The Cross House was built in 1894. It is located at 526 Union Street, in Emporia, Kansas. I purchased the house in March 2014.
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Want to help?
My blog posts about the restoration are below.
Inching Along
In order to do this, I first had to cut some shingles to size. Then the shingles had to be shaved thin with my electric planer to match the thin profile of the 1894 siding. Today and yesterday were HORRIBLE. Hot and incredibly humid. I wilted just stepping…
Continue ReadingReturning To The Niche!
In 2019, I did a post about the “Bo Mystery light”. The light was a fabulous gas pendant featuring a serpent! However, the light was not gas/electric, which the Cross house had when new. So, me being, well, me, vexed over this historical narrative aberration and I knew the world would not…
Continue ReadingIt’s Baaaaaaaaaack!
This project has been nagging at me for a decade. Y’all remember that the big curved glass was broken and needed to be replaced? But the window sill also needed to be replaced, AND the bottom rail on the sash. All were rotted, the only such instances on the whole house. But why?…
Continue ReadingMaking Bo Happy
But…drum roll, please…Bo was not happy. He thought the pendant would look better without the white shade (which was not original) and a return of the original, simple gas jet. The idea that I had made Bo unhappy caused me many sleepless nights, so y’all can appreciate my great delight… Offending white…
Continue ReadingThe Thin Green Line.
The paint, clearly, did don’t match. But, I had no other green paint other than that for the exterior trim. After much ado. I realized…
Continue ReadingOwning the Golden Gate Bridge
It has been said that painting the Golden Gate Bridge is an endless task. You start at one end, paint across the bridge, and then start all over again back to the other end. Rinse. Repeat. Well, this is the same with an old wood house. Arriving at the house today this…
Continue ReadingPretty Things To Roll Around On
I decided to purchase the rugs now rather than later as I grew worried that the stated sizes would not end up being the actual sizes. As has previously happened. This would be a HUGE issue as the oak borders are designed for the size of each rug. And, luckily, the actual…
Continue ReadingAn Unexpected Gift
I received a box in the mail. Inside, carefully packed was something quite unexpected. It was a gift. A surprising gift. A note was attached. This is needlepoint! And expertly, perfectly framed. I mean, even the back is stunning! I love the blue. Do I really swear that much? BAD Ross! I…
Continue ReadingVisitors
Paddy often reads the blog in bed. Clyde said: “she gets so excited and has to tell me about your latest post. So, while I’ve never read your blog, I know everything you’ve done.”
Continue ReadingA Visitor!
I knew he was a long-time reader of this blog thingy. Also, he had mentioned that he had donated to my GoFundMe. But I found no such donations from him. “I might have done them anonymously.” That meant that I had no way to connect the dots. Nor to even thank him. GFM doesn’t…
Continue ReadingBelated Updates
While it appears that I have recovered from having Influenza B, I am sooooooo not right. My energy is zip and has been all month. I am also just not, well, right. Like with something as simple as typing. I have now corrected the previous sentence. Here is how it first looked: Likewith somethinga simpleastyping….
Continue ReadingPoison Update
As y’all know, in August I discovered that I had lead poisoning. I learned that 3.5 is normal. Anything above 5 is considered a concern. And mine? 13.4. I abruptly stopped scraping off old lead paint from the Carriage House. A month later I had another test. The number had dropped to 11.6. In December…
Continue ReadingNOTE: I have NOT been kidnapped by aliens!
Rather, I have Influenza B, and have been knocked out since Saturday. Because the gods have, it seems clear, a cruel sense of humor, I have sold a number of lights since Saturday. Ny normal reaction? SQUEE!!!!! My reaction of late? Fuck! How will I get the energy to pack? A few nights ago I…
Continue Reading