Tour Guides

I cannot tell you the number of folks who have "toured" the house, but it is a bunch. With ten indoor rooms, a front and back porch along with a basement, there is a lot to see. Keep that in mind when you think that the photographs will never end! The good news is that all of the furniture has arrived and we love it all! Waiting those 45 days to get into the house felt like forever, however it did allow us to take our time buying what would both fit and we liked. 

So, there may be ten rooms, as a refresher, when this house was built in 1925, there were public rooms and all of the rest, including bedrooms that were meant to house beds. How the upstairs bedroom became so crazy big is still a mystery. You will soon see what I mean.

Let's begin the virtual tour, shall we?

The back porch, overlooking the deep backyard lot is home to this fantastic color of petunia. Seeing it in a downtown shop, I could not resist its' charms.

I showed you the living room before, but let's do it again, first with the empty room.

Before I move along, my friend Pam is questioning the stained glass and the painting over the fireplace and she does have a point. I am questioning the pale yellow, but so far have not come up with a better idea. Which means there is more thinking to be done! Here are the gorgeous windows and the wonderful light that I am dying over. Oh yea, she is also not a fan of the cornice boards!

And here are four fine folks enjoying the space. Well, make that five with Bruce in the foreground.Let me explain. Karen is in red and Jim has his walker in front of him. Those would be the folks that first moved to Murphy about 11 years ago and made us aware of this sweet town. Both are retired teachers and friends from church long ago. We visited them at their beautiful home, not far from here, the first time we came to Murphy which I wrote about here. 

Karen has many interests, one of them being genealogy and what you see above is British cousins who are visiting America. It is a familiar story, an American soldier in WWII falling in love with a British girl and raising the family in the US. Over the years she has found countless relatives that were previously unknown, although between the tour and chit chat about their travels, I neglected to get details. Who me? Yup it is true. Anyway we had a delightful visit and they very much understood the small rooms and the tiny downstairs bathroom.

One must walk in and turn sideways to shut the door. That is the original bathtub, however, someone must have painted it over the years because it is pristine! 

Here is my sweet honey at his desk, another find from the local, as in two streets away, antique store,  in what we are calling the office. Both of us have a desk and there is a small bookcase and another small table I will show you on another day because it is crazy cute.

Although he is wearing a brace in the photo above, his wrist seems to be much improved after a friend did a massage on it. We shall see how long it lasts, but speaking of him using his wrist, he could not be any more thrilled with his basement workshop. He's doing great things down there.

Both of us are learning to make things work with whatever space we have.  He decided to modify the existing workbench by expanding the top in order to accommodate his beautiful tool cabinet he built back when we lived in California when we were 25 years old.

Whether he's ever cut a piece of plywood with a skill saw before, I don't know for sure, but he sure made it work.

He also built the shelf above the bench. So not only did he do the addition but he added a new two-layered top. Just like days of old when he would stay up late building something. I love it!

I believe I mentioned that not only is the bathroom small, well, let's face it all rooms are small, but anyway the kitchen, while roomy enough in floor space, is sorely lacking in counter space. Nevertheless, I am making the best of it and it is working just fine.

Before we moved in we had ideas about how to make it more functional but honestly it is not bad at all.  Yesterday, while eating lunch after church, the doorbell rang. Because the door was open, (screen door closed), hearing the voice I thought it was Hank, however, it was Mr. Vespasian. He had been driving by and upon seeing the un-mowed lawn, he wanted to offer his guy's name. For three weeks in May the front yard grew naturally because we were doing the "No Mow May",  which you can read about by clicking on the link. Not great when you are new to a neighborhood and if we do it next year a sign would be good! Anyway, he sat down at our new dining table and, if you can imagine, I peppered him with questions and he answered them to the point! It made me chuckle. He's 86 btw. Apparently his wife Ruth cooked many a holiday dinner in that kitchen, so why shouldn't I be able to? We learned a lot including a ghost story that I will get into next time. That will keep you guessing I suspect. 😀

Speaking of the furniture, on Wednesday this happened. 

Yup, two deliveries! One way I figured I would manage my lack of counter space was by using the dining room table so I was very happy when it finally arrived. The guys were great.

