Happenstance House

Updated photos

noreply@blogger.com (Jane O') — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:14:00 +0000

Oak Staircase

Living Room

Dining Room

Kitchen

Breakfast Room

Main Floor Bath

Parlor

Upstairs Hall

Upstairs Bath

Upstairs Bedroom

Sitting Room and 2nd Bedroom

Looking Down

This house is for sale! Go ahead, take a tour! You can search individual rooms by clicking on the labels list in the sidebar on the right.

Please check out my other blogs at:
Thyme for Herbs
An Herbal Bedfellow
Tickling the Ivories

House For Sale, Jamestown Michigan

noreply@blogger.com (Jane O') — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 15:19:00 +0000

Yes, my house is finally up for sale. If you haven't visited here before and taken the tour, I am listing a link to previous posts for each room to make it easier for you. So let's go!

Front Door Foyer and Staircase

Living Room and Dining Room

Parlor

Breakfast Room and Back Porch

Kitchen

Upstairs Front Bedroom (facing street, east)

Master Bedroom (windows to the south)

Library (and stripped back bathroom)

Bedroom (door leads to balcony facing east)

Attic(third floor) and Garage

Back Garden (daylilies and other perennials)

Herb Garden

Front Garden (irises)

You can search more articles by clicking on the labels list on the right.

Please check out my other blogs at:
Thyme for Herbs
An Herbal Bedfellow
Tickling the Ivories

The Attic and Garage

noreply@blogger.com (Jane O') — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:57:00 +0000

Three stall garage, two have electric door openers. There is also another door in the back of the middle stall going out to the back yard. Easy access with our tractor/lawn mower. It works great when we have parties set up in the garage for our guests to get to the gardens.

We might have to go up again and take these pictures at night. The windows caused the photos to be dark but you can get the idea. The third story is the same size as the house. The ceiling is 12 feet high in the
middle. At one time there was another bedroom on one end but the walls have been removed. Only the area of the painted floor remains as a reminder of what once was.

This house is for sale! Go ahead, take a tour! You can search individual rooms by clicking on the labels list in the sidebar on the right or on the post called
"House for Sale" listed on January 3, 2008.

Please check out my other blogs at:
Thyme for Herbs
An Herbal Bedfellow
Tickling the Ivories

Silent Night

noreply@blogger.com (Jane O') — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:02:00 +0000

Go ahead, take a tour! You can search individual rooms by clicking on the labels list in the sidebar on the right.

Please check out my other blogs at:
Thyme for Herbs
An Herbal Bedfellow
Tickling the Ivories

Christmas at Happenstance House

noreply@blogger.com (Jane O') — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 20:12:00 +0000

This is the scene out my back door today. The weather man says it will continue to snow through at least Dec 20th. What an early start we've had on the winter weather! Some years we don't see snow until Christmas Eve.

My Christmas quilt is at the front door entrance. It's a Bethlehem Star. I hand piece and hand quilt. This was a fun quilt to do. It's about 15 years old and is carefully packed away each year.

This little guy greets visitors at the back door. Isn't he cute? A Walgreen's special last year!

The dining room table. My father made the sleigh. There's nothing like a photo to show up the wrinkles in the tablecloth, is there?

The snowman is another favorite of ours. He's an oversized, handblown, glass ornament. We got this at Cracker Barrel a few years ago, 50 percent off. My favorite way to shop. Have you ever shopped at Cracker Barrel at Christmas time? It's an awesome place for gifts!

A view into the dining room. The greens have white lights woven in so at night everything sparkles.

A look into the foyer. The sofa has to stick into the doorway but with a large family gathering or party we need the sitting space and really can't move it out.

We're pretty traditional with the tree decorations. We especially like hand-blown glass ornaments. I don't follow trends and fashion, or do a Victorian tree. I've kept a journal with a list of ornaments that goes back to 1966. I can tell you who gave me what for over 40 years.

This little girl was an anniversary gift years ago. She waves her candle as she welcomes you into our home.

I've been trying to cut back on the decorations and clutter at Christmastime. I like a clean, classy look, but my husband likes whimsical. He brought home this dog last year and proudly hung him on the banister after I had spent hours with the greens and lights. The dog sings carols, while his cheeks flash and his mouth moves. Tacky, but what can you do? Of course, my grandson loves him.

Next we will get a peek into the attic, so stick around.

If you're new to this blog and wish to see the individual rooms, click on the labels list in the sidebar on the right.

Please check out my other blogs at:
Thyme for Herbs
An Herbal Bedfellow
Tickling the Ivories

Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Jane O') — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:58:00 +0000

It's finally time to show you the kitchen. I held off for a while because we were in the middle of painting cupboards and as you can see in the first picture, we are now working on the ceiling but had to stop to get ready for all of the Christmas activity. Whew, so much going on!

