#Vernacular Cottage

[ragtimesss]

spring evening in co. kilkenny

these are the grimsteads. they are my fictional family from late 19th century ireland. this particular scene would be closer to 1890. i have been in ireland for the past 3 months and have had the privilege to visit several vernacular cottages and so here i am applying some of the things i learned! still not completely accurate but i’m happy with it anyway :).

they characters are, from left to right: bláthnaid, john, niallán (nellie), eilís (ellie), bee (who actually belongs to my gf!!), and peter.

[uwmspeccoll]

A Staff Pick Decorative Sunday

I recently came across a video a farmer took of one of their pigs gently tearing out a bunch of flowers. The video then cut to the interior of a barn, where the pig lay sleeping in its nest, bunches of dried yellow wild flowers surrounding her. None of the farmers other pigs did this. Human animals are driven to adorn their spaces. But some humans are driven to elevate that endeavor from decoration to high art. 

There are many potential challenges when it comes to collecting, preserving, and exhibiting artist-built environments, that is, environments that “involve an individual significantly transforming their surroundings into an exceptional, multifaceted work of art.” For over fifty years, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, WI has been dedicated to preserving these unique spaces. The ultimate goal is to preserve these works in their original contexts/sites, but issues ranging from changes in property ownership to exposure to the elements sometimes requires alternative preservation strategies.

Sublime Spaces & Visionary Worlds: Built Environments of Vernacular Artists, published in 2007 by the Princeton Architectural Press (New York, New York) with the Kohler Arts Center (Sheboygan, WI) seeks to “provide a lasting record of the art these men and women have created and situate the environments within historical and cultural continuums.” The publication was in conjunction with an exhibition presented June 2007-January 2008. Curator Leslie Umberger authored the book, with contributions by Erika Doss, Ruth DeYoung Kohler, Lisa Stone, and Jane Bianco. While viewing images of these spectacular constructed worlds can’t replicate the experience of being immersed within them, this kind of documentation can help carry the spirit of these artists forward in time, even if their work ends up being ephemeral. 

The cover image features The Forevertron, by Dr. Evermore (Tom Every, 1938-2020) located at the Evermore Sculpture Park in North Freedom, Wisconsin. It is the largest scrap metal structure in the world and weighs 300 tons. See image descriptions to learn more about the artworks. 

Find more of our Staff Picks here. 

Find more Decorative Sunday posts here.

-Olivia, Special Collections Graduate Intern

[thebelgischpleindays]

Hiddensee Island, Germany - 30.07.23

[giftiaa]

Dallas Exterior Metal Example of a mid-sized trendy gray one-story metal exterior home design

[alwaysbemybae]

SESTINA FOR GOOD OMENS FANS

Let’s peek at our happy ending. A cottage

in the South Downs. A midday bubble bath

for two, who chortle now at their dates gone wrong,

at the shenanigans this ineffably matched

couple get into, like after dinner,

when—surprise!—it’s a double proposal!

How do they get to this double proposal,

warmly ensconced in their cozy cottage?

It’s a wondrous, dangerous route: a dinner

of ox-rib, a bullet-catch, hellfire, a bath

in holy water. Dark wings unfurl, a match

for white ones. A serpent teaches right from wrong.

Heartfelt confessions go horribly wrong.

They wonder what the Almighty proposes,

creating such a blasphemous match

made in heaven and hell. Their cottage

awaits. But it’s not yet time. An angel is bathed

in sorrow, missing candlelit dinners,

amber eyes that devoured him for dinner,

a sardonic voice teasing him for wrong

vernacular. For millennia they’ve bathed

in each other’s auras. His demon’s proposed

escaping to safe haven, maybe a cottage

in the star system whose name matches

theirs, A and C. But heaven’s ignited a match.

The angel knows they’ll be eaten for dinner,

live, by overseers who’ll set fire to their cottage

dreams, who’ll never stop berating wrong, wrong, wrong.

