Category: Farmhouse History

Farmhouse History, Farmhouse Living, Mr. Monte

Can We Unriddle the Amazing Mystery of Our Brick Bar-B-Que?

A beautiful, handmade brick barbeque resides next to our deck on the vast 1.203-acre estate known as Serendipity Farmhouse. That brick barbeque has a mysterious secret. Perhaps you would like to learn what it is.

Hello! – Mister Monte here. Poor Old Fuzz Face had two big problems to solve. In our video, he will tell you about the first one, and I will tell you about the second. It’s an incredible historical mystery

Video Spoiler Alert

I urge you to watch the video I made. You might be surprised to learn that, for the first time in many years, Fuzzy didn’t mess up.

Proper Spelling of Brick Barbeque

Now, you may be wondering about the word “Bar-B-Que” in the title for this post. Here is what I found with regard to the proper spelling of the term for a brick structure used for grilling foods outside. Although some people use the spelling “bar-b-que”, the standard spelling in most contexts is “barbecue”. As you can see, the firm that surveyed our property chose to use “BAR B QUE”.

brick barbeque
brick barbeque

Fuzzy and Miss Blondie have compiled over 200 pages of historical records concerning the history of Serendipity Farmhouse. And only one of those pages ever mentions the brick barbeque.

The question of how that brick barbeque got here was a riddle without an answer. My two big cats were puzzled and perplexed by the mystery.

In 2020, however, the answer to the barbeque mystery began to emerge.

So, there it is for all of my 23,417 feline followers and for you few brave humans who have come to me seeking the truth, the whole truth. Historical research and a serendipitous communication solved the problem of how Serendipity Farmhouse has such a wonderful brick barbeque. – Watch my video, and learn more about just one of the mysteries from the past of our dear Serendipity Farmhouse.

Serendipity Farmhouse
Farmhouse History, Farmhouse Living

10 Years of Serendipity Farmhouse

Ten years ago today, Serendipity Farmhouse became the house of our realities. That was when we signed the papers that finalized the purchase. Our post SFH Anniversary & Birthday tells you a little about that day.

Since early in 2018, this blog has chronicled the living history of this old farmhouse. We have shown you the important, the serious, the sad, and sometimes the hilarious events that take place here. Occasionally, we show you what this farmhouse was like before it became Serendipity. We make sure that we don’t candy coat or cover up what living here is like. But, most of all, we show you that Serendipity Farmhouse has a history with a heart.

Those before us have modernized, renovated, and built additions. Some worked hard to restore the original charm of this old farmhouse. We have made repairs, and worked to make the kitchen a comfortable place to create and experiment.

Serendipity Farmhouse doesn’t grow older with time – it grows better!

This day is special for us in many ways. Certainly the SFH anniversary is important. But today is also the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and it is the birthday of one of our beautiful granddaughters.

A farmhouse anniversary is something we can celebrate. A granddaughter is someone we can love and her birthday is something we can cherish.

This year, we’ve worked hard to add a new dimension to our Serendipity Farmhouse chronicles. Now you can see Chef Blondie in her recently renovated kitchen, testing simple farmhouse dishes created by Jacques Pepin and other fine chefs. You can also watch as Mr. Monte takes us on fantastic camping trips in his Class-C RV El Camino Del Monte.

So, when you get a chance check out our new YouTube channel here and subscribe.

Sperryville
Farmhouse History, Farmhouse Living

Why Do We Live in Sperryville?

“Why do we live in Sperryville?” – That’s a question we’ve been asked quite often. In fact, it’s a question we ask ourselves from time-to-time. Why would we want to abandon our grand view of the majestic Snake River Plain and the mountains beyond? What was there in Virginia, especially in a remote place like Rappahannock County, that would cause us to leave our large, modern home in Idaho and move here? – Let’s see if we can unravel this counterintuitive tale and provide a satisfactory answer.

farmhouse history

Hi! Ol’ Fuzz Face here.

Well, you might not have guessed it, because this the first time I’ve ever done this. How would you know it’s Farmhouse History Time? But here we are together, so let’s make this an opportunity for us to have a little chat about our move to Serendipity Farmhouse.