I love this shelf above the window. Although it is a dust catcher, I had kitchen antiques up there. Many have been taken down and sold. I just kept a few favorites.

One of the best things about this kitchen is the cupboard and counter space. There's plenty of room for all of my dishes -- and I have a lot. I like to have different place settings for different holidays and seasons.

We put these shelves in so I could grow African violets which I had done in a previous home. But it just wasn't the right window. So I started to keep my dried herbs in jars on the shelves and it worked very well. They are so easy to reach when I am cooking, and they look pretty, too.

The island is topped with thick knotty pine boards, then covered in polyurethane. A previous owner built this and I have truly loved it. It's one of the first things women admire when they come into the kitchen. The beadboard is around the island and also on the lower half of all the walls.

This is the view out my back yard. Another look into my garden. I can watch the birds and squirrels while I cook and bake.

There's no explanation needed here. It's my cookbook shelves, holding all of the recipes I use for An Herbal Bedfellow.

Another small collection next to the refrigerator. I actually use most of them, but not the pig. Any guesses what it is? It's a cast iron headcheese mold. Now, that's kind of disgusting to me (head cheese is a sausage or jellied loaf made from the meat of the head of the hog or calf) but he was so cute I couldn't resist.

Just some more knickknacks on the baker's rack. There's no end to them. How will I ever get rid of it all?

And cupboards and more shelves above the stove.

This room was the original master bedroom when the house was first built. It was converted to a kitchen in the '40s when doctor number three moved in. It has seen many families come and go with loads of children begging snacks from Mom. There has been a lot of activity around the island while preparing Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas cookies, birthday cakes, and special dinners. I like to think of all the happiness there has been in this room, including my own.

Next time I think we'll see the living room in it's Christmas garb, so please come again. It was nice to see you!

Please check out my other blogs at:
Thyme for Herbs
An Herbal Bedfellow
Tickling the Ivories

A Happenstance Winner

noreply@blogger.com (Jane O') — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:58:00 +0000

The deadline for my giveaway is over, and just by Happenstance I chose a winner.

First of all, I want to thank you for all of your wonderful comments. You have complimented my rooms, and I can see that many of you love this house as much as I do. It has given me encouragement that maybe I can do it all over again in a new home. Sometimes I get the feeling that after 4 houses, I have used up all of my ideas. So now, I am encouraged, fortified, and ready to move on (literally.)

The winner I chose was registered as "ww11," so I will only announce her as that name. She has been contacted and has already responded with a mailing address.
So, ww11, your beautiful antique flow blue plate is on the way. I hope you enjoy it as I have over the years.

I also hope the rest of you may have found my newest blog through this giveaway and will stay with me. There will be more reviews and giveaways to come, some of which will be sponsored, either here or at Thyme for Herbs or An Herbal Bedfellow.

I really appreciate your wonderful comments even before this contest began. You are true blogging friends, and I am thankful for you all.

Please check out my other blogs at:
Thyme for Herbs
An Herbal Bedfellow
Tickling the Ivories

A Trifecta Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Jane O') — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:22:00 +0000

I have reached some fantastic milestones at my blog called Thyme for Herbs, so I am hosting a giveaway on all three blogs at the same time. I call it a Trifecta!!

Here I am offering this wonderful antique Flow Blue Plate. It's in perfect condition. The back is stamped Phoenix China, England. If you're a blue and white lover, this is the giveaway for you!!!

After entering here, pop over to Thyme for Herbs and
An Herbal Bedfellow to enter there. An Herbal Bedfellow is giving away a wonderful cookbook, and Thyme for Herbs is offering a 12-piece tea light candle set from Yankee Candle Company.

All you have to do here is leave a comment telling me what is your favorite room of my house and why.
The winner will be chosen by Random.org.
Please write something more than just "bedroom."
In case I am unable to contact the winner, I will then choose my favorite story.

For a second entry, blog about my giveaway, and then come back and tell me about it in a separate comment window.

For a third entry, subscribe to my blog with Feedburner and tell me about it in a separate comment window; make sure you verify your subscription! All current active members will automatically be entered.

Make sure you include your email address with the comment if it is not showing on your blog so I can contact you. If you are NOT a blogger, you must leave a contact email address or you will be disqualified.

This contest ends on Thursday, November 20th, Noon EST.

Please check out my other blogs at:
Thyme for Herbs
An Herbal Bedfellow
Tickling the Ivories

Another Bedroom

noreply@blogger.com (Jane O') — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 15:51:00 +0000

Post #13

We'll continue with the last room on the second floor that I plan on showing you. I guess the bathroom isn't that important; although it is cute, every one has one.

