GRANDPA HOWARD'S CHRONICAL
So, what's this all about, you may ask? Well, its about me, Grandpa Howard.
It all started during the depression year 1933, when I arrived in this world, must have been a cold winter night, for it was January 2, 1933. I was born in the cold 2 story house on what we call the 4 corners, just west of Lafayette, Iowa. The house is the same one my father was born in some 35 years earlier in 1898.
I was the 3rd child born to Spencer and Clista Stephenson, the first son. My two older sisters were Lois and Betty, and my brother Harold was born the following year on the last day in May. That's basically our family, except for our dog Shep, and later on Tippy who was our constant companion for nearly 16 years.
We lived in that home place for four years, and then moved 1/2 mile West to what I now call the home place. Was a 4 bedroom house on two levels, cold as could be in the winter and hot in the summer on that 2nd level. We had a two hole outhouse to take care of those kind of needs. Next to the house was a pump house, which covered the pump or well which supplied all our drinking needs, for us humans as well as the livestock.
A corn crib was about 50 feet from the pumphouse, and it had a corn crib on one side, and a oats storage on the other side of a driveway between. This was completely covered, and you could easily put two wagons safely inside if the weather turned rainy in a hurry.
The barn was 30 feet to the west of the corn crib. I recently learned that the main part had been moved years before from the 4 corner place to its present location. A cattle shed was added to the West side and a horse shed was added to the East which made it a pretty large structure. As I write this today, it is still standing, but is scheduled to be torn down before the summer is out.
Well, this blog should be about something recent, so, I'll tell you what I have been doing the last couple weeks. Its been hot here for one thing, and my neighbor Laura said she was wanting to start her remodel on her home, and me being the guy I am, volunteered to help her.
I was only going to open up a space in the ceiling of her living room, so she could use my shop vac and take out the blown insulation (looks like paper) as she wanted to take the ceiling out and have a vaulted ceiling. I started with a small hole, took off some more lathe & plaster and before I knew it I had a large hole. Did this for 4 days 3 weeks ago, maybe 3 days last week, and this week I finished the living room & kitchen. In between, last saturday, some of Laura's friends came over and helped take plaster & lathe from the walls & took the front porch roof off and the cement on the porch. Also took the chimney down, and it came down with a BANG, when they got beneath the ceiling line, the darned thing fell over.
Thats it for tonight, will add more in day or so.
It all started during the depression year 1933, when I arrived in this world, must have been a cold winter night, for it was January 2, 1933. I was born in the cold 2 story house on what we call the 4 corners, just west of Lafayette, Iowa. The house is the same one my father was born in some 35 years earlier in 1898.
I was the 3rd child born to Spencer and Clista Stephenson, the first son. My two older sisters were Lois and Betty, and my brother Harold was born the following year on the last day in May. That's basically our family, except for our dog Shep, and later on Tippy who was our constant companion for nearly 16 years.
We lived in that home place for four years, and then moved 1/2 mile West to what I now call the home place. Was a 4 bedroom house on two levels, cold as could be in the winter and hot in the summer on that 2nd level. We had a two hole outhouse to take care of those kind of needs. Next to the house was a pump house, which covered the pump or well which supplied all our drinking needs, for us humans as well as the livestock.
A corn crib was about 50 feet from the pumphouse, and it had a corn crib on one side, and a oats storage on the other side of a driveway between. This was completely covered, and you could easily put two wagons safely inside if the weather turned rainy in a hurry.
The barn was 30 feet to the west of the corn crib. I recently learned that the main part had been moved years before from the 4 corner place to its present location. A cattle shed was added to the West side and a horse shed was added to the East which made it a pretty large structure. As I write this today, it is still standing, but is scheduled to be torn down before the summer is out.
Well, this blog should be about something recent, so, I'll tell you what I have been doing the last couple weeks. Its been hot here for one thing, and my neighbor Laura said she was wanting to start her remodel on her home, and me being the guy I am, volunteered to help her.
I was only going to open up a space in the ceiling of her living room, so she could use my shop vac and take out the blown insulation (looks like paper) as she wanted to take the ceiling out and have a vaulted ceiling. I started with a small hole, took off some more lathe & plaster and before I knew it I had a large hole. Did this for 4 days 3 weeks ago, maybe 3 days last week, and this week I finished the living room & kitchen. In between, last saturday, some of Laura's friends came over and helped take plaster & lathe from the walls & took the front porch roof off and the cement on the porch. Also took the chimney down, and it came down with a BANG, when they got beneath the ceiling line, the darned thing fell over.
Thats it for tonight, will add more in day or so.
posted by GRANDPAHOWARD at 9:31 PM
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