Over the coming months, this will be our time together to answer your questions over a cup of coffee or tea. I’m so fascinated by your questions because they almost always end with: “What were you thinking?” – Answering that question always is the lead-in to an interesting story.

A Partial Answer

If you’re impatient and just want a quick and simple answer to the question posed today, just go and read How it all began – What were we thinking? But there’s a whole lot more to it than what we said in that post. So, let’s go back and look at a couple of things.

Idaho – The Beautiful, Beautiful Mountains & Rivers

I could easily post a thousand pictures of the mountains and national parks in Idaho and Wyoming. The pictures of sunsets taken from our deck would leave you silent in awe. The mountains states are God’s country, especially where we lived. Take a look at us in places that were no more than just a short drive from our home.

Most people know the Tetons from pictures taken in Wyoming. But my dear Miss Blondie couldn’t help but being entranced by views like this from the Idaho Side.

By the way, this was pretty much the same view I had during my 15-minute commute home from work each day.

Few tourists know of the entrances to Yellowstone Park from the Idaho side. But my beautiful Spouse and I liked to explore and find places like Cave Falls. What could be better than this in Sperryville?

The Kitchen of Our Dreams

We frequently say that in Idaho we had the house of our dreams. But Serendipity Farmhouse is the house of our realities. Here we can see Chef Blondie wishing a fond farewell to the kitchen of her dreams.

How could an old farmhouse kitchen in Sperryville ever match this?

Wonderful Dreams vs. Amazing Realities

If you read our post How it all began – What were we thinking?, you know that we missed our children. Even more, we were deeply distraught that we were missing time with our grandchildren, who were growing older without us there to share with them. – Although we loved it, our house in Idaho wasn’t really our home.

Why we live here

Look at this picture a second time. It shows Sperryville as seen from Tunnel Parking Overlook on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. From an elevation of 2,510 feet, off in the distance, at the base of Turkey Mountain, you might be able to see a small section of Sperryville. If you squint, you might even see a small farmhouse there too.

Now if you are deeply perceptive, and if you’ve been following my tale closely, you will notice that there is something quite conspicuously absent from this picture. Yes, something very important that most certainly should be there is missing. – What might that be?

What was missing from our Picture of Sperryville?

We were!! – But not any longer. Because this is now the home of our realities.

farmhouse antiques
Farmhouse History, Farmhouse Living

Ole Timers – Ole Friends

Last Saturday, Miss Blondie visited an antique store in Front Royal. She’s made that same trip so many times since 2003. For her, “Ole Timers” has been the place to find the perfect piece of furniture, China, or whatever to capture the essence of farmhouse living.

Saturday’s trip was just a bit different though. Miss Blondie went to honor Barbara, the owner of Ole Timers. She went there to give Barbara a loving birthday hug – because that is what good friends do.

Miss Blondie, Barbara & Farmhouse Living

Over the years, Miss Blondie has worked with Barbara in selecting furniture and decor for virtually every room in our house. Among the first items we purchased was a beautiful farm table with matching bench. That table has been the main table for dining in our homes in Front Royal, Idaho Falls, and now in Serendipity Farmhouse. Though we use it every day as a simple farm table, it has been the silent host for many romantic dinners. And, as our girls well know, it been there to serve them with an elegant setting for a High Tea.

Farm Table
Romantic Farmhouse Dinner
High Tea Table Setting

A piece from Ole Timers has become literally the center of the Serendipity Farmhouse Test Kitchen. We have featured our kitchen island in many pictures. It combines salvaged antique items including an old door and a retired church pew. We use it as a convenient workspace and as a serving area for all our festive gatherings.

Kitchen Workspace
Every Day Display
Setting for High Tea

Why it will all continue on

Large items or small, functional or decorative, Ole Timers has supplied them all. Yet, for Miss Blondie, that’s not the most important thing. What is most important is that, for over twenty years, Barbara has been there. She’s been there with her smile, with her hugs, and with her great faith – there is so much to share.

