LHOTR - Sunday studies

 

Don’t mind me, I’m up to page 321.

Even gals in the 1860s knew you have to take care of your hair, amiright Martha and Docia?

Simple pleasures: books and deep conditioning treatments.

I am unsure how to label my lifelong enthusiasm for the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Am I an obsessive fan, a fastidious student, or merely an exhaustive collector of information on my 19th century spirit animal?

My consumption of Little House books went beyond the original eight as early as nine years old, when the one thing I wanted for Christmas more than anything was the hardcover edition of The First Four Years, the first “extra” in the series. And my curiosity was piqued by the pulp paperback Laura, which was passed around by all the girls in my class, where I first discovered the news of baby brother Freddie. From the first time I borrowed On the Banks of Plum Creek from the Jackson District Library on Orange Street back in 1978 to this Christmas, scholars and Laura’s estate have guaranteed there was always MORE. 

This Christmas’ indulgence at my own little house has been inhaling the book Prairie Fires, the 2017 Pulitzer Prize winning book by Caroline Fraser. I somehow missed its publication three years ago as I had embarked on the chore of reading the original text of Pioneer Girl, which was presented alongside Pamela Smith Hill’s own research. Sidenote: I also took not one but two online literature classes from Missouri State University on the subject of Laura, taught by Smith-Hill. 

Anyway, at this writing I’m currently on page 321, where extracting Little House in the Big Woods from the original manuscript from Pioneer Girl is happening. The research is thorough and there’s thought provoking theories as to why Laura wrote her family history that goes beyond the need for money during the Great Depression. Laura began to collect stories about the Big Woods from her Aunt Martha shortly after Ma died, and was urged to put pencil to composition book after her sister Mary passed. 

I’m learning more than I expected, stopping numerous times during the first 100 pages to research serfdom, the outlawing of peonage in 1867, Russian winter wheat’s impact on the global economy in the 1870s, arid weather reports of the Great Plains, Rocky Mountain locusts, the impact of the Civil War draft on a young Wisconsin, tableland, sod houses, dugouts, and the railroad’s western expansion at the beginning of the industrial revolution. 

And I deep conditioned my hair. A girl needs to look good, be it a sugaring off dance or a retreat to the river during a pandemic.

LHOTR - woodland companions

 

Ace, the indoor adventure cat.

All creatures great and small.

Life at our little house, having begun in late October, has mostly been confined to gazing out our picture windows, watching the river flow by. While we are itching for spring to begin exploring the waters, we have had the opportunity to catch glimpses of wildlife.

So far, we have seen:

Beavers

Rabbits

Fish

Owls

Eagles

Deer

Turkeys

And this weekend, our first fox ambled across our dirt road. 

Knowing this wildlife is going to make itself more apparent in the spring, Ace the adventure cat will definitely have to be restrained on the stretches when he comes up to the cottage with us. While he has survived in the wild on his own those times he manages to escape our suburban household, he wisely chose refuge in the garage of a cul de sac as opposed to the wooded areas of Muskegon river. 

Merry Christmas

 

Merry Christmas from the little house on the river!

LHOTR - beautiful fabrics

The cranes!

The patterns!

In The Long Winter, Laura sacrifices some of her own pretty things so Ma and her sisters have Christmas presents. She of course learned the art of sacrifice and making something out of nothing from Caroline, who Laura found slipping netted bags of Christmas candy onto everyone’s breakfast plate.

This year, I sacrificed all of my bright and colorful fabric to make 403 face masks for friends and family. I sent masks to 23 states for people working in the front line as well as those who needed them the most. I “won” the virtual adult nationals championship for mask making. 

But now, looking for fabrics to create for the little house, I didn’t have any left to play with. 

My coworker Lexi, a recycler and conservationist, came through with a simple “what do you need?”  And out of nowhere, two boxes of fabric samples showed up on my front door.

Green velvet, blue corduroy, brocade florals, bold stripes,  rich and fantastical designs. I’m in the process of removing the hang tags and hangers. I will even use the hangers for scarves.

Like Laura, I’m enthralled, stroking the beautiful colors and imagining how to bring these bright squares to life.

LHOTR - the rules

This is going to be taxing and I'm sure subject to constant revision. 

Our place is cute and cozy, perfect for the three of us, and sometimes four when grandma comes to stay the night. 

But as we become more established and other people start to turn their heads north for a weekend getaway, we see the need to be hospitable and share our good fortune with others. We are already thinking this holiday season of offering a weekend stay at the cottage as a gift. 

Another but! How do we share our space with others without conflict? Thus we need to create... 

The Rules

Prior to: 

Let us know the best date for your getaway and we will reserve it on the calendar for you. Weekend stays Friday-Sunday; weekdays, Monday - Thursday. Not available: Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas. 