You enter this room by going through and to the left of the room with the dollhouses. This is the view as you go through the door. I spent many hours stripping the woodwork with a heat gun and scraper. All of the woodwork upstairs is douglas fir, a beautiful pine that you don't find anymore. The closets in my bedroom, the dark red one, are like brand new, still shiny and varnished. But as it turned out, this room had never been varnished or sealed. After all of this back breaking work, we discovered that the paint that was used at one time (probably oil-based) actually soaked deep into the wood. No amount of stripper would bring it up. So I had to paint all of the woodwork over again!
I was very pleased with my choice of wallpaper and carpeting. We call it the "Rose Room."

This picture is dark because I'm shooting at the door on a bright day. The door goes onto the overhead porch. I enjoy sitting up there in the spring or summer. My girls liked to go there to tan and read.
Did you notice there are no windows in this room? This door used to be the window and the door to the porch was where the bathroom window is now. The door with the hat goes into the bathroom. At some point in time, they switched them around. I think this was done so the recovering patients could have easy access to the porch and fresh air. The bathroom was not added until the 40s; that area used to be part of the wraparound stairwell and then was enclosed, maybe when it was turned into apartments. If you study a picture on the header you can get a feeling of what you are looking at. The middle window is the bathroom and the window on the left is the lavender bedroom.

I'm showing this little stand because of the little lamb on display. It has been in my husband's family since he was a little boy. There is a black one like it on the dresser, but we found that one at an antique shop.

This bed was previously in the room that is now my sewing room. When I moved all of my quilting supplies and fabrics in there we moved this bed in here and sold the "Jenny Lind" spindle bed that was here originally. I think I like this bed here better.
On the bed is a whole-cloth quilt that I made. If you're not a quilter that means it's made from one solid piece of fabric and then heavily quilted. I bought it pre-stenciled and hand quilted it. It was a lot of fun to do, and I was very happy with the finished product. I'd like to make another one someday.

That's it for today. There's only a few more places to show you.

If you're new to this site, it's best if you start at the beginning and work your way forward.

Please check out my other blogs at:
Thyme for Herbs
An Herbal Bedfellow
Tickling the Ivories

The Sitting Room

noreply@blogger.com (Jane O') — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:00:00 +0000

Post #12

Let's get on with the tour. We've still got a way to go!

I wish I had taken pictures of the sitting room when it was set up as a sitting room, but for quite a while it has been a place to hold the dollhouses and other items that are too bulky for the rest of the house. This room is at the top of the stairs and to the right of the library. It is in the center of two bedrooms. There's no hallway; it's placed in the old style of doing things where to get to one room you have to go through another. We believe that the room to the left was part of this room originally and there wasn't a wall going into what is my sewing room now. It looks like the doorway is newer than the rest of the house.

This is the wing of the house that was used as a surgical area and recovery room for the small surgeries that were performed here and maybe even some baby deliveries (although I'm sure most were born at home.) An 80-year-old-neighbor remembers playing upstairs with the doctor's children when there were beds lined up along the outside wall, ready for the patients or maybe in anticipation of an epidemic.
This particular doctor had children who were quite undisciplined and were allowed to run and scream throughout the house. The children would often jump from bed to bed and even jump from the attic pull-down stairs onto the beds. The housekeeper would be the one to chastise them. The doctor's wife never raised her voice, I was told.

This is a diamond disk player. My husband has always loved music players of all kinds. This one plays the thick Edison records. We have quite a collection. This particular disk player is for sale, It's very heavy and we really don't want to move it. If you know of anyone who is looking for one, please have them contact me.

Here you can see the thickness of the 78 records that were used in this time period.
Duane says the quality is far superior to the Victrolas that play the regular thickness record. And you don't have to worry about damage when playing it.

My husband also has quite a collection of Al Jolsen records, Helen Kane records (the voice of Betty Boop) and Uncle Josh cyclinder disks. We don't plan on parting with any of those. We keep this old sheet music hanging above the disk player.

This dollhouse was built by my father at age 80. This is not a kit but each piece of siding and roofing is individually cut. He made this house to sell for a little extra income while feeding his hobby at the same time.

I recently sold this one to one of my best friends. She is already decorating it and furnishing it and tells me she is having a ball.

This dolllhouse was made when Dad was in his 60s. He made it for my 35th birthday. I loved it and cherished it, and then later when my daughters were old enough to play with it responsibly, I allowed them to help in the decorating. They spent many dollars of their allowance money on small items, and we handcrafted others.
My youngest daughter, Taylor, has taken this one into her home and is redecorating and making new items to furnish it as the farmhouse that it is.
You can see stories about this dollhouse on my daughter's blog called Dollhouse Adventures.

The small lighthouse next to it is another one of my Dad's projects. It will pass on to my grandson.

It's been difficult finding new homes for these items that I love, but it's much easier knowing they will stay with family and friends.

Please check out my other blogs at:
Thyme for Herbs
An Herbal Bedfellow
Tickling the Ivories

Playing tag

noreply@blogger.com (Jane O') — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:27:00 +0000

Post #10

Back in September Jeannie at Dreamer Jean tagged me for a meme listing 7 things about myself. I have done this on another blog, but I figured there are always more than 7 things that a person does not know about you, so I will attempt to come up with some new things.