The angel says yes but to heaven’s proposal,

The demon warns of impending bloodbath.

So now we wait for months, for years, bathed

in breathless anticipation. We’re match-

less in number of stories told, theories proposed,

worlds built where angels and demons dine

in bliss, engage in mischievous wrongs,

move books and plants into their cottage.

We dream of the double proposal at dinner,

of baths that heal the hurts and wrongs,

of matching souls safe, at last, in their cottage.

*

Scribbling Vaguely Downwards Valentine’s Day prompts: dinner, date gone wrong, bubble bath, matchymatchy, double proposal, South Downs cottage

A sestina is a poem with six stanzas of six lines each and a concluding triplet. The stanzas have the same six words at the line ends in a fixed pattern and the six words all appear in the final three lines.

My Good Omens Valentine’s Day poems: https://archiveofourown.org/series/3978853

[zilabee]

Sections of Ticket To Ride, by Larry Kane, which address anti-Semitism:

Early in the '64 tour:

About an hour into the flight, a word reached my ears that I couldn't ignore. In everyone's life, there are certain words that spark instant revulsion. I raised my head from my book and my mind raced quickly, along with the beat of my heart, when I heard the word kike. Worse yet, the ethnic slur came from the rear, where the Beatles and Derek Taylor were sitting. I didn't race to conclusions. After all, I could have misunderstood what was being said. I bit my lip and hoped I was wrong. Then I heard the word again, this time in part of a sentence, "The kike did---" I heard, though I couldn't be sure whose voice had said it. Although it's hardly part of the current hate vernacular, the word was used generously by bigots in the 1960s.

Irritated, disappointed and agitated, I got up from my seat and approached the rear, about five rows back. My growing-up years, especially those I had spent in suburban Miami, had sensitised me to words that hurt. And this hurt, especially at the time and place.

I approached the opening to the Beatles' small compartment, stuck my head in, and blurted out "Listen, I just want to say that I heard a word that really pisses me off. I'm Jewish, and I won't stand for that crap. I mean, whoever said it, can't you think before you talk?"

The beatles, Derek Taylor and Malcolm Evans looked startled. Sheepishly, without the courage to wait for an answer, I returned to my seat, figuring that the outburst would end my travels with the band, or at the least would rupture the rapport I had established in just a few days.

Minutes passed. The Derek Taylor came forward and knelt alongside my aisle seat. He said "Look, I'm really sorry. It came from me. It's just a word that is used quite casually in English life and I didn't mean anything." I replied, "But you didn't say it." I knew the voice hadn't been his. "What do you mean?" "I mean you didn't say it." Derek smiled. "Doesn't matter. It was said nonetheless. I'm sorry."

At that point I felt foolish about the whole thing. But I also knew that if I had let it go and ignored the slight, I could not have lived with myself the rest of the tour.

Minutes later, Lennon came over and sat down. I don't remember our exact words, but we had a relaxed and compassionate conversation about the roots of prejudice in Liverpool. It was a good talk. As we spoke, Ringo and George walked by. Ringo gave a wink, and George just said, "How you doing, Larry." Paul didn't make a special trip. He did pass by on the way to the bathroom and said "Great working with you, Larry." It was, I interpreted, his way of smoothing the episode over.

I felt good, but still self-conscious that I had responded so aggressively. Whatever the roots of the prejudice and whatever the reasons someone had spoken that word, I knew I would never hear it again for the remainder of the tour. And this incident did something else; it showed me that the Beatles possessed genuine compassion and feeling.

Two years later Derek [...] brought up the subject. I had long forgotten, but Derek had not. He confirmed that he wasn't the one who had said the word and that the boys had been embarrassed. When I asked him who'd said it, he changed the subject.