Maximum capacity in the cottage is probably around 6: two in the king, two on the queen, and two on the futon/couch when folded down. There is also an air mattress in Will's closet in case of an emergency.

Pets are welcome, however please clean up after your cat or dog while here. Leave no surprises in the yard or under a bed. 

Secure a key from David or Melissa. We will either give you one or tell you where to locate the hide-a-key on the property.  

As of this writing, we do not yet own inner tubes or kayaks for enjoying the river. Please BYO flotation devices. This is subject to change in coming months. 

When you arrive:

Upon first entering the house, go into the first bedroom and check the breaker box to make sure the pump and the hot water heater are on. If not, turn both on to get water started in the house. 

There is an ashtray in the junk drawer for you to use outside on the deck if you desire. Please no smoking in the house. 

Cushions for the deck furniture are in the deck box, next to grill. Please put them away when done using so they do not get wet in rain or blow away in wind. 

If weather allows, open a window prior to cooking. The smoke detector in the kitchen is very sensitive and reacts to the slightest smoke and/or heat. 

Upon leaving: 

Do a basic courtesy clean-up prior to leaving: sweep, wipe down the table and counters, dispose of any uneaten food. Wash and dry all your dishes; Don’t leave any dirty dishes in the sink. 

Strip bed and put dirty sheets and towels in the laundry basket in the bathroom. We will run it home to wash, no problem.

Please take your trash and pop/beer bottles with you. We do not have trash service here. 

Lock up and either return the key to its hiding place or return to Dave and Melissa upon returning to town.

Please enjoy the space, we hope you love it as much as we do. 

LHOTR - Done! A pictorial post.

 

Cut our losses and unclicked the plank floor and determined we would need three cartons of carpet tiles. They worked perfectly! 

Dave bought me a nail gun for Christmas, so I made quick work of reaffixing the door frames, chair rail, and baseboards. Nailed it! Or, I got the power! 

Baseboards were super easy: I measured and ran to the lumberyard with my dimensions and the guys quickly assessed how much wood I would need. Measure twice, or three times and cut once.

Will pretty pleased with his fresh, clean room. I’d like to say done, but there’s touch ups to do on paint. 

LHOTR - Our first holiday, Thanksgiving

 

“So, Eliza Jane, what are you going to have?”

A social media post from the Little House museums wished us fans a Happy Thanksgiving, and featured one of Helen Sewell's fabulous woodcuts of a gleeful Almanzo at the dinner table, surrounded by the delicious dishes prepared by his mother Angelina. 

Things at the little house on the river were similar for Thanksgiving 2020. Dave and Will prepared the turkey in the roaster, slicing onions, carrots, apples, and oranges for flavor and aroma. But the turkey was too big, so we had to slide it into the oven. 

I got the rest of the sides prepared, setting the yam and potatoes to boil, prepping a simple dish of peas, stirring the stuffing, and getting the cranberries out of the can with a satisfying thwack. There were plenty of drippings for homemade gravy too. Setting out a small dish of deli cole slaw, and dinner was ready by 1:30.

Because of COVID, it was only the three of us, so the meal was informal, intimate, and over in only 15 minutes. Me? I had a little bit of everything, but Will and Dave feasted on the wings and legs like barbarians. A quick cleanup, and we were lazing on the couch by 2:30 and I was cybershopping on my phone.

Dave's social media posts reflecting on the day, while overlooking the river were filled with gratitude and thanks for how lucky we felt to be enjoying the day together. I have to agree. 

LHOTR - Flooring

The cabin in Kansas, all built by hand. I'm not that clever.

If there’s one thing Caroline couldn’t tolerate, it was dirt floors. So for the homestead in Kansas, Pa went to great lengths to split logs in order to lay a wooden floor in the little house. In Minnesota, once they were out of the dugout, he laid store-bought, machine-hewed boards in place of logs. 

Before: that's just sad. 

If there's one thing I can't stand is having my child sleep on the subfloor of our little house. Why on the floor? Because when we were moving stuff around in his room, we discovered the old mattress and box spring were heavy with mold and mildew: it smelled horrendous. We ditched it at a charity thrift place that cheerfully accepts donations of anything they would find useful and blew up the air mattress we stored in the closet for guests. I imagine the mattress is now used for hunters' target practice. 

With the mattress gone, I emptied the rest of the room and assessed the floor situation. The previous owners left us 10 boxes of plank floor to finish the room. I studied YouTube videos, read and reread the directions on the box, measured and swept the room... and something didn't add up. I recalculated and I thought maybe we could make it, perhaps only short a board or two. 

The start of after: it's a nice start, but I'm already worried I won't have enough. 

