Hot Seats

One of Bill's first ceramic garden seats sits in front of our kitchen Morso woodstove next to the table, and serves as the "hot seat" as its' clay body warms. Others have joined it lately as the weather has been extreme this winter. Bill made the tiles below the stove forty yrs. ago.

Merry Christmas Mode

Merry Christmas. Our tree with my old family ornaments and ones we made. I love the beeswax Santas & angels in red and honey colors. Candy molds were used with our honey bee's wax Bill collected and the deep red wax was made with fine German crayons.

Below are Bill, Christian & Leif "tending the bees".

Christian tending bees on his farm.

Winter's Wood

Four stacks deep.

Our family has always split wood for winters here, and now have three nearby houses with stacks. Christian splits, Leif hauls logs, Bill stacks with 2 wheelbarrows and I run the splitter. This Sunday we split 6 hrs. at Christian's farm and my house. Hooray!

Garden Stone & Seat

Bill sold this lovely garden stone and seat yesterday at the Takaezu Studio Open House to a young family and world accomplished ceramicist, respectively. Nice endorsement!

Seat bought by Maxwell Mustardo and the sculpture of his that we have purchased...

Studio Open House

The Takaezu Studio:

1177 Croton Rd., Flemington, NJ 08822

HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE SHOW AND SALE

Saturday, December 7, 2024    12-6 PM  

• Join us for our annual Winter Open House!
• Artwork by Toshiko Takaezu, her apprentices & current studio artists.
• Also Swampy Vale's delectable pizza!

Pretty As A Painting

Pilgrim George Lewis, clothier from Kent England in 1630, bought 12 acres from the Indians in Barnstable when Plymouth became overcrowded. Our house was built here by his grandson Benjamin. The room below and kitchen were built the first year as a 3/4 Cape; becoming a full Cape soon after. 

1717 Old Farm is newly restored now and pretty as a picture. Two of my favorite contemporary paintings are hung inside and complete the picture for me. 

The below was painted in Nantucket of it's lovely flora & fauna, and hangs lit in the kitchen. The old pegged ceiling beams, rafters and floor boards here, are a wonderful setting!

Painting A Room

Bill is a master house painter among many other things. The paint in this bedroom lasted 30+ yrs. and we are finally painting it again. Both front bedrooms will be painted Decorator's White on walls and trim; Benjamin Moore Regal Select, Matte and Sem-Gloss finishes respectively. Bill slept in this room after buying the house, in a hammock hooked to 2" x 3" framing and walls that bowed out away from floors exposing grass below. With a new queen mattress it is simply a lovely, well lit south facing bedroom.

First the ceiling, room and trim were sanded with 120 grit and then painted in the same order. Trim wood knots were sprayed with BIN before painting.

Vintage abstract oil painting from Canada, Mattisse limited print from Princeton University Press, Antique Swedish Armoire, Charles P. Rogers headboard, cotton lined linen Roman shades and bedskirt I sewed, French antique table from Westport CT.

Replacing The Roof

 Four layers of old shingles being removed.

This weekend we had JPA Construction in nearby Hyannis reroof Old Farm. A terrific company to work with as we asked for quick upgrades on framing/parts original to the house and a newer three flued chimney. I found enough (out of stock) GAF HDZ Timberline "Shakewood" color high grade shingles from "Landis" in Hyannis, to best match the house and other buildings. The South facing roof has 2 layers of staggered plywood over 1" old sheathing boards, and the North side only needed one. Lead flashing was replaced around the chimney and 2 1/2" copper drip edges were added to the rakeboards.

Now the exposed old framing and sheathing remains while well secured.

All linens and chairs were removed while furniture and floors were completely tarped with plastic bags sealing the ceiling fixtures. Only cleaned linens were put back.

Our new 4 zone furnace from also terrific Cape Cod Central Heating and Cooling will soon heat this space with cast iron modern Runtal floor radiators.

Sycamore On Stony Brook

Two of our sons live along the Stony Brook here in Hopewell surrounded by magnificent Sycamore trees. Christian has an enormous one in the front of his historic farmhouse and another huge one that actually dips down into the Stony Brook creekbed below his meadows. Leif has them overhanging his house, but a spectacular one nearby on his street many stop to see, which he painted.

I have also drawn this tree 20 yrs. ago in pen.

Framed & 1 3/4" deep.

Happy Halloween

Welcome Home

 Welcome home to Hopewell Lily Baumbach!

Garden Tables + Seats

Leif has three of Bill's ceramic garden seats/tables surrounding his firepit and midcentury modern home. They sit on several acres he's been clearing and look so natural with modern wire chairs of complimenting colors. The chairs stack for winter storage but the ceramic seats can remain all year. Each sits on an old mahogany board.

Since a new clearing has been made to the road, they are visible as Bill drives by them to work. This firepit has burned many parts of branches from 30 trees we felled here.

From a distance.