Our farmhouse is a little place tucked well out of sight. It’s nestled up along a quiet river and guarded by the Blue Ridge Mountains. It has become the place where we can “Pray, Prepare, and Preserve”. – – It’s just a little place where “ole timers” can enjoy life with “ole friends.”

Happy Birthday, Barbara!

Farmhouse History, What were we thinking?

About Page Update

After five full years of blogging, it’s time to return to the beginning and consider what was our original intent for starting the Serendipity Farmhouse Blog. So, today we went back in time and took a look at our About page – About Serendipity Farmhouse. It’s clear from reading that page that our original motivation was to tell a story, a story about a family, an old farmhouse, and the many events and happenings that make Serendipity Farmhouse such a wonderful place.

The final paragraph on our About page reads: “We are just the caretakers. We will be here for a while and then it will be passed on to others in our family. So, for you, and mostly for our family, here is the story of Serendipity Farmhouse.”

Unlike many blogs, our goal has never been about making money. Rather, it has always been about providing our recollections and perspective about life here in our little old farmhouse. These stories and insights are intended primarily for our family, especially for those who someday will reside here. Of course, we are happy that extended family and friends occasionally peek at our site to see what’s new. They have been very supportive and their words of encouragement provide great incentive to keep the site active.

If you were to look at our bottom line, you would see that we have invested well over $1,500.00 in this site and have earned exactly $0.00 in return on investment. By the standards and norms used for evaluating the success of other blogs, you would have to conclude SFH blog is an abysmal failure. For example, discounting Mr. Monte’s alleged 23,417 feline followers, we have a grand total of 31 followers and 16 email subscribers. And don’t think that I delude myself concerning my abilities as an author. After all, the statistics speak for themselves. Even Mr. Monte scores consistently higher view counts than I do.

However, statistics can be deceiving. Despite the numbers, Blondie and I know that this blog is not a failure. How can it be a failure, if our children and grandchildren have a living record of what we have done together as a family? How can it be a failure, if our Faith and values are shared with our family and friends? How can it be a failure, if Blondie and I have so much fun writing these stories?

There it is. After five full years of blogging, my beautiful Spouse and I are having fun, we are living a fulfilling life together, and our family remains close. And all of that is the answer to a prayer we should have prayed – a prayer that was answered here at Serendipity Farmhouse.

 

Farmhouse History, Persnickety Pierre, Test Kitchen

SFH TK Renovation – Feature #1

What can happen in a 13.50 x 11.25 foot room in the course of 95 years? Of course, the possibilities are endless. In the case of what is now the Serendipity Farmhouse Test Kitchen, let’s consider what the realities might have been:

  • 1927 (or thereabouts) – The kitchen was a barebones cooking space. There were few cupboards. There was no electricity. The only known water well was in the front yard, so water had to be carried to the kitchen. A probable wood cookstove dominated the southern end of the room which vented to a chimney that remains standing to this day.
  • The hidden period – The Millers owned the house and several relatives and/or apple orchard workers moved in and out. Electricity finally arrived, an electric pump for the well brought water into the kitchen. The woodstove was replaced, likely with an electric range.
  • 1978-1987 – The Millers sold the house to the Settles. During the next nine years, the kitchen was ‘modernized’, cabinets and storage space was increased dramatically.
  • 1987-2000 – The Wyants bought the house and probably added some of their own touches.
  • 2000-2009 – The Crosleys owned the house during this period. They were responsible for a number of innovations and improvements in the kitchen. The refrigerator was moved from its rather awkward position at the northwest corner of the kitchen to the northeast corner of the kitchen. This was a good move for several reasons, but it caused the loss of quite a bit of cabinet and counter space. Big improvements included, using paint to make the room brighter, installing black granite countertops, the introduction of a beautiful farm sink, and adding hardwood floors.
  • 2009-2013 – The Grainers made relatively few changes to the kitchen, but they were responsible for many major projects throughout the house and the addition of two new sheds.
  • 2013- Present – Keeping the best of what had come before and looking forward to the arrival of the next occupants, we, the staff of the soon-to-be-world-famous SFH TK have renovated the kitchen, bringing it into the 21st Century while maintaining a memory or two from 1927.

