Day Two of the 25 Days of Christmas

It has been a rainy but warm Sunday. The wonderful thing about having guests for dinner is cleaning up the next day. Thanks to help from my wonderful husband all the china and crystal are clean and back in the cabinets. Horace and I enjoyed a wonderful quiet lunch together at home today. There is nothing like tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich on a rainy afternoon. This evening I made a Christmas train out of rice crispy treats and watched the Christmas movie “The Holiday”. Tonight I got to steal away to my little retreat upstairs and read the Christmas Story. No not the story about the kid who wanted a BB gun, the real Christmas story in Mathew and Luke. In Luke 2:19 I was reminded how important memories like the ones we shared last night are when I read “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.”

So day two of my 25 days of Christmas is almost over. I have been anticipating the beginning of the 25 days of Christmas all week. It’s hard to believe two days have already flown by. Tomorrow morning Horace has cataract surgery. So in addition to my Christmas prayer I will be praying for a successful surgery tomorrow. 

Day One of the 25 Days to Christmas

Horace and his niece Shannon
& Little Bit of course

December 1st is a Saturday this year. What a great day of the week to start my 25 days of Christmas. We invited Horace’s sisters and brother for dinner which meant that the first half of the day was spent cleaning and prepping the house. Fortunately the trees were up and all the decorating was done but somehow our house is always in transition.  There is always a project that has at least one room out of sorts. We are getting ready to paint the room we call the Christmas room, which is actually the storage, junk and spare, spare, can’t sleep anywhere else bedroom. So in order to make preparation for overnight guest I had to sort through a lot of junk, throw away stuff and start a large box for the Salvation Army. But finally, the house was as straight as my house is ever going to be and we were ready to start preparing dinner. Fortunately, Horace is in charge of this department and his dear friend Charlie, a master chef, was ready to start cooking. The menu included a salad, chicken corydon-bleu with a wonderful sauce, Horace’s famous sautéed mushrooms, green beans, scalloped potatoes, and Berries Romanoff. The table was set, the candles lit and the dinner started right on time. 

Horace's sister Cheryl
& her husband David

Christmas has always been my favorite time of the year. I can still remember that wonderful, anxious feeling of anticipation at Christmas that I always had as a child. Of course Santa and the presents were all I could think about then but as an adult looking back I can only remember a few of the presents. The real memories are the hustle and bustle of family meals, running and playing with my cousins, those silly, human moments that always happen whenever you get a group together. And so kicking off my 25 days of Christmas with a family meal was perfect way to start the season. 

The meal went perfect. Horace and Charlie had timed everything just right. My only responsibility was preparing the dessert. Of course Berries Romanoff is amazingly simple and delicious. My step daughter Ami was the one who suggested we make a few months ago and I fell in love with it. All you have to do is wash some fresh berries, in our case we used strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. You put them in a martini glass, sprinkle a little powder sugar over them and whip some whipping cream with brandy or lemon juice. Unfortunately, when I went back to the kitchen to whip the cream I discovered that Charlie had used all my whipping cream for his sauce. Charlie was on the spot and immediately jumped in his car and ran to the store. Like I said it only takes a few minutes when you have all the ingredients. So 20 minutes later I return to the dining room with the dessert. No one even noticed. Lol!

Horace’s two sisters, Charlotte and Cheryl were there. Cheryl’s husband David and Charlotte’s daughter Shannon. Unfortunately, Horace’s brother couldn’t make it. His canine companion of 18 years probably won’t see his 19th Christmas. I know this is a very difficult time for Horace's brother Bob. Victor, a Cocker Spaniel, Japanese Chin mix has been a very special friend. He’s been there through thick and thin. Graduations, marriages, grand children, deaths of loved ones. He’s been a friend through it all. Bob was missed but Victor just couldn’t make the trip and couldn’t stay alone.

Horace Shrader (1967)

A Shrader Family dinner in La Grange

After dinner we moved to the living room where the 1950’s gas logs were already warming the room. The tree this year looks particularly nostalgic with the old fashioned shaped c-7 LED bulbs and brand new old fashion bubble lights. We got out an old photo album and looked at pictures from years past. And I retrieved some letters that Horace received when he was in the army in the 60’s. Horace hadn’t looked at the letters in over 40 years. One letter post marked December 5, 1967 from his mother starts “Dear son, How are you? We are all ok and busy.” She ends with “If you want me to do any Christmas shopping for you let me know.” And closes, “Please write. Love Mom. That letter found him  completing training at Fort Gordon, Georgia. A Christmas card sent the following year from his Aunt on December 17th 1968 would find him half way around the world in Viet Nam. She wrote “Hope this finds you well. I know you prefer being home but all we can do is pray that you stay in good health and get these months behind you. Best of Luck. Love Aunt Myrtle. Oddly enough she signed the card twice with love but never wished him a merry Christmas. She probably knew it wasn’t going to be very merry. 