_____

Towards the end of the '65 tour Brian Epstein invited Larry for drinks in his rented cottage:

As the conversation progressed, I realised that I was serving as a depository for some pent up, constrained feelings. I listened intently as he expressed concern that he was losing his grip on John and maybe the whole group and described his fear that, without his presence, the Beatles' unity would divide into four separate camps. His words would be prophetic, but he didn't imagine that his own death would be a catalyst in realising those predictions.

I was surprised as Epstein described a growing paranoia. He looked pained when he described an awareness of the boys talking behind his back. He assumed that they were laughing at him. I told him I had never heard or seen anything like that. I could imagine that happening, but I was hardly an expert on their private behaviour and of course didn't make any guesses with him. [...]

And then, much to my astonishment, he addressed a subject close to my heart - anti-Semitism. This scourge was commonplace in industrial Liverpool in the forties and fifties, he said, creating a cloud of resentment that he unmistakably felt, even around entertainers. "Are the Beatles anti-Semitic?" I inquired.

"I don't think so," he said, "But it was always around them, so it may be in them." I never told him about the incident on the plane in 1964.

[forgotteneilionora]

OOC | Vernacular Astairan Architecture

ok so obv we've got ideas abt the various castles, and i do think they're an independent thing, but being who i am, since doing that pc on the fens, i got thinking abt the more average buildings -- peasant homes and barns and such! -- throughout astaira -- and idk i wanted to hear your thoughts!! anyway, this one is def gonna focus on sorta general thoughts abt mostly housing, and is largely inspired by native irish (but also welsh, scottish, and breton) architecture! but a few of them are pure fantasy too bc, well, why not! ;D

i feel like a lot of these pop up throughout astaira, but i was just tryna think in terms of like...places of origin and/or where you might see them most?

BARROWS -- ok so...think of a hobbit hole! that is basically what a barrow is. the term has been used largely to delineate burial mounds, in more recent centuries, bc that's largely what've survived as architecture evolved, but just look at skara brae! and laura ingells wilder! and i just feel like this ~has to be a big thing in malconaire!! i mean, what could be more ~earth elemental culture~ than literally living in the side of a hill???? its just so them coded idek!!! anyway they're also probs scattered ~throughout astaira but i can see where they may have originated in malconaire? also hc that a lot of the malconaire barrows have a tree growing out of/through them sprouting from atop (along w a garden im sure!), and tending to their home tree is a big cultural practice <3

CLOCHAIN -- so these are those famous rock ~beehive huts ireland! and they feel oh-so astairan to me! my main thought is that they are probs lorcan/kil-kennar: v rocky and high-up places where you can easily roll and even carry smaller stones over to your project etc! (i also feel like this is probs a popular design in hanthom along the coast, but i feel like they also get a ~lot of influences from that bygone place from across the sea both in hanthom and in calleary, but ill probs speculate more on ~that in other posts bc that isn't strictly astairan etc), anyway, i can see where the interior parts of the stones might be treated like mosaics and painted to give rooms artwork and/or carved w the names of the ppl who built the house perhaps as a cultural practice so later generations can still say their names and welcome them back inside for samain?

CRANNOGS -- this defffff feels like a big fen thing, but i can also see where you might see a lot of these in lorcan w its lakes and loches etc! somewhat related to both dams and roundhouses, these stilted homes tend to be wooden and perch upon still(ish) inland bodies of water and/or islands, some of them even man-made, and feature outer porches w a thatch-roofed interior w a long, narrow path leading from ground out to it to meet the porch. i like to hc in our verse that they also have lil water-access bits so boats can come right up to them, and they can climb a lil rope ladder in <3 and that they have lil watergarden root plants and flowers and such that they grow beneath, to cultivate both vegetable and fish/aquatic life both for food and pleasure

COTTAGES -- whether stone or wattle-and-daubt or straight up wood, i feel like all astaira is rife w your charming traditional cottage <3 i like to think they all have a lil like...~home altar where you can make offerings to any local guardians taht might be in want, wandering abt locally at any given moment, or living in your home too!