And my dear Friends, I Pierre LeChat, working under the inspiration and guidance of SFH TK Executive Chef Blondie, have now brought you to a level of historical knowledge that will enable you to understand the importance of each and every feature of the renovation as I presented it to you in my post Oh Yes, it is!. And for the first feature to be discussed, I have chosen the one that is perhaps closest to Chef Blondie’s heart: The Custom Corner Cabinet.

You now know that cabinet storage space and counter space were sacrificed when the refrigerator was moved from its very awkward and inefficient location in the northwest corner. The SFH TK had placed a movable cabinet there with a microwave on top. Storage was minimal to say the least. The picture below will give you an idea of how much storage space has been recovered with the advent of the new cabinet.

The new kitchen storage configuration

Great attention was paid to the design and construction of the new cabinet. Mr. Monte inspected every facet of the cabinet to ensure that it met the highest SFH TK standards. Every step along the way, he consulted with me and with the contractors, pointing out minor imperfections and never allowing work to resume until all discrepancies were corrected.

Then came the day when the paint was dry. All that was left was for Chef Blondie to add the finishing touches. Not a single piece of kitchenware or any item was put in place until she gave her go-ahead.

 

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Serendipity Farmhouse Test Kitchen
Farmhouse History, SFH Journal

SFH TK Grand Reopening – Almost

It took a while. Factually, it took over eight years of planning, saving, and waiting for the soon-to-be-world-famous Serendipity Farmhouse Test Kitchen renovation to be complete. And finally, we are just about there. The unofficial reopening for the SFH TK was on Monday when the final piece of decor, a red utensil cannister arrived. Now, all that remains is a blessing of the kitchen by our pastor. From that point forward, the SFH TK will once again be ready to welcome children, grandchildren, and friends for adventures in the culinary arts and the world of fine cuisine.

At my urging (notice the rolling pin in my hands), Hubby has prepared a few pictures of the newly renovated SFH TK. Also, at my urging (once again, note the rolling pin), Hubby is working on a series of posts to provide a detailed description of the renovation process. I’ve assigned Mr. Monte to oversee that process. He was last seen at his scratching post sharpening his claws in anticipation of any problems that might arise from dearest Hubby.

The first picture below shows a general view of the main working area. It features the new subway tile, new stove (lovingly called ‘Mr. Clyde’), and the all-so-useful under cabinet lighting. Also shown is a new schoolhouse light fixture installed by Hubby.

This final picture illustrates how important it is to us to personalize the SFH TK and ensure that all can see how important family and our shared experiences are to us. It highlights the new yellow paint, which accentuates the beauty of the antique shelf and all the memory-filled items on it.

Farmhouse History, Persnickety Pierre, SFH Journal, SFH- Upkeep & Improvements

Oh Yes, it is!

C’est pas possible! Non! It just can’t be! – – Oh Yes, it is!

Oui, after over a year of waiting, after endless staff meetings, after adjusting plans and schedules, after resigning ourselves to the fact that it just would never happen, and finally, after living part time in El Camino Del Monte and part time in a house in utter upheaval, the contractors have completed their work. Now it is up to the weary and ragged SFH Test Kitchen staff members to organize a renovated kitchen, removing all construction debris, dust, and dirt, and bringing the soon-to-be-world famous test SFH Test Kitchen to a new level of excellence. – – Truly, it is a task most formidable!

To tell what had to be done and what remains to do is a story far too long for a single post. So, I will give you just the first taste here and then follow up with more detail in subsequent posts.

Here a just a few pictures of how the kitchen looked the morning after the contractors completed their work.

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Below, I have painstakingly listed the major changes to the kitchen and have provided the purpose for the change or the upgrade. It will demonstrate that this renovation was not founded on a plan without a purpose.

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Farmhouse History, Persnickety Pierre, SFH Journal

C’est pas possible!

