The Cross House

On October 3rd I received this email from Wendy: Hello Ross, I follow your blog and I have an antique bedroom set and a settee that need a new home. They were donated to our restoration project that we’re in the process of selling and the buyer does not want them. I can send pics…

  To the left is a sloppy edge, with violet paint glopped onto the porch beam. This is OK as this was the only way to get paint all the way into the inside corner. To the right is my carefully painted beam and 1/4-round (click image to enlarge). Ross…happy. (Note: the electrical boxes will…

A few weeks ago I had a CT scan. “A CT scan shows detailed pictures of the organs and tissues inside your body.” Last Friday I had a PET scan. “A PET scan can find abnormal activity and it can be more sensitive than other imaging tests.” The PET scan “is a functional imaging technique…

  The color is historically correct. It took a lot of effort, and several wrong turns spanning years, to arrive at the right color. But, I feel good that I never gave up and took the easy route. In 1894 the color would not have surprised. Today, it does, as people are so used to…

              As stated previously, in the 1890s home owners were more adventurous with their color selections than is commonly thought today. In looking through 1890s color catalogs one is struck by the unexpected color combinations and variety of colors. For example, it was common for green houses to have…

          Worry not, dear readers! My doctor wants me to be active. “Your body will heal quicker and better if you keep moving. Just don’t overdo it.” A lack of energy, of course, will assure that I do not overdodo.      

I have tried two colors now on the main porch ceiling of the Cross House. The first color was just not right. And nor…as I have known for several years now…was the second color. Indeed, I have long thought: WTF was I thinking? While I am currently mostly off-line, our wonderful Kenny wants to spend…

This past Friday was…intense, man. Intense. And scary. When I got out of bed in the morning I looked down to my legs. Eek!!!!!!!! My right calve, ankle, and foot were hugely bloated. I kept glancing between the right leg and left leg. It did not seem possible that these two legs belonged to the…

        I am quite grateful to have these very small projects to attend to. The idea of, say, reshingling much of the south facade…as I did not long ago…fills me with wonderment. Did I really once have such energy? The very idea also fills me with terror. For, at the moment, having…

I have previously posted about getting a blood clot in March, 2020. And I have posted about the huge reduction in my energy since. It is now normal for me to take 3 naps a day. I feel exhausted all the time. This ain’t right.   On August 13, 2022…for the first time in my…

Way back in 2017 I wrote a mind-bending post, here. If you are sober you might enjoy reading this ancient post. If you are a bit drunk your mind may not recover. Caveat emptor!               Once all this is mudded and painted, I can then re-attach the 1894 gold…

When I purchased the Cross House in 2014 I had no idea it originally had a dumbwaiter going from the kitchen to the basement. Bit by bit though, clues revealed its former existence. I speculate that it was removed circa-1929 during the conversion of the house into apartments on the second-floor, and an owner’s suite…

      The island looks better in the image than it does in person. In person, it looks cheap. It IS cheap! I had intended to top it with marble matching the marble-topped Saarinen Tulip table in the adjacent parlor. But, the quotes I received stopped this idea from proceeding. With the library now….at…

  I plan to install a hose bibb on the porch so the whole can be easily scrubbed. I should have done this years ago.    

    The interruption of the Lincrusta, and its reeded top trim, is curious. It was there in 1894. It was gone when the circa-1950 wallpaper was installed. What happened? I do not know. Replacing the Lincrusta will be easy. The top reeded trim can also be replaced although not quite as easy. My thought…