1. I can't whistle. I can get a little airy sound out with a weak pitch, but that's it. I've tired to learn since I was a child. No Luck.

2. I tend to hold my anger back with strangers or new acquaintances, but there is a point when, if pushed too far, I will just explode and the words come flying out. People are often shocked because it doesn't seem to go with my perceived personality.

3. I don't like malls. I don't really like crowds at all, and I find malls a waste of my time. Too much walking from place to place. I prefer small stores.

4. I only like children one or two at a time, and then sometimes I don't like them then, either. I loved my own children when they were small with a fierce passion and my grandson makes my heart sing. I was a piano teacher for years and the perception was that I loved kids; I didn't, but recently as I get older, I am softening.

5. I love sweets, maybe too much. Candy, cookies, pie and cake. Especially if it's chocolate.

6. I have ESP. I quite often sense things before they happen and lots of times know who's on the other end of the phone before I answer. I like to think I have avoided car accidents because of following my instincts, but then we'll never know, will we? After seeing some close calls, my husband has learned to trust my judgement.

7. I dream in color and often times can read signs or letters and do math, which I guess is rare. I also can sometimes speak in another language in my dreams and am able to fully understand myself and others. I always think I'll be able to continue when I wake up, but then it's gone.

There you have it. Now you know for sure how weird I really am!

I'm not going to tag anyone since I have done a lot of that. But if anyone cares to join in and just list a few things about themselves in the comments, I'd like to hear it. I love knowing more about you.

Playing tag was always a fun game and I remember it fondly. I don't see children outside playing games like we used to. I hear the voices from the nearby school at recess and it's a nice sound -- laughter, squeals, and yelling. I know my house was filled with those same sounds with all of the children of the different families and they ran through these rooms playing games and getting into trouble.
I have a few stories to tell about that subject on a future post.

Please check out my other blogs at:
Thyme for Herbs
An Herbal Bedfellow
Tickling the Ivories

It's Not So Pretty!

noreply@blogger.com (Jane O') — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:32:00 +0000

Post #9

The next part of my tour is not so pretty, in more ways than one. Two of the rooms have not been re-decorated, and the story it is not very pretty, either.

I neglected to take pictures of the library before we started to sell things, so the shelves are a little bare. I've sold almost all of my antique books now, except for a few left on the shelf in the sale area.
The library is the room at the end of the hall behind the white door in a previous picture. It has floor to ceiling shelves on all four sides. The shelves were added in the fifties or sixties, we're guessing by looking at the way the shelves are constructed. Before that it might have just been part of the bathroom. We're not sure.

At the back of the library is what used to be a bathroom. This is the part that's not so pretty. We have taken the door down for ease in moving things out of storage. To the left of the bathroom door is another door that leads to what was once a bedroom.

Click here, for my other blog,Thyme for Herbs, where I wrote a post about the back bedroom/kitchen which I had used as a sewing room. Then I moved my sewing room into another bedroom. There's no sense in retelling it here.

Now for the story about why that bathroom is stripped of all plumbing. I'm warning you, it's a sad tale.

In 1947, when Doctor # 3 moved in, there were apartments in the house. He needed to use all of the space for what would soon be his 5 children, so he asked the tenants to leave. A woman (we will call her Mrs. S.) was living alone and did not want to move, so he let her live upstairs in her area. She used the bathroom at the other end of the hallway, which we will call the front bathroom. She was elderly, I believe in her 70s, so they checked on her daily.
One day, he came home and asked his wife if she had heard Mrs. S moving around and she said no. When he went upstairs, he found Mrs. S. in the front bathroom. She had hanged herself from the shower stall. She must have been depressed about something, I don't know anything about that part of the story.

In 1977, when the Doctor sold the house to the R's, he told the story. As soon as they bought the house, they stripped the front bathroom of the plumbing and put in a new tub and shower.
In 1990, when the R's sold it to the C's, the story was once again told, along with how difficult it was to get the old tub out. It had to be lowered over the balcony.
Upon a meeting with the doctor's son, he told them they had it wrong; the incident had happened in the back bathroom. So, you guessed it, they stripped the back bathroom of all its plumbing. They never finished remodeling the bathroom. They only lived here for a total of two years when we bought the house in 1992.
In 1999, our town had a sesquicentennial(150 years), and I was on the committee. I volunteered to organize a home tour, and of course my home was on the tour. Doctor #3 was in his 80s then, and he came through the tour. He was the celebrity of the day. Everyone had to say hello, saying I remember when ---
It was at that time that he told us the story of the suicide and that it had taken place in the front bathroom. So now I know what is accurate, sad but true. May Mrs. S. rest in peace.
Ghost stories have been told by at least two previous residents. I myself have had some strange happenings, but I'll save that for later. I highly doubt the ghost was Mrs. S., but there were many births, deaths, and traumas in this house over the last 100 years, so I never discount what I've heard.
And there you have it, not pretty, but all true.

