This blog post could have so many titles: First Attempt at Sugar Paste, Failure at Sugar Paste, Try Try Again. Why You Should Always Have Your House in Presentable Shape. But I'm going to call it: OMG Guess What??!!
Now before you go getting all excited, probably only I am the only excited one.
Late this morning, I mixed up a batch of Sugar Paste. It's time, I thought to myself, to start learning how to do 'more fancy' decorating in case my dream of owning a bakery ever comes true. (I'd prefer the writing thing first if there's anyone out there listening. Thank you.) I'm planning on taking a cake decorating class and also a marzipan class in the fall with my friend Missy's, sister but there's no time like the present to give it a try now I thought.
In between lunch with Missy and kids running in and out of the house I made my first attempts at Sugar Paste Roses. It wasn't easy! I think my sugar paste was too dry; next time I'll have to make it so that it's more pliable because the petals were drying a little too fast and then cracking.
Right after a torturous attempt at a fourth or fifth rose, the doorbell rang. Flower in hand, I went to the door to find an older man standing on my porch with a camera in his hand. Behind him, in a van was an older woman looking very hesitant and unsure. I stepped outside and he introduced himself to me.
His name was Leo N. and he lived in my house from 1940 to 1953 when he was 7 years old. I was so excited I invited him and his wife in and then proceeded to have one of my most enjoyable hours of the summer. I took Leo and his wife all over the house and he told me all about how the house used to be and answered all the questions I had about the house and the town.
Things about my town:
*A Greek family lived next door that had five sons that fought in World War Two and the mother displayed five stars ( a flag?) to indicate that her boys were fighting.
*The parkway that goes through the middle of our town used to be woods and had a creek running through it.
*When they finally built the parkway some of the houses on Greendale Avenue had to be moved!
*Dixon Park had clay tennis courts that were scrupulously maintained. (Overgrown now but you can still see them). Leo's sisters learned how to play tennis there.
*One of the nearby apartment buildings near the main road used to be a lumber yard.
*Our 'downtown' area used to have stores like a grocers, a drugstore, a gas station, a barber shop and a shoe repair shop. The barber shop and the shoe repair shop are still there.
*Koenig Field used to be the football field for Edgewood High School.
*When the second of two rock quarries were being dug a natural spring was hit and the hole rapidly began filling with cold, fresh spring water. Hastily, the equipment was pulled out and Rock Bottom Swimming Pool was 'made.'
*Johnny Weissmuller dived off the 50 foot diving board (manmade?) into Rock Bottom Swimming Pool.
*It was common for boys to carry fresh spring water to their mothers from Rock Bottom Swimming Pool.
Still with me? I'm so excited that I want to write this all down so I don't forget anything. I think I'm managing to get everything down accurately.
Things about my House:
*Originally there were four fireplaces in my house. The two on the 2nd floor have been covered (As a side note, all the woodwork in my house has been painted an off white). The mantel above the living room fireplace is mahogany. The mantel above the dining room fireplace is chestnut.
*In the mirror above the dining room mantel there is a flaw on the glass. Leo and his siblings called it 'Hitler' because they thought it looked like him
*I DO INDEED have pocket doors in between my living and dining room whose openings are covered with painted plywood just as I suspected that compliment the pocket door in between the living room and foyer. His mother used to lock them shut to keep warmth in the living room. The pocket doors are chestnut (I believe this is the type of wood he said--he told me so much!) as well.
*The weird tree looking support in the basement is from a Black Locust Tree. His dad painted it many, many times.
*He and his brothers used to make homemade root beer and cool it in the basement.
*Leo's mother did laundry in the four basin slate wash tubs.
*My kitchen did have the old servant stairs (blocked up), larger windows and walk in pantry. Hopefully this is something we can one day have again! Their fridge was kept in the walk in pantry.
*Leo and his brother once got locked in the corner kitchen cupboard and had to wait for their sister to come home to let them out.
*Ping pong was often played on a long dining room table not unlike the one I now have.
*Our large master bedroom was once two bedrooms; Leo and his brothers was on the left and they used to sleep on the back porch roof (now gone and replaced with a deck) when it was hot.
*There used to be an old claw foot bathtub in the second floor bathroom. Now there is a somewhat sunk in whirl pool bathtub and Oh! Do I wish that I had that old clawfoot tub!
*The third floor used to be let to a young lady and when she married her and her husband lived there until she was expecting their first child.
*The third floor bathroom was a full kitchen.
*The life sucking Maple tree in the back yard was NOT there but there were ducks and chickens.
*There was a large tree in the front yard.
*The shifted bricks and the crack in the outside window ledge were present when Leo and his family lived here. I guess there's no reason to worry about it anymore, huh?
*Leo and his family had a porch swing exactly where my porch swing is except it was wicker.
*Despite what the online county records may say, our house was built in 1909 and that means that pretty soon it will be 100 years old!
We are going to have a big party next year for our house and we don't care how silly our neighbors think we are!
I shared our town's monthly newsletter with Leo and his wife and also gave them t-shirts from the 2007 Edgewood 5k race just as a little something from our town. I urged them to come to our town's community day (this Saturday) and also to stop by anytime they are in town. We also exchanged information--names, emails and his address--and I mean to keep in touch. I'd like to email him some interior pictures that he can share with his siblings so they can see what their home looks like now. Leo took a few pictures of the outside of the house as well and he did so with tears in his eyes.
I am so happy that they stopped by and THIS time were brave enough to come up and say hello. It was pure pleasure to spend time learning about my house and town from someone who used to live here. I only wish that they could have stayed longer!
