Hi everyone! Happy Friday! And since it is Friday, you know what that means...time to head over to Kelli's for more 'Show and Tell' posts! Today I would like to share a little bit of history pertaining to our house...in the form of our front walkway.
When we were in the process of gutting and remodeling in 2000, my husband had to knock out the brick chimney in the center of the old part of our house in order to implement the new floor plan. Now to let you know, this chimney was never part of a fireplace. Instead, it was the hidden chimney that vented the heating stoves in three different rooms. But when my grandparents had gas heaters installed in later years, the chimney was no longer needed as the heating stoves were removed. The round holes at the top of the walls where the metal pipes once came out and connected down to the heating stoves were covered with metal 'plates'...and that's what I remember as a child.
When Chad started the 'gutting' process, he painstakingly took out the chimney, brick by brick, or at least chunk by chunk! LOL I asked him if we could knock the mortar from each brick and stack them up for a future project. Now, I am the queen of coming up with ideas, but the following through...well, that's another story. But he humored me, and took the time to do what I asked, probably thinking that those bricks would still be sitting there twenty years later!
But I surprised him (and myself)! I hauled those bricks, wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow, around to the front of the house and laid a brick walkway from the porch steps out to side driveway and near the picket fence and arbor. I used a 'basket-weave' design, and I think it turned out great for a first try. The ground was fairly level, so I didn't have to do any grading...I simply laid the bricks. And so far, after almost seven years, it's still in pretty good shape. The bricks, of course, have 'settled' some, but otherwise it looks the same. As with everything else, I go for the 'cottage' look, and in my opinion, the simple little brick walkway provides the front of our home with old-fashioned appeal. Plus, whenever I walk on the bricks, I remember that they once played an important part in keeping my daddy, aunt, uncle, and grandparents warm and cozy inside their little home.
(The photo at the very top of my blog gives yet another angle of the walkway if you scroll back up to look.)
When the weather gets cooler, I have more plans for our yard. I want to add some more color to the front beds and also do some landscaping along the picket fence...we'll see! And like everything else around here, the picket fence needs a new coat of paint. I guess I need to get all my 'white washers' on the job real soon! LOL
Well, thanks to all for coming by today and letting me share about my special brick walkway! I hope you all have a blessed weekend! Chad is taking me out for supper tonight, and tomorrow night we'll be going to his 25th class reunion. So I probably won't be posting again until next week. Until then, take care!
I am so impressed! That is a great walkway you created and the fact that your husband was so careful to preserve those bricks is great! enjoy!
http://happywonderer.wordpress.com/
ellen b
Amy, that is such a neat story and what a wonderful way of preserving a part of your home! You did a great job!
Hugs,
Kelli
www.kellishouse.blogspot.com
Your home is beautiful! This is the first time visiting your blog and that to is beautiful. I love the layout and the colors. They are so warm and inviting. I just want to grab my coffee and stay awhile. I will visit often.
I'm a very happily married pastor's wife, former schoolteacher-turned-homeschool mom of six wonderful blessings, and freelance writer--and we live in the great state of Georgia! I'm a southern girl through and through...but most importantly, I'm a child of the King! We have just finished up our twelfth year of homeschooling, and our two oldest have now graduated! This is my place to record thoughts about homemaking, Classical-Charlotte Mason based homeschooling, writing around the fringes of family life, and more...so welcome to my little corner of the world!
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