Annnnnd, I'm out of boards. 

What would Pa do? He'd grab a buckskin of ginger water and chop down a tree or two. I'm not that handy. My manly man took to the internet to see if we could flag down the manufacturer and plead for a box or two of floor that perhaps was last produced in 2014. I scoured the big box, small box, and mom and pop stores. Nothing.

So, what's next? 

My next idea was to lay a transition strip down and get a dozen carpet tiles. In order to make this work, I would have to remove a total of 8 rows of board in order to carpet 48", or 2/3 of the room.

So I priced out transition strips, and wanted to cry. It would cost as much as nearly two boxes of carpet tiles with no guarantee it would look cool. 

The plank has got to go. 

So we bought four boxes of carpet tiles and will be tearing up Will's room once again to get the floor down and while we are at it, put the baseboards up. Dave bought me a nail gun for Christmas. It'll be fun. 

LHOTR - A Sunrise Settee

Laura at sunrise.

My girl Laura worked her ass off on Pa's farm, helping him with milking, harvesting hay, gathering eggs, and generally TCB. She's to be applauded for her efforts, but she had ulterior motives. For one, she hated sitting in the house, and second, jobs like milking gave her the opportunity to have the sunrise to herself. 

Sunrise at our little house. 

Now one of my favorite things in the world is to sleep in, read, and only get up when my bladder can't take it anymore. With the cottage, our perspectives have changed a bit, and we are eager to get up, make a pot of coffee, and see the sunrise over the river. Our seating situation, however, was something to be desired. We need patio furniture.

We go to Outback and are horrified by the prices. We go to Watson's; surely with their wacky commercials, weekend tent sales, and spinning bursts, we will find a deal on outdoor living. 

Nope. 

Outdoor living room set. 

Enter Facebook marketplace. Wanting something to reuse and recycle, I attempted to wheel and deal with neighbors posting lawn furniture they would rather part with then put into storage. I eyed the set above when it was $100... then $50... when it finally hit $25, I messaged the gal with an enthusiastic "I'll take it."

The set is actually cuter in real life. The little coffee table is worth the price alone. I overthought the webbing, thinking maybe I'd find a repair kit online and my friend Hallie said to just get a couple of back cushions or pillows and call it a worn-in look. I'd have to agree. 

So, like Laura, a labor of love is resulting in yet another beautiful thing for our little house. 

LHOTR - whatnot! Tackling an ugly shelving problem.

The DIY craft project of the Dakota prairie.

In By the Shores of Silver Lake, the Ingalls family meets the Boasts, Robert and Ella. In the fictional account, Ella is described as young, fun-loving newlywed, and an expert at starting chicken farms. She is also described as being up on all the latest fads and fashions, one of which was building a whatnot, a corner shelving unit for knick knacks. Building the shelf was described in such perfect detail, I thought I was missing something.

Before...

Shelving is important in little houses. So much so, the previous owners of our little house gouged a hole into the drywall of the bathroom to slap some spare wood into the opening, and left us with the above. At least the shelves are level, but the tears in the drywall? Exposed nails? Rough boards? 

That won't do.

...after, part 1. 

I hunted around the house and found leftover molding, which I cut (I saw! I sew!) to match the door frames around the house. I also found the bathroom paint tucked away in the corner of a closet, and painted it all to match. 

I'm still not satisfied. 

I'm the Dollar Tree Joanna Gaines, y'all! 

The nails that are visible on the back wall are necessary, as they are holding up the wood walls in the kitchen! Doesn't mean I have to like it. I will be covering the back of the cabinet by creating a false back with adhesive backsplash tiles, and covering the shelves with adhesive shelving paper. The cute baskets are for keeping all the travel soaps, shampoos, lotions, and conditioners organized. 

After, part 2: look how cute! And I'm making quick work of those travel conditioners.

An added special touch? I found my own wee porcelain trinket box, digging through my jewelry chest. While it doesn't have Laura's gold teapot and cup, it has a tiny spray of roses atop a basket weave. It was the party favor my mom offered guests at my bridal shower. It will be a useful yet sentimental addition to my little house. 

LHOTR - ornament gossip

 It’s no clove apple or needle book, but it’s a homemade ornament for our Little House. 

The COVID crisis has made family gatherings near impossible to plan. And since we all wake up every morning wishing we were Up North, it's time to start thinking about the holidays.

We have long had two trees up in the house, a traditional seven-footer, and a smaller, tabletop tree to supplement my skate ornament addiction. This year, I’m retiring the skate tree and moving the little tree to the little house. 

Good news is, this marks the resurrection of the Little House ornaments for Christmas. Way back when, the Little House gift shop released a yearly ornament for each of the books, using Helen Sewell’s original illustrations, with the promise of 12 in all. 

