Time for a Facelift, part two

 The trim is all done and painted, including the soffits and the brackets. All of the horizontal pieces are flashed. The outlet and faucet are disconnected. The babysitters are here. Time to re-side the house.

The Birth of the Snow Queen

The Birth of the Snow Queen

One misty winter day, the benevolent and all-knowing goddess of the forest looked down upon the lower world and saw that her people were adrift and leaderless. They milled about the woods, pining for guidance and direction. The goddess decided that they should have a queen, and thusly set out to make it so. She summoned her most able troll servant and they began to create the Snow Queen.

He labored mindlessly under her most perfect guidance and soon the Snow Queen began to take shape. The goddess decreed a figure of three sections, comely yet unadorned so as to remind her subjects the value humility and the dangers that can come from a love of frippery. 

When the Snow Queen was complete, she dismissed her troll and looked upon what she had created, and called it good. She then sang a song of unparalleled beauty, the notes of which brought the Snow Queen to life.

When her life-giving song was sung, she made the following proclomation:

"People of the forest, I have watched from on high as you wandered throughout these woods, bemoaning your confused state. I have heard your cries and come down to give them answer. Behold your shining light in the darkness. Behold the gently rolling path that always aims homeward. Behold--your Snow Queen!"

With that, she ascended back to her cloud palace, content that her people were no longer adrift but wondering if they would accept their new queen. For the people of the forest were an independent sort and did not always go in the direction which she wished. Later that evening, she had her answer. The forest people slowly emerged, bearing the traditional welcome gifts of dried grass hair and a Cerulean Shovel. 

That moment marked the beginning of what was to become known as the Winter of Deep Content, the likes of which this forest had not seen since ages beyond reckoning, and the forest and its people hummed with happiness.

The End

Time for a facelift, part one

When we built our house six years ago, I always knew I wanted to do more with the exterior. Trimless windows and vertical siding were okay for starters, but it left a lot to be desired in my mind. This past summer, after watching the paint peel from our south-facing wall again, we decided the time was nigh upon us. That's right, I said nigh. You know shit is about to get real.

Well, I've been a little busy

The few people who follow this blog may have wondered where I disappeared to. The casual observers out there may have just chalked it up as another blog started with the best of intentions that fizzled away. And they may be right, in the end. But not today. Because I'm back, and I'm bringing baby with me.

Ode to a Childhood Home

(This post first appeared on Apartment Therapy)

I spent this past weekend at my childhood home in Yonkers, NY, showing my daughter where Daddy grew up and helping my parents pack up a few final things before the big move. After thirty eight years, our old three-story Victorian will house some other lucky family. As I walked around the near-empty rooms it struck me how much that house shaped my ideas about space, architecture and design. While I will miss countless things about it, here are some details that epitomize why it will always be a treasured place to me.

My Elusive Garden Gnome

A little red garden gnome visits me quite often. I have been trying to take her picture forever, but she is notoriously camera shy.

But I came across a passage in an old book about the best way to attract gnomes: bubbles! Gnomes love bubbles--who knew? Once I broke them out, she slowly emerged from the woods.

The little gnome didn't quite know what to make of them at first, but she quickly fell under their spell and had to take a try herself.

It took awhile. She even gave them a taste, but nothing was working.

She began to lose hope.

But gnomes are a stubborn lot, so she stuck with it and eventually--success!

She was so happy, she even smiled for the camera.

There's nothing cuter than a happy gnome.

A Week on the Cape

It was the best of times.

 A week in Wellfleet, MA. A tiny run-down cottage across from the oyster flats. Grilled seafood. Casually pocketing five or six oysters to be eaten raw later. Catching sea bass on a fishing charter, and having your professional chef neighbor fillet and cook it for you. Seeing absolute joy on your daughter's face as she drinks in everything about the beach. Sitting outside and reading Thoreau's 'Cape Cod' while the two ladies nap. Crystal clear glacial ponds. Fish and chips. Sand castles. Cooler baths. Big gin and tonics with dinner. Being lucky enough to have a very cool couple with young kids renting next door. Managing to avoid all of the dreaded traffic. Daydreaming about owning a little place on the water. Relaxing. Making plans for going back. 

It really was the best of times.

Up close with a Monarch.

Big catch.

The freshest oysters evah!

Checking out a little crab.

She spent a lot of time happily shoveling.

Our little sugar cookie.

Ladies of the dunes.

This is the only way we could get her to stay still.

Impromptu bath tub.

That about sums it all up right there.