Open House Photos

Christmas Open House

I was able to take photos at the very beginning and at the very end. Sorry for the gap, but we had such a good time, that toting a camera was not on my mind. The photos in the kitchen were at the end of the evening, and things were getting messy:) My friend Sharon is actually wearing a shirt of mine, b/c she was 'burning up' in her Christmas sweater.

All be told, I think we had around 50 people show up.

A Sprint through Christmas

Joe and I both took today off from work to prepare for our Christmas festivities. For those of you who have been in our home, you well know the amount of 'stuff', and the difficulties the 'stuff' have presented in allowing for a living flow throughout the house. Should any of you be able to visit within the next few weeks, you will notice the drastic changes we have made!

• The front parlor has been totally cleaned, including each and every individual piece of antiquity, and the black baby grand has been tuned.
• The library has been cleared and rearranged... and cleaned.
• The dining room has been cleared of all the Brown_County_Art, cleaned, and selectively had its antiquities rearranged.
• The back parlor has had all of its bookcases cleared of chachkies and replaced with, well... books... and cleaned.
• The kitchen... cleared and cleaned.
• The laundry room/powder room has had a nice treatment of Kenneth_Reeve hanging art added to its walls... and cleaned.

And I hope that if you are not able to drop-in on The 602 this Christmas season, that all of the work that has gone into it recently will remain as is. (I can only hope.)

The reasons for all the 'to-do' are two fold... On Saturday, we will be having our first ever Open House. It is for our friends and neighbors, Ron and Leigh Linton, who will be having a jewelry show. They are fine artisans in precious metals and stones, and we have thought of hosting a show for them for quite some time. It is also a way for us to be motivated to get our house 'guest-ready'.

Then on the following weekend, my family will be gathering here to celebrate our Christmas. It will be the first time I have hosted my family Christmas in several years. The last time, Rachel and I were still married, and Luke had just been born less than a month prior. Needless to say, my circumstances have changed drastically since then, and I am very excited to be able to welcome my own flesh and blood into a home full of warmth and love.

I've got a lot more to do, so I'd better get crackin'!!!! I'll post pictures as I can.

Green Tomato Pickles

With a cool snap in our air, tis likely that any tomatos still on the vine will not fully ripen this year. About a month ago, I decided to pickle a few, and today I tasted the results of my experiment.

The result? FAAAAbulous!

In a Summer edition of Martha Stewart Living magazine, a mo' simpler version of this techinque was revealed. I took the same advise, but embellished and the results are quite delicious. Joe and I are big pickle fans, so I simply saved the leftover jars (w/ the brine). Once I had gathered, washed and cut the tomatoes, I removed the empty jars from the fridge, and rather than the simple technique that Martha suggested (simply add the tomatoes to the brine and put back in the fridge), made the pickling a bit more permanent....

The pickle brine was poured into a small sauce pan and was gently heated to a simmer. While the brine heated, I removed the jar labeling and diligently washed them in very hot water. The lids were placed in another saucepan of water and brought to a simmer, as well. Before packing the tomatoes into the jars, I added a heaping tablespoon of minced garlic. Once the tomatoes were packed into place, the simmering brine was poured back into the packed jars of tomatoes, and the lids removed from the simmering water with a pair of tongs, and tightened into place. Within seconds, the lids had sealed, forming a vacuum and thereby preserving the green tomatoes indefinitely.

One month has passed since this experiment, allowing the flavors to infuse, and the results are quite amazing. Very crunchy... not in the least bitter, either. I even added a few tomatoes that were a bit pink, for color, and though they are indeed softer than their green siblings, they are by no means mushy, as I had feared. Now my plan will be to gather ALL of the green tomatoes still left on the vine, and concoct as close a version to Claussen pickle brine as I can. I'll also need a few more jars, lids and rings. And with a little luck, I'll be known the world over for my green tomato pickles......

Halloween was a Hoot, now back to bidness...

