The Music of Woodside 3

The music room was important to this family. I was sitting here many years ago when Rick’s mother told about giving gifts to family members. Her three children were encouraged to give a performance for special occasions. For her birthday, she would be thrilled to have a memorized piece of music played for her or a poem recited from memory. These were creative people who fostered creativity.

Rick talked about the old pump organ. The player used his feet to pump the bellows for the air going through the pipes. Picking up a modern violin, he said that years ago a visitor had come to stay while traveling with his Stradivarious. That was high class, indeed!

He called attention to the medallion on the ceiling. Most old ones were made of plaster, but you can probably guess that the one here was carved of wood and painted to look like plaster.

At the end of the tour, we ended up in the new section that connects the main building with the kitchen. When the house was built, kitchens were usually detached for fire safety. Rick and Myra made a stage under the back stairs, seen here with Chris and Chrissie posing before his instruments from all over the world. I’m convinced Rick could take any unknown instrument and play it reasonably well in a matter of days. What amazing talent! Two of my favorites are the hammered dulcimer and the musical saw. The saw is longer than one used in construction, but its teeth would be just as effective. Myra accompanies him on the piano for that. Rick’s dad taught him to play the saw, and also taught my brother. I tried, and I can’t do it.

In her travels, daughter Lise bought an unusual instrument for Rick which he can play easily. I think it may be the one that he is blowing into below. Information overload had kicked in.

Here are three of the newer instruments.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a video of Rick playing the instrument he made himself. It is by far the most amusing one. It’s called the Bed Panjo, held here by Chris. It’s a real bed pan with fingerboard and strings attached. Good humor is a hallmark of this family.

The Magic of Woodside 2

The tour of Woodside began in the living room, and the first episode showed Rick with a cabinet that could be turned into a desk by lifting the lid and lowering the front facade.

The furniture carved by a family member nearly always had some secret compartment. Rick showed how the desk could be transformed further, introducing it with a magic trick. He pointed out that the carver had been through the prohibition era, so hiding liquor was a theme here. Please note that the family members were NOT known to be heavy drinkers.

Many old homes are reputed to have ghosts, and people claim to have seen one on the staircase at Woodside. A daughter of the family died of a broken heart and was buried in the grave dug for her fiance. Rick brought the drama to life, so to speak. After he made her handkerchief fly down the stairs into the clock, he retrieved it and brought it down to show us.

The Magic of Woodside

The most magical place in North Carolina to me is the home named Woodside. I first saw it in the early 1960’s and have been there occasionally ever since. Sue and Jack were the owners back then, and they were the most welcoming people I’d ever met. The house was a magnet, and they the shining, sharing lights inside. Everyone was drawn in and enchanted. Fast forward to today, and the love and warmth come from Rick and Myra. What a team they are, watching over and caring for the old house and its memories!

Niece Kathie took this photo that shows the group around the table. I’m on the left, then comes nephew Chris, daughter Lise, Rick, niece Chrissie, and Myra.

After lunch, Rick was beginning to tell the history of the house and its owners to Chrissie and Chris in the living room. Thus began the most thorough tour of the house I’d ever witnessed. Though standing at the front door, I’m lurking in a mirror behind and to the right.

Rick showed them something about the coat rack, but I was concentrating on getting a picture and didn’t listen.

A piece of furniture that looks like it holds books, opens to reveal a desk. I know the photos are dark, but try to see all the carvings. If my memory is correct, most in the house were done by T. J. Stone, Rick’s great uncle.

Although the house and many of its furnishings are old, Rick shows that they stay up to date. They have an iPhone in this cabinet.

Here is a flashback to 2004. Myra is talking to my grandson David and daughter Lise. Rick is performing a Harry Potter trick for young David. The dates changed, but the people remain as warm and caring as ever. The magic stays up to date, as well.

Visit of Nathaniel and Sarah

Grandson Nathaniel and his partner Sarah drove from Charlotte to be with us for a couple of days. Nearly all my photos include food. I realized that it’s natural to take pictures when everyone is together. We began by eating barbecue sandwiches at Butts on the Creek. Lise and I took turns taking photos.

There were many lighthearted moments, none more amusing than Nathaniel putting the corner of the package of chocolate chips on his nose.

It took all afternoon for the baking, cooling, making the icing, and frosting the cake. He, Lise and Sarah posed with the finished cake.

We had a snack on the porch where Lise had lighted candles on the railing. David was at work, so we didn’t cut the cake until after midnight.

Hours later we had waffles for breakfast, again on the porch. They left before noon in order to get back to Charlotte for Nathaniel to go to work. We crammed as much visiting in as we could and enjoyed being together.