Horace grew up in a family like mine where big get togethers were common place. Sunday’s at Grandma’s eating fried chicken. He and his sisters swapped stories about aunts and uncles and cousins. Listening to the stories, laughing and all the time making new memories. I want to remember that is what's important this season it's not the presents under the tree but the presents are around the tree. 

My Christmas prayer for the next 25 days is that I can share that heavenly gift of love with all those that I come in contact with this Christmas season. As I celebrate the season of the good news that Christ was born, I pray that  I will posses more of that true Christmas “Christ like” spirit. And I give thanks for my wonderful family and friends and the blessing of having those we love near at this time of the year.

On This Date - Henderson History

On this date in 1930 - Henderson paid tribute to Mary Towles Sasseen as the founder of Mother's Day with an impressive ceremony at Fernwood Cemetery on Sunday May 11, 1930. Her grave was decorated with loads of flowers and a marker was unveiled. The principle address was delivered by S.O. Heilbronner, local attorney. To see more on Henderson's own Mother's Day Founder go to Netta Mullin's Mother's Day History from the Henderson County Historical & Genealogical Society.

Don't forget your Mother this Sunday!

On May 11, 1954, Leslie Reynolds, administrator of Methodist Hospital, was named by the city school board to fill the 2 1/2 year unexpired her, of C. Royden McCollom, who had recently dies.

On May 11, 1955, a twister-like storm hopscotched out of Union County hitting Morganfield with a "smashing blow". The storm made its way across the southern part of Henderson County leaving damage estimated unofficially at $125,000. The Dunbar School in Morganfield was unroofed causing injury to three children.

On May 11, 1975 it was announced that a  forum on collective bargaining for public employees sponsored by the Henderson Community College Chapter of the Kentucky Association of Community College Professors would be held in the Municipal Center the following Thursday. The forum was to provide everyone in the community an opportunity to express their opinion on collective bargaining. 

Special thanks to Frieda Dannheiser and Donald Hazelwoood for their History of Henderson County, published 1980.

More Henderson History - Mill Housing

The Mill Housing are significant historic structures. Located between 1200 and 1338 Washington Street in Henderson's Historic East End, the two story duplexes provided housing for the employees of Henderson's Cotton Mills. According to the History of Henderson County the Henderson Cotton Mills were built in 1883 and the apartment houses were built in 1885. The Cotton Mill also built a frame schoolhouse on Powell Street in 1885.

In 1922 Consolidated Textile Corporation bought the Cotton Mill and in 1931 they closed the mill. On April 24th, 1937 Bear Brand bought the cotton mill and resumed operations on June 14th of that same year. After 1937, Bear Brand gradually sold off the Mill Housing on Washington Street to private owners, but in 1941 - 1942 resumed the tradition of Mill owned homes and opened Pope Street with the construction of 14 new homes.

See the PDF scan on the Mill Housing from the Henderson Historical Homes Book published in 1985.
Mill Housing PDF

Special thanks to Frieda Dannheiser and Donald Hazelwoood for their History of Henderson County, published 1980.

On This Date - Henderson History

The History of Henderson County, Kentucky was still on my desk this morning. I decided to flip through the 1000+ pages and discovered there is a history section by date. Did you know on this date in in 1929 the city school board adopted a budget of $154,100 for the 1929 - 1930 school year, a figure slightly lower than the previous year's budget.

And on this date in 1954 the Henderson County Soil conservation District became official with the election of its first board of directors and approval of a work program. The following officers were elected:

• Frank Street - Chairman
• G.H. McMurtry - Secretary - Treasurer
• James McConathy - Vice Chairman
• George Crafton & Hugh Jones - Board Members

And on this date in 1974 the City-County Planning Commission approved a zoning change by the Henderson Golf & Country Club to allow a new clubhouse and golf course to be on their site on U.S. 60 East.

Special thanks to Frieda Dannheiser and Donald Hazelwoood for their History of Henderson County, published 1980.

