Please Don't Tempt Me

The other day at "The Hall", the carpenter came to repair the side steps. I usually use these steps to get into the house, but today they were gone. The carpenter took them away, so I had to use the back door. This back door opens up to a back storage room. On one side, a short set of stairs go up to the door to the kitchen. One the other side are 3 steps going down to a doorway. How could I stop myself from exploring a basement! I knew this must be the destination of this passageway.

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I cautiously approached the door and with a bit of force, popped it open. Instead of seeing a basement, I saw a narrow short dark passage with another door just like the other. I felt as if I was in a Twilight Zone episode, going down a tunnel that never ends. When I opened the second door, I expected to see another door, but I didn't. I saw a brightly lit basement room. The basement, as I discovered, was a series of rooms, all of them dusty with cobwebs as you would expect. The rooms got darker and scarier as I proceeded to explore. I really felt uncomfortable in there, since it isn't my house and all, but I love old dusty basements. They are the cornerstone of any house and the first thing built, so they always fascinate me. You could feel the spirit of the house down there. I didn't want to stay long for obvious reasons, so I grabbed my trusty camera and took some shots for you to see.

In between those 2 odd doors, I saw an opening, like a dark hole crawl space. I could not really see into this secret space, but my camera could. I got my camera into position and mustered up enough courage to stick my arm into this hole and took this picture. I think there is a secret passageway through there. I can kind of make it out and would love to crawl into this secret passage, but I am chicken. I have heard stories about the underground railroad and about some people who once rented this house and found a passage way that actually lead to the barn. Maybe this is it.

Ghostly Adventures at Harmonie Hall

Even the name Harmonie Hall conjures up images of historical mysteries. I have been very fortunate to land a job at this very old place, selling off many antiques that pass through the massive doors of the barn. Last week we had so many nice pieces of furniture come in, that the floors are covered and we have no place left for another piece. We even have to stack them sometimes, but they will sell.

One type of item we do sell that is not an antique, but more of an art, are these hand painted signs done by the Amish. They say all types of things. Sayings of faith, Americana as well as humorous. We have a big variety of signs. I like to set them up to represent an image, for example, I found an old cement sitting dog with a very worried face, and an eagle flying with it's talons out. I put the two together as if the eagle is attacking the poor little dog, with the sign in front of it saying, "Why Worry When You Can Pray". It just amuses me to do this kind of thing. This is all leading up to my true experience with the spirits of the barn. One night as I was closing up, I was all alone and in the back of the barn when I heard something that sounded like a plank falling. I went over to the room to investigate. There, in the middle of the floor as if it fell from the sky, was a 3' long plank. Very puzzled, I picked it up to see what it was. It was one of those signs and I heard a voice inside saying, "read it.". It said, "Welcome To Our Barn". I knew right then, I was welcomed. The electricity was in the air and it would not go away till I got out of there, and get out I did! I was okay with it, but it still gives me an unsettling feeling.

My New Job/Back in the Saddle Again

I haven't added to my blog in a while, but now, I find that I can take the time to fill you in on all my new adventures. After being "retired", once I sold off my antique business three years ago, I felt like I was out of the loop and missing it. I have remained in the antique business online, but have been doing this from my house. Even though it was a pleasure to be able to relax and garden, sit on my deck and watch the world go by, I really missed being out with all the people that I have made friends and acquaintances with all those years while I managed my shop. So here I am, back in the saddle again.

This place I am now working at is a wonderful place to be. The shop is in an old carriage house in Bainbridge, NY and it is called Harmonie Hall. The House that came with the carriage house is probably over 200 years old and was once a 200+ acre farm owned by the Bush family in the very early 1800's. The family cemetery is located out back and the spirits still dwell inside the carriage house and the house itself. I have been here for only 2 weeks and already have some ghostly stories to tell.

The people who now own this beautiful estate are very kind and I love working for them. The only problem I see with this situation, is that the barn or carriage house is very large and drafty and so, being upstate NY, in the winter time, I am going to freeze! The barn is filled with treasures from old estates and the owner brings in a new load every week. We have loads of early furniture and the prices are so inexpensive, that I can not help but to purchase a piece now and again. GRRR.... like I really have room for that!

iOffer is not an Auction

In order to continue my crafting fun, I must sell the items I so happily create. I not only sell on Etsy, I sell on Ebay, DeWanda and on ioffer. Clicking on the banner will send you there. If you haven't checked it out before, it is time you did. I believe it is turning into a fun place to buy from. Many people on iOffer are selling on Ebay as well but instead of playing the "biddem up" game, you may purchase or make an offer on what you see and like. Go ahead a take a peek and let me know what you think.

Embarking or barking up a new tree

Anyone who knows me, knows I can't stick with one thing too long. Or is it that there are just too many interesting things to do?? I don't know which it is but it makes me crazy.
The glass studio has been really nice and still is, but there was all this space on the opposite side of the basement. My aunt Lynn and I have been weavers and we both own floor looms. Hers was safely in storage and use to belong to her aunt. Her aunt bought it in the 1930's and it is a nice primitive 2 harness. My loom is a 4 harness LeClerc Floor loom that I disassembled years ago for lack of room, and had stored it in the garage, when 2 years ago, we had a very major flood and it was covered in muddy disgusting contaminated river water for nearly a week before the water receded. Well, here was my chance at dragging out the pieces of hard rock maple LeClerc goodness out of that garage and into the tub for a good scrub, and to reassemble it back to it's grandeur. Between her and I we finally got our babies back to workable condition and we are so excited to have the chance to bring them back to life and produce some runners, rugs, fabrics and other goodies. I am so grateful the LeClerc was made so rugged from that hard rock maple. It would have never survived otherwise.

Uglying up NYS

I live in beautiful rural Upstate, NY where a private commercial company has decided to take it upon themselves to build these huge high voltage transmission line towers standing 120 feet tall just to pull power from Utica to NYC. This will pass through 190 miles of beautiful scenic forests and waterways, all the way down through the Delaware River Water Gap area, some of the most scenic areas in the Northeast, just to feed NYC's growing energy needs. They already take our water, now they will take our beautiful scenery, hindering tourism in our already depressed area, and take our health with the effects of these high voltage lines.
The 1,200-megawatt line would cross 154 streams or rivers, 155 mapped wetlands, 65 miles of farmland, seven counties, one city, seven villages and 30 towns.

Yesterday while driving to Binghamton, I saw a sign in the rear window of a passing car. It said, "Conserve Electricity. Turn Off Time Square" This was in protest to the transmission line project, called the New York Regional Interconnection, N.Y.R.I. To read more about it, just Google.

One of My Favorite Arts-Concrete

Spring is just around the corner and one thing I am looking forward to is creating my outdoor art. I have a passion for concrete and I sculpt and mold items from hypertufa. Hypertufa is a mix made from portland cement and other aggregates. I love to experiment with different formulas and make up my own recipes for tufa. I try to make my hypertufa as light and as strong as possible. Someday I plan to work on a formula for hypertufa that will remain strong in high heat so it can be used for outdoor ovens and barbecues.

There is a concrete art that has fascinated me for years. It is a technic called Faux Bois, French for fake wood. With this process, you can create fantasy items that look exactly like wood. I belong to the Garden Art Forum and it has many creative concrete artists there. One of those artist is a very talented faux bois artist. You can find his blog here.
http://fauxboisinconcrete.blogspot.com/