Maine

While we were up north last week, John, Polly, and I went to visit John's parents.

We had a great time.. watched Game Two of the World's Series, did Polly's laundry, visited our kitchen, went to a couple of shops in downtown Portland, John and Polly went to see Piper Shores, and had time to catch up with Jack and Noreen.

Grammy in Maine.Click to enlarge. 


John's parents house in Maine.Click to enlarge. 

We Went to Visit our Ktchen

While on our North Trip last week John and I stopped by to see our kitchen with Polly and Bapa.

Master Carpenter Jim Kroll, from Maine, is building the kitchen cabinents. Jim built our vanity for the master bath and six doors for the new closets two years ago. We are delighted with the cabinents, they look fabulous.

To find more information about Jim Kroll, the link to his listing on the Maine Made Webite is below.

Jim Kroll at Maine Made

The overmantle will be over the range between the windows resting on two smaller base cabinents.

Overmantle.Click to enlarge. 




The hutch sections include the base and top upper section. This will go where the current sink is located.

Base of hutch section.Click to enlarge. 


Upper hutch section.Click to enlarge. 



Consulting with Jim.

Jim Kroll 

Shut Out and a Hat Trick

Last Saturday at Holderness, Polly played for both the JV1 and JV2 Holderness Soccer Teams. It was great to see her play again.

Polly played in the goal for the JV1 game and had a shut out. Holderness 2-0.

Polly played center forward in the second game and scored 3 goals for the hat trick and a 4-2 Holderness win.

Polly # 16. Click to enlarge. 

Construction Update

These pictures were taken last week before we went to New Hampshire.

Here are the before and after pictures of the driveway. The driveway will shift as far to the left as possible. To see the cut and regrading click on the pictures to enlarge them.

The driveway before the cut. 


The driveway after the cut. 


The terrace regrading is shown below.

 


 


We found a mortared stone wall when the terrace area was being excavated. The wall was totally buried and so far is about 15 feet long with 2 feet showing above the new excavation. It is almost exactly where we are going to build a new stone wall. We are guessing it may be a foundation wall.
We need Carrie to come with her archaeology class and investigate.

It's below covered in dirt. I'll post a better picture later this weekend.

The wall 

The 2004 World Champion Boston Red Sox

I highly recommend reading Bill Simmons account of game seven... He has it all, very funny.

Some Quotes from the Red Sox Websites :

Who do we play next? Isn't there some team in Japan we can beat or something? It's a good thing I don't have to go to work tomorrow.

We kept hoping. We kept the faith. We kept passing this team down from generation to generation, hoping it would be worth it. And it was. The last 11 days were the greatest sports ride of our lives: Eight games, eight wins, one Championship.

I have to admit, I was pretty worried about the total eclipse of the moon.

Some guys I'm remembering tonight; Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk, Fred Lynn, Dennis Eckersley, Bruce Hurst, Jim Rice, Rich Gedman, Bob Stanley, Dwight Evans, Bill Buckner, Oil Can Boyd, Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, Dave Henderson...

The heartbreaks - 1975, 1978, 1986, 2003 - may never be erased but they are healed

I also thought of my old neighbor, Mr. Jim Lakis, a passionate Red Sox fan for more than fifty years. If you walked by Mr. Lakis’s house the day after Game Six back in ’86, you would have observed a shattered television in the trash, a baseball bat lodged right through the screen.

My dad listened to every game on the radio when I was a kid. I know that wherever we go when we leave this place, whether it's heaven or a cornfield in Iowa, he listened to this series and he is smiling.

Just called my Dad. Been waiting to make that call my whole life. "It happened in my lifetime!" he keeps saying


I wish I could have made that call to my Dad, he would have liked this team. The last game I remember watching with my Dad was Game Seven 1986.
Nancy


The Boston Globe. Click to enlarge 

Road Trip

John and I will be in New Hampshire for Parents Weekend. We will be back next week either late Tuesday night or Wednesday afternoon.

 

Game 7

This guy's got it bad.

