Happy Halloween - Decorating

While treasure hunting, I found some wire mesh hanging baskets to recycle. I turned the cone shaped baskets upside down, and positioned halloween masks. I'll add some mini lights this evening. In the mix of things is a garden porcelain pan (not really cleaned since gathering the last of the tomatoes, green peppers from the garden). Jon harvested two wheelbarrows of squash: butter nut, acorn, and hubbard.

Below is the mail box at the east porch (summer kitchen door). I've had it for many years, and it was found in the garage at my parent's home. I don't know its origin (what ancester had it on their house). The squares design appears on the reproduction hardware in my kitchen. I've repeated the design in the kitchen cabinet glass panels.

Wreaths are usually expensive. But in this case I made 3 of them on the cheap. I found two flower bouquets and cut the bouquets apart, rewired flowers and leaves to inexpensive ready to decorate wreaths. A nice wreath at each of the 3 entrances for about $10 each.

Dad and Mom both worked on their share of screen doors for this old house. I believe Dad worked on the one shown here. Afterwards, he installed new black screening. Doesn't look like a 116 year old door, does it? But, it is!

Above is the east entrance (summer kitchen door). Jon rebuilt the railing July '09. Right now, I have a tub of spindles for the front porch--salvaging them to rebuild and reassemble for the front of the house.

The tub of spindles (about 3-4 dozen) Mom and I picked off aligatored paint, repaired and sanded while she was here in September for a week. Some of the spindles Jon used chemical stripper.

Some of the spindles we pieced back together with carpenter's wood glue. It worked very well. Quite a few spindles I dug out soft wafer like wood from the top of the bulb of the spindle. Carefully I added wood filler and allowed to dry. Then again, add more wood filler until the bulb was rounded, then lots of hand sanding to smooth. This activity in September resulted in a sprained thumb for me. It is still sore as heck.

Jon's cousin Lloyd shaped (milled) the two piece horizontal railings, and the remaining straight pieces are 2 x 2. We're leaving the step railing as is--because its probably been there for the last 50 years--works just fine--and no particular need to deconstruct it.

Above is a wooden box Jon found in the barn. It says, Scandinavia Co-Op Mercantile Co., Scandinavia, WI. (That's our little town, population 350). Also pictured is Jon's favorite brown rocking chair--picked up at an auction for $30. I recovered the cushion with some colored indian corn chaneille fabric.