Posts in: Memories

We’re pulling out the carpet in the front half of the house today. In every project Rachel and I have worked on she has three essential tools: needle nosed pliers, a crowbar, and a butter knife. If it can’t be done with one of those three, she says, it doesn’t need to be done.


Rachel is repainting the front half of our house. All the books (plus some records and CDs) had to be moved to the dining room. Quite a pile! I’ll be taking this opportunity to thin the collection and rearrange them before reshelving when the project is done.


Tomorrow Rachel and I will have a slightly early equinox celebration. The persimmons I’ve been posting about will be part of it. Pictured below is the antique Foley food mill (technically a ricer) she used to process them. Also, she arranged some flowers from our garden inside a pumpkin.


The thing about Rachel is, she doesn’t take long to decide on something—and then once the decision is done, it’s done. In the course of the last two hours, she’s decided we’re now tearing up all the remaining carpet downstairs and refinishing the wood floor underneath, plus painting the walls. 😂


Sierra Ferrell’s harmony on this song takes me straight back to childhood in Trinity Pentecost Mission in Springville.


People ought to be warned about middle age. My daughter is 18 and needs help dealing with increasingly adult situations. My mom is 78 and is able to handle very little by herself anymore. Increasing pressure and responsibilities at work. I know it happens to everyone. Nevertheless, it’s a lot!


Today is Darcy’s first day on her new job at Bath and Body Works. It’s a new chapter for her!



I read through the abstract for our house this evening and worked out the history of ownership. The property that includes our house began as a grant of 160 acres from the US government to William Carmichael in 1818. For the next century it was sold off in pieces and parts and was the subject of several lawsuits. One of the owners was Dr. Winthrop Foote—doctor, lawyer, and founder of the local limestone industry.

Our particular lot took its current shape in 1907 when John and Laura Owens purchased it. From there is goes as follows:

  1. John and Laura Owens 1907-1929
  2. Elizabeth Norton (nee Owens) 1929-1939
  3. Dr. William and Delzena Schroer 1939-1961
  4. Florine Kern (nee Schroer) 1961-1974
  5. Gloria Elliott 1974-2009
  6. The Abels 2009-present

All told, we’re the fourth family to live in this house. The three previous families all lived here 30+ years. We plan to keep that tradition.