April 6, 2015

Big Creek: Still Hangin’ On Like A Hair In A Biscuit

Martie Big Creek Farmhouse Remodel antiques, Big Creek, Built-in shelves, family, Hoosier cabinet, Licorice the rabbit, Nostalgia, Old country home, outdoor living, remodeling 4 Comments

I have shared quite a lot about this old country home we live in, and I realize that so much of it does not seem very inviting.  At times, I don’t even feel invited.  We’ve hit so many snags in trying to begin renovations that I’ve begun to wonder if we’ll ever get to start, not to mention enjoy the finished product.  Today’s post is about reminding myself, and sharing with you, all of the reasons why we are doing this house remodel.  It’s hard to remember sometimes, especially after a 5 a.m. Good Friday wake up call, caused by a mouse running up my leg.

It was on my bed, y’all.  ON MY BED.  Let’s just say that little mouse is probably in Mexico somewhere after the screaming tongue-lashing I gave him, not to mention the giant tsunami of covers that descended upon him when he reached my hip.  Hysterical is too mild a word.

Ick.

I’ve shown you the roof, and how much it needs replacing.  You’ve seen the shops transform, and can surely imagine that just two years ago, the house went through a similar transformation.  Madre made some really drastic improvements, painting all of the exterior that didn’t get a fresh layer of vinyl siding, all by herself.    Some of the trim in the back still awaits green paint, and so much still needs to be repaired or replaced, but Coach has made almost as many improvements in the short time we’ve been here.  No, the floors aren’t level, and the roof leaks in several places, but there is so much about this house that makes up for all of the bad stuff.

First, let me share with you the beautiful ‘after’ pictures of our front porch (click here for before pics).  You will see so much of what endears me to this house in these pictures alone.

This porch has been home to so many of my memories, from childhood all the way up to present day.  I have always loved the smooth, knobby cedar posts holding the roof up over the concrete porch.  I have always loved the concrete bases, or bridge abutments, that the cedar posts rest on.  I have always loved that I know things about this house that most wouldn’t know, like that this window used to be a door, and that this deck used to be a bare spot in the yard where the huge, white hammock hung, swinging lazily in the spring breeze.  The porch once wrapped all the way around, but that south side is now enclosed and is currently the (leaky) sun room.

 

Another huge plus to this house is all the amazing built-ins!  They are everywhere…the master bedroom,

the stairwell, upstairs, the hallway…it’s just unreal! Papa, the talented custom knife maker and gunsmith, would sometimes trade his handcrafted goods for handiwork, like carpentry.  He loved books, and had quite a collection.

The cabinets and shelves in the hallway were built by Papa himself, and it is actually a stand-alone piece.

He built it on-site, and the best we can hope for is being able to move it from one side of the room to the other when the floors finally get some T.L.C.

 

Also, the house came with a bunch of stuff that doesn’t belong to us, which can be annoying,  but it also came with a bunch of stuff that I love and treasure, and stuff that’s just darn cool to own!  Two Hoosier cabinets!

Gotta love a good old Hoosier cabinet, right?

This pantry is pretty phenomenal, too!  It has been in this kitchen for 30 years, and it sure wasn’t going to fit at Madre’s new digs!

 

Besides all of that, lookit how close the creek is!!  A free pool that doesn’t get warm like bath water when it’s 100+ degrees outside is something to be excited about!  No, we can’t swim as early, or as late, or when the current is up, but it’s good for a lot more than just swimming! We love to fish, and I’m already dreaming of a peddle boat, like we had when I was a kid.

So, don’t you see why this old house is worth saving?  Maybe I’m too sentimental, but I just can’t let go of the wonderful memories of growing up here, and can’t see any reason why I would want to.  Why wouldn’t I want to grow old here, as well?  Mouse or no mouse (and I’m realizing I just pointed out about a million places for mice to hide), we’re in it for the long haul.

And at the moment, we’re hanging on like a hair in a biscuit.

Thank you for tagging along with me on all of my trips down memory lane, and on this journey with my beloved Big Creek.  I hope that, over time, I can share lots of  ideas for living in and enjoying an older, high-maintenance home.  I have gobs of great ideas for small kitchen organization (don’t you think I need it?), living with small bathrooms, and ways to make your older home more efficient. Plus, I can’t wait to share some creek-side cookouts and outdoor living ideas this summer! I so hope you’ll stick around to enjoy it with us!  It should be an adventure, and we can all learn by trial-and-error together!

X,O,X,O,   Martie

P.S.  Friday’s incident tried to instill in me a newfound fear of rodents.  I’m already cured, and here is the cure herself!  Meet Licorice the rabbit, our newest family member. She’s a 5-week old mini (rex or satin?) rabbit, very mouse-like and extremely sweet. I’m in love already, even though she technically belongs to the girls.   You’ll be seeing more of her!

X,O,X,O,   Martie