Our second Thanksgiving and STILL with the boxes...

 

Today marks our second Thanksgiving in the house and in Cleveland. It's much less stressful than the Baltimore Thanksgiving.  

The weather hangs over us like the Sword of Damocles.  There is a weather front bringing us this fall's to the coldest temperatures. and promises of rain, sleet, grauple, and snow, separately, or at the same time.  In my childhood days, this happened by Halloween, but these days, who knows. 

Right now it's sleeting.  Five minutes from now it's anyone's guess.

Projects coming up include a new back door to replace the worn-out 1974 door, and new storm doors. That should be happening in the next three weeks. 

As for BIG projects, that would be the kitchen and the sleeping porch off of my office. 

The sleeping porch is a full gut.  The previous owner claimed to have put $30k into remodeling the sleeping porch, but no.  Because of his handyman job - over boxed windows, window and door trim put on every which way, and his "Built-Ins" - crafted with all the skill of a five-year-old with a junior tool kit, the contracts have to rip out everything to replace the old broken, nasty, vinyl windows from the 1970s.  New windows will go in, then new drywall

The kitchen is a total gut.  What was done in 1974, and then "refreshed" in 2010, is worn out.  Open a cabinet door and it could fall off and bean you.  We can't safely used two burners on the new range because of a wall.  And because of where the sink is, we cannot have a dishwasher that is correctly vented. 

ALL Of that will get remedied. 

So we are Thankful.  Thankful we can do this, thankful to have a roof over our heads, and thankful for a plan. 

 

Way back in time...

Not far from Withering Heights is Lake View Cemetery, the place to be buried if you are someone.  Or a no one at that. Along with Cleveland's giants of history, Lake View is also home to the James Garfield Monument, the tomb of James Garfield, who won the 1880 Presidential election. 

President Garfield served only a few months in office, after a would-be assassin's bullet lodged in his body.  Being the second president to be killed in office, and a scant 15 years after the same befell Abraham Lincoln.  The nation was shocked and grieved heavily. 

Garfield's body was brought back to Cleveland for burial but was temporarily entombed in the family vault of architect Levi Scofield at Lake View while plans were made for his final resting place. The plans - grand plans at that, were set in motion for a grand monument to Garfield and a tomb beneath it. A private memorial association would raise the funds, hire an architect, and oversee the construction and it care.  Tourists were charged a nickle - a whole nickle! - to enjoy the marvel of its all. 

The picture above was taken shortly after it was completed by a private foundation.  The stone is new, clean and looking its best. The terrace balcony gave a wonderful view of Cleveland's city center, and Lake Erie

Lakeview today is still one of the better places to be buried, is expertly manicured, and in addition to being the final resting place of John D. Rockefeller, Jeptha Wade (found of Western Union) Charles Brush (who popularized arc lighting in Cleveland, and made it the first city in the U.S. to have its Public Square lit by electric arc lights), and others, also serves as an Arboretum, with beautiful tree canopy prevents the visitor of today from having this view up the road of the Monument.

How it looked before its exterior restoration.

The stone of the structure, which turned mottled with soot, algae, and molds thus giving it a mottled black look over the last 130 some odd years, was carefully and pain stakenly cleaned, leaks were repaired, and tuck pointing was done.    The interior is still good needs some attention.  The same sign ("SILENCE!) hangs on the walls of the tomb in the basement.  The martyred president, his wife and some family members are there.  The terrace with its views was reopened recently.

After the restoration. 
It also gives you an idea on how thickly wooded 
its site has become. 

But oh, that view.

The Garfield Monument, ends its 2024 interior tours today, and will remain closed until spring 2025 when it will reopen.