This Old House

2025, life, This Old House

The Eensy-ish Spider

Posted on July 5, 2025 by nancyb422

“The eensy weensy spider came down the water spout”.

What it eensy because it was in the great outdoors? What about if it’s inside your house? Still eensy or does it look like a tarantula? And where does it come from??

When I got into my glass enclosed shower this morning, I saw nothing unusual. When I got out of the same shower, there was a spider on my counter! Of the 27 or so listed on Spiderid(dot)com said to be local to Connecticut, I didn’t see my guy, but I’ve seen him before.

My colleague would have gone screaming out of her bathroom, but me, I just grabbed a tissue and – I’d like to say opened the window and let him go, but I wasn’t taking the time to think – squished him like a bug and dropped it in the toilet.

This isn’t the first time a bug mysteriously appeared in the bathroom. I guess when you live in a home a year shy of 100 (or it could possibly already be), there’s probably a whole host of things living in the attic amid the insulation and air cooling system. Maybe he dropped through the cooling vent in the bathroom? Would he have taken the long arduous route through the bathroom exhaust fan, moving forward and getting blown back each time it went on?

I don’t know how he got into the room but I’m more interested in How did he go from NOT being there to BEING there? Jump? Web and pull it in behind him?

Are you squeamish about bugs like my friend? Would you have opened the window and let him be free? Would you have shrugged and let him be?

friends, hobbies, leisure time, life, Memories, photography, This Old House, Travel

10/9/2024 Hump Day Photo

Posted on October 9, 2024 by nancyb422

In July 2016, five people and three bikes took off from Wallingford, Connecticut, for a cruise around Pennsylvania. The trip was inspired by our 2012 trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway through Gettysburg. My head was on a swivel as we went through the middle of town coming home from that trip and I knew I wanted to go back some day!

We prepared for the trip in February by checking out the state on a map looking for sites and hotels and planning our route.

We headed out on July 12th and had a wonderful time. We saw sites including the Colton Point State Park gorge, known as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, Kinzua Bridge State Park, the Flight 93 National Memorial, and the piece de resistance of the trip, three nights and 2 full days in Gettysburg.

I took so many pictures during our trip and one of the sites I couldn’t get enough of was Fallingwater.

This home was designed in the mid-1930s by Frank Lloyd Wright for Edgar and Liliane Kaufmann who met him through their son Edgar jr. The home is cantilevered over the falls of Bear Run!

The family, through Edgar jr., continued to own the house through the early 1960s, when he turned over the home and 1,500 acres to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. It’s a beautiful home in a gorgeous location and the ride on the motorcycles to it was filled with rolling hills, forest, and farmland.

Have you ever been to any of these locations? Tell me in the comments!

2024, life, Memories, This Old House

Posted on March 20, 2024March 22, 2024 by nancyb422

I’ve written about my home before but now I’m exploring the house, the area surrounding it, and the family who built it.

My family and I moved into this home I now own on Memorial Day weekend in 1961.

My parents had previously been renting a home 2 blocks from my maternal grandmother for a few years.

They found this gem of a home – Dutch colonial, 4 bedrooms, eat in kitchen and dining room, living room with a fireplace, and a beautiful covered side porch. It was just under a half acre and had a 1 car (maybe 2) garage and old chicken coop. It had a walk up attic and a walk out basement.

Picture taken from area currently Lincoln Drive by future neighbor

The previous owners, the Atkinsons, built the house sometime in the mid-20s. He was the personnel manager at H.L. Judd until his 1949 retirement but was also a “gentleman farmer” and sold baby chicks! Mr. Atkinson passed away in March of 1960 and a year later, Mrs. Atkinson was ready to sell.

The cost of the house was $25,000. My maternal grandmother gave them the $5,000 and they took out a mortgage for the rest. In a sweet coincidence, my paternal great grandmother gave my grandparents the down payment for their house in 1925.

The yard still contained what we called the chicken coop which my father took down and left the foundation. This brought years of fun playing on it because it was level from one part of the yard and “so high!” from another side and the back. We raced around on the edge for years.

I’m not sure where he was breeding his chicks for 15 years, prior to this 1927 ad but he appears to be quite well known. This will require some more research!

There was also a cherry trees, apple trees, a grape arbor, rhubarb, and asparagus that continued to grow for years in “the way back”. Brambles of raspberries, and a mulberry tree rounded out the fruit.

There are only 2 remaining apple trees just off our property with only one producing any apples. I determined it was a Wealthy apple from the advertisement and googling the apple. “Wealthy apple trees bear heavily and is very cold hearty, but also fruits in low chill locations. It’s a favorite for home orchards in Minnesota and the East.

Stick with me for the journey!