DAMS -- ok so hear me out! this one's largely a fantasy kinda thing (at least as far as ~i know?) but i read narnia as a kid and i just KNOW beavers live pr rad lives in those things ;D and i don't see why an even more inventive creature -- a human -- couldn't as well! ;D and, when you think abt it, isn't that effectively just what a mill is??? anyway i feel like this is another thing you probs see largely in the fens/lorcan and probs any river counties we've yet to invent as well! and just like a heaver's dam, they have both a terrestrial and aquatic entrance, so you can swim in or walk in etc! i also def feel like water wheels tend to be a thing here like w your traditional mill and just!! yes!!

FLOATING HOUSES -- ok so this feels hanthom/calleary as well as fens and perhaps a few in lorcan, and is, basically, a houseboat concept, but fantasy! but basically these are houses that just sort of float along on the waves and you travel while at home <3 i doubt you'd want to do super choppy waters this way, so you probs try to largely keep to harbors and such but on clear days you can go wherever! this is also super convenient when your home gets suddenly invaded and you can just...float away ;D

ROUNDHOUSES -- so this is another thing that i think you'll be seeing everywhere! the body of this house is round and that's basically what defines a roundhouse! its usually wattle-and-daubt w a thatched roof, and generally single storey, tho there are examples of multi-storey ones as well as some that are basically a giant donut w a courtyard at the center, which tend to have interior porches overlooking the courtyard if multi-storey, so they legit come in all shapes and sizes! i feel like the multi-storey w courtyard thing may be pr popular in stafford for its night sky possibilites!

TOWERHOUSES -- this is probs a lil rarer bc itd deffffff be a richer kinda house. irl this is where you would get your knight- and baron-class kinda folks living, esp bc it was largely defensive, etc, so since astairan society is much less stratified, id guess these are quite new but becoming more and more popular, as im ~guessing this is a largely varmont thing, and they're meant to lookout against invaders/quell the public/etc! they're made of stone w wooden steps up to the second storey entrance, so that you can burn the stairs and be left safe inside while invaders can't really get in at all etc -- however! i can also see where there may be a few old astairan examples in places w lots of trees and rocks (such as lorcan) so that basically you can have a tall, narrow house, going straight up rather than spreading out on the ground, but these probs have a ground-level entry as they weren't design-built to guard against your neighbors. i also feel like this may be a thing in stafford -- loving up amongst the stars/in the sky as much as possible, and the varmonts were probs initially quite intimidated seeing all these towerhouses and thinking them these shrines to invincibility!!! until they saw the ground floor entries and were like ????? lakjflkjsfkjl

TREE HOMES -- this is another real (and ancient! esp in new guinea and india!) thing! there're sort of two types of which im aware -- one where you build your home amongst the branches of a tree (or trees!), and another where you effectively hollow out a huuuuge tree and live in there! either way, this ~also def feels like a suuuuper malconaire kinda thing to do!!! but in terms of the homes up amongst the branches, i'd venture this is also pr common in, say, the fens or on riverbanks where the ground is less solid/prone to flooding/inhospitable in some way

probs lots others toooo!!!! ive been tryna dream up more like ~sky homes for stafford too but yeah!! these were the things that came to mind????

idk!!!!!! this is v random w v randon thoughts attached, but ive been thinking a lot abt this and wanted to share and see what you guys thought!! id love love love to hear any additional thoughts or even other ideas you might have, too? ngl ive had sm fun dreaming these up so far!!

[sustainablemountainarchitecture]

Santosh Bot, from Bankatta, had a rare visitor recently in the Eco-sensitive tourism cottages and the community hall which SMA had designed with many collaborators in Madi valley, Chitwan. Apart from anthropological and social-cultural questions, the visitor wanted to know EVERYTHING about the robust mud walls, the intricate bamboo destails, natural cross ventilation principles, earthquake resistant structural frames. As a former SMA intern, Janek Bosman returned to Nepal to experience first hand the vernacular wisdom and contemporary architecture innovations in Bankatta.

