Memorial Day 2025 + What I Learned About Robert Todd Lincoln
Like some Americans, we have the day off to commemorate Memorial Day. If the weather cooperates, we usually ride our bikes to a nearby town to watch a Memorial Day parade. I kind of miss the days when my kids were little and got so excited to see a firetruck in a parade. Now, it’s just me getting excited. Ha! The other thing I get excited about is history. It’s so much more interesting to me now that I’m older a more seasoned human being. It’s also humbling how much I do not know. For instance, I have not given much thought to Abraham Lincoln’s children until this week. The…
Happy List: #391
Hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I am delighted to see you here. This week on the blog I shared the changes we recently made to our front porch. That space has slowly evolved in the last six years and I could not be more happy about it. I just need the weather to start cooperating. I’m wearing a sweater and it’s the end of May! I also shared how we ruined a section of our lime mortar. It was accidental and we were trying to avoid a broken hip, but it cost us! Most everything is fixable though. I hope this Happy List leaves you feeling inspired, encouraged,…
One Thing That Will Wreck Lime Mortar
One thing that will wreck lime mortar on a fieldstone wall are ice melt products, specifically salt. Learn from our mistake this winter. We have a concrete porch wrapped on two sides in fieldstone. The fieldstone is adhered with lime mortar. Not a classic application of fieldstone and lime mortar, I know. Everything was fine until that concrete porch got icy during a winter storm. It was so treacherous. We didn’t even think about it and scattered some deicing salt on the concrete. I know, I know. You don’t have to tell me that stuff is not great for the environment. I’ve vowed to do better, especially after this debacle. …
Front Porch – More Seating and a Light Update
It is front porch season in New Jersey. Finally! New Jersey likes to trick you a little on this topic. You’ll think it is front porch season and then one morning you’ll wake up to find everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING, covered in a coating of yellow dust. Pesky pollen. I made the mistake of sleeping with the window open during this time and woke up to my nightstand, and I’m sure, all my bedding, covered in pollen. Is this why they call it spring cleaning? Because I had to do a BUNCH of it that day. Regrets. I have a few. Anyway, I cleared the front porch of…
Happy List: #390
Hi! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. It is so good to have you here. Grab a cup of coffee and get ready to relax and be inspired! This week on the blog, I shared how I repurposed a half of a mortar and pestle set to make a planter. I love how unique it looks! I also published another update on the Carriage House and discussed all the challenges the pipes in this building have created during the restoration. If this is your first time here or your 390th time here, I hope the next few minutes leave you feeling inspired, encouraged, and maybe you will even learn a…
Stone Carriage House Gym: Part 4, Pipes In Stone Walls
Our stone Carriage House was built in the late 1700s before indoor electricity and plumbing existed. Just think about that for a minute. If you had to do your business outside, that building is old. If you want to do your business inside this old building, some retrofitting is going to have to happen. Today, we are going to talk about the pipes in our Carriage House and how they clogged up the flow of our restoration progress as we’ve been repointing this building’s stone foundation. To plumb an all stone building, you’re going to have to bust through the 18-inch thick stone foundation or walls in order to insert…
Repurposed Wood Mortar as a Planter
The mortar portion of a wood mortar and pestle set came home with me from the thrift store recently. At least, I’m pretty sure that’s how it was originally intended to be used. It was either that or an oddly shaped bowl. It was made from several pieces of wood (presumably mahogany) laminated together and then hollowed out on a lathe to have sloping sides. I knew I wouldn’t use it for food preparation because, despite all my best intentions, I’ve never consistently used any of the mortar and pestle sets we’ve owned. I’m more of a food processor type of home cook. I’m also the type of person who…
Happy List: #389
Hi! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I am over-the-moon to see you here. Happy early Mother’s Day to those of you celebrating this weekend. I am immensely grateful for the women in my life who have, in ways big and small, positively impacted my life. The photo at the top of the blog post is of me and my mom. This week on the blog I shared the fairy light mason jars I made for our deck. While I made mine just for fun, I realized they would make a fun, unique gift for someone in your life…a mother figure, perhaps. I also shared the next installment in the…
Stone Carriage House Gym: Part 3, Old Windows
Work on our stone Carriage House gym continues and today we’re going to discuss old windows. It is hard to explain the window situation on this half of the building. I think the short answer is someone thought windows were overrated. Natural light? Who needs it? Glass panes? Metal grates are stronger. The longer answer is that on the end of the building we are currently restoring, there are two small window openings with cast iron grates instead of glass panes. Were glass panes ever there? Maybe. There is no longer evidence of them if they were there. Poof. History erased. One of the grates on the west facing side…
Fairy Light Mason Jars (Solar and Battery Powered)
Today, it is my privilege to remind you of the simple joy of fairy light mason jars. It’s not a new concept, but it is one I had forgotten about until recently. In addition, there are not one, but TWO easy ways to light them up yourselves. First, how this reminder came about in case you don’t like DIY projects. (There’s something for everyone here.) I was killing time in the lighting aisle at Lowe’s recently because Handy Husband had parked himself in the electrical aisle and I’m pretty sure he was there long enough that folks started mistaking him for an employee. If they offer an employee discount, it…
