Today was a tough day for my husband. Just before service he received a phone call from one of our members to let him know that her husband past away this morning. She understood that he had the Divine service, but he promised he would visit in the afternoon.
It was very hard for him as he carried on as usual, trying to keep his composure as he led us in Word and Sacrament. After the service and the announcements were made. Our Pastor let his church family know that we had lost a brother in Christ, that our Lord had called him home. Such a shock as we all sat remembering that just last week we had spent time visiting over coffee. In that moment we realized that we do not know the day or hour when our Lord will take us home to be with him and shock that our fellow brother in Christ was no longer here with us.
After the service, when everyone had left the church, Richard took me home to ensure I had something to eat and then we drove out to our sister in Christ's home to spend some time with her. We have a great church family and know that our sister will be receiving many phone calls and visits over the next while and when her family return to their homes her church family will still be there for her.
Obviously she is still in shock but there will be things that only she can decide in the next few days. As I sat by my husband (and Pastor) and listening to him gently consoling and allowing our sister in Christ to share what she wanted for her husbands funeral. The hardest part was listening to her having to decide on what she could afford, cremation is cheaper because there is no coffin to purchase. What a choice to have to make when deep in our hearts we know that burial would be the preferred choice. Without making a promise our Pastor told her he would talk with the congregation and see how and if they can help with the purchase of a coffin.
Recently the congregation had a Bible Study on burial or cremation. I did not participate in the Bible Study as I teach Sunday school during that time. But I understand that the general consensus, of those who were part of that study, felt that no one should have to resort to cremation because of the lack of funds. This also was confirmed by Richard as we chatted on the way home.
The rest of the week will be a difficult one for our Pastor as he keeps in contact with our bereaving sister, writes a sermon for her husbands funeral and talks with the ladies of the congregation regarding the arrangements for a luncheon after the funeral service. And as he talks to the chairman and treasurer to see if we can assist with ensuring our brother is buried and not cremated.
Those who are Pastor's wives know how tired our husbands are after the Sunday morning Bible study and Divine Service, yet they do not think twice of giving up their afternoon nap to visit a distressed parishioner, to share comfort from our Saviour. May our Saviour not only be with our sister in Christ but also with her Pastor as he ministers to her over the coming weeks.
Sunday, 4 March 2012
Sunday, 12 February 2012
Friends
I'm not sure if this will end up being more about loneliness or friends. I don't have any friends from my teen years, which I believe is uncommon. When I left school to start work it appears that I no longer existed to those I had called friends for six years. I did not spend much time with them away from school, other than Dione. Dione and I lived fairly close and on Saturdays I was often at her house. I don't believe she ever came to my house. Come to think of it I really can't remember any of my friends coming to my house to hang out. Dione's father took a job in London to be the Queen's head groom, so that was that.
I made one friend at my first job. I was the junior in the accounting office of David Cover's & Sons a hardware and lumber merchants. Actually that's not technically true; if friends mean hanging out with someone, then, no, I didn't have any friends from work. But I did invite one of the girls I worked with, Pamela Cartwright, to my wedding when I married David Patchett. It was great because she did come all the way from Chichester, W. Sussex to Oldham, Lancashire. We kept in contact for a short while but then she stopped writing, so that was that.
When I was 20 I entered the William Booth Memorial Training College in Denmark Hill, London to train to be a Salvation Army Officer. I had met a boy prior to going to the college, Colin Smith, and we became engaged but couldn't announce it to anyone as it was against the rules of the college. My Mum didn't like Colin until I broke up with him. Then she liked him. I broke up with him when I dropped out of training because of a nervous breakdown. That was the year the 1st year Cadets of the college had to stay out on their training positions until January (instead of returning the September before) to the college, as the cadet's houses were being renovated. I had made friends at college and a few kept in touch. But then eventually they stopped writing, so that was that.
Just to clarify, the above was before everyone and their dog had a phone.
My friends from then on were actually my new husband's friends. We were out most Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (yes, I had stopped attending Church. The reason: I blamed God for the hardships that I had encountered during my time in Middleton, Lancashire, as part of my training). So friends in Oldham were really David's friends. One of those friends came to Canada and wrote and told him he should come here as he would do a lot better here then staying in England waiting for 'dead men's shoes' (promotions in accounting fields usually by moving up when someone retired or died). So we sold up, packed up, and headed for Canada. Our friends in England kept up with us with letters for a few years, but they eventually stopped replying, so that was that.