History of Henderson County, KY outlines Aududon History

Frieda Dannheiser and Don Hazelwood printed a lengthy "History of Henderson County , KY" from 1888 to 1978 in 1980.  Chapter XVII of the book outlines the history of the East End, a city within a city.

John James Audubon built a two story log cabin on a small hill which is now the site of Loeb and Shelby Streets in 1815. At the writing of this book in 1980 the editors report that Audubon had its own drugs stores, soda fountains, fire stations, barber shops, grocery stores, dry cleaning establishments and other places of businesses.  The population of Audubon in 1880 was estimated to be 60 people and 1889 the population had grown to 200. In 1913 the population of Audubon was estimated to be 3,200.

The industrial expansion began with the cotton mills which were built in 1883. The Henderson Cotton Mills remained in operation under that name until 1922.

The Audubon history in this book highlights the lives of several residents and important milestones for the community. The link below takes you to a PDF of just the sections relating to the Audubon area. It's a quick and easy read and probably has information that many long time residents don't even know.

Enjoy!

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BwGWYup23ldYeDBRc0w3U2VERE0

Great crowd at Easter

We had nearly 50 aunts, uncles and cousins for  lunch on Easter at our home this year. It was a wonderful day. The weather was perfect. Having so many of my family together at one time reminds me of going to my grandmother's for lunch on Sunday's after church. My mother was the baby of eight and as many of the kids that could would come nearly every Sunday for lunch. It was a wonderful treat to play in the yard or go exploring in the barn or just watch my uncles play horse shoes. Sometimes we would have watermelon or home made ice cream What a treat!

We didn't make home made ice cream on Easter but we did enjoy being together. Life is good!!

Easter 2012 at 724 Center Street

House Renovations Are Put On Hold For Now

We spent nearly a year planning the renovation and addition for the house. The plans that Tim did are amazing. The kitchen that Suzi designed it exactly what we wanted. Unfortunately, we have decided that we will have to wait at least another year before we build. Cie Le Vie! But the project is shovel ready!!!

We did finish painting the outside. The house is in great shape and ready for whatever comes next. I guess I'll just have to focus on the gardens for now.

Finished painting  Spring of 2012

Here it is! The Old Purple House

We bought the house, sight unseen, when we first moved back to Henderson in 1998. Even though my husband had never seen the house painted purple, if anyone asked where we lived, he always responded "the old purple house". He had never seen the house painted purple until I brought this picture home this week. I found the picture in the files at the Kentucky Historical Society. They included it in the filing for  the Alves Historical District Application. I actually think it looks pretty good purple. It may be a good thing I didn't have this picture when I was picking out paint last year for the house.

724 Center Street in the 1980's

The Final Architectural Drawings

The House Today

It's hard to imagine all the changes this old house has seen. Just in the 12 years we've owned it there has been a lot of updates. But this project will bring this old house into the new millennium.

Nearly Final Drawings

We met with Tim Townsend today. He had the drawings printed on large architect paper. The project is beginning to feel real. It's hard to believe that we've been working, off and on, on these drawings for over two years. Horace went to the meeting with me and I was very glad. Tim spent most of the time explaining how the foundation and the floor joists and roofing systems were going to work. The span in the kitchen area, the hearth room and the portico are pretty large and without posts they will need some substantial beams, footers, etc. I am posting the next to the last drawings. We should have the final drawings soon!!!!!

Planning & Zoning Approves the Variance

Horace and I were in Washington DC touring a post revolutionary war mansion when we got the word that Planning and Zoning had approved our variance. Dennie said they not only approved it, but were anxious to do so. Dennie felt strongly that a large investment and life extension to a home like ours would be right up the Commissions alley. And he was right!!! We only had to make one change; make the portico a little shorter. Tim Townsend says that easy.

All we have to do now is get the kitchen design finished and priced and probably make some changes after we see the costs. Get the final drawings done and get prices together for that. And then find a bank interested in financing the project. Not to much. :-)

Renderings - The project starts to feel real

I called Dennie Branson today and like him immediately. I learned that he used to own an Italianate house up the street next to the funeral home. Sadly, it has since been torn down. But he clearly understood old house issues. He was great. He knew exactly what to do.  I quickly realized that Horace & I would be out of town when Planning and Zoning met next, but Dennie was confident that he and Tim could handle it. And after talking to Dennie I was confident too.