Honestly it had been about a month since we ordered the chairs from a catalogue, so I'd forgotten what they even looked like. I could not be any more pleased. View towards the living room.

And the view towards the kitchen.

As if Bruce were not talented enough he is adding floral arranging to his skill set! I bought the "flowers" while we were in Orlando but then I am stymied as to what to do next. I ran over to the antique market place where we bought the above dresser/sideboard and found the vase for $10. The very next day we bought this there for $100.

There is something to be said for having separate rooms because they are so much fun to decorate! Not the style these days, but I am kind of like it. Well let's get real, we are loving it!

The other delivery was our new box springs and I do mean plural. A few weeks ago when the mattress came, it was impossible to get the box spring up the staircase! Try as they might, it just wasn't happening. The queen mattress was a pretty big struggle as well but with the two guys and Bruce pushing like a lineman it finally went up. The folks at Bellview furnishings were great and offered to order two that would fit upstairs. We have since moved upstairs ourselves.

Speaking of upstairs, both of us have lost weight managing a three level house! The above is a huge room for unknown reasons with several other rooms as well. Bruce set up my sewing machine in one of them.

I am tired of the red quilt, red not being a favorite of mine, so soon I will get going on something new for our bed. 

Down to the basement I go to do laundry. 

We have a walk-in cedar closet in our bedroom and there were probably 200 or more hangers in there. Plenty more downstairs too! 

We picked up the pieces from David and Randy including the piece under the mirror above.

In the little alcove there are two nods to home, the plant is in water as it has been since Matt put it together while visiting Orlando. The books are both gifts.

This morning we would normally be playing pickleball but the rain kept us indoors giving me time to write this account and give you, my dear readers, a tour. Now the sun has come out and I'm going to head to Ingles for some groceries. Randy and David are coming to dinner. 

More outdoor stuff to show you next time as well as a few other inside goodies. I've gotten a library card, paid a water bill, and we've made ourselves at home here in the house on Campbell Street. Not to mention giving tours sometimes twice a day!

Hope you enjoyed the tour. 

your friend,

Gail

Our Trip to Florida and More

Things are going swimmingly here on Campbell Street with each new day better than the previous one. It is just plain glorious. We just gave yet another tour to friends with Tammy proclaiming it was like a fairy tale. I could not agree more.

That said, because of the moving process I never had the time to give our trip down to Florida its' due. Mostly we went out to eat with friends and family. We missed the twins 45th birthday on April Fools Day so we made up for it with a trip to the Tap Room at Dubsdred. Gosh it was good to be enjoying delicious food with our loved ones!

That would be me, Bruce, David, Michelle, Fallon and Bill around the table. We ran into Bill and Fallon in the parking lot and the light was so nice I could not resist photographing the new-soon-to-be parents! 

Actually it is not really so soon but it is in the works. Yes, you read that correctly, if all goes well we will be first time grandparents at the ripe old age of 70! Actually my sweet husband had a birthday on Saturday and is now 71. If you are the praying kind please keep them in your prayers! 

We enjoyed a lovely evening with Joe and Cynthia at a tasty Mexican restaurant situated lakeside in Baldwin Park.

Joining Keith and Patty at a nearby restaurant called Cava, they regaled us about the joys of being grandparents as their daughter gave birth about three months ago. We also met up with them at the Dover Shores  pickleball courts where we were greeted warmly by the gang. Those were some very fun days for us and apparently folks missed us in our absence. The feeling is mutual.

Rene and Lisa are so much fun to play with,

as our Keith, Patty and Maryanne.

Sunday we spent the morning playing pickleball in our community,

followed by lunch with Mary at Johnny's.

Another day we made a visit to Orlando Wetlands Park in order for me to see some big birds for a change. We were not disappointed as there were plenty of them, beginning with this Sandhill Crane and their teenager who greeted us almost as soon as we began our walk.

There were so many Wood Stork and plenty of Roseate Spoonbills too.

And what exactly do I mean by plenty? This is but one spot where the nests were plentiful.

Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Anhingas, you know, all the usual suspects at this time of year! The Red-Winged Blackbirds were having plenty to say.

No trip to the Wetlands is complete without gator sightings.