We came to Canada and stayed with Peter and Pauline Johnson, David's friends, but not for long. You see, we had minds of our own and didn't follow their advice. We thought buying furniture was more important than getting a car on a loan. We could use the bus as the bus was only a couple of blocks away, so that was that.
David made a few more friends. I made one, who really became his friend more than mine, Rod and Izy Kier. But they moved out of Edmonton and so did we, so that was that. We made other friends, such as Aziz and Zeeny Karson. I believe they moved to Calgary, so that was that. As I look through my address book that I have had since I left England, I find many names in there. Some I remember. Some I don't. So were they friends? Were they there when I needed them? Probably not, so that was that.
We moved out of Edmonton to live in a new housing estate in Gibbons, Alberta. As more neighbours moved in we made new friends. This was a great neighbourhood. We had parties at each others homes. We had our children at the same time (give or take a month or year or two). I had Evette when we lived in Gibbons. We chose friends of David's that he had met. David and Margaret Hughes to be Evette's God parents. We lost contact with them. The friends in Gibbons? Well, we had to move back to Edmonton to be close to a hospital, as I was having complications during a pregnancy. Contact with them was broken, so that was that.
I've made temporary neighbour-friends over the years but as our lives move on, so do they; and contact is lost. When David chose to walk out on the children and I, many of our friends moved on to. Except one. I chose to go back to school. The plan was: I would go to school, raise the children and receive child support and alimony, for four years until I finished my degree. Things never work out how you think they will. Of course I made friends at Concordia College, my own friends this time. I had them over to my home. I visited them at their homes. We participated in college activities together. I was part of the Worship Committee and Mature Students group for the four years I was there. Surely I should have friends from those days. But no, just one. And I married him. Actually I had a few friends (or Richard and I) had a few friends and we sort of keep in contact. We call them friends but a friend is someone who sticks by you regardless of the choices you make, or the lessons life sends your way. A true friend is always there. Most fall off by the way, so that is that.
Life has thrown many a curve ball my way and over the years I have been very lonely. There came a time when my body and mind could take no more and I had another nervous breakdown. Where were my friends then? Richard stood by me during this very difficult time. I had two other friends I could count on, or so I thought, but during a phone call to one that week of my breakdown, I was told that I was to no longer phone, as she found it difficult to continue our friendship since her husband was now friends with my ex. My other friend, I guess I should say Richard's and my friend, she was a lot younger than us, but very mature for her age. Or so I thought, until the week of my breakdown a letter came telling me to not contact her anymore, so that was that.
What do you do when you loose friends? People have come and gone from my life on a regular basis and now as a Pastor's wife it is even harder. How do I make friends with members of the congregation? These are not real friendships as a rule. I had a dear friend in one parish. But a few months after we moved to a new parish she passed away. I was absolutely devastated. Eunice was like a sister to me. She was there when I had my leg amputated below the knee. She spent a week in Regina just so she could visit me everyday, when I was so sick. She washed me, washed my hair, made me laugh, gave me a little cat ornament that looked like Katie, so I wouldn't miss her so much. Once I was released from hospital, Eunice went with me to just about every appointment. When I went to get my leg fitted and be taught how to walk with a prosthesis, she visited me. Then every fitting and adjustment and new leg, Eunice went with me. Why didn't Richard? Because he couldn't keep taking a day off almost every week to drive to Regina for me to have an appointment. Eunice was more than a friend. She became my sister. A sister in Christ who stuck by me during a trying time. I'm not sure I will ever find another Eunice. I thank her from the bottom of my heart for being more than a friend. I have others who have been parishioners and now keep a bit in contact for a few years, so that is that.
By now you're probably thinking, but what about family? Family is only as close as you live near them. For years I sent cards and gifts and made phone calls, especially at Christmas. As the years went by the letters stopped coming, so did the cards and the phone calls, so I stopped sending cards as often. Other than phoning my mother most weeks, I rarely phone anyone else. So are my family members also my friends? I would have to say no. Maybe if I still lived in England, it would be different. But I live in Canada, it's a case of out of sight, out of mind, so that is that.
