This Old House~

The heart’s foundation is of odd stones and mortar
which encompass a dirt floor
Long ago, this cellar served to store food
I remember the sacks in which the potatoes were kept
Perhaps more than potatoes were kept, but I was just a kid
Only visiting...
The kitchen used to house an old wood stove
Which not only served to warm the place in the winter,
It also served to cook meals for all seasons

This old house has stood for more than 200 years
And has seen many a family member come and go
Each time it was handed down, something new was added
It would seem that my great-great grandfather
Added the summer kitchen which is now the kitchen
Its foundation, which is low to the ground,
Is made of cinder block
Therefore, gaining access is made via belly crawl
This part of the house could have been here since the 1800's
As there are early 1900's pictures of him by that addition
I can’t say what my great-grandfather did,
But to the best of my knowledge, he built an enclosed porch
In which his wife, I called her my Ista, would store things
At least she did in my youth...
My grandfather turned the porch into a proper extension of the house
Giving the kitchen extra space for a sink and washing machine

This old house was made of railway ties
Insulated with newspapers
And if you look under some very old wallpaper
In a section of the house that has never been touched,
You will find ads from 1932
Yes, you could buy a 7-Tube Lowboy for $55
Or a Henry Herbert player piano for just $298.50 on sale from $735
Johnson’s Baby Powder could be purchased 3 for $.59
How about 2 pounds of bacon for $.27
Maybe this section of the house was left as a reminder
To a time that has long passed

During the time of my grand father,
An oil furnace, a cement porch, running water, wood paneling,
And two picture windows were added to create modernity
The other 8 windows were the type you had to use a stick to hold them up
In the winter, another framed window was placed over the original
Luckily, there was a window lift panel that exposed 3 holes to allow for air

As the self appointed keeper of the homestead,
I too have left my mark to follow with the times
In that I have modernized the whole house and
Created two additions of my own
In the past two weeks, I have signed two contracts for more renovations
To give this ol’ girl a longer life
Once these jobs are completed,
I only have two more jobs I want done
Whatever comes next will be in the hands of she who will inherit
This old house ~ Oct. 14, 2013