When we moved here and started on the building eleven years ago we had eight storage units. Finally about four years ago we got down to just one. You have to have at least one so that when you find that thing-a-ma-jig you did not know you needed you have someplace to put it. It is time to get rid of the storage unit when there is no room anywhere to put stuff and stop collecting, going to garage sales and trash picking.
Half of what was in the unit became items we had no use for what so ever. Out to the dumpster or out to the street for someone else to trash pick. Part of the other half found a new home with our sons, the rest that needed to be restored, repainted or redone into something else was put in Marshell's garage with a life span of only four weeks, two days and nine hours.
My prized EASY Wringer Washer rolled out of the unit. Hmm......what was I going to do with that? I remember falling in love with the color of the porcelain tub. Do not have a place for it in the house and no cool garden to put it in. Going to have to be a Landmark. If you are coming to my house just look for the building on the corner with the Easy Wringer Washer out front.
Of course, it took two days of cleaning all the grease and oil off the bottom half. The motor must have exploded at least twenty years ago as it was a little crusty. A couple of coats of good old gloss black Rustoleum paint made it look pretty good.
Since the washer looked so good it made the mailbox stand and the water pump look shabby. The mailbox stand is actually a smudge pot. Smudge pots are used in orchards to keep the fruit from freezing. They are usually filled with diesel fuel and lit when the temperature is expected to drop. This one came from California when Marshell and I got married. Our wedding and reception were outdoors in December and they were on hand in case it got cold. Naturally we could not live without one.
A new color of paint certainly makes it stand out. Maybe the bright color will ward off bills and political announcements.
In case you have a pile of old wood frame windows you do not know what to do with here are a few ideas. These all came from the downstairs of our building when we gutted it. There was this wacky structure which was sort of an office with counters and these windows. Of course I couldn't throw perfectly good windows away.
Three became the cover up for a window that had been taken out in the upstairs bath by the previous owner. Halite blocks did not look very attractive so Marshell made a fake window with three of them. I painted an outdoor scene on the wall to hide the blocks and the center window panes were replaced with mirrored glass. Solved the problem with the wall and gave us a mirror for over the sink.
Another one of the windows became a mirror in the downstairs bath. It was amazing how much larger the room appeared after it's installation. Of course, I did do a little decorative painting on it which adds to the look.
The last window became a picture frame for the grandchildren. Six panes allowed two pictures of each child and they can be easily changed as they grow. Do have one problem in that there is another grandchild due in December. More windows? One hint here: I had a frame shop custom cut the mats as they are strange sizes - EXPENSIVE! Next time I will cut my own mats or use double mats that can be trimmed down to fit.
Still to do is the 1950's Stoner Theater Candy Machine, the metal lawn bench, the dining room table we cut down to make entry way tables (even though we have no room for them), the school house coat rack and lunch box shelf, the pinball machine, the six foot Coca Cola box and the twin bed head and foot board that will become our new headboard. Wonder if I can get an extension on the time frame these pieces can stay in the garage?
P.S. A friend dropped by last week who had not been in our place for a couple of years. She smiled and said "This place looks like a giant playroom". Wonder if that was a compliment?
No comments:
Post a Comment