1:04 PM [BigK]: I'm not sure what other people are doing to prepare for this game, but I'm trying to move as little as possible. I'm still wearing yesterday's clothes, which I had been wearing in game 5 as well. Sure that's disgusting, but you do what you gotta do. The phone's ringing but I'm not answering it because it's just going to be people either jinxing the Sox or work trying to call me in. I can't even bear to turn on the TV for fear of landing on ESPN and being sucked into endless baseball analysis for the next 7 hours. I can't even put on my "Yankees Suck" T-Shirt because the last three times I wore it were games 1-3 of the ALCS. I'm just sitting here, shivering, hoping and praying the goddamn clock starts to move. It was 12:30 like 5 hours ago, man.

Update: Clarification...
I'll clarify for you Mom. Its not you who is not going to shower, its a random red sox fan on the internet even though he is crazy. Can't wait to see Ortiz play first and Pedro bat tonight by the way woo hoo game three!

I will add the link to the guy's website is above, Carrie is right this guy is crazy but funny.


Sometimes all you can do is shake your head and laugh. Throwing out the first pitch before tonight's ballgame: Bucky Dent... Bucky Dent!

Theta

Our girl Carrie has finally sent me some pictures!!

Carrie has been busy all week with recruitment.
The bids are out and accepted and Theta has a great new member class.

A few famous Theta's
Laura Bush
Marlo Thomas
Ann Margaret
Lynn Cheney... A Colorado College Theta


Carrie with some of her sorority sisters. 


Click to enlarge. 

Red Sox Fans ....A State of Mind

My faith knows no bounds.
Yea, though they are in the Valley of 1-3 and against elimination, I do not doubt, and I shall not fear.
I keep my faith

The real reason we lost is that I didn't wear my Red Sox earrings Saturday. I have them on today. Fear not.

Our Father, who art in Fenway,
Baseball be Thy game.
Thy kingdom come,
World Series won on earth
as it is at the Cask 'n' Flagon.
Give us this day our Pedro Martinez,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those of poor Bill Buckner.
And lead us not into depression,
But deliver us from the curse.
For Thine are Manny, and Schilling, and Big Papi
forever and ever. Amen.

Personally, I am still working on the Bill Buckner forgiveness thing

Polly called tonight to say Ortiz is her HERO!! Another convert.


Here is what the last at-bat of the game looked like. Amazing the pitches he fought off to stay alive.

Big Papi last at bat. 

Construction Update

The propane tank for the new kitchen range was installed this week.

The driveway has been cut and the blacktop removed, regrading should be completed next week. Once this work is complete the stone wall required to support the driveway can be started.

The stone for the terrace, porches, and walkway arrived on Friday. The mason will install the stone porches and remove the stone wall in the kitchen next week we hope.

The wall board installation is scheduled for the week of the 25th.

John and I worked on the cottage garden and terrace this weekend and will hopefully finish all but the stone work this week before we go to New Hampshire for parents weekend.

Baby Pictures

The Evans Family

We're all here.. John, Nancy, Carrie, and Polly

Click to enlarge. 

Historical Archaeology

Carrie is taking Historical Archaeology this block. The class will work at another archaeology site later this month.

Fortunately Carrie is prepared!

Carrie ready for the archaeology dig. Click to enlarge 

Polly on the Holderness Website again!

Last weekend almost all the Holderness Teams played Kimball Union Academy for the KUA parents weekend.

The Holderness Website posted a great picture of Polly and some of her teammates. Thanks to Carrie for spotting the photo.

Click to enlarge. 


Polly is also mentioned in the game write-up last week on the Holderness Website.

Girls JV1 Soccer
When 10/6/2004 2:30 PM

Location Home
Opponent Brewster
The practice drills and sprinting paid off for Holderness during our game against Brewster. Highlights of the game include: a "hat trick" (3 goals) scored by Leah Woolson; other goals scored by Polly Evans, Mikaela Ferguson, Sharlyn Harper, Maresa Nielson, and Anna Hosmer; Maresa Nielson's volunteering to play goalie so Polly could play on the field; and Brooke Saba's defense.

