New York Renovator

This is one of my daughter’s Yorkies (well, “Morkies.” They are a Yorkshire and Maltese mix). Isn’t he adorable?!?!?! His name is Cricket, or “Cricket Bug” as we affectionately call him. The picture is a little fuzzy because he is pausing mid-motion for a split second. Whew, these critters move fast.

We let them out of their pens (wearing doggy diapers– a must!) to run around the house. I would love to have them run around the house all the time, but we don’t think they will ever be housebroken. They are good dogs, they don’t make any trouble. I have always liked Yorkies.

Livvy was out with them, too, but she refused to be in the photos with the dogs. You can read the cute, entertaining little story at my daughter’s blog, As in a Mirror.

I think Cricket looks very dashing in his diaper and sweater. Hey, give the critter some bling and maybe some masonic jewelry and he’s looking quite fearsome. Beware the home intruder– he’d be yapped to death!

… that’s one of my daughters. I don’t know what I’d do without these kids.

She worked all day, painting the trim in the dining room, so that I could work on my writing assignments (and boy, did I have a ton of them). The other daughter cooked and cleaned… and the boys helped with laundry and cleaning.

Gosh, my kids are amazing.

THANKS, GUYS!!!!! I love you!

Two of our kids got Oral B electric toothbrushes and we’ve been testing them out for quite a while. You can read about my review on the Oral B Triumph (which is AMAZING, really!) here. My youngest son- a reluctant brusher- has been dentally-transformed by the Triumph, and we love it!

It’s my daughter who got the Oral B Pulsonic (in the photo above, it’s to the left). She has braces. She had to get braces because they were medically necessary– her teeth were so mangled and snaggly that she was going to have dental and jaw problems if we didn’t straighten her teeth. She’s always had problems with her teeth [...]

I’ve been married 20 years, today. Cannot believe how quickly the time has gone by. I’m giving myself the night off from blogging, and most likely from dropping Entrecard cards. So see you all tomorrow!

Some new readers to my humble bloggy abode have recently been requesting photos and more information about our renovation work here. I haven’t done much renovation this summer, but last summer and the past few years, we worked hard on the gardens, exterior and basement work, and gutting the living room.

I have tried to organize our stories in a convenient manner. Here are some links to click to read about our work and see some of the photos. (Be prepared, some photos are mighty scary!)

I had spent time researching the history of the house and property (it goes back to 1855), and blogged about it here. If you like history, you’ll like this post.

There’s Our Story here, which is a condensed version of the year 2007.

And if you want to know about this crazy family that took on this project eleven years ago, you can read more about it here.

I am in the process of looking for a new template for this blog, where I will be able to list some of our “classics” posts so you can see all the stuff we’ve been doing around here. The blog itself is also a work in progress! But I promise THAT will be done before the next century. Thanks for your questions and thanks for reading about our adventure!

I’ve been interviewed by a realtor in Cleveland, Ohio, Cecilia Sherrard! She runs the You Should Own website. You can go to the site and read the interview here.

I have been reading the New York Renovator Blog for about a year. The updates are filled with humor and reality. I’ve enjoyed following this blog and the work being done to this home in New York. There are many older homes in the Cleveland, Ohio area, and many people buy these old homes to restore. I’ve witnessed amazing after shots and some of the work is stunning. If you’re thinking about rehabbing a century home, you’ll want to check this blog out even if you just need motivation. Also, make sure you read her tips at the bottom of this article. Yes, it’s long, but I think you’ll enjoy her tips and stories. This is my interview with Mrs. Mecomber who is truly a vibrant and energetic mother and wife. She’s now also… a renovator.

I was absolutely floored when Cecilia approached me for an interview. But she said that Ohioans are experiencing much of the same things we in New York are experiencing: a slow economy, high taxation, loss of manufacturing jobs, a slumpy housing market. Lots of us in the Rust Belt states have been unable to buy spanking-new homes (we’re just too busy buying new homes for our politicians, you know) and renovation has become “new again.”

Restoring older homes is not easy. But it is wasteful to junk an old house if it can be restored, and especially if it is less expensive to restore it than to build new. The population booms and busts have left our towns with cavernous lots full of empty houses, overdeveloped acres, and a mess in suburbia. I am one of many rooting for the new class of renovators here in the Northeast!

Thanks, Cecilia, for graciously sharing your webspace with my answers.