Monday, March 12, 2007

Brick Roads Take Me Home

Queene Anne & BarDouble did a post a week or so ago which included lists of their likes & dislikes, beginning with a particular letter. I told them about a notebook I have had since high school that contained pages & pages of my own likes (no dislikes listed). The last time I had this old spiral was 3 or 4 years ago & it is safely tucked away somewhere for 'safekeeping.' I remember the very first thing I wrote was "I love the sound of tires on a brick road."

Just before I turned 3 my parents moved us to the house we lived in the longest. It was on an old red brick road & we lived there until I was 8. Big wheels, bicycles & cars all sounded so cool on that road.

Slowly but surely, we are transforming my house into the house I have always wanted....a home, my home. I have been here 7 years. What was once pink & covered in graffitti, is now barn red. Drafty, caulk-sealed shut windows, now open. A yard filled with poison ivy & fire ants, now have camellia's, hostas, azaleas, gardenias, roses, dogwoods, lettuce, broccoli, onions, garlic & many, many others. Pot holes & bare spots became filled. New holes were dug & rocks have been stacked, fish ponds & bird houses/feeders attract the migrating birds & neighborhood stray animals. The old metal mailbox wired to a chainlink fence has been replaced with a masonry one. The hardwoods bared & refinished. Linoleum is out & the tile is in. Slowly, but surely it is all coming together.

Friday night I searched for my spiral (I have things to add to my list) & Saturday night, I drew up the plans for a new walkway and driveway (we have street parking & no garage) My DH wishes I'd spend less time on the computer, I wish he'd spend less time watching the boob tube. Sunday we honored each others wishes.

I have been collecting bricks since I bought this house 7 years ago. DH has been collecting them since he moved in 4 years ago. We are about 2/3's of the way done with building our own little 'brick road.' Not a big one...one that will go from the curb to our house.... our new 'park pad'. One brick trail will lead to the back yard and another to the front sidewalk with a fork trailing to the pond. Brick roads, Take Me Home.

So, even though DH thinks I spend too much time on the computer, in a not-so-direct way this little project would not have come to fruition if it weren't for this blogging community. TY! One thing leads to another.

Inspiration.
Recollection.
Realization.

We both enjoyed a Sunday full of scraping & laying old bricks.

Bricks Roads, Take Me Home.

20 comments:

Bardouble29 said...

What a fantastic post! I love bricks and cobblestones roads! What a terrific project for you and your spouse to share!

M@ said...

I have potholes, too. In my sweater.

none said...

Old brick streets like they have in new orleans are great. After a whilke they settle in, wear smooth and are as good as any other pavement.

Me said...

Who'd have thought bricks could bring so much joy to ones life. I do know what you mean by big wheels and brick roads. I imagine you hearing the collective rubbing of the tires onto the surface and the uneven, yet calculated, drumming of wheel and brick. I could be wrong, thats just what I imagined.

singleton said...

"one road leads to another" God, ILYSVVVM! Orhan... And her little big wheel had a blow out from the day we dragged it home, so the sound, the lull, the hum, was always uneven, and the very very rhythmatic drumming of wheel and brick was just that sound....the thump, thump, bump....calculated...(count the rotations)... just the way you imagined it! Blonde Angel hair flying in the wind!

skinnylittleblonde said...

ILTV~ Me Too! And yes, it was a much needed time to bond for DH & I. The winter keeps me cooped up inside too much & we forget how well we work together.

Matt~ Don't you mean pot seed holes?

Hammer~ You are so right. they get wonderful little ripples and waves that run thru them!

Orhan ~ You are right on! I can still recall the rythym of the bricks. The nice thing about bricks is that they settle with the earth around them... unlike pavement that tries to dictate. When I see an old sidewalk cracked and spit up from old oak tree roots beneath, I know it's because that trees roots are fighting for ground water that the sidewalk or road tried to deny.

Singleton~ Lol, I can still remmeber my favorite section of Sylvan drive. Every other brick was slightly higher than the bricks in between...what a sweet rythym they had!

Pud said...

Wow! I wish I had a green thumb like you. Maybe if I didn't distest manual labor I would.

Anne said...

What a sweet post and beautiful garden! :)

skinnylittleblonde said...

pud~
it's my DH that truly has the green thumb, but I have no problems with manual labor ;)

anne~
ty! I got your tag & will work on it soon enough!

Mel said...

*grumbling at yet ANOTHER post lost*

Ya know, himself and I work well together......as long as we're doing separate tasks. LOLOL

And I grew up with brick streets--nothing like that thump thump! I was sad when they tore up the street and paved it--it changed the whole nuance of the neighbourhood.
*sigh*

Angela Marie said...

My husband has always had a thing for bricks too. Your house sounds lovely. With some tender, loving, care you have turned your house into a home.

I am so envious... I never had a big wheel, :( and I always wanted one.

vicci said...

I really love old red bricks...growing up back East they were common...here out West...you hardly ever see them! When I DO see them...I get so excited! I love your red bricks Sweetie...and you! :-)

Reflections said...

We used to have a brick main street, but was torn up and repaved. I loved the sound and feel of the bricks and also the look. I have been visiting this blog from other blogs such as Round Circle for some time. I also visit your sister's blog and look at the art. I will keep coming back, it seems I like characters!

Behind Blue Eyes said...

My grandmother used to live on a brick street lined with bungalows. I dream about it sometimes. I dream that I am buying my grandmas house and that me and my family are moving in and for some reason, everything feels so safe and sane when I know that I will be living in my Grandmas house.

JustRun said...

What a lovely thing to share with one another!

skinnylittleblonde said...

Mel~
Me So Sorry for the blogger-Gulp! It's been happening to me for about 3 wks now! It's such a shame when they re-pave. Beleive it or not, that old street I lived on is still a brick road! It still looks like a good place to raise kids. All around it though has grown up...high-rises and condos!

Angela Marie~It is a continuous works in progress and probably ablout the time I feel like it's done will be the time to move. Aw, i wish you'd had a Big Wheel! Every kid should have one & a safe road to ride one on. If you look to bottom right of blog, you'll see link to a story about my big wheel. :)

Vicci~ I so love you too! Living in Georgia, our dirt is really clay... bricks are common here. Our bricks are less common though, we have gathered them for years from old houses & fireplaces being demolished...which is why my hubby was scraping the mortar and I was laying 'em. Tonight we almost got it all done. Best estimate on this project...just over 1200 bricks so far.

Reflections~ Welcome & please come anytime! I hope you don't find if I venture into your corner of the world as well!

BBE~Yes, there is something very soothing and reassuring about our grandmother's homes. I also love bungalows & brick roads...so your dream sounds like atrue dream come true to me too!

JustRun~ LOL, yes. Sore back, but pumped arms. it does feel good to look at a project and say 'Look what we did.' Couples need to have a common goal or objective and still maintain their own personal goals.This was a real ideal on the prior.

kj said...

i LOVED this post! i love bricks too and it was great to see what you have done in your yard. i like stones too. last fall i piled a few flat ones on top of oneanother and i have a sweet little zen garden now....


:)

skinnylittleblonde said...

kj~ That's awesome! There is a small community down in Fla., called Cassadaga. it's no bigger than a bump in the road, however every other house has a zen garden...so beautiful, tranquil & peaceful.

Baron Ectar said...

WHAT!!! No yellow bricks!

skinnylittleblonde said...

baron~ LOL, that project is finally done now & you will pleased to know that there are two yellow bricks, probably a dozen white ones, two dozen black ones & a hundred orange ones...over a thousand red ones!