Amidst the picturesque landscape, the airy community hall and cozy eco-cottages stood as witness to community spirit and sustainable living. Santosh Bot, the owner of the Madi Eco-village guesthouse, gave Janek a tour around the village along with the cottages as well. From the robust mud walls to the intricate bamboo craftsmanship, each detail represented of a deep-rooted heritage of the site. Janek even stayed for the night in one of the cottages which was not only comfortable but also a refreshing escape from the May heat. A fruitful (re)visit to the project!

Read more about the project: Here.

[rainwoodhotels]

SPICES LAP PLANTATION RESORT , THEKKADY

Please Contact ; +91 85929 69674 , +91 85929 69697

What was once a Spice plantation spread across acres of land has been transformed into a beautiful 4.5 acres of heaven, the Spices Lap Luxury Resort. As you enter the resort which is built along a winding road with impeccably landscaped gardens, you’ll see cottages and villas with architecture designs indigenous to Kerala and South Asia.

As for the interiors, the restoration of these relics of the past such as wooden door frames, windows, furniture etc. not only adds to the old world charm of the place but it also helps us to conserve our heritage. A team awaits you at the open reception (to welcome you in traditional Kerala style) where you can sit and finish your check-in procedure while basking in the glory of nature.

The structure containing the lobby exudes its vernacular heritage and houses a stylishly appointed restaurant and travel desk as well. In the evening be ready for a cultural program celebrating the heritage of Kerala. Later, at dinner you could sit and enjoy a beautiful meal with some fun music. You could make suggestions, sing along or if you are a singer yourself, you are most welcome to grab the mic. It’s the best way to kick-start your vacation at Thekkady.

[bonfire-at-the-crossroads]

Be careful what you ask for.

I was whinging about being stuck doing stupid, nasty, scrubby-work - on things that are not worth anything to anybody. (I’ve been scraping away at those damn architectural elements in the bathroom for two weeks now - and I STILL can’t get all the paint off…)

“Why am I working on other people’s CRAP - instead of using my actual skill-sets which have some real value?” - sez I in a foul mood to poor, long-suffering husband….

O shit.

Two days later the nice couple in the Georgian house in Mayo - arrived with a trailer full of sadly damaged vernacular furniture. SO MUCH woodworm, bits and pieces really - and WAY TOO MUCH to fit into the studio.

This cottage table is standing on its end in our kitchen - effectively blocking up the room. The amount of old sticky glue (I assume it was slapped on to hold down an oilcloth sheet over the top?) is profound. I repaired the drawer, and I think the finish is jolly.

The table has been quietly exhaling its perfume for days…coal smoke, cigarette smoke, and damp…

I started to tackle it this afternoon. It’s not giving up without a fight.

[eis-quos-amo]

vernacular cottage house in hunedoara, romania

[letterstomyfuturedaughterr]

11/30/23 - Raspberry White Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Hey Kiddo,

I wrote this as part of submission to a progressive, literary mag centered around baking. Turns out, I missed the deadline. But wanted it to live on somewhere, so here we are. Let me tell you a story about the cookie that changed my life (a la Nancy Silverton).

It’s May 2005 and Martha Stewart (having recently been released from jail) published a recipe for Raspberry-Creme Sandwich cookies (which you can find online today at marthastewart.com). My grandmother, a Sicilian-American and fervent Martha fan, naturally hoarded every issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine, saving them for me to dog-ear when I would come to her house to bake. The pastel pinks of the editorialized shots of these sandwich cookies, paired with exotic-to-a-12-year-old ingredients like vanilla bean captivated me instantly. I had to make them for myself.

The first time I made these cookies I had to significantly adjust. Not only was vanilla bean expensive, it was also hard to come by and as I was firmly in 7th grade driving to get my own ingredients was not an option. Though my baking journey started early, recipe terms like ‘creaming’ or ‘double broiler’ were not yet a part of my vernacular and like most pre-teens would do, I did the best I could with what I had. Despite my efforts and my younger brothers’ shocking praise, I remember feeling vivid disappointment in myself that I couldn't follow the recipe exactly. Though I didn’t know it then, my oldest memory of internalized capitalism was born.