Chrissie and Chris

At the end of their vacation, niece Chrissie and Chris came for a couple of days. We lived on the porches, talking non-stop. Here daughter Lise poses with them.

A bit later, neighbor Shawn joined us.

I liked the perspective of this photo and the next. I took this as the neighborhood reporter. All the faces were showing as they played Logan’s game.

Meanwhile, Shawn stayed on the porch where we had both been sitting and captured this image. Her artist’s eye caught the warmth of the scene, with the candle outside and the people drawn together inside.

The next day Chris put the finishing touch on the waterfall. Last year my brother and I installed a new pump and hose to get the water flowing. Chris hooked the hose up to the splitter, so that water flowed into the two top pools. The sound was even better than before. He and Lise solved the leak problem where the last fall had a back flow. The next step is mine – to remove the weeds that exploded while I was spending time inside with relatives. The final step will be replacing surrounding stones to hide the edges of the pools.

Visit with Connie and Marla

Lise and I always try to visit with former neighbors Connie and Marla while Lise is here. Lise drove us to Sylva where we met them at a barbecue restaurant and went on to an ice cream place, Jack the Dipper. The food and the company were exceptional.

Back at home, we gave David the bag Connie prepared for him and his dog, Kacey. He let her sniff the bag before giving her one of the homemade dog bone cookies. Connie also included a bone-shaped cookie cutter and her recipe for the treats.

The Day Kate Went Home

I found one photo with both my daughters included.

We waved goodbye to Kate.

After she drove away, Lise and I walked to the stop sign. Because Kate enjoyed spotting rabbits on our walks, I took a picture of one we saw just minutes after she left.

That afternoon we went to the installation of my new pastor. Lise had been at Concordia College Bronxville at the same time he was there. She remarked later that she would have recognized his face from Facebook. As soon as he spoke during the service, she remembered his voice from decades ago.

We ended the evening going out with neighbor Holly and Denice, neighbor Bob’s sister-in-law. The brewery is right on Jonathan Creek, further upstream. What a fun evening that was!

Logan at Work and Play

Logan’s entrepreneurial spirit is amazing. He put fliers in neighbors’ mailboxes that he was available for hire to do chores. Neighbor Joyce said he did a fine job moving furniture and boxes for her. He regularly walks Dixie, Beth’s dog. Daughter Lise hired him to put up a metal basket with hooks to hold the dog-walking leashes and supplies. It was late when they started and dark when they finished. In the photo, Logan is at the basket with Lise, daughter Kate, and his sister Brit as the cheering squad.

I liked the photo of Logan, Kate, Lise and Brit playing a game Lise gave him. The action exploded when they were all grabbing coins during the game.

Another day we went to Jukebox Junction for lunch. That’s a fun place with a functioning jukebox.

On a rainy day between showers, Brit threw a tennis ball from the porch to Logan on the wet lawn.

One afternoon Kate called me from the yard to say she had run with Kacey and lost her glasses. When I repeated her message aloud, Logan was the first one out the door to help her. I changed my shoes, picked up a flashlight and joined the hunt. We three studied the ground intently without finding them. As Kate turned, I saw the hood of her jacket and asked if they could be there. Lucky guess! I reached into the hood and out came the glasses!

North Carolina Cousins

Periodically nieces Kathie and Julie cross the state to visit me. They were able to come this time when daughters Lise and Kate were here. What a marvelous time we had! Lise took an informal shot of us in the kitchen.

They brought a wonderful lunch – two different kinds of chicken salad and fixings to make wraps, fresh fruit, deviled eggs, and blueberry muffins. We’ve been nibbling on the leftovers ever since. I took a posed shot before they left. What wonderful memories we shared while making lots of new ones!

A Morning with Logan

My daughters are also walkers, so Kate took this selfie to show that we made it to the stop sign.

We greeted Rosie as we passed. I almost got Logan in the photo. He was with us for the morning while his parents were out.

Logan demonstrated how long our walk was taking by pretending to take a nap until we caught up. I am still unbearably slow.

We were getting ready to eat when neighbor Holly texted Lise. She said she didn’t know where her mind was, but she left without picking up her breakfast that had been delivered to her porch. Logan went over to pick it up, and we eagerly divided the treats. One had the sausage muffin, another the filled donut, and we shared hash browns and a fruity drink. We had bought donuts the day before, so we were surrounded with goodies.

We ladies took turns showering and playing games with Logan. Kate played Rat Race; Lise did Machi Koro, and I was beaten at Peggity. At left are Lise and Logan. Before we got things out for lunch, Logan went home. We all had a blast and wished it had lasted longer.