As a pastor's wife in a city that only has one Lutheran Church~Canada (LC~C) congregation I don't have the advantage of those pastor's wives who live in Cities where there is more than one LC~C congregation. Just like in the many small towns where pastors wives are some distance from other LC~C pastor's wives. We were in one circuit and we were lucky because we met as a complete family unit. Each pastor brought his wife and children to the Winkles once a month, some had to stay over to head home the following day. It was a great circuit, we were there for each other, yes we were friends. But Pastor's receive Calls and move away, just as we did, and that wonderful friendship and support is gone, so that is that. There are very few circuits to be found like the Assiniboin circuit and even that one is no longer like it was. So that is that.
Don't get me wrong I do have friends. I have, over the years of struggle being a Pastor's wife, had the privilege of knowing that no matter what the problem I can phone Murial. No I haven't chatted with her for some time but we are friends who can pick up where we left off last time we chatted. I have Jill, now I've never met Jill, she lives in South Africa, but we are collaborators on my hobby, the BOXALL (and variant) One Name Study (ONS) World Wide. When things are tough and my work on the ONS appears to take a back seat she understands and continues the work. We will meet one day, when? I don't know but I believe that she is a friend.
I have another friend (actually Richard and I have friends) they live in Greenfield, Milwaukee. The first time we went to the Catechetical Symposium in Sussex, Wisconsin they opened there home for us to stay one night. Of and on since that time we turn up in front of their home in our motor-home and become neighbours for a week. Actually we become part of their family for a week. We weren't able to go last year and this year looks the same. We follow each others lives by reading the others blog and Facebook page and yes they are friends.
I made one friend at my first job. I was the junior in the accounting office of David Cover's & Sons a hardware and lumber merchants. Actually that's not technically true; if friends mean hanging out with someone, then, no, I didn't have any friends from work. But I did invite one of the girls I worked with, Pamela Cartwright, to my wedding when I married David Patchett. It was great because she did come all the way from Chichester, W. Sussex to Oldham, Lancashire. We kept in contact for a short while but then she stopped writing, so that was that.
When I was 20 I entered the William Booth Memorial Training College in Denmark Hill, London to train to be a Salvation Army Officer. I had met a boy prior to going to the college, Colin Smith, and we became engaged but couldn't announce it to anyone as it was against the rules of the college. My Mum didn't like Colin until I broke up with him. Then she liked him. I broke up with him when I dropped out of training because of a nervous breakdown. That was the year the 1st year Cadets of the college had to stay out on their training positions until January (instead of returning the September before) to the college, as the cadet's houses were being renovated. I had made friends at college and a few kept in touch. But then eventually they stopped writing, so that was that.
Just to clarify, the above was before everyone and their dog had a phone.
My friends from then on were actually my new husband's friends. We were out most Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (yes, I had stopped attending Church. The reason: I blamed God for the hardships that I had encountered during my time in Middleton, Lancashire, as part of my training). So friends in Oldham were really David's friends. One of those friends came to Canada and wrote and told him he should come here as he would do a lot better here then staying in England waiting for 'dead men's shoes' (promotions in accounting fields usually by moving up when someone retired or died). So we sold up, packed up, and headed for Canada. Our friends in England kept up with us with letters for a few years, but they eventually stopped replying, so that was that.
We came to Canada and stayed with Peter and Pauline Johnson, David's friends, but not for long. You see, we had minds of our own and didn't follow their advice. We thought buying furniture was more important than getting a car on a loan. We could use the bus as the bus was only a couple of blocks away, so that was that.
David made a few more friends. I made one, who really became his friend more than mine, Rod and Izy Kier. But they moved out of Edmonton and so did we, so that was that. We made other friends, such as Aziz and Zeeny Karson. I believe they moved to Calgary, so that was that. As I look through my address book that I have had since I left England, I find many names in there. Some I remember. Some I don't. So were they friends? Were they there when I needed them? Probably not, so that was that.
We moved out of Edmonton to live in a new housing estate in Gibbons, Alberta. As more neighbours moved in we made new friends. This was a great neighbourhood. We had parties at each others homes. We had our children at the same time (give or take a month or year or two). I had Evette when we lived in Gibbons. We chose friends of David's that he had met. David and Margaret Hughes to be Evette's God parents. We lost contact with them. The friends in Gibbons? Well, we had to move back to Edmonton to be close to a hospital, as I was having complications during a pregnancy. Contact with them was broken, so that was that.