Girls JV1 Soccer
When 10/9/2004 2:00PM

Location Away
Opponent KUA
With many of the Holderness teams at KUA for their Parents' Weekend, the JV1 team had a fun day with lots of support from parents and Holderness fans. Both teams came out strong and the ball was constantly crossing midfield. Holderness took the lead in the last 10 minutes of the first half with a goal from Kourtney Brim. The team's passing and shooting greatly improved the second half. Polly Evans stepped out of goal to play forward and Corinne Cline made a great save. The second goal was scored from "the famous Emily Capaul cross shot" and Jessi Potter, at the net, was able to put it in to give Holderness a 2-0 win over KUA.

Politics... Just this once

I recieve many political emails as I'm sure you all do.

I couldn't resist making a small change to this one. I think most of you will recognize the new faces here, but for those who don't know the players, I have added my friend Meridee's input and John's parents reaction.

This was entitled "The Fish Story" or "How Big"

"Meridee joins the Bush Administration"

Click to enlarge. 

Politics.... this is the last time I promise

For 25+ years John's parents have had a group of friends spend a long weekend at Squam. Each year one of their great friends writes to commemorate the occasion. I always look forward to reading her verse. The entry this year is entitled "An Epiphany (of sorts)"

An Epiphany (of sorts)

Do politics drive you crazy? Have you had enough
Of name-calling, image bashing, accusations, lying, and bluff?

When Republicans rant and rave and Democrats complain and whine
Do you long for a monarchy with no partisan party line?

Do you wish states weren’t divided and coded red or blue
With the gray states a battleground for candidates old and new?

Do you care what Teresa says or what the Bushes’ daughters do
Or that Cheney’s daughter is gay or Alexandra’s blouse “see-through”?

When Kerry was seen to flip-flop or when George Bush’s syntax failed,
Why must the Times and the Journal make certain these guys are nailed

As for the cartoonist’ drawings, aren’t you tired of K’s jaw, G’s ears
And hearing about the good days when Bush 2 overdosed on beers?

Or about Kerry’s purple heart, given, it is claimed, for a scratch?
It’s a dog-eat-dog election. That’s our U.S. politics – natch

But politics are explosive, volatile and loaded with zest.
But wouldn’t you miss the whoop-la, the speeches, parades and the rest?

Now I’ve tried hard to stay neutral, but in doing so it’s been tough,
Thus I think I’ll now be truthful. (It’s allowed – I’m writing this stuff.)

I know that except for the XXXXXXX, none of you will vote as I wish.
I hope your candidate loses. Our country needs Kerry not Bush!


August 2004

U.S. National Weblog Association

It is with great pride that I accept this award. I want to thank all the people who made it possible (especially my father in-law). I will treasure it always!

U.S. National Weblog Association

For excellence in the creation and maintenance of a weblog in the Mid-Atlantic region. The 2004 award is presented to Braefield Farm, Nancy Evans, Webmistress

Richard Bytehead
National Chairman

My Award! 


The craftmanship of the award is exceptional and I would like to credit Jack Evans on his skill and imagination!!

Landscaping the Cottage

John has been hard at work at the cottage. He has ripped out the overgrown shrubs and removed all the brick and stone. He has been adding fill to the bank. We are going to replace the brick with brown flag stone and plant a hedge across the back edge of the terrace. we will also add one section of lattice fence at the corner of the cottage for privacy. The garden will be reduced along the walk to make room for a small flowering tree that will also provide some shade to the terrace.

Cottage Terrace 

Construction Update

The windows are all in and the rough plumbing is done. We are waiting for inspections before the finish interior work can begin.

The drainage system was completed last week. Dave Monteith will be here Tuesday and Wednesday to install the propane tank for the range and reconfigure the driveway,

The stucco is done and looks fabulous! We hope to get the painters in soon.

We have been looking for the right stone for the porches, terraces and walkways for quite awhile now and we finally found what we were looking for at large stone yard in northern PA. The stone is coming next week and hopefully the porches will be started soon. Once the porches are done the columns can go in and the exteror will be virtually complete.

Stucco done 


porch 


This picture isn't very good, but the beam shown looks great.

Timber in place