Any LauraFan can sniff out the trouble with this plan before you can say “Flutterbudget.”

You see, Helen was the illustrator for the first edition of the original eight books, doing them in a woodcut style.

Helen’s depiction of the family getting ready for sugaring off party at grandma’s. 

Garth Williams re-illustrated the books in 1947, producing 64 memorable pencil sketches across the series that has endured for almost 80 years. Garth also illustrated one more book than Helen, since he was asked to do the drawings for The First Four Years, a manuscript published in 1971, years after Laura and daughter Rose’s death. 

Garth Williams pencil illustration of the girls pouring boiled candy into pans of snow. 

So there’s continuity issue number one in the ornament series.  

Continuity issues two and three: On the Way Home and West From Home are a collection of diaries and letters about the family move to Missouri in 1894 and Laura’s trip to visit adult Rose in San Francisco in 1915. However, Garth did not provide drawings for these. I think the combination of finding these papers and the popularity of the TV show back in the 70s meant hastily publishing the titles and rushing the books to market with forgettable drab cover art. 

I became quite the hanger-on in Mansfield when I lived in Saint Louis, road-tripping to the Ozarks on my days off just to ogle Laura's black wedding dress (edgy, my gal).  I got to talking to the ladies who ran the gift shop about the ornament issue. According to one, there was a fight between the families over whose illustrations would be used, and the fight included money and lawyers. 

As a non-profit museum store attempting to stay afloat, they opted to limit the series to the original eight, add a Mansfield homestead ornament, and discontinue the annual tradition. 

Lot of drama and history packed into celebrating nine little ornaments! 

The tree is only 4 feet tall, so not a whole lot of decorations will be needed; besides, we have plenty to outfit two trees with all the spangles you can imagine. And not a lot of presents either: I think the little house was present enough. 

LHOTR - first snow and easy fridge transformation

 

November 1: our first snow! 

Dave wanted to get a jump on the weekend while I had to get mom to the airport, so we did what we do best, and "divide and conquer." He and Will left early to start work on the yard, while I got mom to the the airport and checked out the local grocery store. I was told they have the best prices on meats in town. Pork chops for $1.19/pound! Chuck roast $3.49/pound? We are having pot roast for dinner this weekend! 

I ran out of little dishes for the baking soda, so while I was waiting for mom's delayed flight, I made powder sachets to put in each drawer and cupboard. I was amazed at what a week's exposure could do to combat the mustiness, so I can't wait to see what another week will accomplish. 

In the meantime, joined the boys in the yard, and we pitched the leaves into the river on the advice of the neighbor, who said that's what everyone does. And to fill the ditches, especially with snowfall coming. 

Oh, did you say snow? 

One of Dave's favorite things to do is make a pot of coffee and watch the sun rise over the river. I cozied up next to him, frowning at the foggy mist. Only it wasn't fog, it was snow. To celebrate, I went to put my feet in the river. That lasted about five seconds. 

Before... 

...after!

Well now I had time for an indoor project, that being the fridge. The previous owners left us a fridge in great working order that unfortunately had spots of rust from the humidity. They also left a mini paint roller and a quart of white enamel paint to do the job.

I washed the sides with hot water and rinsed it, allowing it to dry completely. I added one coat and marveled at the coverage, and an hour later, added a second coat. It looks a-maze-ing. 

Anyone who has read my blog over the years (crickets...) knows I have been a huge advocate for recycling fashion by thrifting. After seeing how nicely we have been able to pull together the cottage with items we dug out of our house, thrifted, discovered at garage sales, or repurposed from the previous owners, every project has gotten me very excited by the prospect of "proving up the claim," and making it our own. 

LHOTR - key word: cozy!

Will resting and watching the World Series after a hard day of cleaning.

Our first weekend at the cottage came together faster and happier than we could have imagined. Dave had to work at the bank until noon, which was ok, because Sandy and I had to go claim our finisher's medals from the River Bank Run. Once Dave changed into work clothes and celebratory donuts were consumed, we formed a caravan up to the little house. 

As expected, the house smelled musty, as if it had been locked up tight for a year or so. Still, we had gotten a head start on things after signing papers on Thursday when we cleared out the old blankets, rugs, and bedding. So we threw open the windows, pulled up the blinds, and started to move in. 

A never-ending cycle of dish-washing. I wonder what Caroline Ingalls would think of paper plates. The books do mention her using slips of paper for dipping hard boiled eggs into salt and pepper. 

First, I made the beds. Then wiped down the cupboards and drawers with vinegar and set dishes of  baking soda in each to make it all smell fresh. Once cupboards were dry, I unpacked the dishes, silver, cookware, and groceries, taking care to organize things to the point of being OCD. 