I've made temporary neighbour-friends over the years but as our lives move on, so do they; and contact is lost. When David chose to walk out on the children and I, many of our friends moved on to. Except one. I chose to go back to school. The plan was: I would go to school, raise the children and receive child support and alimony, for four years until I finished my degree. Things never work out how you think they will. Of course I made friends at Concordia College, my own friends this time. I had them over to my home. I visited them at their homes. We participated in college activities together. I was part of the Worship Committee and Mature Students group for the four years I was there. Surely I should have friends from those days. But no, just one. And I married him. Actually I had a few friends (or Richard and I) had a few friends and we sort of keep in contact. We call them friends but a friend is someone who sticks by you regardless of the choices you make, or the lessons life sends your way. A true friend is always there. Most fall off by the way, so that is that.
Life has thrown many a curve ball my way and over the years I have been very lonely. There came a time when my body and mind could take no more and I had another nervous breakdown. Where were my friends then? Richard stood by me during this very difficult time. I had two other friends I could count on, or so I thought, but during a phone call to one that week of my breakdown, I was told that I was to no longer phone, as she found it difficult to continue our friendship since her husband was now friends with my ex. My other friend, I guess I should say Richard's and my friend, she was a lot younger than us, but very mature for her age. Or so I thought, until the week of my breakdown a letter came telling me to not contact her anymore, so that was that.
What do you do when you loose friends? People have come and gone from my life on a regular basis and now as a Pastor's wife it is even harder. How do I make friends with members of the congregation? These are not real friendships as a rule. I had a dear friend in one parish. But a few months after we moved to a new parish she passed away. I was absolutely devastated. Eunice was like a sister to me. She was there when I had my leg amputated below the knee. She spent a week in Regina just so she could visit me everyday, when I was so sick. She washed me, washed my hair, made me laugh, gave me a little cat ornament that looked like Katie, so I wouldn't miss her so much. Once I was released from hospital, Eunice went with me to just about every appointment. When I went to get my leg fitted and be taught how to walk with a prosthesis, she visited me. Then every fitting and adjustment and new leg, Eunice went with me. Why didn't Richard? Because he couldn't keep taking a day off almost every week to drive to Regina for me to have an appointment. Eunice was more than a friend. She became my sister. A sister in Christ who stuck by me during a trying time. I'm not sure I will ever find another Eunice. I thank her from the bottom of my heart for being more than a friend. I have others who have been parishioners and now keep a bit in contact for a few years, so that is that.
By now you're probably thinking, but what about family? Family is only as close as you live near them. For years I sent cards and gifts and made phone calls, especially at Christmas. As the years went by the letters stopped coming, so did the cards and the phone calls, so I stopped sending cards as often. Other than phoning my mother most weeks, I rarely phone anyone else. So are my family members also my friends? I would have to say no. Maybe if I still lived in England, it would be different. But I live in Canada, it's a case of out of sight, out of mind, so that is that.
As a pastor's wife in a city that only has one Lutheran Church~Canada (LC~C) congregation I don't have the advantage of those pastor's wives who live in Cities where there is more than one LC~C congregation. Just like in the many small towns where pastors wives are some distance from other LC~C pastor's wives. We were in one circuit and we were lucky because we met as a complete family unit. Each pastor brought his wife and children to the Winkles once a month, some had to stay over to head home the following day. It was a great circuit, we were there for each other, yes we were friends. But Pastor's receive Calls and move away, just as we did, and that wonderful friendship and support is gone, so that is that. There are very few circuits to be found like the Assiniboin circuit and even that one is no longer like it was. So that is that.
Don't get me wrong I do have friends. I have, over the years of struggle being a Pastor's wife, had the privilege of knowing that no matter what the problem I can phone Murial. No I haven't chatted with her for some time but we are friends who can pick up where we left off last time we chatted. I have Jill, now I've never met Jill, she lives in South Africa, but we are collaborators on my hobby, the BOXALL (and variant) One Name Study (ONS) World Wide. When things are tough and my work on the ONS appears to take a back seat she understands and continues the work. We will meet one day, when? I don't know but I believe that she is a friend.
I have another friend (actually Richard and I have friends) they live in Greenfield, Milwaukee. The first time we went to the Catechetical Symposium in Sussex, Wisconsin they opened there home for us to stay one night. Of and on since that time we turn up in front of their home in our motor-home and become neighbours for a week. Actually we become part of their family for a week. We weren't able to go last year and this year looks the same. We follow each others lives by reading the others blog and Facebook page and yes they are friends.