Vultures too! Holy cow there were a bunch.

I did some roaming around the community which was lovely. In case you are new to this space, and are wondering what I mean, there are two lakes, two swimming pools, tennis/pickleball courts along with folks who have garden plots. While there, look what I came across.

I took this one below at the big lake,

and the one below at the small lake on which we have our place. 

I spotted the Wood Ducklings and Mama one day and it was two days later that two ducklings were missing. Missing is a bit of a euphemistic term for what really happens to ducklings so often. Lots of predators around including the otters in the lake and the hawks in the skies above.

I've seen a bunch during our time living in the village, but opening the front door to be greeted by a Peahen was a first!

Actually, as I recall there were four of them! 

Aside from cleaning out our storage space, seeing friends and family, visiting doctors/dentist, Bruce wanted his tools and I wanted more clothes. He won the car space battle, but I did manage to bring this batch up here to North Carolina.

I was blessed by a visit to Patti's remodeled condo which is fantastic btw, with Susan coming over to join us. Connie came downstairs on more than one occasion, gifting us with soup that she knows Bruce loves. And there was a visit to Hawkers with Nancy because those are two things we cannot do without while in Orlando. 

Then it was time to head back to the mountains with Bruce doing one last check of the door before departure.

Although we have called it home now for five years the only thing that bothered me before leaving was the thought of all of our pretty things just sitting there. More than one person has asked if we are planning on selling it but now that we are going to be FIRST TIME grandparents, for the near future, the answer is no. 

Breaking with tradition we took the interstate all the way to Macon in hopes of making it in one day. One thing I did neglect to mention, and while it won't be much interest to you, it will be a reminder for us in the future. Bruce took the Subaru into the dealership for an oil change and in a bit of a disappointment, to put it mildly, they pointed out all manner of maintenance that needed to be done. Not only did it delay our departure while waiting for a part, it put a pretty big dent in our wallet to the tune of $2,500. While that hurt a bit it is good to know that we won't have to do much in the near future. 

Anyway, the drive was lovely in Florida with wildflowers roadside,

but always my favorite part of the trip, no matter the route, is when the mountains first come into view.

This was a pleasant drive since we avoided Atlanta and before long we were on the winding roads that have become somewhat familiar.

During our ten day absence the trees burst into GREEN and so many shades of green.

It was just glorious to my eyes! Our plans don't include heading back to Florida for some time but when we do, this route might just be the ticket for both scenery and speed. 

This afternoon, the windows and doors are open to a lovely breeze with the sweet sounds of the ever present birds filling the air. Furthermore, the last of our purchased furniture should be arriving in the next few hours and then I will give you another tour. Gosh, it is just lovely although it does still look a bit like a showroom but personal touches are coming in here and there. Tammy will be arriving soon with some daylily and iris bulbs from her garden to ours, some of which are 85 years old. Growing up in West Virginia, both her mother and grandmother grew them. Does not get much more personal than that, right?

Praise God from whom all blessings flow is what I'm thinking right about now!

your friend,

Gail

 

This House on Campbell Street.....

....is just too good to be true. 

Of course, my mantra has always been "if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is." That said, there are exceptions to every rule and I am hoping this God-send is one of them! There is just so much to cover, again where to begin? How about a Robin's nest in our front tree?

One must look carefully to spot the Robin on her nest, but after watching this bird fly in and out of the tree, I doubled my efforts to find it. Our bluebirds may be still tenants on Warren Drive, we are unsure, but there appear to soon be new hatchlings for us to ogle! Speaking of nests, the neighbors we have met have been exceptional and it goes without saying that I am loving the presence of children playing in the back yard next door. To date I can only remember the young boy's name, Jude who is nine. Well, the high winds in the recent huge storm knocked off plenty of blossoms in their, I believe it is called a Snowball tree because, well, the flowers are the shape and color of a snowball.

The ground was covered with tiny white petals and when I expressed interest Jude invited me over to see the nest they found that his Dad had replaced in the tree. Oh my goodness, you have to know I was freaking out. Hard to photograph, but here it is nonetheless.

We shall see what happens next!

There is so much to like about the house including one thing I have already mentioned, and I suspect will come up time and time again, is the light.