Please check out my other blogs at:
Thyme for Herbs
An Herbal Bedfellow
Tickling the Ivories

Next, Please.

noreply@blogger.com (Jane O') — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:46:00 +0000

Post #8

If you're a regular follower, you've been wondering where the next post is. I've been so busy with this sale business, I can hardly see straight. But now I'm ready to continue the tour.
On the last post, I showed you a picture of the upstairs hallway. The doorway on the left at the end is our bedroom, which we call the Red Room. It's the only bedroom upstairs without a floral name, even though there is a floral quilt and wallpaper border.

I have showed this quilt before on Thyme for Herbs. It is one of the few quilts that I have totally designed by myself. I named it "Eye of the Iris." At the time irises were my favorite flower. I still love them, but daylilies have taken over my passion for the last 15-16 years. When I made this quilt it was just an inspiration. I didn't have any of these colors in my other house. I actually finished it shortly after we moved in. So I painted my room based on the colors in the fabric. I think it always intended to go in this room. Do you think quilts can have personalities? I do.

I had to take the picture with the shades down or the photo would be washed out. The windows have the same diamond pattern as the front bedroom.
This little settee was in the sitting room until a few years ago. I am uncomfortable moving furniture around. I work real hard to find a piece for a certain spot and it usually stays there for years. But in this case, after painting this room, it seemed as if it needed to be here.
My mother always moved her furniture to give the room a new look. When I came home from school, I never knew where the couch would be. I guess I'm looking for more familiarity and stability.
The curtains were a JC Penney find. Once again, as in the last room, the flowers on the fabric perfectly matched the colors of the quilt.

This serpentine highboy dresser was something we brought with us from the previous house. It's my husband's favorite piece of furniture.

The quilt rack is at the foot of the bed. The pink and blue lap quilt is the first quilt I made in 1991. The green and yellow quilt was made by Duane's grandmother for his parents. She didn't put labels on her quilts but I know she always gave one to each child and grandchild when they got married. So I think it's from the 30s. Duane is the baby of his family so Grandma was having trouble with her vision by the time we got married. We didn't received a quilt so it was very meaningful that the rest of the family gave it to us when Mom and Dad passed on.

We bought the bed and dresser set in Florida. We had been looking for an oak set but thought they were too expensive for our budget. On a visit to Florida, we went into an antique shop and discovered the owners were from Michigan. They had hauled this set down with them for their new shop, but no one in Florida cares for oak and they couldn't sell it. We got it so cheap that we could afford to rent a U-Haul and take it back North with us on our return trip. Oak is the wood of choice in Michigan. Don't forget, in the 1800s, we were the lumber capital of the world and Grand Rapids was the furniture capital.

I found this wonderful water color, which is signed and marked 1900, on a barn floor in an antique sale. I was looking for a frame. It was stacked with a bunch of others and all dusty. When I asked how much, he said, "well, you know that's only a print." I didn't think so but I was in love with the little girl and so it didn't really matter anyway. He charged me for the frame only and even that was reasonable. When I got home, I found the markings: N.A. Ward. Has anyone heard of this person? I've done extensive research and never found the name. I think it might have been a local artist. She haunts me, she makes me think of Les Miserable, and reminds me to be thankful for all I've have. When I look at her, I realize I don't do enough to help those less fortunate.

I had planned to show you the library and an additional room today, but along with that comes the long story I was telling you about. So I'll end here. Tomorrow's another day.

Please check out my other blogs at:
Thyme for Herbs
An Herbal Bedfellow
Tickling the Ivories

Let's Go Upstairs.

noreply@blogger.com (Jane O') — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:23:00 +0000

Post #7

I think today I'll take you upstairs. On the second floor there are 6 bedrooms, (we only use three at the moment) a sitting room, a library, and two bathrooms. Only one bathroom is working; the shower and toilet in the second bathroom were taken out by a previous owner -- another long story -- and we never got around to redoing it. It's used for storage now.

As you come to the top of the stairs, you'll see an antique clock that my father-in-law had. He took it with him to every house and even the last move to Florida. We don't know for sure where he got it, but he always liked it and wanted us to have it. I think he knew it would look good here.
The light fixture is original to the house but I am not sure which doctor hung it there. The house had gas fixtures when it was first built, unless this was converted.

This is a view looking down the hall from the bathroom toward the top of the stairs. The door on the left is my bedroom. Straight ahead is the library. (sorry, about the blurry picture!
We brought the large teak Buddha with us from Taiwan. We bought it in our first year of marriage, so it's always been in our house. It's said to bring good luck when you rub his belly. Children always love to test out that story. (giggle, giggle)

To the left of the hallway picture is what we call the Lilac Room, the most recently decorated of all the rooms upstairs. It's one of our favorite guest rooms. I am selling all of the furniture in here. I had planned to cover the walls with quilt wall hangings so the walls are bare because I never got started on any before making the decision to leave.