C’est pas possible! Non! It just can’t be! After over a year of waiting, after endless staff meetings, after adjusting plans and schedules, after resigning ourselves to the fact that it just would never happen, then the contractor called just a few days ago saying he will be here on Monday the 13th. He and his crew will be ready to start just after 9:00 AM.

Oui! The long-awaited renovation of the soon-to-be-world-famous Serendipity Farmhouse Test Kitchen (SFH TK) will begin tomorrow morning. And, because the highly motivated and, with one obvious exception, the highly capable SFH TK staff members have been working feverishly, night and day, since the contractor’s call to make all things ready for the work to be done. Here is some of what’s been going on:

  • Mr. Monte, the SFH Chief of Security, has drawn up a comprehensive work site security plan. This is to ensure that the work crew observes all protocols for safety in accordance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration rules and, more importantly, to adhere to Mr. Monte’s special protocols for non-disturbance of feline activities and non-introduction of intolerable noise or odors.
  • Blondie, the SFH TK Senior Executive Chef, has taken direct charge for clearing of cabinets, countertops, kitchen appliances, and utensils. She is also taking advantage of this renovation period to discard all non-essential items that have accumulated in the kitchen over the past eight years.
  • At the direct request of Blondie (in acknowledgement of my vast experience in the art of kitchen crafting, especially in the areas of efficiency and utility), I have assumed the role of project manager and scheduler. Using both traditional planning techniques and computer aids, I fashioned a faultless plan for completing all necessary preparations. As of this morning, I can confidently say that we are on schedule and will be 100% ready when the workers arrive tomorrow morning.
  • Ol’ Fuzz Face has been of some help in this task. He occasionally follows directions correctly and he has broken nothing of great value. He is most useful for lifting and carrying heavy objects. We try not complicating his work by requiring actions that involve serious thought.

As the renovation project proceeds, I will try to update you and explain why we have made various choices relating to the changes we are making. I must stress that we are not remodeling the kitchen. Our intent is to maintain the best of what previous owners have done since the late-1970s, while at the same time, adding touches that recall the early history of the house extending back to the 1920s.

The earliest picture we have of the kitchen was taken circa 2000. It reflects features commonly found in kitchens going back to the 1970s. Note the stainless-steel sink, Formica countertops, and wallpaper. Not quite as visible is the linoleum tile flooring.

The following set of photos show the kitchen just prior to when Blondie and Fuzzy acquired the house – “as is”. Note that by that time there was an authentic farm sink, black granite counters, and quality wooden flooring. However, cabinet space was lost when the refrigerator was moved to the corner of the eastern side of the kitchen.

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If you view the cabinet and vent over the stove, you will notice that they are sagging and breaking away from the wall. There are many other things going on that are part of the “as is” quality of the kitchen. Time has a way bringing about undesirable changes in people and kitchens. Fortunately, renovation can restore a kitchen. (Prayer does the same for people.)

We are now less than 24 hours from the beginning of the project. I, your most caring and capable host, will keep you informed of the progress.

Faith, Family, & Country, Farmhouse History, SFH Journal

SFH Anniversary & Birthday

Eight years ago today, Serendipity Farmhouse became the house of our realities. That was when the papers that finalized the purchase were signed.

The day was sunny and clear just as you see in the picture of the title office, but there were no leaves on the trees then and the official temperature at Fanning Field in Idaho Falls (IF) only reached 21°F. Of course, that was a relative heat wave. Several days earlier, when we packed out our belongings, the temperature was below -20°F not counting the wind chill factor. In less than three hours after the signing, Blondie and Ol’ Fuzz Face would be on the road making the nearly three-day trek to Virginia through snow, ice, and dangerously high winds.

It was a trip well worth making. The risks were well worth taking. We were on our way to a rendezvous with Serendipity.

Since early in 2018, this blog has chronicled the important, the serious, the sad, and sometimes the hilarious events that have taken place at SFH. Today, there is one report to make that brings great joy to these two grandparents that reside here at SFH. Granddaughter #3 is celebrating a very important birthday. We pray that Our Lady of Guadalupe will intercede and have her Son make this a most happy day for her and her family.

Virgen_de_guadalupe1 - San Antonio Report