This Old House

Preparing for demolition

This 1950s wallpaper revealed.

The young boy’s heart, embedded on a wall.

No date for reference.

To Wales, with Love

My third and his first, we have made our first trip in retirement.

This stop, Wales, UK. Britain. The language was exciting, inspiring.

The lambs were adorable, they would jump and frolic, just like cartoon characters of my childhood!

The history was incredible, from Roman, to Medieval, Tudor and 18th century to today,

living the life of Matthews Street and the British Invasion revolution of innocent days when we were young.

The food and coffee houses were fantastic and the cuisine delicious!

And a little bit of wondering (just for fun, of course!)

But most of all, Wales was about people. People who connected with us on a daily basis. People we were introduced to, who welcomed us and made us feel special, but also accepted. For you I am truly grateful.

To David and Judith Rowe, we thank you from the depths within our hearts! To those you introduced us too, they made our trip a very welcome one to the country, Wales.

My heart belongs to you. I leave you to fly back to my home, but with a cushion around my heart, and my Daniel Owens book tucked in my bag, until next time.

Love, Kathleen

Traveling On Our Inward Journey

I have been enjoying this series by Michael Lai, with his visit to this monastery.  I can hear the bells calling and the peace.  Thank you, Michael Lai!

I have been showing a series of the Tsz Shan Monastery – the environs, the big Guanyin statue, the water lilies, the places of meditation etc. I will continue to show some of the architecture of the temples which are of timber construction. The architecture is based on the style of the Tang Dynasty. The […]

via TszShan Monastery, Hong Kong – General Background — retireediary

This Old House

More wallpaper to tell us stories. This was hidden above the windows!

Preparing our way into our tomorrows, and revealing a past. Walls with stories.

Fort Hill, Oxford, New York

Fort Hill stands on the eastern side of the Chenango River, here in Oxford, New York.  Archeological findings report Indian village.  At a height safe from rising waters, the location afforded a lookout for these people.  Hence the white folk took over, don’t we do that a lot?

Today stands Oxford Academy Middle School, once a private school, the village library (once a Burr home), the village fire station, the community church and parish, the Henderson’s home, which used to be a dental office/home until some point in the 1950s.  

I love this spot, I can feel the history.  I wonder what it was like, 200 years ago…

The Chenango River

Chenango is Onandaga word for “large bull thistle.”  Google reports: 

Chenango, some say, comes from an Iroquois word, “O chenang,” meaning “region of the bull thistle.” Others say Chenango means “beautiful river” or “pleasant stream.”

History – Then & Now

One can only imagine the thrill (being an Oxford native) of realization that the train still ran in 2004, when I moved back to Oxford, New York.  Here is the picture, taken from my back yard, in June 2006.  About a week (or so) later, a devastating flood hit, destroying the tracks in several places.  It was heartbreaking to realize this was gone.

Below is the “good news” article about repairing the line.  And to make this good news even better, the work has begun!

http://www.wbng.com/home/Schumer-announces-47-million-in-federal-disaster-funding-to-repair-damaged-rail-lines-in-Chenango-208514171.html?m=y&smobile=y

The Case of “Nature is Mightier than the Shovel”

 

Friday I found the tunnel that the groundhog had decided should be his home (or is it a skunk?).  I decided, “it’s spring, he can find a newer and better home” and shoveled the dirt back in, covering the hole then with an old pumpkin, by way of peace offering.

Apparently, the rodent thought about as much of the dried up pumpkin as I did, for when I came home for lunch yesterday, this greeted me.

Then last night I dreamt that the darn little thing not only dug a hole, he excavated the entire cellar!  Those of you that have followed for awhile know that I have this great historical cellar. Built in 1835, it was the foundation for a cooperage and brewery.

Apparently nature has no regard for such “tomfoolery,” and the score is 2 groundhog and 1 Mankind.

It would be interesting to do an analysis of that dream though. Readers? 

Building Your Fortress

I was scanning through my photo files here on my external hard drive, where I have learned that is not only a safe place from crashes (well, maybe), but also a way to never ever find the file that I am thinking is “somewhere there.”  Anyway, I stumbled across some photos of a fort my nephew and I visited in Connecticut.  Interesting, but mildly boring now that I’m looking through the files.

What were these forts for?  Protection.  Just in case we were attacked.  I’m trying to remember if our guide said that they ever were attacked.  I don’t believe so.  Money, time, engineering.  Just in case.

Those thoughts took me back to my visit to Wales in 2009 and 2010 and the castles Edward I (and others).  These fortifications were built and served several reasons (reasons that I’m sure were duplicated into the lives of those who lived near our fortifications here in America as well):  they were a presence that assured the villager of a place of safety, they were a reminder of the power of the king, they served as a lookout and a place for knights (and others) while they were guarding/waiting for an enemy to appear.  Most of these saw no action, but they were built with extreme care.

 

These amazing feats in architecture are miniscule compared to others, I’m sure.  It brought me my WOW though!

I’m not sure I really have a point to this story.  Perhaps I’m just pointing out what we humans do.  We build, we leave, someone else either takes down or preserves and puts up a ticket booth.  I am reminded of the story I read last year about when the Astors owned New York.  They bought blocks of New York City, constructed hotels that were the top of the line for their day.  Today they have been replaced by the modern Empire State Building and other more convenient structures.

It does make you think about your own, doesn’t it?