Summer Projects coming to a close...

My list was so long and I did not get them all done. Progress!

1. When your mother tells you not to put tape on the wall, please listen to her.  There was a wall in the kitchen that had tape and other adhesive products on the wall.  To make it even more of a challenge, some of the tape and other sticky stuff had been painted over.  It took a while, but I did manage to get the tape off and prime and paint the affected walls.  I am still working on the hinges and cabinets--I am expecting some soy stripping gel in the mail and I will let you know how that goes.
2. Laundry room, primed and painted--no more water stains!  New lights in the kitchen and laundry room coming soon...
3. Patio furniture repaired and painted.  Mostly done--I have one bench and one arch left to sand and paint.  The patio at The Manor is a very popular sitting area for guests and owners alike, so we are trying to keep it special!  We did have one setback when our porch swing suffered a fatal error.  Lee is working on it.  :)
4. Okay, so I tried waxing the wood floor in one area to test out the idea of waxing.  We have decided against it.  Both of us almost bit it multiple times.  Slick floor=bad idea.  I will continue to look for some way to improve the look of the floor and protect it that does not involve possible broken limbs. 
5. Finished cleaning hallway light globes, transoms, and paneling.  Perhaps finished is not the right word.  I did clean them, but as you know, they will need it again.  The transoms and hallways were part of the BIG summer clean.  As soon as it cools off, I am planning to do the windows--on the outside.
6. Best for last--Lee fixed Winged Victory and she is now in her forever home (we hope) in front of the Manor.  In the Spring, she was injured in an auto accident and one of her wings broke off.  She had now been restored to her former glory.  Big Thank you to Clarke and Lee.  :D

Aunt Frances Remembers...

As Spring seems to be getting closer--after all Punxsatawney Phil predicted an early Spring and he cannot be wrong--I am thinking about what to plant this year.  We started small last year with a few flowers and shrubs and I hope to fill in more every year.  I turned to Aunt Frances's remembrances of what was grow here by the Markward family for inspiration.
Here is what Frances writes about the flowers at the Manor:

My father loved flowers and we had lots of them, particularly roses. We had an underground water system for them. In the yard we had yellow jasmine, bridle wreath, althea lilac (Rose of Sharon), plumbago, purple and white violets, honeysuckle, red cypress vines, and several large cedars and oaks. In huge half barrels we had oleanders—white, pink and red—and a brugmansia which had large white trumpet-shaped flowers that were very fragrant. I have seen as many as forty flowers on a plant at one time! We kept these flowers in the hall every winter to keep them from freezing. I used to hunt for an excuse to stay at home from school when the day arrived to put the geraniums and other potted plants in the pit for winter. The pit had glass doors and heavy wooden doors on top of them. Mrs. Williams, who lived nearby, always came and repotted them for us. I'll never forget the lovely old-fashioned flowers she had growing around her tiny home.

I really wish we still had the underground watering system!  I already have a pair of Bridal Wreath Spirea growing next to the front gate, but I think I will add some Althea (Rose of Sharon) in honor of both the Markwards and my own father-in-law, who loved them and used to give me starts.  I wish he were here to help me make some good plant choices now.  My Papa used to always have Cypress vines and he gave me seeds, so I will be starting those, too.  One thing I have planted that seems to be very happy is Lavender.  The soil and water conditions seem to be very good here in Central Texas for Lavender and Rosemary.  It is also time to get out that Rose catalog and choose a couple of antique roses.  I love old roses, and now I have the perfect excuse--they will help me to create the same atmosphere here at the Manor as existed when it was first built.

Aunt Frances Remembers...

This will be the first of a recurring series based on memories handwritten by Frances Markward Hall.  With the weather getting a little colder, I thought it might be nice to remember how lucky we are to have indoor plumbing.  :)  I have edited a little for ease of reading and clarity.

Frances was born April 29, 1889 in Lampasas, a daughter of John & Adelphia Florence (White) Markward of Lampasas, TX. The Markward family grew up and lived in a white stone house now known as Markward Manor and the children attended Lampasas schools and went on to further their educations in Georgetown, Austin and San Antonio. Adelphia's family, the Whites, also long time residents of Lampasas, lived on the hill above the Markward property.

Frances Markward married John Hall of Royse City, Texas on June 10, 1919. They had a son,

John Walter Hall, and a daughter, Mary Ethel Hall. Mary died as an infant. Frances and her family lived in Dublin most of their adult lives; she died there in 1965.

Many guests ask about the water storage tank in the back of the property.  There used to be a windmill—you can see it in older pictures of the house and Frances describes its location and purpose in her remembrances.

Here is what Aunt Frances has to say about bathing…

We had no running water except to the tin tub in the bath house which was clear across a big yard and at the far side of the garden next to the wind mill. It had windows with wooden Venetian blinds, and we splashed out there in the summer time.
Baths were taken in metal wash tubs [in the bath hosue] and we carried our water in and then emptied it out.  

Note:  the bath house was about a 200 yard walk from the main house in those days.  Not bad in the summer, but in the winter, probably a little chilly.