Sunday, 15 January 2012
Sunday, 11 December 2011
Before & After
I just spent time catching up with my friends blog and one of her postings reminded me of something that I was going to post quite sometime ago. The trouble was I wasn't happy with the pictures after they were taken.
I have just looked at them again and decided well this is me, this is what I do six out of seven days a week sometimes all seven. Now most times we don't look at people as close as these pictures are, but this is me.
Those that know me will know that I am self conscious of my receded lower jaw line, due to bad dentistry when I was in my early teens. The dentist said I should have my back permanent molars removed to give me room in my mouth. The only thing that did was to stop my jaw from growing in proportion to the rest of my face. My teeth are crooked due to my jaw problems and wearing a lower splint 24/7 for a couple of years to save my mandibular joint, as I have TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder). I now only wear a splint at night just in case I grind my teeth. I also now have very noticeable tilt to my head due to being rear ended twice in one week in 1989.
This is me when I first get up in the morning (my hair is not layered now) at least my hair was like this a few months ago. My face always looks like this. No eyelashes to talk off, spidery blood vessels around my nose and the shadows under my eyes. I must say though my hair is my own colour, it does not come out of a bottle. It does look darker than actually is in this picture but the grey doesn't really show, what grey I have. I don't like this look so every morning depending on what I am wearing I use a selection of these product.
The three products at the back I use after washing my face; a toner, eye serum and moisturiser. The others are the ones used on this particular day, it looks like I was wearing purple that day. The only item I never wear is lipstick, I may in the winter, wear a coloured lip gloss.
This is me now ready for work or Church or just to go out. A few years ago Evette told me I wore too much make up. Maybe she is right. But my nose is not red, the shadows under my eyes are gone, I have eyelashes and my hair has a small curl to it.
Laura you reminded me that I had done these pictures months ago.
I have just looked at them again and decided well this is me, this is what I do six out of seven days a week sometimes all seven. Now most times we don't look at people as close as these pictures are, but this is me.
Those that know me will know that I am self conscious of my receded lower jaw line, due to bad dentistry when I was in my early teens. The dentist said I should have my back permanent molars removed to give me room in my mouth. The only thing that did was to stop my jaw from growing in proportion to the rest of my face. My teeth are crooked due to my jaw problems and wearing a lower splint 24/7 for a couple of years to save my mandibular joint, as I have TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder). I now only wear a splint at night just in case I grind my teeth. I also now have very noticeable tilt to my head due to being rear ended twice in one week in 1989.
This is me when I first get up in the morning (my hair is not layered now) at least my hair was like this a few months ago. My face always looks like this. No eyelashes to talk off, spidery blood vessels around my nose and the shadows under my eyes. I must say though my hair is my own colour, it does not come out of a bottle. It does look darker than actually is in this picture but the grey doesn't really show, what grey I have. I don't like this look so every morning depending on what I am wearing I use a selection of these product.
The three products at the back I use after washing my face; a toner, eye serum and moisturiser. The others are the ones used on this particular day, it looks like I was wearing purple that day. The only item I never wear is lipstick, I may in the winter, wear a coloured lip gloss.
Now I could have chosen any other one of these products, it depends on the clothes that I wear. I've changed a few items and added some other items, but not much has changed since these pictures were taken.
This is me now ready for work or Church or just to go out. A few years ago Evette told me I wore too much make up. Maybe she is right. But my nose is not red, the shadows under my eyes are gone, I have eyelashes and my hair has a small curl to it.
Laura you reminded me that I had done these pictures months ago.
Out with the old! In with the new!
OK, so I've talked on Facebook a lot about our new boiler system, but it's one thing for me to talk about it but if you don't know what I'm on about, it is hard to grasp the concept of what is involved, the cost and the difference from the old to the new. That being said I thought I should post pictures of the old system that was, yes was, in the house when we moved in and the new system.
Now we had hoped the boiler would last at least for this winter if not next. As it is a costly endeavour to replace, but when we called for a service on the boiler the repair man informed us the system was not worth paying to have it cleaned and serviced, at least two sets of burners were no longer working and the others did not look much better. Actually when they moved the old boiler the burners were disintegrating to say nothing of the rest of the machine.
