A Busy Monday In Virginia

Today is Andy's birthday! Happy birthday!!

This morning, Mom, Andy, and I headed to Buffalo Junction to see our old house. Andy got a birthday lunch at Hardee's!

A little about our old house. I do mean old. Built in 1790 (according to all the local folks) and on the

National and Virginia Historic Registries, it is a timeless style. A story and a half Cape Cod Colonial with its 10 3/4 ceilings downstairs and 8 1/2 upstairs. We bought it in 1984 and moved in in 1986. We gutted, planed, nailed, shingled, dug, wired, insulated, etc. for all those years. We finished the kitchen with handmade cabinets with pull-out shelves, drawers, island, and window seat. We finished the upstairs bathroom with handmade cabinets. We dug a basement room, laid block walls, poured concrete floors, laid drain tile, and installed a sump pump. 

We raised two boys in the house with one bathroom with a rigged shower. We had slumber parties and picnics and huge Christmas trees. The boys lost teeth and grew new ones. We hung artwork on nails that were nailed through the insulation directly into the studs. 

I laughed about the silver and blue (RMAX insulation board) or pink and brown (Pink Panther batting insulation) color scheme. 

Somewhere along the way, Andy got too busy with his job to work on the house. I stopped laughing at the color scheme and the pictures hanging from the studs. 

Still, I dreamed of that house finished beautifully like it deserved.

The buyers visualized my dream.

Jennifer and Bruce with their little girl, Molly, bought our house. They've done in one year what we didn't

get done in twenty-six. Andy wouldn't hire help, did everything himself, took little time to work on the house, not to mention our limited funds. Jennifer and Bruce hired teams of people to help. They chose well. The house is gorgeous and they've done it proud. Their work fits the house.

I especially love what they did with the yard.  I miss the yard so much. I miss the huge magnolias,
cedars, pecan, sweetgum, sassafras, beautiful maple, oaks, etc. I miss the ginormous American and English boxwoods. They bricked the back sidewalk and added a curved one that leads to the side yard that they fenced in a portion of. They made a garage out of Andy's old shed, added a cupola to the well house, and built a small deck with stairs off the kitchen. They also added glass storm doors on the front and the back doors which really brightened up the large hallway.   

Inside, they added so many nice touches. Built-in bookcases, transom between the master bathroom and bedroom, knocked out the old bathroom and made large new one with a walk-in closet, storage areas above the master bedroom doors, and closets upstairs.

Now, a new family will make memories in that old house. 

They love it and I'm so happy they do.

Andy and I will remember lots of family times and make new memories in our new home. 

After leaving Buffalo Junction, Mom and I dropped Andy at Wabash Magnetics, his old plant. Yes, we moved all the way to Ohio because his facility was closing but funny thing - more than a year later, it's still open! Don't get me started! 

While Andy was visiting everyone, Mom and I went to visit Nancy - a rug hooking friend and also Jennifer's
(above) mother.  I photographed several of Nancy's wonderful hooked rugs. Her current project is just too cute - animals on bicycles. Don't you just LOVE this dog? Using all these colors, your eyes still see a brown dog. This is a great way to show texture and highlights in fur.  And, how about this Santa??! Nancy just has a special touch for color and warmth.

Tonight, I met the Danville Monday night knitters (Ktog group) for dinner at Outback. Then, we all headed back to Starbucks for knitting time. There were nine of us and lots of beautiful knits both finished and in progress.

Wanda was knitting a cute neck-down child's sweater and a very fancy sock with metallic yarn. She'll be a grandmother in April. Kelly was working on a hat with black cats to send to her daughter who is teaching in South Korea and the Saroyan shawlette. Diane was working on a pair of Bella's Mittens and the Saroyan shawlette,also. Kelly is modeling her Traveling Woman shawl. Timmie was working on a sweater and Virginia on a shawl of her own design. Gaye was starting a One Row Scarf and
modeled her finished hat and scarf. Cindy was working on a hat. I can't remember what Mary Jane was knitting!

I knit all day on the Garter with YO baby blanket and was binding it off just before leaving to meet the Ktog gals. That was when it happened! I spotted this strange pucker about EIGHT INCHES back. A MISTAKE!

Apparently, I made a YO and the next row just incorporated it as part of the pattern. Well, it made a huge V-shaped pucker that had to GO! I ripped back to that mistake and am ready to knit up again. This time, the *&^% blanket might not be quite as long as it was before!

Tomorrow, we head to Richmond, VA. I hope to meet Nicole for lunch and then we'll see Brian and Eryn for dinner. 

The evening will end with a TNK knitting frenzy! I can hardly wait to see everyone!!!!!!!

Comments

[Jackie]

Hi Robin and Happy Birthday to Andy!

The house looks loved...as does your new house in Ohio, which I love because you were able to make it your own. Your love for the old house brought new life and your own style to the new house! And how grand to be able to see your knitting friends, hooking friends, and best of all...family! You are truly blessed my friend.

[mrspao]

Happy Birthday to Andy! It was so kind of the buyers to let you have a look round. It is great to see what they've done with it. I guess you have to hold onto the fact that the company wanted Andy to stay with them enough that they were willing to give him the chance to relocate and that no so many would have been that willing to go. Have a lovely time with your boys.

[Sharon]

Happy birthday to Andy!! That's a little more than bittersweet that they didn't close his plant and you didn't get to stay in your house. I suppose it's some consolation that the buyers had the capital to see your visions completed. More bittersweet? Sweet is the big smiles on your boys' faces. Life keeps changing up the game plan. I call foul.