Working on the House

lisa September 3rd, 2001

We’ve been working on mostly the outside for the last three days. Both of us are pretty exhausted and sore. We managed to get all the Boston Ivy off the front, and most of the trumpet vine off the side. We’ve been cutting down a million maple seedlings, some very large ones. We’ve been working with Dot (Mark’s step-mother and an expert gardener), who’s managed to identify quite a lot of stuff on the property. We have white hydrangea in massive full bloom on both sides of the front. We have forsythia, dogwood, lilac, barberry, lily-of-the-valley, yucca, and a huge arbor vitae, plus some very large catalpas in back, a huge Norfolk Pine, and a big Sugar Maple in the front yard.

We’ve met the neighbors and been regaled with tales of the two old women (sisters) who used to live here. They both died in the last year. Apparently they never married because their mother never thought any boy was good enough for them. One was a painter, the other was the gardener. One was very nice, and the other not-so-nice. Everyone in town knows of the family and of the house. Everyone passing by wants to talk about it all: the sisters, the house, us buying it. It’s kind of a thrill.

The water gets turned on tomorrow, and this week we’re getting the sewer connection done. We’re also going to abate the asbestos in the basement and install the screw jacks to level the house. I scrubbed baseboards and walls today. It’s been a busy three days!

I’m enjoying giving tours to all the neighbors. The reaction to the house varies with the age of the reacting persons. The older folks are all reminiscent and aghast at how bad things are and how much work there is. I imagine their bones ache just from looking at it.

The younger folks are delighted by all the possibilities and all the original doorknobs, lighting fixtures, and woodwork.

Nobody wants to see the basement, but I think it’s cool. There are a couple of workbenches, a place to store home-cannings, and a central vacuum system from the forties. I also love the attic for its cedar closets and lead lined box for storing furs.

I love the house, and I’m so glad we got it.

I don’t love the poison ivy growing all over the back of the house! Mark is very susceptible. I’m not sure if I am - haven’t gotten it yet, either of us.

As far as moving, we’ve moved almost all the lighter stuff. We have to get some other helpers soon to move the heavy stuff. We have a washer, dryer, and refridgerator to move.

Oh, and I took pictures yesterday. They are hosted at photo.net.

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