History of the Little House.

I really don't like to paint. Maybe it's because of all the prep work it takes to even begin to paint. If you're living in the house, then there are pictures and things on the walls to take down. Furniture to move out.  Cleaning the walls. It just goes on and on. And then there are millions of colors to choose from. It's just awful for me.

Since this little house hasn't been lived in in a few years, there wasn't too much to be moved. Just all the crap to throw away. Then, since we've never bothered to paint the sheet rock after we fixed the ceiling before we could move in 10 years ago, I had to tape and mud it. Which, to me, is the hardest thing to do. Especially a ceiling.

This house was built by the man who lived here. There has only ever been 2 families who've lived here: the Bells and us. The Bells built the rock house we live in back in 1948. It's as old as my husband. And they never had children. From what I've heard about Mrs. Lillian Bell, she was a mess. Not a happy woman. So Mr. Bell had this little house built for him to get away from her, back in the '70's. It's very well built, like the big house. And the barn out back. These 3 things will be here forever, I do believe.

So he had this house built for him to get away from his wife when she  wasn't being agreeable. This was his "man cave", back in the day. He had it all fixed up, with a bed and all. Had washer-dryer hook ups, phone jack, tv, I'm sure. And lots and lots of outlets! He died back in the early '90's sometime and left Mrs. Bell here, all by herself. Well, she never did like this house, so she just left it alone. It was a mess for sure. Roof leaked really bad, enough for the ceiling in the whole front of the house to fall in. We could barely get in the front door to look inside when we came to see the house. And the other house was even worse. She apparently was a woman who thought everything should be done for her for free, by family members. So, not a whole lot got done, in either house. And she was put in a nursing home not long after he died, I think. So the houses were empty for years.

So, during this time, people came and got things from both houses. There was only a bed and a table and chairs in this little house. AND, all along all the walls in the living room, were OLD black and white pictures of just about everyone who ever lived in this Cove. From back in the '20's thru probably the '70's. AND Mr. Bell, being the man he was, put up 12' 1x10 board all up and down the walls to hang all these hundreds of 8x10 pictures on. I mean, they were on all 3 long walls. Full of pictures.

We had to first get a roof put on this house and fix the ceiling so we could move in here while the big house was being gutted and renovated. We took all the pictures down, put them in boxes, and started asking people of the community if they wanted any of them. I took several boxes down to the local churches.

Then we had to take down all those boards. Which we used to make our new chicken-goat-horse shelter. They are still up, doing rather well. Free wood is great. So that's why all the sheet rock mud is on all the walls. And Mr. Bell didn't believe in doing anything half way either. That man used 6" long nails to nail up all those boards on all those walls. Yes he did. And in the big house too. They built stuff to last, back in the day.

So now, I am waiting on the mud to dry. I'll pick out some colors to paint the walls tomorrow while I'm in town. I'll sand later tonight and maybe paint the ceiling.

I don't mind painting an empty house, with nothing in my way. And I so look forward to what this place will be soon. And how much room I will have to spread out and get some things done. And not have to put stuff away!

I love this old light fixture in the kitchen. I think I'll leave it up. We've kept all the old light fixtures in our house too. I like old stuff.

I'll post more pictures in a few days, when I've done some more. Or when there's actually some color to see.