Changes to 'this old house'

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Could tell you more about my mini holiday but I wouldn’t do that to you.

Even though there are many more interesting things I could tell you about, I have to remind myself they may only be interesting to me. I know how I feel when someone brings out 487 photos of their latest trip and I would imagine some feel the same way about my ramblings.

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Changes to 'this old house' Back to video

This old house has been my home for some 46 years. It was built in 1852 so has seen much of life from many families. Over the years there have been a lot of changes, numerous repairs, alterations, additions and renovations. The original, main structure has had several updates but is still basically the same as when built, strong and sturdy. The trees they used as beams and the heavy, hand-hewn boards visible in the basement are still holding up the house. The rest has been torn off, added on, adjusted and rebuilt a few times using much current, milled lumber and, although sufficient in today’s modern world, doesn’t seem quite as strong and sturdy.

Since I moved here even more changes have taken place. A lot of such renovations, tear downs and add-ons have been completed, but not all has of yet been modernized. Over the past 10 years I have done major work on the old place. I have replaced the original, inefficient windows and doors, put on a new metal roof, replaced the furnace, updated some plumbing and completely renovated the bathroom, the master bedroom and the kitchen. I did update wiring and put lighting in the stairwell but haven’t done any other work on the upstairs landing. Like the master bedroom used to be, the landing is basically layers of stained and discoloured wallpaper holding pockets of crumbling plaster.

One afternoon recently I heard a strange, muted, crumbling kind of noise. It sounded like it came from outside so I looked around the house, the basement, outside, and finding nothing went about my busy day. Heading up to bed around 2 a.m., I discovered where the noise had come from. The layers of wallpaper on the ceiling of the landing had finally given up and the whole thing lay on the floor and stairs leaving the lathe visible. What was already a late night became an early morning as I pulled down remaining loose pieces and cleaned up the mess.

Changes are never ending and often are forced on us quite unexpectedly.

As you have all heard by now the Friday edition of The Tillsonburg News is being eliminated. It’s a sad day for many of us who have spent many, many years involved in one way or another with the production of The News. But not to worry, Two Cents Worth is being moved to Wednesday. All of the readers of the Friday paper, who also get the free Wednesday paper, I will talk to you then. For those in some of the outlying areas who don’t get the Wednesday paper, I am told I will be available online (www.tillsonburgnews.com/category/opinion/columnists).

twocentsworth40@hotmail.com