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HOUSE DIARIES
Barn, Art, and Stuff
January, 2008
Written February 17, 2008
Dear Friends and Families,
Another year and I'm behind on diaries already. My list
of excuses includes:
-- No one reads these things anyway (ans: We're doing these
for our OWN memories!)
-- I'm busy (ans: Not so true and besides, who cares?)
-- My back has been hurting (ans: This one has a grain of
truth, but only a grain.)
-- I'm concentrating on German so I don't want to write
in English (ans: A lie. Ich bin faul.)
-- Etc., etc., etc.
So, what HAVE we been doing? Planning the
modification of our barn/studio/garage. Marianne's art work. Marianne's socializing.
And other normal work and at-home things.
Contrary to several reasonable arguments, we are starting
on the remodel of our old barn. The true, historic upper part was lost
a couple decades ago, and replaced with ugly concrete block walls and unsafe
asbestos roof panels. We are removing all that and replacing it with a
shape that our architect calls "American barn". I try to convince him that
America has no barn design that didn't come from Europe, so it's conceivable
that we are being appropriate to the original era of the barn.
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The plan has a ground-level bathroom, in this landing
that is above the cellar. Above that, everything has to go, even the
old beams since they have a fair amount of bug-infestation. The upper
room will become an art studio / guest room.
Stay tuned. |
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Meanwhile, the regular house is getting a few more
touches. I finally am getting around to hanging some art work on the
walls, including this "soft sculpture", which we found for
over the bed in Kiev. That seems like forever ago!
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And Marianne's own works are proliferating. This
painting of apples turned out well and joined an abstract of red turmoil
on our living room wall. |
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Marianne now has a once-a-month breakfast group, made up from some friends
in the neighboring villages. This is a boost to general morale, as well
as help for language skills! |
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And, we are starting to see signs of Spring! Not real
close signs, and the locals assure us we will get at least one more snow
storm, but we can assure ourselves that we are past the half-way mark
in what has turned out to be a pretty mild Winter. |
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So, that's where we are. Nothing too exciting, but that's
the way it is in Pommersfelden.
We DO have a trip to France and Luxembourg planned for later
in the month, but that's another story.
Take care and feed the birds,
John and Marianne.
HOUSE DIARIES
Diaries - Travel - Photos
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