Gone to the Dogs (or a week with the dogs)

Lexie...

Gretchen and Bit Well Cindy and Rick left on a cruise Sunday , so Delores and I are Dog sitting for a week.Now these are not just three dogs... These are Three Dogs.... One big and I mean big is Lexie a Boxer and all muscle and she does not know when to stop playing . I think she would retrieve a tennis ball as long as you could throw it. she will also knock you down when she is greeting you by jumping on you standing on her hind legs and look you in the eyes... She is all dog.Next we have Gretchen a little long haired Dachshund , she is getting a little old and not any trouble at all. She will eat anything and everything . She is the ultimate dogie garbage disposal . A loner mainly wants to be left alone and let her sleep. Then but not least is Bit(name has evolved over time) a Beagle/Dachshund/Jack Russell mix that is the ramrod of the trio, smart as a whip and knows how to get his way. Learned how to get to stay with me on the days that I am in the barber shop. Knows when I take a shower in the mornings that if he whines he gets to go to Hardee's to get two sausage biscuits for him and the other two dogs ... and this has got to be a ever morning thing. So the three together about wears us out by the time the week is over.... You know how it is , about like grandchildren spoil um and then send then home... Lets see this is Tuesday , just five more day till Saturday and they are gone.... Wheeeeeee!!!!

THANKSGIVING DAY 2007

The day started off real well , Mema was up early getting some of the food prepared . This year we are doing something a little different . In years passed we have not had a big day on Thanksgiving . Usuallly the children Cindy and Terry are elsewhere for Thanksgiving dinner so Delores usually eats dinner out with a friend and I stay home and start getting the Christmas decorations down and put up but, this year Terry's family was going to be at the beach because Andrew is playing in a golf tournament so Cindy and Mema decided to have Thanksgiving at our house, without all the cooking the turkey and ham and such so they ordered the dinner from a local restaurant here in Spartanburg . Which was a smart thing to do saved a lot of work on the ladies. Cindy and Rick got here pretty early and started helping Mema get things ready. Then Tommy and Cathy(Rick's Sister and brother-in-law) arrived with some pies and sweet potato yams. Soon Amanda and Les (Cathy and Tommy's daughter and son-in -law)arrived with Seth their 2 year old son . Then Larry a friend of the family arrived and Ashley our grand daughter and her boy friend Will arrived and we sat down to a great Thanksgiving Dinner.....

Picture ... L to R Rick , Cathy, Amanda and Ashley

A Day at the Trophy Shop

Terry working at one of the engravers
Christopher at work Cindy in the office
Trophies ready to go.
Trophy work bench

One of the laser machines
The show room
Terry still at work
computer Center.

Typical Day at the Barber Shop

The work week starts on Tuesday morning at 8am and usually the first customer every otherTuesday is Mike pictured here. Been trimming Mike's locks since he was in middle school his dad was a patron and very close friend of mine for many years till he passed away several years back his name was Bud. Now I could count on Bud for about anything , running errands for me , he would stay at the shop if I had somewhere I had to go. He would stay and sometimes when I would return he would be sitting there talk to several customers that he had held there with the promise that I would be back shortly. Of course this was at another shop not where this shop is . He was a true and very loved and missed friend and of course when I see Mike I think of Bud. A little history started barbering in 1954 after about 18 months of barbering school. I worked at one shop with a man, who befriended me and was like a second father to me, and his son who was like a brother . Worked there for 20 years till 1974 and deceided it was time to operate my own shop. I bought a shop from a barber that was retiring and moved to that shop. This is where I first met Bud. Stayed there for 26 years till 2000 when I simi-retired to the shop here at the homestead. So I still have some customers that have started coming to the shop since I have been here and some that have been retained form the two other shops that I worked..

2nd Day Construction

The second day of the project got under way pretty early. The first job was to build the other support wall and take out the original wall. This also called for a trip into the attic to reinforce the ceiling joist . When that was done the support beam was place in and the temporary wall jacks were removed . Then some trim work was done and is to be finished tomorrow . Also the cabinet man is supposed to be here and start on the bar. then the electrician is to be here Friday

so maybe in just a few more work days we might be finished . Will see how tomorrow goes..

DAY 3 OF CONSTURCTION

Missed a few day of the remodeling ,but the electrians got here today and did the wiring that had been planed which included replacing some of the outlets and the thermostats that were in the wall that was taken out also they put in an overhead light and fan that the old living room did not have . Also they routed the cable for the television in the wall so that the wires are not seen and also hung the television on the wall with a wall bracket. All in all the day went well . The only problems were minor , misunderstanding where the tv was going and the worker cut one of the wires in the ceiling heat system that had to be replaced. They had to improvise on the lights that we had pick out to hang over the bar. With the beam at 14 inches below the ceiling there was not enough space to use the downrod so they had to mount them directly to the beam . No big problem and they look just fine ... about one more day work left repairing the floor and some trim work and we will have the job finished... we hope it will be soon , but have learned to expect the worker when we see them.... later..

Day One of Construction

Day one of construction has passed and went very well. The crew show up with trailor and went to work taking down the wall . Just a few problems here and there but all in all went pretty good. Was a lot of dust and plaster chips . Had to disable a few receptecals and the electrical heat themostats and in doing so it cut the power to the other receptecals in the den which will have to be fixed on the next work day ,I hope . Will see how it goes on day two ..Will update tomorrow...

The Walls came down at the Halls

So now after 39 years we have decided to have the wall between the den/kitchen and the living room removed. When we moved into this house in 1968 the living room was the one room that we wait and took our time to chose just the right furniture ,so it was several years before it was furnished completely. The living room has served us well over the years it is where the Christmas tree that Mema decorates so beautifully stands. It is where we have for all these years passed out the presents . It is the place where most of the pictures were taken. The furniture is just as new as the day it was placed it in the room. Our house is a ranch style (as you can see from the pictures on our post) constructed like most in the 60's . Three bedrooms ,two baths, den/kitchen and living room. The Gold Medallion of the day. The trouble now is the living room hardly ever get used except on Christmas the rest of the time the door is usually closed. So to utilized the space we have decided to open it up and make a great room .We will have to get rid of some furniture and buys some new , but mostly it will be a matter of rearranging what we have. The plan now is to convert the den area into the dining area and the living room will be the den. I am sure it will take some time to get everything in the right place ,but Mema and Iare sure it will work out... Anyway the destruction starts Tuesday will keep you informed... Mema and Papa