To have the priveledge of living in a house like The 602, I am more than happy to embellish the facade for Halloween. I spent a good three hours decorating the front porch and yard on Friday afternoon, and the crowd never seemed to cease. Probably around 300 children graced our front steps, and the nearly $90 worth of candy I purchased was whittled down to just a few handfuls that are now tempting me each time I walk past the bowl. We had Bethanie and Charles help us hand out treats (and douse the children with the hidden fog machine at the top of the steps), and then later on, Steve and Lynne brought their kids, their kids' friends, and one of the kids' friend's Mother... at about the time we wrapped up our treating. One thing about it being on a Friday night this year, I was uncharacteristically partaking of the spirits. I paid for it this morning, too. I'm a lightweight, so when one considers the two beers (actually, Irish Red ale), and the entire bottle of vino that I consumed, I was toast by the end of the eve.

Today, I have spent the majority of the day in the attic. Not your typical attic, I should add. The 602 boasts an attic the size of the average American home. Some 2000 square feet, with ceilings that reach around 14 feet (give or take), at it's highest point. My plan is to have the attic become a landing spot for much of the boxed goods that are scattered about the house. Some things will land there permanently, such as luggage and wrapping paper, and empty boxes, and Holiday themed stuff... but some things just need to have a place to land for a little while.

Since we repainted all of the upstairs last summer, things have never gotten to a state of normalcy, simply because of the sheer volume of 'stuff'. If I can get most everything up there that is now in our way, I plan to have the main house completely staged for normal living by Christmas*. Perhaps my library will not be painted by then, but to have The 602 livable in each room will do my psyche a heaping bit of good.

Last week was mid-term grade reports, and I am very pleased to say that in Accounting, I have a very solid "A", and in Business Law, I have a "B". Since getting back into the swing of school while working full time, I cannot imagine the folks who take a full load and still work. I realize that my two classes may be more time consuming than they are difficult, but these 6 credit hours are whipping my be-hind! Of course, my job is somewhat demanding of my time too... so I suppose it's a combination of both that are doing their number on me.

I guess that's it..... Check out the picture of the chandelier I installed in the front hall last weekend! Very blingy.























I installed a dimmer switch on it just before trick or treaters arrived last night, so that made the mood of The 602 even more dark and mysterious!!!

Meet Me in the Library

More work around The 602 has begun. The next room to succumb? The library.

The previous owners could not let one single room escape their obsession with wildly patterned wallpaper. Although not covered in the 'floral vomit' pattern throughout the downstairs, it is still quite dark and un-library like. Soon though, the paper's grasp will be released from the walls of this stately room, and it will take on an air more accustomed to our liking.

The built-in bookshelves anchor one wall in entirety. And rather than the shelves being open to the room, all are enclosed behind doors. Along the bottom, the doors are of wood panel, and the tall doors above are all stained-glass. On the opposite side of the room and tucked into one corner is a lovely fireplace, surrounded in green tile and topped by a wood mantel.

It's the kind of room that one would expect to find a moose-head hanging over the fireplace, a tufted leather couch... maybe even a bear skin rug. (I'm working on the other half to make all that a reality, but I don't know if he can see it just yet...)

When it's done, I do know that it will likely be my favorite room in the house. I'll be sure to make before and after photos to post here.

?1915?

Our neighbors, Ron and Leigh Linton, brought over this photocopied photo of The 602. I am thinking that it is probably around 1915.

The Black Friday fire of 1913 that destroyed much of downtown, the courthouse and the east side of the Quapaw-Prospect neighborhood also damaged The 602. When new(1887-1892), she was a grand Queen Anne Victorian covered in gingerbread trim, a tall hip roof, and I'm certain that the rondelle had a pointed turret, too.

Well, as evidenced by signs of fire in the attic, I'm thinking that the roof either burned off ... or was damaged to the point of being replaced. And the house underwent a total renovation, not only to repair the burn damage, but to also add indoor plumbing and electricity. It was at that time that (according to the version of the story we've been told) that Dr. Collings decided to make the house as fire-proof as possible. Hence... the stone facade & the Craftsman/Prairie inspired lines that she carries through to this day. Notice how prominently the large Frank Lloyd Wright inspired porch planter stands out on the corner of the front porch.

The lines of the Queen Anne aren't completely lost, though are toned down significantly. I can imagine lots of lattice work for the house's underpinning... lightning rods on the tips of the turret and hips... and lots of scroll cut trim work... all cut to perfection and painted 10 different colors. Can you see it??? Nevertheless, she's still a grand old home. A hybrid of sorts...

Perhaps a Craftsman Queen??????