While I was doing that, Dave was getting the area rug unfurled, moving furniture in and out, and setting up the stereo, because tunes are always necessary. 

It is surprising with the three of us how quickly it all came together. Dave was able to make his snowmobile club meeting in Baldwin, and Will and I stayed behind to have pizza and watch the World Series as our first chillaxing evening in the house. And my lovely royal blue fainting couch fits in my nook perfectly, with my spa basket that slides underneath the perfect touch. 

Not all is well, though. It's been a long time since we have shared a queen bed. And this queen is bouncy soft. If one person rolls, the other person rolls with them. A harrumph from Dave, and I'm catapulted off the bed quite unceremoniously. After fighting each other for bed supremacy, we fell asleep exhausted about 3am. 

Up by 9am to watch the river roll by, and not enough food to make breakfast, we ran up to Four Corners and had our first meal as townies. I got the breakfast with all the meat. Then it was back to the house for more work before heading back to the city.  

LHOTR - We Did It!

 

Möet goes with everything. 

LHOTR - It’s Happening!

 

Excerpt from article on what people love about the Mitten. 

We’ve been working hard, really hard at our jobs in the time when we made our first offer. I got the call on Friday, while trying to wrap up a big work project that the time has finally come - we sign papers on Thursday to make our weekend place a reality.

So what do we need to do now? I have started a provisions pile, my nut jars now stocked with granola bars, tea bags, rice, pasta, and popcorn. Tins of tuna, spaghetti sauce, boxes of mac and cheese and stovetop stuffing. Peanut butter and jelly. Salt and pepper grinders. Steak sauce, ketchup and mustard. 

Tomorrow’s puttering will include gathering cleaning supplies and getting bedding together, first sleepover this Saturday!

I think we are both a tad overwhelmed at the things we want to do NOW to get settled, so the hardest thing has been the discipline to pace ourselves. Electric fireplaces and outdoor living rooms have been so tempting but we need to move in and get settled before we go buy more. We even have space heaters to take up that currently costs us nothing. 

Such a nice problem to have.

LHOTR - Well, Well, Well

Mr. Scott scoffs at sending the candle down. Mr. Scott is wrong.

It's fun to hear from Little House fans why they love the books. For me, it was about Laura's emerging sense of self, her gumption, and even her self-admitted shortcomings in terms of her bashfulness and her temper. You also saw her skills as a writer emerge through her descriptive narratives to help sister Mary visualize the Dakota prairies even though she was blind. I love that Little Town and Golden Years were about her courtship but it was also about her emerging sense of self. She even got a place with her girlfriend Flo for the summer to teach school!

Fans are passionate about details such as the recipes, medicine, politics, weather, farming, and late 19th century fashion. A Mennonite family author Kathleen Kelly Ferguson met while researching the path of the Ingalls family for the book My Life as Laura, wanted to uncover Pa's construction secrets, including wooden pegs for nails and leather door hinges. Lately, all of Pa's expertise at digging wells for his Little Houses has become a fascinating topic. Why?

The well continues to be an issue in finalizing our little house deal. The sellers are feigning surprise that this is an issue, as one inspector after another has confessed the well in its current condition is not up to snuff. However I knew, based on the fact the water was shut off during the summer while jugs of potable water were left on the deck and the kitchen counter, that something was up. 

The man who originally dug the well has not been answering his phone, which means he is not standing by the warranty on his work. We were refusing the deal until some compromise has been met. A more upstanding well guy has given an invoice for a new well to be dug, much to the chagrin of both sellers and us. Of course this couldn't be easy. And now, no matter what, everyone has to pitch in to resolve the issue. We have struck a compromise and sent our terms to the relator, hoping this issue is now resolved. We should know soon when and if we can close. 

So crazy to think this little house is feet away from all the fresh water we could possibly use, but no way of getting it in there at the moment. 

We'll figure it out, I hope. 

LHOTR - The China Shepherdess

 

Symbolic

Any LauraFan will tell you one of the consistencies in the Little House books is the moment Ma decided the family was settled in their new home. That's when the china shepherdess came out from her nest of quilts to grace the mantel, be it a log cabin, frame house, dugout, lean-to, farmhouse, or storefront doubling as a home. 

Today, the well guy is inspecting his previous work to fix it so the sale of the cottage can pass from the owners to us. 

I organized the piles on Friday, as my garage sale canisters have found tea bags and granola bars to fill them. And Saturday afternoon was such a perfect fall day, we drove up to the cottage just to look at it. Peeking inside, we noticed the toaster oven and some of the old blankets are gone, but it looks like there's a new coffeemaker on the kitchen counter and a pair of new pillows on the bed, so the Joys' time is coming to a close while we are anticipating the start of our time as weekenders. 