Now remember we want to try and keep the house as authentic as we are able and can afford, that meant taking out baseboard (skirting board) hot water fin heaters and putting back radiators that are almost or are 100 years old, no way we can afford to purchase reconditioned ones or new cast iron radiators.
This is the old boiler, now it is small considering what is the norm for these older houses. This unit was built in 1956 (the plumbers found a date on the unit) and was installed in 1957 (we found the original tag tied to one of the pipes). As you can see the bottom section where the burners are is pretty grungy, and very sooty and mucky.
The red item is the pump that circulates the hot water, as you can see it is really mucky with lots of oil leakage onto the basement floor.
This round section and another one further down is where they need to connect the new system, because it depends on where they could tie in as to how much the final bill will be (we don't have it yet as they haven't finished). You will see later that they did manage to tie in the new system to these areas.
This is the hot water tank which really didn't need to be replaced, but we understood that if we were putting a new boiler in then we should put in a dual system. One that heated the hot water heating system and would also give us hot water on demand and save on our gas bills because we would not be keeping this large tank constantly hot.
This is what the hot water heating pipes look like in the ceiling of the basement. Where you see the blue pipe connecting to the copper is where the plumber replaced the last piece (at least we believe it is the last piece) of galvanised household water piping that was still in use. The plumber had run out of red pipe for hot water but said it was just the colour that was different so he used what he had, blue, we just have to remember that that is a hot water connection.
This, for anyone who is interested, is an old Hillman gas space heater that heated the basement. All the radiator pipes are in the ceiling and as heat rises you end up with cold feet, when we are down where our TV is located. This heater is also being disconnected and removed and we are putting a radiator on it's own line in the TV room.
This is the new system it has (I believe) three pumps and pipes galore. You don't know when it is running as it is very quiet. At lease it is now, the old radiators introduced some crud into one of the pumps so it was making a bit of noise the other night, I woke Richard up to go and check it for me.
Just another view to show you that that ugly big pump is now gone. So this small unit not only heats the house but also gives us hot water on demand.
And yes they did manage to hook it up to those round sections that the old boiler was hooked too which is great.
This is just one of the radiators we managed to find and purchase. It weighs a lot, I can't move it, I watched one of the young plumbers moving it and he had to walk it on those little legs that you see. This is the one in the basement. Now it appears to be hooked up but it is not working yet. This one will have its own thermostat control, especially for when I am down here working or watching TV. The radiators are dirty, didn't dawn on Richard to use the power washer to clean them off, but they are authentic with the age of the house. We are hoping this one does not leak. The largest of the four is in the master bedroom and I noticed today writing on the side which states 'leaks'. It will mean it will have to be disconnected and taken back to our source and hopefully she still has all the others and will let us pick a different one. Because these radiators have been taken out of another house, just a couple of blocks away from our own, we do not know until they are hooked up if they leak or not.
These four radiators we paid $700 for them. Richard went and got them, one at a time, in our vehicle and brought them into the house placing them in the rooms where they would be hooked up; at least three of them. The fourth one, which is the one that leaks, he strapped to the appliance dolly and walked home with it, that one he had to get help with getting it upstairs, needless to say he is a bit, no, very upset that that is the one that leaks. So if you are reading this and have one of these radiators and would like to give it to us, please let us know. I'm not sure if the lady we purchased them from will let us choose a different one once we tell her the reason why we want a different one.
I'm sure this saga of our radiators is not over yet.
Now we had hoped the boiler would last at least for this winter if not next. As it is a costly endeavour to replace, but when we called for a service on the boiler the repair man informed us the system was not worth paying to have it cleaned and serviced, at least two sets of burners were no longer working and the others did not look much better. Actually when they moved the old boiler the burners were disintegrating to say nothing of the rest of the machine.
Now remember we want to try and keep the house as authentic as we are able and can afford, that meant taking out baseboard (skirting board) hot water fin heaters and putting back radiators that are almost or are 100 years old, no way we can afford to purchase reconditioned ones or new cast iron radiators.
This is the old boiler, now it is small considering what is the norm for these older houses. This unit was built in 1956 (the plumbers found a date on the unit) and was installed in 1957 (we found the original tag tied to one of the pipes). As you can see the bottom section where the burners are is pretty grungy, and very sooty and mucky.
The red item is the pump that circulates the hot water, as you can see it is really mucky with lots of oil leakage onto the basement floor.