Think Cool Thoughts

It's July in Hot Springs, and it is indeed hot. Joe and I tag-teamed yard duty this morning, and even though we started just before 8:00 and finished just after 10:00, it wiped us out. Even the Scots are bushed after walking back with me from the groomers. As soon as we walked in the door, Wills laid himself out on the slate floor in the kitchen, where he still remains some 40 minutes later. He occasionally lets out a groan for us to hear. I totally understand what he means and how he feels.




The photos above were taken the day of our last snow this year. I made sure to capture it, as I knew it would not be around long. Snow in Hot Springs is not nearly as common as one might think. I've seen winter here pass without seeing a single flake. However 2008 gave us snow on two occasions. What made it even more uncommon was that both snowfalls occurred during the same week. March 3rd and March 7th. The first two photos are of home 'the 602'; then, looking up West Mountain; next, the tan Victorian on the next corner on Hawthorne St. (we don't know them very well, b/c they are assholes); and finally, our dear friends Danny and Janine-owners of Prospect_Place_Bed&Breakfast just around the corner from us.

Doesn't it look wonderful? I feel cooler already.

Not Until Autumn

I'm finished. Through. The outside projects around the house will have to wait until the next solstice draws near, as it is far too hot, and I too easily succumb to the effects of heat and humidity to make it all worthwhile.

The effort I put into the project over the past weekend has rendered me into an achy, moany, grouchy old poot. So, the decision for me is to only tackle regular outside duties: mowing, trimming and watering as needed. Period.

I am sure the decision will please the mate to no end, as we've finally begun the ominous job of staging and decorating the old Victorian that we call home.

Ivy Be Gone!

I have had a love/hate relationship with the English Ivy growing about the fence that separates the front lawn from the pool area. Granted, it gives the needed privacy from the street, and it graciously covers the hideous chain-link fence with the white metal privacy sleevy inserts woven into it, but tends to have an invasive nature. Over time, the small strip of ground between the fence and the pool deck has become thickly woven with the gnarly shit, and frankly, I just got tired of trimming it back to the edge of the concrete.

So... I ripped it all out. Yesterday.


I had done a small area weeks prior, just to give a glimpse of how that might look. I liked it. It pleased me. But I didn't have the gumption nor the energy reserves to tackle the entire 50' stretch, especially since the area is in direct sun by 9:30 until 6:00. I knew it would be a project that would have to commence early on a weekend day, before the area succumbed to full sun.



Yesterday morning, I arose at 6:00 on the dot, and I began my dreaded task at 6:30, equipped with shears, rakes, shovels and a pot of darkly roasted coffee. My luck would have it that the early morning sun rose... then disappeared behind a heavy bank of clouds around 8:00. I'll take 90% humidity and overcast instead of 90% humidity and sunny, any freakin' day.



All told, the entire project to completion took about 12 hours. I think I burned at least 10,000 calories.... With the ivy gone from the strip of ground, the remaining ivy on the fence was given a 'high and tight'. (I had no idea I would haul so much of it away, and thank goodness the city will pick up at the curb.) I also removed two large holly bushes, and the two that remained, were given a bonsai-type treatment. (Who in the hell plants holly bushes by a pool, anyway? Please, would somebody tell me the logic in that?)With all of it now out of the way, I then proceeded to cover the area in hardwood mulch. Three miniature roses were planted, a large metal sculpture was set, protective reflecting orbs placed around the roses, and the palm trees on the far end of the pool were trimmed of their deadness.


Pictures to enjoy(clicken to embiggen)....
























From our bedroom deck above.





















































The roses with their protective reflecting orbs and, well... rocks.























The palms, all trimmed and fresh. I wintered them in the sun porch, and they lived!






















Inviting???




























Joe and his late friend Gary bought the sculpture in Sandwich, IL. It was an original fixture in a bank in Dixon, IL. I saw the maker's mark on the bottom when I was moving it... but I've forgotten what it said.

I will eventually look at it again, but it won't be anytime soon. That fucker is heavy! So is the stone block it sits on. They don't really go together, but I married them, and I think they look right smart.

********************************

I remember. It's a Horvath. Gene Horvath (1927-1995). He was a well-known abstract metal sculptor in the upper Midwest, and there are many public works of his in Rockford and Rock Island, IL and Davenport and DesMoines, IA.

From the looks of his other work, I bet this one is very early. Guessing late 1950's.