“Old as she was, she still missed her daddy sometimes.” ~ Gloria Naylor Most people spend much of their time in a horizontal thought process. We move along connecting the dots of one moment to another, on cruise control, until something happens that causes us to stop. I used to think of this as a [...]

“Are you upset little friend? Have you been lying awake worrying? Well, don’t worry…I’m here. The flood waters will recede, the famine will end, the sun will shine tomorrow, and I will always be here to take care of you. ~ Charlie Brown to Snoopy The Fairfield House is on a peninsula, situated between a [...]

“I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house.  So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air. ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne Did you ever have a guest that just wouldn’t leave? Well, I finally said farewell to a couple who have been at the Fairfield [...]

“The road to hell is paved with works-in-progress.” ~ Philippe de Comines After some steamy nights (of removing wall paper), the plaster cracks on the walls were repaired and leveled with joint compound. They were then sanded. The Man installed all the bead board and repaired trim and molding. We are using shingle molding along [...]

A bargain ain’t a bargain unless it’s something you need. ~ Sidney Carroll Do you shop on Black Friday? Wake before the sun to fight the crowds, endure the long lines all for a great deal? Once upon a time I moved into a new home with no refrigerator. I used a cooler for the [...]

“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” ~ Confucius There are moments that fill you so completely there is no room for memories of days gone by or plans for the future – the present from Him. I accepted this gift with gratitude the first warm day of spring a few years ago and [...]

A good home must be made, not bought. ~ Joyce Maynard My last post neglected to mention the two most important features sorely lacking in antique houses – bathrooms and closets. People forget that back in the 1800s you only had two outfits, your Sunday best and work clothes. When this house was built a [...]

This old house has seen the sunshine of many different years. This old house has seen some happiness This old house has seen some tears. ~ Edna Howard White My affair with antique houses started when I was a child. I grew up on the NJ shore in a town consisting of newer neighborhoods circling [...]

Where one door closes, another opens. ~ Don Quixote  Unlike McMansions or today’s designer trends to knock down walls and have one open shared space, the Fairfield House is true to its Victorian architecture and compartmentalized. Every room has it’s original door (thirty-two of them), door knob, lock and skeleton key. Imagine what fun it [...]