, that sounds so beautiful. And a lot of patient work. That wood must have been gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteThe studio house is a frame house that we think was built in the 1820s or 30s. There are places where the wallpaper has been painted over and some painted over panelling. I wonder what's under there. Our house is 1853 and still is mostly lathe and plaster walls.
This farmhouse story makes me sad too... I once bid on a tiny old house, but was outbid by a builder who tore it down and built a new house that was far too big for the lot. It was a darling little home that they tore down, over 100 years old.
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely quilts you make. I love your slide show. Thank you for visiting my blog. From Japan.
ReplyDeleteOh Annette! Such a sad story. It makes my heart hurt. I am so glad that our old home is being loved and cared for by someone now that we had to move. I would be devastated if it had been abused like that. I am glad you are cherishing and caring for your two wonderful old homes (and your childhood home too!). I have been thinking of you every day and all the work you are doing to get ready for the sale. I wish I could be there to walk around and see everything. I loved doing that each morning when we were there and everyone else was till sleeping upstairs. I hope it is a smashing success and I hope you get lots of pictures!
ReplyDeleteI just can't believe they will burn that amazing house!! I know one's man's treasure, etc, but still!!! I cannot fathom this sort of blindness to historical beauty and authenticity of architecture. Sadness
ReplyDelete