I made this quilt and then matched the paint to the colors. It always seems so spring-like in here.

I found these curtains at Walmart! You can't see the fabric, but it's a sheer with small flowers the exact same colors as the quilt. They're even stitched in a cross-hatching pattern just like the quilt. You can see the window design through the light. I've always loved the bedroom windows. In the book that Hilda wrote she says this room was used as a guest room, also.

A pleasant and restful corner. The radio is from the 30s and still works. I always expect old-time music to play when I turn it on.
Now that you're in the guest room, would you like to stay a while? Sit back and relax or take a nap. I'll call you for dinner!

Please check out my other blogs at:
Thyme for Herbs
An Herbal Bedfellow
Tickling the Ivories

See Anything You Like?

noreply@blogger.com (Jane O') — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:00:00 +0000

Post #6

This is what my house looked like on Saturday. I am leaving it set up like this for another few weeks, so we can have at least two more sale days. What a mess. But we sure were busy!! See anything you like?
I'll continue the tour on the next post. See you then.

Please check out my other blogs at:
Thyme for Herbs
An Herbal Bedfellow
Tickling the Ivories

My Story and the Parlor.

noreply@blogger.com (Jane O') — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 08:17:00 +0000

Post #5
Are you ready? It's long!

This house has always been known as the Doctor's House. When we moved in in 1992, all we had to do when we met anyone new, was say we lived in the Doctor's House and they all knew where it was. We used to sit on our front porch and watch young people ride horses to the post office, tie them up, and go in to get the mail. In the winter, snowmobiles went roaring down the road late at night. And how we laughed and enjoyed it's quaintness. But in the last few years, farmer's fields are being turned into subdivisions. It's become a highly desirable area. It's only 20 minutes from downtown Grand Rapids and 10 minutes from a huge mall and all the restaurants you could ever want, and here we are still in a farming community. The problem is the new people don't know the history of the township or even care to find out. They don't know about the Doctor's House. The majority of them think they live in a neighboring town because that is the post office and school system they use, so their address reflects that. I sometimes think of the Jay Walkers on Jay Leno when I talk to them. How can you not know the name of the town you live in, your fire department, your library, and where you must go to vote? Anyway that's another subject.

My previous house was a Spanish-style ranch. We had it built and it was beautiful. In-the-ground pool, two fireplaces, and a courtyard with native shade plants, but it wasn't me. I grew up in an old house, and the house before that one was old. I was proud of the new house, but I never really felt quite comfortable there.
I used to go by a Dutch Colonial on my way home from work and think, now that's what I really want. It was on a small city lot with a one stall garage, not attached. No, I'd think I'd like a bigger yard for my gardens, but I still like living in a city setting, not country. Where could you find a yard like that in a city? I went out of my way some days to drive by and dream. We weren't thinking of moving at all and I never told my husband about my dream.
One day, he said, "Did you see the paper today? There's an open house in the country. Look at this place. What are we doing Wednesday night? Let's go look!"
We never went to an open house for fun or curiosity in our life! But it was summer and a nice country drive. When we arrived, the place was a zoo -- cars everywhere, people all over the place. Later we were told over 80 people went through. The Realtor said it was the social highpoint of the year for the town. Everyone wanted to get inside. It was "excuse me, pardon me" all the way through the 22 rooms. We loved it, but I started to have a sick feeling at the same time thinking, my husband is going to make me move. Even though I'd had the dreams, I still had not told him, and I was really afraid to shake up my life again.
We talked to the Realtor, signed a guest list, and went home talking about all the things we could do to it -- then promptly forgot about it as being too far out of town, etc, etc.
Two weeks later the Realtor called and said "Of all the people I talked to, you were the ones I thought would call back; there was a light in your eyes." We said thanks, but no thanks. But then we couldn't stop talking about it. Every night in the dark before bed and every day over supper we would dream. I then confessed my daydreams and showed him the house I had been looking at. It was a carbon copy, white Dutch Colonial EXCEPT the country house was a double Dutch, 2-3 times as large, had a three stall garage and 1 acre of property! Suddenly it dawned on me, that this was not just Happenstance, but a true gift from God. Everything I wanted and more!
We took another look at the house, made an offer , and they agreed to take it off the market for one month while we tried to sell our house -- unheard of!
We sold our house in three weeks! Again unheard of at that time, like now, houses were taking 1-2 years to sell.
So that's my story. I named the house Happenstance House, because if it weren't for the ad placed in an unusual spot in the paper, we would never had seen it. But we always knew it was more than happenstance that brought us here. It was truly a gift, and I have always been grateful.

Here are photos of the parlor to the right of the front entrance.