I made these cookies over a dozen times since that first moment in 2005. My brothers and grandfather requested them for almost every birthday, friends wanted them for sweet 16 celebrations. Each time I made them everyone was in awe of their taste and my abilities, but the list of what I could have done better dragged on. There was no way this cookie could be “the best thing they’d ever eaten” when I knew it was made without the fancy ingredients or proper tools. They were wrong and one day I would be able to do it right. 

I remade these cookies for the first time in nearly a decade last year, at the request of my mother and grandmother. This was the first time I could make those perfect sandwich cookies having the privilege and ability to make them according to the recipe and I could not wait to redeem myself for all the years I made these incorrectly. I bought the vanilla bean paste, I sourced the highest quality butter I could find, I even have a stand mixer now! After hours of thoughtfully baking and perfectly measuring, the cookies were finally out of the oven and they were one of the worst things I’ve ever made, nothing like they used to be. The butter’s high fat content was too much and they spread everywhere and using my stand mixer severely overworked them. I couldn’t believe my disappointment. I completely over-thought it. Capitalism 2, me 0. 

I could blame the recipe development or the mixer or my “post”-pandemic over-anxious brain, and I absolutely am not over-simplifying our human experience of our emotions, but I think there is something to be said and explored for how our society is designed to strip of us of the joy of moving slowly, imperfectly, for the pure pleasure of doing so. Getting caught up in what those cookies should look like darkened what was always a peaceful process for me.

Baking is one of the beautiful things in this world that requires us to move slowly, purely for delight. We don’t set out to save the world by making cookies, we do it to create and share pleasure, with ourselves and with each other. As our world, and the humans that inhabit this planet for as long as we have left, evolve, this practice becomes ever more critical to our existence. We see the trends of cottage core, homesteading and zero-waste movements on our feeds and are inspired to leave it all behind for the slow way of life, but I wonder what it would look like for us to keep living our lives as they are, with a newfound return to doing things for the pleasure of them. What would it look like for us to move as slowly and as beautifully as we can? Maybe we’re not damsels in distress that need saving but rather our cracks and pains need slow and steady healing. Maybe, in fact, every cookie heals a little piece of us, and I for one am thrilled to be a part of that process. Baking, for me, helps to even the score.

Love always,

[theprojectreneblogger]

Exclusive Look at the Exterior of our House

2 déc. 2022

Hello everyone! Chloé here bringing you today’s Patreon post.

For the past year, we have been working on the art style of our furniture items, as well as vegetation and other world-related elements. We have been developing all this through a house that is a testing dummy with the sole purpose of validating the art style we aim to have in-game. We have recently showcased its interior, but today, Léa and I are happy to showcase the exterior of the house, as well as a snippet of other exterior elements. 

Original concept art I drew when I joined Paralives, which was shared in a previous Patreon post. So much has changed since then, it is quite exciting!

Other concept that I drew as we progressed on the house and solidified our vision on the art direction we were taking. It also better represents the more vibrant and unique feel we wanted to achieve with this house.

The house as it currently is! Its architecture has changed slightly over time as I got more familiar with the Quebec vernacular style I originally was inspired by. We also made the yard smaller than originally planned, to better fit the confined but cozy interior.

Closeup of the house’s garden. We’ve worked really hard on the style for the vegetation, but we think it really paid off! We hope players will enjoy creating gardens with our assets just as much as we’ve enjoyed creating said assets.

Closeup of the terrace area. I’m so jealous of this pleasant picnic area…

The house’s patio. Another cozy spot for a Para to enjoy some fresh air!

Closeup of the spot in the sunshade. This rock was briefly featured in the Maggie’s Summer showcase, but was originally created as part of this scene in order to test how we wanted rocks to look like.