Dennie said we needed actual pictures of the house and computer renderings of what the addition was going to look like. This is when the project really came alive. The renderings took the flat drawings and showed you what it might really look like. After three years of imagining the addition I got a real picture. Now I had to control my enthusiasm, after all, we didn't have the variance, we didn't have the financing and even if we had both it is getting awfully late in the year to start such a large project.

The portico and driveway really made the project. Those two elements to me pulled the project together. Without them I think the addition would feel incomplete. And the convenience of a driveway after 12 years of parking on the street would make me feel like we were living in a new house.

Tim tied the portico in to the house so that there were two permanent parking spaces plus a circular drive. You could park and walk into the new side entrance. The kitchen would only be steps away.



   

Suzi's Second Option

Suzi's second option reduces the number of cabinets by doing more drywall.  The cabinets go to 9'-9" and then a large crown treatment.  The ceiling crown goes around the room.  There is a drywall pantry with a niche above, to the right of the back door.  


She put shelves over the windows as an option to glass door cabinets.   This plan has a single, 2 level island.  A steamer unit in this plan, but the refrigeration was reduced to a 36" wide unit (2 freezer drawers).  The 60" Aga is surrounded by drywall with recessed shelves for spices, oils & vinegars on the inside and curved wood bookshelves facing the living area.  The bookcase option would probably be less expensive than a cabinet unit and the curved shelves was just to do something different.   The main sink along the back wall looks out into the side garden, with a standard DW & trash cans flanking it.  It's a large single bowl sink which is a great option for the clean-up sink - large pans will sit inside - no divider to get in the way.  The prep sink and a single dish drawer are in the island.  She included the drop down door microwave and the coffee system. She added the lamps to the island because I thought they were neat.

Our First Kitchen Drawings

Suzi has been on vacation. She told me up front she wouldn't be able to start until she got back, but I was so anxious for the first drawings.

She has sent me three designs. Suzi tells me that each design is trying to show different layouts, cabinet heights, window placements, appliance options, etc.  Each option will have a floor plan with the basic details and perspective views.  She couldn't get everything I wanted in each plan but as we move forward we can figure out what's most important and needs to stay and what can go.  She didn't include the fireplace/pizza oven as they take up a lot of room and require lots of clearance (not to mention the pizza ovens are rather pricey). 

She suggested we make a few copies and write all over them - what parts we liked, what parts we could do without, what appliances are a must and which may go, etc. The plan was to mingle her ideas together and over time to come up with the perfect plan. It was a starting point.  She cautioned me that if we tried to take to cabinets up to our 13 foot ceilings that we were going to be looking at a lot of money.   The most expensive part of a cabinet is the door, so the more doors, the higher the price.  And with 13' ceilings it would require 3 doors as you go up, even if you do a large crown treatment.  

So I took the plans everywhere with me. If I had a spare moment I was studying the plans. I did exactly what she suggested, looking at the parts I liked and didn't like and tried to mesh the plans together.

Working with Tim Townsend to modify the design

The final plan for P&Z

Tim instinctively knew that the simple expansion wasn't going to give us enough room for everything Horace and I wanted in our new area. But the plans that he drew took too much space out of my garden, something Horace and I agreed was unacceptable. So one afternoon in the fall of 2010 I went to Lowes and bought engineering flags and tape and staked out my idea of how we could use the more of the side yard and less of the garden. It was basically Tim's design turned around a bit.

Knowing this is the last house we'll probably live in during our lifetime,we've spent a little more time making sure we've thought of everything. We wanted a bar area, expansive prep area, a cozy seating for two for dinner, a working fireplace, a den area, and a powder room. At least that's where the list started. Then  I realized I had the idea to add a driveway and a portico. Twelve years of parking on the street and carrying the groceries in the rain was beginning to get old.

After I got everything taped off I brought Horace out to the yard. He agrees it could work and goes back inside. I think GREAT! I call Tim and have him draw up the new ideas. The first drawing was short of what I had in mind, but the second on was right on. So I took the drawings back to Horace and he claims he had never heard this idea before. Geez! Men! Then I took him back out in the yard showed him where the tape had been several months earlier and showed him where he was standing when we discussed the changes. His memory was slowly coming back.

After Horace finally remembered how the drawings originated I told him the bad news. Tim says we'll have to get a variance because the new design gets a little to close to the street. This is where I am reminded that I am married to a former Chairman of Planning & Zoning. And tells me he thinks I'm making the project to difficult. But Tim's advice was sound. He said design the house you want and take the time and trouble to get the variance.