And for some reason, my Lladró statue of the Virgin Mary has been staring at me through hooded eyelids. Is she to be my china shepherdess for the Little House on the River? I have been adamant about no knick knacks that need to be dusted or things I'd be terrified of breaking. She was Very Expensive. But maybe she needs to get out of the house and grace our little home away from home. I think her box is still downstairs. 

But where to put her, as we have no mantel? Such pleasurable things to contemplate. 

LHOTR - stuff

Rule #1 at the house: if serving more than four, we use paper as a courtesy to the hostess. 

Otherwise, check out my chic budget style.  

Even though my head was telling me to wait, I couldn't help myself and splurged on new dishes for the cottage shortly after we made an offer. The carefully curated, budgeted style seen above came courtesy of the Dollar Tree, where every piece was $1; I got a four person, three piece place setting for $12 new. Since we have an abundance of coffee cups, I opted to skip purchasing mugs which are usually included in matched sets. 

I recently read an article on the psychology of shopping at dollar stores, which replaced the traditional five and dimes in American culture. It's considered a place where "even the most budget conscious can feel like they are wealthy," according to one study. Considering the fact I walked out of there with a new set of dishes, as well as a set of dish towels, and a set of cooking utensils for under $25, I would have to agree with that, as well as feeling like I was a savvy consumer.

You're not going to believe the bargain I got while garage sale-ing. 

Determined to reuse/recycle to make the cottage our own, I decided to peruse area garage sales in search of the other things we may need, such as a coffee maker and crock pot. These items were harder to find, as seller wanted too much money for things that were worse for wear, and frankly not that clean.

Still determined to find something of value on my hunt, I drive by a house where a woman is dragging a couch to the curb. I do a u-turn. No sign on it, so I go up to the house to ask her how much. "If you can get it in your truck, it's yours!" she said. Flip the seats, move the skates to the front seat, and it's in my truck in no time flat. Left it out in the garage for a couple of days in case of fleas or bugs, then moved it into the house to start the cottage pile. 

FREE - the beautiful blue fainting couch, my little reading nest for this winter, was FREE. I already have a basket prepared that will slide under it, stocked with girly spa things. 

Random drive-bys of garage sales has also given us a set of canisters that are old Kuzee Nut jars, and two knife blocks for $2, giving us the luxury of ditching knives from that are of no use and keeping the ones that are for a fraction of the cost. 

Shop the basement. 

And finally, why buy when we already have it? Having a big house and being married a long time means we have stuff, lots of stuff. We have been diligent over the years in parting with our excess, but after our offer was accepted and we started splitting things up (one saucepan for here, one for up north), we realized how much stuff we really had. So many glasses, mugs, platters, pitchers, and party trays. And ice buckets, why do we own so many ice buckets?! 

What's more is the agreement we signed was for the house, property, and all the content. I can see us keeping some of the housewares that are currently in the garage and I like the purple comforter, but we are going to attack the place like an episode of Hoarders, and throw down some keep, donate, throw away tarps before we get settled in. 

So, What's Next? Little House on the River

Offer pending!

One of the funniest bits from an Academy Award presentation was courtesy of Jim Carey, who called the statuette "the Lord of all knick knacks." Then you have George Carlin's bit on houses as just places to put your stuff. 

Well, that's how I'm viewing our current obsession: the purchase of a vacation/weekend/summer place, a knick knack we can visit and and a new place to put our stuff. 

The story for me goes back a ways, when on a trip to Adult Nationals, the girls and I designed the West Michigan Adult Skater "WMAS Compound." In addition to a customized ice rink with voice activated music system, fully stocked snack bar, luxury locker room, Chihuly glass sculpture at center ice, and rec room with theater seating to watch Nationals, Olympics, and Worlds, we would have guest apartments or cottages on grounds for judges and skating friends who would be visiting for private ice time, a competition, or test session. 

So I start to collect cottages on Pinterest. And you know how the mind wanders when you are falling asleep, you start to think about cozy couches, notion baskets, warm blankets, board games and such to outfit your little dream cottage. 

The Great Room. 

Fast forward to freaking COVID, and the world shuts down. I don't go anywhere or skate for months. All I do is work, get Will through virtual school, sew masks, and attempt to bake cookies until Dave tells me to stop. We need a vacation, and need one bad. 

We head to the UP and it is glorious. It was exactly what we needed, and my little cottage dreams start making more noise in my head. 

Muskegon River landing. 

So one weekend we have to go up north to deliver some things to the groomer barn in Baldwin. It's hot and we start telling Will tales of fun weekends up at his grandparents' cottage swimming, boating, and fishing. We aren't far, so it's the perfect opportunity to go run around Nichols Lake. We hit the public access beach for a quick dip; luckily I was wearing the equivalent of a bikini with my choice of bra and panty that day, behold the power of lycra! I can say I wore a bikini at age 50!