Closeup of the disposal bins and bike. Please note that the bins, which are very Canadian-inspired, will not be the only options available, and the bicycle is not currently functional as a means of transportation!

The sky. I did a bit of work on our skies and atmosphere. Everything is hand painted!

Closeup of our gable and roof. Speaking of which, some team members weren’t familiar with rooster weathervanes until I decided to add one to the project! Is it really farm/cottage-core without at least one chicken/duck/flying friend item, though?

Is that…a road?! Or a morsel of it, at least?! 👀

Overall shot of the house and its yard.

Alternate color version of the house, which takes a bit more after the original sketch. Which of the two color palettes is your personal favorite?

It took a lot of work, but the team is really proud of how far we’ve come with this little house, which documents a bit our progress on developing the styles of our environments, our furniture items, etc!

We hope you enjoyed this little showcase. With that said, we wish you a lovely weekend!

Chloé and Léa ٩(＾◡＾)۶

Edit - February 9, 2023: This post is now public, feel free to share it!

[commonplacesobriquet]

LIFE UPDATE

Hi!

It's 7th of November now. I am actually in the middle of work and I have so many things to do, but here I am... all of a sudden, I am writing here. You're probably wondering why here? Why not on my main blogsite (onwoolgathering.wordpress.com)? Well, I suddenly wanted to update this space. So yeah... I have so much to do. I have to check my students' outputs and exams, check the grammar of the submitted manuscripts (which are long overdue—since July!), make activity designs, and many more. Everything is piling up on my plate.

The main reason why I am suddenly writing here is because I have so much in my headspace. I hate the fact that I get lazier each day and I can't keep a journal anymore. There were numerous important events that have passed and were left unrecorded. I feel bad that I have nothing to look back on because I kept no records of them. Photos? Videos? My phone's camera isn't that good, so I can't even use it for documentation. Everything is fleeting now. I can't immortalize a moment.

I'll try to write some recent memories here.

Last October 31, Jet and I moved into a new place. It was a spur-of-a-moment decision, but our desire to move out of our previous place was already there. That's why when our College President said there was a vacancy in the boarding house he lived in before, we immediately grabbed the opportunity. It is a better place for us because we finally have our privacy. We also have our own kitchen and toilet, which was common in our previous place. For me, as a sentimental person, it was bittersweet, because I was letting go of my usual route for more than a year of residency here in Pantukan. I got attached to the place, especially because Ate Lovely and Kuya Ryan have been such good landlady/lord. They've been very accommodating and considerate. When I was still alone in my first few months here, they have been a constant guide to me. I am filled with gratitude to them and I hope they will be blessed more. I could say that I wasn't fully ready to move out, but it had to happen.

In our new place, it's like Jet and I are starting. In the words of my Mama, "Tinud-anay na ni inyo." We are in the process of embellishing the home that we're trying to build en route to our wedding next year. There are still many appliances and stuff that we have to buy. It's a good practice for the both of us.

We also recently celebrated our 1st anniversary on the same day of his 25th birthday. I remember last year when his first proposal happened. We were facing the sea under the moonlight. We had food and drinks that we purchased in Tagum to celebrate his birthday. At the simple picnic, he proposed to me, in vernacular, to be his girlfriend. I must say, that "yes" to him changed my life for good. I have nothing but gratitude.

Anyway, yeah we celebrated our 1st anniversary and his 25th birthday at Jienos Garden Beach Resort with his family, mine, and our dearest friends. We chose that place because that was where we had our dates when he was still courting me and before we got officially together. I remember how I sneaked out at 9PMs and he would wait for me outside. We would first stop at the 7/11 to buy our food for the night, then go to Jienos. We would pay 300 pesos for our entrance fee and cottage. Those dates happened once or twice a week. It was our memorable place and it feels good to share it with our loved ones.