It is just fantastic at all times of the day and what I have discovered is that there is good reason for my claim. Or maybe I should say there seems to be something that is aiding in that and it is these huge junipers planted on either side of the house.

The above photograph doesn't exactly do them justice but there are lots of them and all are very, very tall. Not as tall as the 100 foot Magnolia in the back yard, but tall all the same. Thus there is no harsh light to be found in this sweet house of many small rooms. Bruce and I are traipsing down the hall, up and down the stairs and don't mind it one bit! For the worriers amongst you, we hang on tight! 

Mr. Vespasian received his mail on the amazing porch, however, he was special and apparently we are not. At least not yet anyway! A notice was placed in the box saying we needed to put a mailbox out by the street and you know Mr. Johnny-on-the spot was all over that! 

There is plenty to say about our activities however, today let us turn our attention to a walk I took just this morning under grey and threatening skies. First off, across the street, as in catty-corner to our yard, there is a small bed and breakfast called Angel's Landing. Her gardens are wonderful, filled with bird feeders and just yesterday I spotted this fellow as well.

Speaking of bird feeders, we have not put ours up yet as we are still trying to figure out the best location. I will say that their is a cacophony of bird calls from morning to night here. So much so that last night at eight o'clock I had to shut the front door in order to hear the television! It is fantastic and so unexpected.

Back to my walk, everything is insanely green. Green everywhere!

I just started wandering the streets to see what I could see and it was good. Lots of lovely homes,

and more green.

Mostly the streets are at a gentle slope, but not all of them! I am doing pretty good for a Florida gal! 

Vegetable gardens, along with flowering bushes.

The word verdant comes to mind. 

On one of the streets, the name of which I have since forgotten,  I looked up and saw both the courthouse and a tree filled with white blossoms.

Once I actually walked down that street my heart leapt at the beautiful sight of a Dogwood tree laden with flowers.

Continuing the green theme, well seriously it is everywhere, so expect more.

Looking up that street,

the fog was visible on the next level of mountain. Or at least that is what I'm calling it knowing no better way to put it.

Through the magic of AI on my iPhone, I now know this is a European Pear tree.

Of course I will forget that information just as quickly as I received it! Not a clue as to what these flowering trees are, but there are a lot of them to be found on the streets I traversed.

Perhaps you have noticed the flag still hanging at our home on Campbell Street? It was one of the things he left and it just seems to fit, so for now it will remain. 

In front of one place that appears to be maybe some apartments? The streets are filled with absolutely every house looking different than the next.

Some much better than others, a fact that would bother some folk,s but it does not bother me in the least because, in my view, it adds to the character, as long as it is not too extreme. One thing that definitely bothers some here is the lack of zoning laws. I read a piece in the paper the other day that said North Carolina was founded for personal freedom and they still take that very seriously more than 200 years later. Below is an example of when I said extreme!

I am pretty sure the above is empty, or so one would hope. It makes for an interesting photography though.

My walk took me by the library which is two blocks from the house. As to the missing letter on the sign, I suspect it is on order.

Just across the street from the library is the Senior Center which we may or may not visit! We are most definitely seniors though so why not?

The longer we have been here, the more I think that while Murphy might not be the prettiest town out there, Blue Ridge, GA comes to mind, however, it is a good place to live. While on my walk, a woman stopped and asked if I were okay, or had I broken down and was looking for help? I explained that I was new to the neighborhood and just doing some exploring. Have a good day she called after giving me directions back to my street. 

That's the way it is. Most all the folks we meet are nice. It is quiet, small, and peaceful. 

I'm pretty sure this is a neighborhood cat and by that I mean you might find it on your street or the next. 

Does this look like the same cat to you? Two streets from the above, I saw it walking on the sidewalk across the street from us.

Maybe, maybe not?

For someone who said they did not know where to start I sure took off running, didn't I? The courts were wet this morning so Bruce went to help with the cooking for tomorrow's Soul Table. Thus, I sat down in our new little office and took off typing like nobodies business. I hope you enjoyed seeing the neighborhood and I promise to next show you more of the house on Campbell Street that we are already in love with.

How could we not be?

your friend,

Gail