The Historic District

southerners, no sappy post just new memories. I realy was amazed at the size of your home. The family photo gave it a bit of scale, realy showed the size.

Good to see you over here! A beautiful house indeed. I'm always impressed with women who are interested not only in living in an old house, but work on them as well. Saw your blog and I love some of your furniture pieces. That sofa is fantastic. And what southern ladies home would be complete without a nice piano forte. Keep on with the good work!
-Eric

Thank you, Eric. I can't imagine not living in an old house. If I ever were to move (God forbid, I've already put too much blood, sweat, and tears in the place!), the stipulation would be that it would be to another old home. There's just something relaxing about walking over a 100+-year-old threshold and taking a seat in a parlor to drink your coffee and read your book in the evenings.

Southernlady, did you ever get that fancy piano tuned?

No, I have not! My friend Don, who is one of the very best tuners we have in the whole left half of North Carolina (no joke, this guy has done it for 40+ years and is highly trusted and recommended to work on all of the fine historical instruments in the region), has not been able to get to it yet. He had rotator cuff surgery, then his wife had emergency heart surgery, then he got the flu, then something went bad with the rotator cuff surgery, then his son-in-law unexpectedly passed away, and after all of that got settled he forgot to work me into his schedule and he is already booked out at least another six months.

I called a couple of the piano companies in town to see who they could recommend to tune it since he hasn't been able to work it out, and everyone said the only tuner they would trust to do the job on such an old instrument was Don, and no one else.

He came by to tune our church's 9' concert grand about a month ago (which had been on the schedule for at least 9 months) and snuck out without seeing me, the stinker. (haha) He did say it is going to probably be an all-day job, as the strings all appear to be original and he is sure at least a few will break and need to be restrung (of course, he wouldn't have all of the proper strings in his van, so it would be another two weeks for the order to come in...), and with those old pianos the strings for the higher notes are encased in a "harp" which has to be removed from the piano after the entire lid is removed in order for the lower register to be tuned and restrung if necessary.

I do not plan to be in the house when he tunes it because I don't want to hear 150-year-old strings snapping!

Just popping in to say there has been not one, but TWO updates to my blog...

Very interesting updates! Thanks

Glad to see you are back!!!

Your house makes me itching to get back to mine!