Please check out my other blogs at:
Thyme for Herbs
An Herbal Bedfellow
Tickling the Ivories

Come and Sit a While

noreply@blogger.com (Jane O') — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:49:00 +0000

Post #4

It's been a week since I last posted. Things have been crazy around here. We're having a big sale tomorrow and the house has been temporarily turned into an antique shop. It's a good thing I started this blog when I did.
So come in and sit a while. I have a lot more to tell you about my house.

You enter the living room to the left of the door. Once there were oak pocket doors, but the last doctor (number three) took them out in an effort to modernize. I've always mourned the loss of those doors.
Doctor number two had an oak grandfather clock built into the wall -- who knows why. His son, a doctor also, remembers it being installed but did not know the reasoning behind it. Maybe for stability,because his 5 children were known to be wild. All became doctors, nurses, and/or married doctors.

Doctor number one's youngest daughter, Hilda, was born in this house. She wrote a book about the house when she was in her eighties. I corresponded with her a few times and through a series of events received a copy of her book. It tells about each room, whose bedroom was whose, and even where furniture was placed. Her mother used to sit in this corner in 1907 and look out at the hummingbirds in her trumpet vine while she quilted. I used to host a quilting bee and many times we would sit in this room while we worked.

Hilda wrote about the fact that she had to take piano lessons and the piano sat on this wall, the very same place where I had placed mine. She remembers being the first house in town to get electricity and tells what that was like when the workers removed the gas chandeliers.

Looking into the dining room, you can see my husband's Victrola. He has several throughout the house. Some we will sell, but we are keeping this one.
The doll on the lid was my grandmother's. I had new hair and eyes put on her and then I made her dress and bonnet, much of it stitched by hand. I was younger then and had more patience.
We also have a lot of things from the Orient, as we used to say. We lived in Taiwan for two years when he was in the Navy and I was a new bride. I've always loved the mixture of Oriental and Victorian antiques.

This antique Queen Victorian chair was in a house my parents bought when I was 12. No one wanted it, it was just an old chair to them. But I loved antiques even then. I had it in my bedroom and used to read in it and dream about my future husband and what my life would be like.

As I look at these pictures, I can see we have been over the top with our collections; plates, vases, music boxes, eggs, geisha girl, blue willow, cobalt glass, canes, books, perfume bottles, Victrolas, eye wash cups (yes, Duane loves the colored glass ones) watering cans, etc. etc. It really is time to part with some of it.

In the cupboard, you can see some depression glass, mostly ruby and lots of Bavarian dishes, as well as my smoke blue crystal glasses I bought in Taiwan.

The hutch, for the most part, houses my good china. The plates and black vase on top were Duane's grandmother's. She got them as wedding gifts in 1910.
THe red vase as well as the one on the buffet were gifts from my daughter. She brought them back from one of her trips to Romania. We took the large one to Antiques Roadshow this summer when it was in Grand Rapids! So now it has a claim to fame.
We found the picture in an antique shop about 15 years ago. It literally stopped us in our tracks because it looks like Duane when he was a child. It was odd placing him in that era, so we had to have it. People that we know will look at it and at first say, Is that Duane? No it can't be!

The plate rail is a little bowed but it's still holding. These are not real old houses. I painted them myself in the 80s when apparently my eyesight was exceptional. Now I look at them and wonder how I ever did it.

A stained glass window we bought at a flea market for dirt cheap! We brought it home and popped it in. Just like it was made for that window. The clock was in one of our antique shops. No one wanted it so I brought it home. I did that a lot which is probably why the shop never made any money :) It also was a perfect fit for this spot and the dark wood matched the dining room set.

This stained glass was made by the same lady who made the insert on my piano. When I was giving lessons to adults as well as children, we struck a barter deal. We figured out labor hours only, I paid for the glass, and then I gave her lessons to equal the same number of hours she put in on the window. I will not part with this either.

Is your tea getting cold? Need a refresher? Oh, I'm so sorry you have to go. Come again soon so we can see more of Happenstance House. Maybe next time I'll tell you how she got her name.

Company Comes to the Front Door

noreply@blogger.com (Jane O') — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:00:00 +0000

Post #3

My mother always said "company came to the front door, relatives, close friends, and salesmen to the back." How times have changed. Now it seems as though you're never quite sure which door to enter. In the Dutch community I live in, it is common practice for everyone to use the back door. I guess the more to keep the house clean of the dirt off your shoes.
Anyway, I'm not Dutch American so we will enter the front door, my favorite way to enter this house.

Off to the right of the door is the porch swing that my father made for me. I love to sit out here and read. Sometimes my husband and I swing before bed and listen to the crickets in the evening.

The hardwood floor that Duane, my husband, stripped, sanded, and varnished on his hands and knees.

The stairs, railing, and spindles had been painted white in the 40s or 50s. A previous owner did all of the work before we bought it. It took her a year to do it using dental floss to get around the curves of the spindles.
The wall of pictures is the result of my years of genealogy. I'll show you some of them close up in a minute.

