prayers for my PaPa

[WRideout]

I know that you loved your PaPa very much, and it mattered to him that you were there. There would be no grief if there were no love. Peace of Christ be with you, and your whole family.

Wayne

[DerekP Houston]

Well, a bit of a happy update on this story. It seems my father and papa had discussed my wishes for the house to stay in the family instead of being torn down. It appears we will be renovating his house a slight bit and if all goes well with the inspection moving in to it. Benefits my father to keep it maintained and "in the family" for reunions/christmas visits etc and he didn't want it torn down either. With the savings from not paying a mortgage we can afford either a 2nd child or to put my son in private school when he is of age. We are going to walk the neighborhood this weekend and have my uncle (contractor) appraise the house and let me know what sort of repairs we can expect.

Win/Win in my book, even if we just sell and live there for a few years until my dad decides he'd like it back. Without the mortgage note we would be completely debt free and able to accelerate our savings/retirement/college fund planning.

[Boaz]

Glad to hear it Derek . Your Papa is still helping along with dad . Hope everything works out well for everyone , Thanks for the update .

[buckwheatpaul]

Derek, That is great....hope that you and your family are doing well....losing a family member, father, is very hard and your Cast Boolits family is there for you brother....Paul

[Pine Baron]

Happy to hear your good news, Derek. Sounds like a plan. May God bless this endeavor.

[castalott]

Praise God! Funny how things can work out...... Dale

[Blackwater]

God does indeed work in mysterious and unexpected ways, and he often gives us things through the back door route that we couldn't and would never have expected. Old homesteads DO become rather poignantly meaningful to most of us. My old home place, built by my grandfather 125 years ago now, is my son's now, and what they've done with the place is SO impressive to me. My grandkids are the 5th generation to grow up in the place, and it's built from wood no amount of money can buy today because it doesn't exist any more. All heart yellow pine in the main parts, and someone on the 'net gave me a link to the site that lists the engineering specs for it, and I was kind'a shocked at how much stronger it was than most other traditional building materials. The only concern with it is that it can withstand just about anything but a match! With its very high resin content, which gives it some of its strength, resilence and toughness, if it ever catches fire, the policy of the local fire dept. is to just stand back and prevent it from spreading. Experience has led them to understand that once these things begin to burn, they're just gone despite their best efforts, so they wisely just keep the damage confined to the house alone, and don't risk the firefighters' lives any more than necessary to keep it from spreading.

Nothing is forever, and I consider myself lucky to have grown up in a home like this, and my son and grandson have grown quite fond of it, too. It's a great place for two young boys to grow up. And it kind'a helps teach the boys about the value of doing things right, too - always harder to do in this "modern" world, and I consider that a much more significant asset than most would believe it to be these days.

It's also a great way to honor those who got us here to start with. Take good care of it, Derek. It'll come to mean more to you with each passing year.

[castalott]

Southern Yellow Pine is good stuff... My boss said it would hold up a freight train... we built trusses out of machine stress rated ( MSR) yellow pine and they were good....

[DerekP Houston]

Hard to believe it has almost been a year since he passed. On another note, it's also hard to believe we are still under construction fixing the place up!

Here's the original kitchen


And here's the latest update




Pretty close to being ready for move in! Still have to paint and tile the kitchen, redo both bathrooms, and replace the shed....but the finish line is in sight for the kitchen.

[Pine Baron]

Lookin' good, brother.

[NyFirefighter357]

Good deal, wish I was closer to help. I can do all of those things.

[Preacher Jim]

Derek I remember when you started and brother you have done a great job. Your papa would be proud of your efforts.

[Boaz]

Derek I remember when you started and brother you have done a great job. Your papa would be proud of your efforts.

What Jim said ! Thank you for being here Derek !

[buckwheatpaul]

Derek, You are doing well and your PaPa would be proud! Keep the progress pictures coming....Paul

[Blackwater]

Good work, Jim. FWIW, when my son started in remodelling the old home place, I didn't know he has a sentimental bone in his body, but he sure showed me something. He was going to use the "beaded board" for a wainscoat, but upon taking it down as carefully as he could, he found termites had entered at the end of the boards and hollowed them out from one end to the other! He'd had it checked for termites, and it got a great report, but those wallboards were the one thing they couldn't see the ends of because of how it was made. But I am still sure that my grandpa is smiling a very big smile up in Heaven at what my son has done with the place. And the fact that he did much of the work with his own two hands surely has that smile turning (almost?) into a bit of a gloat! Old home places are so often torn down, and mostly by folks who don't know a thing about the value and specs of the lumber they're so callously demolishing! Older homes tend to be a bit smallish, but my Grandpa raised 6 kids in that old house, and my son even added an upstairs to it, even while keeping the high ceilings! Growing up in a house with those high ceilings, I'll always feel a bit "pinched" for space in a house like mine with std. 8' ceilings!

Remember that old song that said, "You don't know what you've got 'till it's gone?" Old homes can be very much like that, though most don't even WANT to realize what they've thrown away, for something more "glitzy." Old, tried and true beats "new and glitzy" every time in my book, at least. Ya' done good, 'bro! REAL good! Keep up the good work! Your Papa would be proud of you!