This Old House........

as those of you who follow this blog know, is the house where I grew up and it is undergoing yet another renovation. She is just over 110 years old. My brother lives in this house that my grandad built in 1898....the house has had additions and reno's galore...but she stands on a firm foundation and is about to have an update. Jim got the wrecking bar out today and started to tear apart 2 walls in the original structure. He called half way through and I said stop...I need some pictures. So he waited for me to come before he finished. The boards are somewhat weathered but look pretty good considering their age!! Kerri, Luke and Piper were with me and as we viewed the wall...Kerri observed that there was no insullation. Jim very kindly told her that there was no such thing as real insullation back then. She queried how would they keep warm....so Jim told her same way he was going to when he gets the reno complete....with a wood burning stove. He has lovely new wood burning just waiting to be installed. He is also putting in new doors and windows, new wall board and carpet. He is putting new wallboard over many applications of wall paper which would be time consuming to remove. My Gran and my Mum both loved to wallpaper....and did wallpaper whenever the spirit moved them!! He found an old newspaper page nailed to the original wall It is a page from the Canadian Thresherman, April 1903. It was in perfect shape when he took it off the wall but as soon as air hit the page it started to curl up and break. I have now taped it together and will take it to the Review office on Monday to have it laminated in order to preserve it. Around 1960 during a renovation we found a dance program from a New Years Eve Dance held in our living room at New Years 1904! My Dad built right over it and it is still in the wall just across from the wall Jim took apart today.

The front page is a picture of the Pony Express...on the back are advertisements and news clippings etc. This little poem is also on the page:

Little Things

A little thing...a sunny smile,

A loving word at morn;

And all day long the sun shone bright,

The cares of life were made more light,

And sweetest hopes were born.

A little thing....a hasty word,

A cruel frown at morn;

And aching hearts went on their way,

And toiled throughout a dreary day,

Disheartened, sad and lorn.

If I had written this poem I would have put the last verse first...... I have copied it here for you as it was written or copied into the paper 105 years ago.