So I  ask Tim what do we do next. And thank goodness he knows the answer. He says call Dennie Branson. He's your go to guy. So I did.

A Kitchen Designer?

So Tim says upfront I am not an interior designer. He says that you can call a custom cabinet shop and they will help you lay out a kitchen. But I have a client whose wife is a Certified Kitchen Designer, so I call her instead. Her name is Suzi Brock and she is in Tallahassee Florida. I contact her first through Linked In. And that's how our long distance relationship begins. I had contact Suzi several months earlier but I wasn't in any hurry so we really hadn't made any progress until I contact her again this month.

I now have a pretty solid idea of the space we have to work with and I have my dream list ready to share with anyone willing to listen. I have collected pictures from kitchen design magazines for nearly three years. I don't know what I can afford but I know what I want.

The wish list I share with Suzi is pretty long:

• Commercial Grade Stove;
• A warming oven;
• A double drawer dishwasher and maybe a regular dishwasher;
• Two Islands;
• Two sinks;
• Lots of storage; and
• A wine captain.

Horace and I want to work in the kitchen together, but we have very different styles and need distinct space. We want to entertain and have plenty of seating area around the kitchen islands. I want a pizza oven but know they are prohibitively expensive, but I have seen counter height gas logs that create the same look. I want a hood over the range and a maybe a pot rack.

I think after I have shared all this with Suzi we'll have a drawing that works in no time. But Suzi is a professional and she knows there is a lot more to it than a wish list. Suzi, like Tim, proves sometimes you just need a professional.

So Suzi sends me a list of questions for homework:

• How high will the ceilings be?
• Melodie's height _______________, right or left handed
• Horace's height ________________,  right or left handed
• Grocery shopping - daily, weekly basis, in bulk
• Do you know yet what material you will use on the floor?
• Any children/others living in the house?
• Any pets __________, if so, where are they fed and do you know of any specific provisions you want/need?
• Where do you intend to eat daily meals; do you want a table in the kitchen or is bar/island seating sufficient?
• What entrance will you use to bring in groceries?
• When entertaining do you have a sit down meal or buffet? 
• Are there any physical limitations or dietary needs to accommodate?
• Do you use the microwave for cooking or simply reheating?
• Do you do any specialty cooking: baking, canning, pasta making, etc, with special equipment that needs to be considered?
• Thinking of your current kitchen, previous kitchens you've worked in and any friends kitchens:  what did you like, what did you dislike?
• Do you like symmetry or asymmetry?
• You mentioned a private garden off the kitchen ~ will that be behind the house or through the double french doors off the family room?
• Do you like having a pot rack?

The questions seem simple, we'll have to wait and see if this is simple.

The Old Purple House

We bought this big, old house in 1998 sight unseen. We were moving from Paducah to Henderson. We rented our home in Paducah to a plant manager relocating to the area and we had to move within 60 days. We had looked at some properties but couldn't find anything big enough within our price range. I showed Horace, my husband, the ad for the auction. He said we didn't need an old house and left for work three counties away. I immediately called my Mother in Henderson and asked if she had seen it. No. But my Aunt went to the open house the weekend before so we immediately did a three way call. Aunt Mary said it was very big and in pretty good shape. Mom drove by the house and called me. She said I would remember the house, it was purple when I was a kid. She said its taupe now and I would love it. So we agreed that she would go to the auction that afternoon and call me.

Horace's last words before he left that morning was "Don't buy that house." So you can imagine my surprise when thru my Mom and a cell phone my low opening bid was the first and last bid. I couldn't believe it.

I immediately drove three counties away to tell Horace in person. As soon as he saw me, he said "You've been to that auction haven't you?" I said, "No I didn't go the auction, but I did buy the house". My excitement turned to fear when I realized what I had done. We had only been married 4 years, what if he hated the house. My son patted me on the back and said "Mom you said it would be ok". Unfortunately, as we drove to Henderson I wasn't sure.

We drove to Henderson that night. As we drove up to the house it was all lit up and the front light in the yard was on. I think one of the nicest things my husband ever said was "I think it's going to be alright." Whew! Fortunately Horace loved the house.

It's nearly twelve years later and sometimes I think Horace likes the house more than me. This is our home for life.

Old picture from the Kentucky Historical Society Files in Frankfort
circa 1970