As the studio/greenhouse construction continues I can see that some of the neighbors are curious about what is going on here. What may not be clear from my photos and descriptions is that our house sits very far back on our lot, the stream runs in front of the house, and the studio is being built between the stream and the road, so fully visible from the street. In fact we think it will make our house even more secluded to have the studio where it is. I notice cars slowing down and drivers looking things over as they drive by. A couple of neighbors out walking have stopped to ask what we are building. This morning another neighbor came by and introduced herself and inquired about the construction. I was really happy to meet her. I drive past her house frequently. It is another, like ours, of the old, original houses on the road. It sits far back from the road with a huge green lawn and gorgeous trees and gardens. They have lived there for more than 30 years. She was able to tell us a bit about our house and former residents, including a wood carver of some note, who died tragically, quite young. She seemed pleased and supportive of the studio addition to the neighborhood. I think I will enjoy knowing her.
Again, yesterday morning, I awoke to the "beep, beep" of the concrete truck backing up the driveway, and when I dashed out for my walk, this guy was smoothing the floor of the greenhouse. It slopes slightly toward a drain in the center.
Ray had left a little earlier for work, but as he headed out he said, "why don't you see if you can get the grandchildren to put some hand prints in the concrete before it hardens." On my way back from walking I picked up the kids and my son-in-law and we did our best to immortalize the moment in concrete. It was setting so fast that the hand prints were really hard to impress and don't go very deep, but I think they will show. I added their names and the date.
Maybe years from now they will come back to see their names and prints and tell whoever is living here then about all of us.
Always a great way to meet the neighbors. I love seeing imprints in concrete, my cousin was immortalized in my parent's driveway. He was just learning to walk, you could see footprints beginning at the edge of the concrete pad and mysteriously disappearing about 3 steps in toward the center ;-). Never signed or dated though, this will be special for Sophie's and Marco's children to be able to see.
ReplyDeleteEnjoying your progress, and the new header is smashing!
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying this series on your construction. When my parents put in a patio, Dad told my siblings, a cousin, and I to put our foot/hand prints in while he ran to pick up something. Being the oldest, I lined us all up plus 2 dogs and 2 cats. We all stepped into the concrete and then bent over and put our hands down - about 3". My Dad came home to these huge impressions in the cement and had to re-trowel the whole thing. He was not happy. He did help us later on the sidewalk and our prints are still there in the doorway to his shop. Hope you are having a beautiful weekend.
ReplyDeleteIt is always nice to hear some history of your home. Interesting that an artistic person lived in the same home as you. When my late husband and I were remodeling a home in Wisconsin we put a $1 bill in the wall so that we would never be broke. It is great to see the progress that you are making. I have stepping stones on my grandchildren's hand prints.
ReplyDeleteIt is always nice to hear some history of your home. Interesting that an artistic person lived in the same home as you. When my late husband and I were remodeling a home in Wisconsin we put a $1 bill in the wall so that we would never be broke. It is great to see the progress that you are making. I have stepping stones on my grandchildren's hand prints.
ReplyDeleteThat's fun! They'll like visiting their prints in the years to come. When our neighborhood elementary school put in a long wide concrete sidewalk when I was a kid, my friend rode her horse across the very nearly totally solid concrete. There were nice, neat, extremely shallow, even-see-the-nails-of-the-horseshoe prints for most of the length. Oh my was she ever in trouble. As a kid I thought it looked pretty cool.
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