This round section and another one further down is where they need to connect the new system, because it depends on where they could tie in as to how much the final bill will be (we don't have it yet as they haven't finished). You will see later that they did manage to tie in the new system to these areas.
This is the hot water tank which really didn't need to be replaced, but we understood that if we were putting a new boiler in then we should put in a dual system. One that heated the hot water heating system and would also give us hot water on demand and save on our gas bills because we would not be keeping this large tank constantly hot.
This is what the hot water heating pipes look like in the ceiling of the basement. Where you see the blue pipe connecting to the copper is where the plumber replaced the last piece (at least we believe it is the last piece) of galvanised household water piping that was still in use. The plumber had run out of red pipe for hot water but said it was just the colour that was different so he used what he had, blue, we just have to remember that that is a hot water connection.
This, for anyone who is interested, is an old Hillman gas space heater that heated the basement. All the radiator pipes are in the ceiling and as heat rises you end up with cold feet, when we are down where our TV is located. This heater is also being disconnected and removed and we are putting a radiator on it's own line in the TV room.
This is the new system it has (I believe) three pumps and pipes galore. You don't know when it is running as it is very quiet. At lease it is now, the old radiators introduced some crud into one of the pumps so it was making a bit of noise the other night, I woke Richard up to go and check it for me.
Just another view to show you that that ugly big pump is now gone. So this small unit not only heats the house but also gives us hot water on demand.
And yes they did manage to hook it up to those round sections that the old boiler was hooked too which is great.
This is just one of the radiators we managed to find and purchase. It weighs a lot, I can't move it, I watched one of the young plumbers moving it and he had to walk it on those little legs that you see. This is the one in the basement. Now it appears to be hooked up but it is not working yet. This one will have its own thermostat control, especially for when I am down here working or watching TV. The radiators are dirty, didn't dawn on Richard to use the power washer to clean them off, but they are authentic with the age of the house. We are hoping this one does not leak. The largest of the four is in the master bedroom and I noticed today writing on the side which states 'leaks'. It will mean it will have to be disconnected and taken back to our source and hopefully she still has all the others and will let us pick a different one. Because these radiators have been taken out of another house, just a couple of blocks away from our own, we do not know until they are hooked up if they leak or not.
These four radiators we paid $700 for them. Richard went and got them, one at a time, in our vehicle and brought them into the house placing them in the rooms where they would be hooked up; at least three of them. The fourth one, which is the one that leaks, he strapped to the appliance dolly and walked home with it, that one he had to get help with getting it upstairs, needless to say he is a bit, no, very upset that that is the one that leaks. So if you are reading this and have one of these radiators and would like to give it to us, please let us know. I'm not sure if the lady we purchased them from will let us choose a different one once we tell her the reason why we want a different one.
I'm sure this saga of our radiators is not over yet.
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Our Home (3)
I believe it is about time I added some more pictures of our home. Where did we stop, I believe it was at the bottom of the stairs.
We have added the family pictures on the walls as you climb the stairs you will see our children and grandchildren. It really is time I had some updated pictures of not only the grandchildren but also our children. The last one I have of Ian is when he graduated from the RCMP and even that I had to print for myself, what is it with boys that they do not consider it important to have pictures taken?
This is our spare room, ready for visitors. Actually at this point in time the bed and floor are full of presents that need to be wrapped and sent out to the children for Christmas and various birthdays that we are rather late sending gifts for or early if we get things packed up before Dec 3rd, actually my guess is we will be late for Evette's birthday too. It's a good job our children are used to us always being late with gifts, it was so much easier the year they came to visit. On the wall you will see the crewel picture I made when my children were little and Creative Circle was the house party of the day. The smaller picture is one of my Mum's needle point scenes. And of course we still have Ian's rocking chair and his monkey, the other soft toy is Kegan's, a bit too big for Lynda to take home with her on the train.
Here we have Richards collection of singing and talking stuffed animals, a story behind each one and as you probably would guess a grandchild was thought of for each one. They can play with them when they visit\
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Books and games, Evette I'm sure you recognize the mat on the floor. My ornament teddy bear collection is also in the spare room on that bookcase.
The view of the room from the door. This rug I designed and made when the children were young, as they would say, in the orange house.
And the light fixture in the spare room. I love all the old light fixtures that are still in the house.