This then leads to us cruising the area, looking at cottages. And there's one for sale! But the owner is elusive in her willingness to entertain selling to us. This starts an immediate obsession in Dave to start looking at properties. And then we find it: the little house on the river. 

Little House on the River

We go see it. We go back two days later, this time with Will. We call friends and realtors for advice. We go back to tour the place and write a check that day, making an offer. It is accepted. 

We are still in the throes of inspections and negotiations. I'm hoping I don't have to delete or amend this post to say the deal went sour. I hope the next step in this blog is to chronicle the process of making this place, as Dave's friend Lois says, our "forever home," the place where we retire in the future. The place where Will and the kids come to hang out. The place where I serve a cozy Christmas meal this December. It sure looks bright and sunny in photos on a gloomy day. 

The Songs That Shaped Rock n Roll, The Last 28 Years Encapsulated for Your Pleasure

So what's happened in music the last 28 years or so? 

Don't ask Deaky, he's not talking. 

The list I used for the 500 songs that shaped rock and roll (with some numbering errors along the way) was published in 1995. The newest songs on the list were from Metallica, De La Soul, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana, so I established 1992 as the cut off. There has since been 28 years of new music to take into consideration, as well as new ways to consume music, new ways to deliver, and new ways to connect to your favorite artists. Anyone can be a recording artist, create a following, become a grassroots to superstar phenom.

As such, the following is a mish mash of information that has since moved the industry forward. For the best? Remains to be seen. 

American Idol and Its Incarnations

A British competition show called Pop Idol gave birth to American Idol here in the states. From that first season emerged Kelly Clarkson, who went on to have a very long career as a pop music artist. Her song, My Life Would Suck Without You, was the number one song the week Will was born. 

Other sensations came from the show, including Carrie Underwood (country), Katherine McPhee (stage and television), David Archuletta (pop), Adam Lambert (currently touring with Queen and is a solo artist), Chris Daughtry (rock band), and Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson. Nearly 20 years later, the show is limping along, having not created a star in a while, but still pulling down the ratings. 

Who Needs a Radio? Or a record album? 
Someone figured out how to extract music files from compact discs, which led to file sharing through programs such as Napster and Limewire. Lawsuits ensued. This lead to the development of iTunes. Then sharing music became mainstream, and you could conjure up a song as easy as creating a streaming channel on Spotify or finding specific channels on I Heart Radio and Sirius/XM.

YouTube, Facebook, MySpace Sensations
Just two artists need to be listed here to justify these platforms as viable outlets for breaking new artists and new music: Taylor Swift and Justin Beiber. For Taylor, the song Tim McGraw broke her at the age of 15 from MySpace, a social media platform. Now, at the age of 30 and millions of fans and billions of dollars later, she is a complex, introspective artist who challenges the old boys club in the music industry to fight for her rights to her music, her career, and her brand. MySpace, once more popular than Facebook, has now become the place to find new music. 

As for Beiber, he was a YouTuber who became a sensation at the age of 16, to become an international star. While I don't like any of his music, this cannot be denied. I'd put his song Baby here.

MTV Still Works
One sneering complaint from my generation is MTV no longer plays music videos. And yet, artists like  Eminem, P!nk, and Beyonce have made their mark on the channel with interesting and ground breaking performances and videos that debuted there. 

Power Pop
What the Spice Girls started in 1997 with their girl power pop hasn't really gone away, it's actually gone to Vegas and numerous reunion shows: Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, N'Sync.

I'm Talking About Girls 
The female solo artist has always reigned supreme: Adele, Alicia Keys, Billie Ellish, Lizzo, St. Vincent, Amy Winehouse.

Rise of Emo, Nu Metal

It's a blend of power chords, power lyrics, searing guitars, and mouthy vocalists. One of the first instances of me turning the volume down. System of a Down, Good Charlotte, Five for Fighting, My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy. 

And the Award Goes To...
Back in the 80s, the Academy Award for Best Song in a Motion Picture was a frustrating category, with dried up, boring songs awarded golden statues. 

Either I've grown older and become the establishment, or the Academy has gotten hipper. Edgy rockers and rappers have been given their artistic due on mainstream awards shows, proving that your don't have to go with the safe choice anymore. Props to artists such as Common, Nine Inch Nails, and Tyler the Creator.

What's Old is New Again
The rise of social media has created a phenomena among the kids who not only are looking forward, but embracing the past. This has led to artists whose careers have gone the way of the county fair circuit to get a surprising late career resurgence. These artists fall safely within the Songs That Shaped timeline, but given the current popularity, I need to revisit their status and place on this list.