So the next time you shiver a little before getting into a shower with hot running water in a heated bathroom, remember how Aunt Frances, Ethel, and Forest used to bathe. 

A busy couple of weeks...

We finally got a little bit of a chill in the air here at the manor, so I have been trying out some fall recipes--I am working on a baked oatmeal and dried cherry chocolate scones.  I will post those when I have them perfected.  In the meantime, we have had several visitors worth mentioning.
About two weeks ago, we had the privilege of meeting the last direct descendant of John and Adelphia Markward, who built the house and were its first residents.  They were married October 29, 1880, and the portrait on the Manor homepage was taken on their wedding day.  John O. Markward, the great grandson of John and Adelphia and his lovely wife, Annette, came out to see the Manor.  We had a wonderful visit--they filled us in on a lot of family history and they also gave me permission to use some of Aunt Francis's Remembrances on the blog.  I will be adding a special series called "Aunt Francis Remembers."  Francis was the younger daughter of John and Adelphia and she lived here at the house until she went off to school as a girl.  She took the time to write her memories down and Annette has transcribed and preserved them.  Francis's memories of her childhood home and of Lampasas add precious color and detail to the history of the house.  Below is a photograph of the Markward Store on the Lampasas Square, also graciously provided by the Markwards.

We were really thrilled to have them out and we hope to see them again soon.  :)

The Markward Manor B&B has had its first famous-ish guest!  This past weekend, we had the pleasure of hosting Ed Beckley, the World's Largest Motorcycle Jumper.  He and his charming companion were interesting guests and we enjoyed visiting with them.  You can find out more about Ed on his website.  He does motorcycle shows and events all over the country.  

Enjoy the cooler weather wherever you are and we hope you will come and visit Lampasas soon.

Finally got the carpet off the stairs...

Renovations on the Carriage House continue apace.  We have had our first B&B guests, and they were great.  One of the things I always thought would be fun about running a B&B is meeting people from different places, and that is so true.  We have already heard some really good stories.  Breakfast items included zucchini bread, ham and cheddar scones, and blueberry gingerbread.  We can't wait to have more guests!

This week we finally got the carpet on the stairs ripped up.  This is in the main house, but we hope that eventually some brides may want to have portraits made on the staircase.  It looks as if whoever put the carpet in also took off some wood trim, which is really too bad.  We will need to sand and refinish the stairs, but before we do, I think I will have a look around for some trim to match the side of the staircase. This picture doesn't show it too well, but you may be able to see what I am talking about.

We will be hosting Tea and Tours on August 15 from 1-5 PM, so I will be turning my attention to planning what cookies to make for that.  I will have to put renovations on hold for now.

The Carriage House is getting ready for guests

While Lee is working on cactus removal and parking for the wedding venue, I have been working on getting the carriage house ready for our first guests.  I started with Adelphia's room--I hope she would approve my my choices.  Over the weekend, I finished up the painting (okay, full disclosure, Lee did help with the painting along with his other duties).  Here are the colors we used:

For the bedroom, a nice calm gray, that looks very well with the limestone;  the bathroom is in a shade of blue-green that I hope will call the Mediterranean to mind.  As you can see from the color names, these are Sherwin Williams colors.  I have joined "paint perks," since I plan to be doing a lot of painting.  :) Next, I will select fabrics for the accents.  I will need to resurrect my sewing skills and hope they have not atrophied after many years of disuse.  Of course, Lee will be conscripted to install new light fixtures and blinds to get everything in shape for guests.


Photos to come of the finished product.

There were more wildflowers, in new colors, but I forgot to take pictures.  I will be posting those soon, too!

My old house

First—I am really excited to be here.  I have wanted to own a historic house for a long, long time.  Friends have warned me that it will be fraught.  I hope I am prepared, but we’ll see.

One thing nobody warned me about was how much cleaning would be necessary to start out.  When you see pictures of beautifully restored homes, or visit house museums, they have already been cleaned, probably by a staff of more than one person.  Well, I don’t have staff, but I do have family members and a lot of elbow grease, which I will be using to get the house in shape for our first visitors.  First on the agenda is cleaning, and then painting.  There is of course some gardening to do, too.  J

Five things I love about my old house:

 1.   The woodwork—no where will you see today, except possibly in the houses of the rich and famous, the quality of woodwork that you will find in an old house.  Even humble homes were beautifully made.

2.   The details—the paneling, the ceilings, the staircase—all wonderfully decorative as well as functional. 

3.       The wrought iron fence—There is very little that is more wonderful for a garden than a wrought iron fence with fleur de lis.  More on that soon.  I have big plans for the gate!

     4.  The porch—I won’t have much time for sitting, but I hope to be able to eventually enjoy a good book on the porch swing.

   

         5.  The ghosts—The feeling that you are walking, working, and living where others have been before lends an air of gravitas and a sense of belonging to something larger than yourself.  What happened here one hundred years ago?  Fifty years ago?  

Call me a history nerd, it’s okay.