It's a shame that we did not have many photos to keep for that event. It was very special and rare. Despite the lack of mementos, I will always remember how happy we are. Jet and I are both very blessed that we have the best families that we could ask for. That special event was a testament to their love and support for us. I thank God for making everything possible for us.

I guess this is it for now. I have to go back to work.

I will be writing about my Comprehensive Exam journey soon when the results are out. Right now, I am still anxiously waiting for Thursday.

Also, I will buy a new notebook na. Hopefully, I can start journaling again.

[todieforimages]

English Vernacular Revival Cottage-Twin City, Georgia

English Vernacular Revival Cottage-Twin City, Georgia

This home was built in 1940.

[ultraheydudemestuff]

Aaron Fagin House

2088 Lindale Nicholsville Rd.

Amelia, OH 45102

The charming country home at 2088 Lindale-Nicholsville Road, Monroe Township, Clermont County, Ohio, known as the Aaron Fagin House or Hidden Hollow has a lengthy history starting in 1804 when an 18-year-old land speculator named Jesse Hunt bought a 1,000-acre tract in newly established Clermont County, Ohio. Cleared and improved land was a moneymaker, so Hunt first leased the land to a Clermont County man for five years. At the end of the lease term, in exchange for improvements to the land, the tenant received 110 acres and the rest reverted to Hunt. Additional settlers also made improvements to the land–for set amounts of time–allowing them to make money without the added cost of buying land while Hunt received a percentage of their profits. By the 1820s, Hunt began selling tracts of lands to other investors, and then eventually began to sell tracts of land less than 200 acres for four-to-six dollars per acre. A man named Aaron Fagin was one of these purchasers.

In August 1831, Fagin paid Hunt $1,100 for 191 acres. The same day of the purchase agreement, Hunt made a mortgage to Fagin for $715 to be repaid with interest over three years. The deed of mortgage was recorded in 1835, after the mortgage was already paid in full. Aaron Fagin was a prosperous farmer in Monroe Township, adding another 97 acres to his original 191 acres. In 1832, Aaron Fagin began building the charming home now known as Hidden Hollow and he and his wife, Minerva Fagin, lived at the house until their deaths in 1876.Over the years, the property was reduced to its current 41.85 acres, which includes the Fagin farmstead, several outbuildings, a cistern, a well, a 3/4-acre pond (previously stocked with bass), about 17 acres of woods, and 22 acres of tillable land. The small fieldstone springhouse on the property is contemporary with the house.

The original Federal Vernacular-style brick house–which actually has a very “cottage-ish” feel to it–was begun circa 1832. The front of the home has six irregular bays consisting of two doors and four windows, while the backside of the house has a one-room brick portion in the center flanked by 1940s-era wood-frame additions. The one-room brick portion is currently the dining room and is probably the oldest portion of the home. The three front rooms were likely added to the home shortly after the one-room brick portion. The brick walls are 12 inches thick, which is evident in the doorways to the 1940s additions. Under the dining room there was originally an earthen cellar with a fireplace. The cellar was finished with concrete in the 1940s. The roof is a standing-seam metal roof, painted dark green. Two chimneys flank the ends of the house and a third is centered in the back. Hidden Hollow lends itself easily to modern living as a very functional two-bedroom, two-full-bath residence.

A tranquil and picturesque setting tucked back off the road, at the end of a long driveway through a tall stand of pines, in a setting both landscaped and natural, Hidden Hollow has had its name since at least the 1940s, and maybe even longer. The doorway between the 1800s portion of the home to the 1940s addition shows off the thickness of the original walls. The original springhouse still stands. The Aaron Fagin home was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 9, 2006. It is considered a distinctive example of an early-nineteenth century, rural vernacular dwelling with Federal style influences and is actually very rare at the local level (Clermont County). Although there are 1940s additions to the house, the original portions are very apparent while the integrity of their design and workmanship remain. Likewise, the property has retained its setting as a rural farmstead. It is a charming county home indeed.