This is how far I fall when Lisa and Lucas leave town. Ben and Jerry's Chubby Hubby, Ms. Debbie's Swiss Roll (i don't even have my maple flavored mini bit frosted mini-wheats represented), just got back from Baker's Tap Room where I chowed 12 wings surrounded by 3 cute country waitresses (also listening to Shelby Lynne 1st one in 1999.)
Now you have to live up here for awhile to appreciate the full meaning of the '3 cute country waitresses'. I mean I'm not from around here, and I don't know if this generalization extends to very rural areas in general, but one does not go around finding '3 cute country waitresses' around every corner up here. I mean, this is the type of place that in the battle of strip joints, one establishment reputes their competitive advantage as 'our girls have teeth'. I've always loved that one for its brutal precision. In a nutshell, the area's natural bounty is not matched by many street corners with '3 cute country waitresses'. Especially here in the middle of NOWHERE, -Eldred NY.
And then on my way home from work, I stopped by to talk to our neighbor Theresa - or Tanta, Tantan, or Terry - depending on when you met. She's 70 something.
She's got a new dog, Scampy, after her dog of 15 yrs passed last fall. Theresa has lived here since the late 80's - quietly until Catskill Farms invaded in 2005. Literally, Crawford road is only 2 miles, exactly, long. And now we have 20 homes on the road and 20 nice cars trolling around. You can't see the house from Crawford, but they are still there, hidden away. Now, Harold and Maude-like, this is Lucas' NBF since day one (did I get that symbol right, - I'm trying to say 'new best friend'). So she went from living in the city, moving up to the middle of nowhere by herself, she doesn't drive, has non-100% right arm, to living in the middle of rock stars, broadway music producers, major comedians, an alternative magazine producer, architects, artificial intelligence researchers, creative directors of Levi's, a doctor, a gay guy, a hr pro and me and lisa and lil' Lucas.Talk about 'ruining the neighborhood'. But I don't think she's ever been so happy. She has a pond and each yr her brother visits for a few weeks, and he sits by the pond and nets and hits with a bat catfish from the pond. It's a quixotic effort, since they breed like rabbits.
Cottage 35 is really coming together. It's for sale and quite good-looking. The stone we are cladding the chimney with is excellente, and the first time we used it. Our clients are our biggest asset - they are constantly pushing James and me to experiment and keep it fresh, as well as consistently bring fresh ideas to the table. For instance, the stain on the siding below was tried first by Kelly and Gianni of Cottage 33 fame.
Curtis and Mark, finishing up the day.
Renee our stone mason just getting started, with the break in the weather.
A cabin cottage in the woods twist with a play of paint and stain. The house is less than 1000 sq ft.
Below, Big Ass living, dining and kitchen. From a professional construction site manager, I see a few things. I see if the job site is safe and protected, who has been there, what's in the way, and what is left to be done.
For instance, in the picture below (this could be one of those newspaper games), I can pretty much get a pulse of the job - first is the temp inside (hot, cold, propany, windows open, etc...). Note the stand up heater in the middle, off. The sheetrocker left his buckets, the lumber on the ground is probably extra, the hand hewn beams can go back to the ranch (our shop) and are only being damaged by being here. The floor is dirty but well protected with both construction paper and masonite, the kitchen needs to go in, the handrail is incomplete, the electric fixtures, exterior and interior door hardware as well, floor stain, etc... but all in all, a clean, well-protected, safe site.
But a great layout, open and roomy.
and then...Old hallelujah
sweet jesus
sunny day
beautiful cottage
below (a summer haiku)
4pm, crisp winter day. The sun compliments this house positioning all day long. Sometimes it's that simple - you either get it right or get it wrong.
The Cottage, Cottage 34, lives on 6 acres, on the corner of Wood Oak and Aspen. 2 miles outside of Narrowsburg. It's good.
It's roomy, in a lazy friday early afternoon kind of way.
From the staircase through the fireplace room into the mudroom foyer area.
It's March 24. We are busy, firing efficiently.This might be an extra ordinary type of kind of year.
From Shelby Lynne's first, 'I am Shelby Lynne', 1999.
Black light blue
Heaven's perfect hue
the ultimate possession
the game you couldn't lose
the voice in the corner
the song you hardly knew
the terrible admission
some tragic lonely tune
slow the Spanish dancer on a stage
Jubilation risin' on the bayou
celebration in the wind
Father Pat gives benediction
cross the Coden bridge again
Crickets spreadin' rumors by the shoreline
with the lonesome lady whine
crab trap full of nothin
I'm high as the tide, all the time
Black light blue
is tearing me in two
a mad revelation
Shakespeare isn't true
the raising of the glasses
the falling into sin
dying in the desert
the loners lonely end
in the shifting sand oasis
Black light Blue
I got your message on the phone
I hung on every single line
you told me what we had was only business
hurt me so bad I had to sit down with the sickness
oh yeah
Your lies won't leave me alone
tore the phone out the wall and it's still ringin'
wreck the room and curtains ain't hangin' baby
guitar ain't playin'
(Hurts) I'm leavin'
(Sad) This time it's for good
You should have treated me
the way you said you would
(Hurts) I'm leavin'
(Sad) And you can't make me stay
I'm tired of hurtin' you
this ain't no good anyway
I'm leavin'
I know it's gonna be hard on ya
once it really hits you that I'm gone
I spent too much time
trying to make things right
when I really knew all along
you'll be O.K. in time baby
That's serious shit - Tom Waits, old school smokey bar ella fitzgerald marvin gaye hot white blond girl type shit.
Shelby Lynne, I Am Shelby Lynne.
Hi, I'm Smitten.
Have you lost your mind? Lil Debbie cakes? So I can no longer go out of town without you falling off the wagon? Is this post what you call "working from home"? Get it together Petersheim, bathing suit season is around the corner and you need to be in speedo condition for laps in your pond. Happy 8 year Anniversary. xxo
ReplyDeleteSongs lyrics are posted, but I do not see a half empty bottle of scotch in the first picture. They usually go hand-in-hand. Downloading Shelby Lynne from iTunes now. We're going to need a kick-ass playlist for the bike tour.
ReplyDelete