Why? According to my niece, who is a freshman in college, her generation "embraces the suck," which I think my generation would call a guilty pleasure. The song Africa by Toto is one of these.

There are also popular YouTube videos of teens filming reaction videos of themselves experiencing their parents music for the first time. Two twin teens recently went viral for their excitable reaction to Phil Collins' In The Air Tonight. 

Dolly Parton has become a hero of social justice in these crazy times, speaking out for LGBTQ rights and Black Lives Matter. She had a limited series run called Dolly Parton's Heartstrings, which are made-for-TV movies using the themes and lyrics of some of her most beloved songs as plot lines. Peeps are going Dollywood.

Eighties power hard rock/pop metal is seeing a surge in popularity, although some of us would argue it never went away. Contributing to this sensation is the miniseries Cobra Kai, which is a look back at the world created in the Karate Kid movies, only this time told from Johnny Lawrence's hot mess perspective. It's the redemption story you didn't know you wanted, but with artful storytelling, humor, pathos, and acted to perfection by William Zabka, the story you needed in these chaotic times. You may love to hate him, but Zabka's Johnny will never not be badass. I may do a post on this series alone. 

The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll, 491-500

X

Stevie Wonder, Superstition, Uptight

Once, when I was judging, a skater came out in a black velvet catsuit and I was vibrating with excitement, thinking she was going to skate to Superstition. Instead it was You Don't Own Me, a satirical take on catitude. So disappointed. I've entertained the idea of skating to Stevie myself, but then there's the fact I've sat on my ass for 6 months of a quarantine and IDK about me in black velvet catsuit. Still, Spirit of Halloween is now open. 

Link Wray, Rumble

The last half of this list has sounded like a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack, and here's it is. Rolling Stone considers him one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Rumble, from 1958, is considered one of his signature songs. Jimmy Page cites him as a creative influence. 

X, Los Angeles

There is something so cool and raw about X and this song. After the band, John Doe became an actor, Exene became a housewife in St. Louis, thankfully not the terrible blonde woman wielding a pistol. There's a punky rockabilly sensibility here that I love. I remember hearing The Hungry Wolf and finding is sexy and primal. From 1982, so I was only 12/13 at the time. What the hell kind of tween was I?

Jimmy Yancy, Midnight Stomp

He listed as Yancey on wikipedia, but Yancy on YouTube. He was an American boogie-woogie pianist, composer, and lyricist. One reviewer described him as "one of the pioneers of this raucous, rapid-fire, eight-to-the-bar piano style". Another one whose birthday could be anywhere between 1894 and 1903. He also played baseball in the Negro Leagues and was a groundskeeper for the Chicago White Sox. Oh, and inducted into the R&RHOF in the 1986 class. Wow.

The Yardbirds, Shape of Things
Watching this video with 2020 eyes makes me laugh, as they are all spread out on what appears to be a soccer field. Social distancing? Very catchy song, and a short-haired Jimmy Page looking so young. 

Yes, Roundabout
Never the biggest fan of prog rock but still this is a great song. Fandom of Yes came late for me, as I was listening to rock stations when Leave It and Owner of a Lonely Heart was out in the 80s. They weren't classic rock, they were just rock. Oooh, nice glitter cape. 

Neil Young, Down By the River, Heart of Gold, My My Hey Hey

Neil is a complicated man, a Canadian working for social justice in America. His voice isn't particularly pleasant, nor does he have rock star good looks. What he has is honesty, a knack for making catchy yet acid-touched lyrics. To put it in another way, he can charm you while telling you to fuck off. 

These are great songs, but as I am growing older, I find the magic in songs such as Harvest Moon, the love affair less May-December and more perhaps September-November. During the EPIC WLAV fundraiser where they would play your song request for a $10 donation to their charity, someone requested Harvest Moon in honor of his recently deceased wife, who he would love always. DJ choked up while I sobbed without shame. 

ZZ Top, Legs
This is it, the last song to enter? Sigh, I hate this song. I guess it's notable for bringing ZZ Top to the MTV generation, which was peak career. All I can say is at least it's not Sharp Dressed Man. 

There's so many other cool songs by ZZ Top, confirmed by the recent viewing of the show Rock Legends, that did a career overview in 22 minutes. And I love the inside joke built around the last name Hill, making Dusty Hank Hill's cousin on the cartoon sitcom King of the Hill. Give Me All Your Lovin', Head's in Mississippi, Tube Steak Boogie. 

So that's it! I have thoughts of course on this exercise but need some time to pull this all together, especially the missing last 25 years. So much has changed, especially in terms of how we consume music. And I'd like to get nerdy about what we found in this list in terms of dates, genres, female to male ratio.