This is to the left of the door. The woman who did the stairs had this enlargement made of the original house and asked that it always be kept with the house. I'll pass it on to the new owner. The pedestal holds a silver tray with antique calling cards that I have collected.

Straight in, this hall goes to another hall and then to the blue and white breakfast room I showed you on post #2.

This is a picture of Dr. Lanting, the doctor who built the house in 1907. It's his medical school graduation. I might leave this one behind too.

Immediately to the right of the door. We used to own an antique shop and this was left over. No one wanted to buy it, so I kept it. Isn't it beautiful? The lady I got it from said her mother brought it from Italy. It serves well as a last check before going out the door.

My father's World War II Company picture. He's a decorated vet.

My husband's great great uncle, Civil War picture. We both have many Civil War relatives and many who were in the Revolutionary War. Some of mine fought for the British, but I don't talk about that much :)

My father-in-law as a baby with his parents.

This document is written in old German. I had to have it translated. It gives my great, great grandfather permission to come to the US for six months. He was a serf and had to prove that his debt was paid before he could leave. It's dated 1885 and stamped with a wax seal by the Governor of Mecklenberg.

The top of the stairs, leading to bedrooms, etc. We'll get to that soon enough. I've probably held you up long enough so we'll continue in a few days. Thanks for stopping by.
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Please check out my other blogs at:
Thyme for Herbs
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Tickling the Ivories

Blue and White

noreply@blogger.com (Jane O') — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:00:00 +0000

Post #2
As I promised we are about to begin my home tour.
I should really start you out at the front entry but I couldn't wait to show you this room. so let's pretend we came in the back door as good friends often do. You would enter the yellow enclosed porch here.

The other three sides are windows with old knotty pine trim and ceiling. It looks into the back yard and part of the main garden. The windows are trimmed with yellow gingham.
Then you must go through the mud room which is not much to see, just painted white, lots of coats and shoes and purses hanging on hooks, depending on who's over.
A quick turn to the right and here you are. One of my favorite rooms of the house. My blue and white Country French breakfast room.

Take your time and look around. Don't look too close, there's a lot to dust and I'm sure I missed plenty.

There's a small collection of blue onion, a vase from Romania, and others.

My view every morning as I read my book and sip my morning tea. What flowers are blooming today? I wonder what bird that is calling? Look, did you see the hummer?

And here's another passion of mine. Blue Willow. This curio cabinet is also loaded with cobalt blue, and flow blue, and a piece or two of blue Greentown Glass. Most of it must go, but I'll keep some of the special pieces.

This is a look around the plate rail. The wallpaper looks a little yellowed in these pictures but it's actually very white.

I know it's a lot -- I told you on other blogs, I can get obsessive. I'm embarrassed to say there's another plate rail above the windows, fully loaded, but the light was too bright to get a good picture. After the tour, I'll take down a few pieces and photograph those close-up.

Check back for another room in a few days. I'm thinking front door this time. Thanks for stopping by. Sorry the cookies weren't done; it's been a rough day.
Hmmm, maybe another cuppa will hit the spot.

Please check out my other blogs at:
http://thyme-for-herbs.blogspot.com
http://anherbalbedfellow.blogspot.com
http://ticklingtheivories.blogspot.com

The Doctor's House

noreply@blogger.com (Jane O') — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 22:56:00 +0000

Post #1:

I am getting to the time of my life where I have to give up my big 101-year-old home. I'm not that old, but my husband and I have come to the agonizing decision that sometime in the next two to three years we should move. It will be one of the hardest things I have ever done, because this house has a hold on me.

The picture on the header is what my house looks like now, and the picture on this post shows what it looked like in 1907. It's far from perfect and I had hoped to have more time to work on it, but sometimes what is the logical thing to do and what the heart wants aren't the same thing.

This new blog is going to tell you the story of how I came to own this house. I will also tell you stories of some of the other families who lived and died here. And along with that I will give you a tour, room by room, as if you were here with me.
I will show you a close look at some of my antiques and collectibles; I will be selling many of my precious treasures, so I'd like to journal about them and document them so I can look back on it all. Do you think it will be too painful for me?

To me, this house has a real personality, and it has always tugged at my heart whenever I pull in the driveway. You're home! Now, I have finally come to the realization that it is just a house, after all, a building. It has been a home to me and many others -- it has never been only mine.

I never liked the sound of the words "scaling down," but that is what we are going to do -- one step at a time. I hope you will go on this journey with me, as I introduce you to Happenstance House, or the Doctor's House, as it was known here in town by the locals. Come with me, as we step back in time.

Please check out my other blogs at:
http://thyme-for-herbs.blogspot.com
http://anherbalbedfellow.blogspot.com
http://ticklingtheivories.blogspot.com