While cleaning up the left overs from the prior owners Richard found this chair in the basement. After giving it a good clean and scraping of the splattered paint we ended up with a lovely green chair with a varnished seat. It goes great in this alcove that is the dormer window.
This is the built in dresser, it is great fun each draw is bigger that the one above it, it is built into the slop of the roof. The picture on the wall is one of my favourites that Landestreu and MacNutt congregations gave us, it reminds us of Landestreu church in the winter, this picture has a church in a field just like Landestreu. Richard has a walk in closet on the right.
On the left of the alcove is a cupboard also built under the roof line. There is no picture of the light fixture in this room as it is fairly modern, about 1980'ish.
On the right of the bed is my 'walk in closet'. Richard found, at another garage sale, the really cute brass hook for my housecoat, it is a lady taking a bath. I think the print above the bed was a Value Village purchase, but it goes great in this room.
And of course the lovely old light fixture, I think this is my favourite one, well at least one of my favourites the other being in the media room.
This is me trying to work artistically with drapes that are too long. This room we generally call the 'boudoir room", (in the old fashioned meaning of the word), but at you see it's my ironing room. My dresser and the desk which I use to store my hair dryer etc, and my makeup. I now have a place for Evettes bronzed baby shoes and Ian's blue and white checkered baby shoes. Oh, and the sewing machine is in here because the desk is where I use it.
This is the 2nd room of the master bedroom, as you see it is the
catch-all room. The cushions are from the parsons bench which I need to
recover, I do have the material, now I need the time. In the left hand
corner are items that belong to Evette and then there are various and
sundry boxes with my craft stuff in them.
I think this light is in that last room, it is plastic but looks like glass.
Above this dresser is another of my Mum's needlepoint pictures. These are the ones she didn't want on her walls and I guess no one else in the family wanted them so I have them.
This little hall is outside the bathroom (on the right), great place to keep our supply of towels and the laundry hamper.
And of course this is the bathroom, the smallest room in the house, it is smaller than the bathroom in the basement.
And now we head back down stairs. Not sure I mentioned that all the floors on this level are pine. The original floor boards have been covered over, not sure if thier condition, so I doubt we will take the pine up, at least not for a good number of years.
I believe at one time there were probably three windows on that wall, but a door was added as the house was once a boarding home, or housing for nuns, it depends who you are talking too.
These are the pictures of Richards and my parents, grandparents and various other family members who happen to be in the pictures we have inherited from our families.
And the bottom of the stairs. One of Richards grandmother's dried flower pictures, a picture of him holding Kegan and Chase, and a 1905 German Confirmation certificate.
I'll have to check to see what's left to show you, I'm guessing just the basement. Soon I will post the rest.
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Oops! I forgot to adjust the curtains. This is Richard's room. The picture on the wall is one of his Aunt Ger's it always reminds us of our stay in MacNutt.
This is the master bedroom, or suite as Richard calls it. The jug and bowl we found at a garage sale and thought it would go great in this house. The picture above the fireplace is called 'The Spider Web' which I've put copies on my blog in the past.
And the bottom of the stairs. One of Richards grandmother's dried flower pictures, a picture of him holding Kegan and Chase, and a 1905 German Confirmation certificate.
I'll have to check to see what's left to show you, I'm guessing just the basement. Soon I will post the rest.
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Our Home (2)
A few more pictures to show you all.
Time I headed for bed. We'll take the stairs another day. I hope you enjoy seeing the items that make this house our home.
Isn't this lovely? Richard spent a good part of a day cleaning all the light fixtures and brought out the beauty of all the old light fixtures
We are now in the room off the Parlour, this is the far corner; two handy chairs and Grandpa Steene's piano bench ready and waiting for people to start playing games
Some family treasures on the shelves between the chairs; top shelf Lynda's early craft project and last years Christmas gift from her two boys; 3rd shelf contains gifts from Evette and Ian when they were youngsters.
This is the other end of the room and of course our nativity collection with the picture of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Bruce, Alberta where Richard was a Vicar.
The hall looking towards the parsons bench and a book-case with our photograph albums.
Richard's collection of Uncle John's Readers
The oil painting that Aunt Monica gave Richard and the shell animals made my his Grandma Emma Mensch
The vanity which will eventually be removed as will the sunken bath tub.
Oops... that's the wall in the hall again; three of my petit point pictures that I kept
Time I headed for bed. We'll take the stairs another day. I hope you enjoy seeing the items that make this house our home.
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