"A house built by a village"

Well, to update everyone, we've had greeting cards from wonderful neighbors welcoming us, neighbors stopping by to take a look at the house, messages on our answering machine with well wishes, and an offer for free materials from a house owned by the McCartys in the Chancellor area of Fredericksburg.  We went out this past week to visit with Ms. McCarty and take a look at a former residence of hers.  We found and decided to take 4 windows, 2 doors, 2 rooms of old pine flooring, 8 glass doorknobs, and a small cast iron wood stove.  Ms. McCarty was more than happy to have these materials go to Cleydael rather than have them disposed of when the house is torn down. I mentioned this stroke of good luck and how grateful we are to find so many people interested in the history and restoration of the property to Glyn Dabbs and she responded, "it will be a house built by a village".  I asked her if I could include her comment in this blog!  Glyn's thought is exactly how we feel about this restoration---we have had so many people offer goods or services free of charge that it feels like Cleydael is being put back together by a community -- not just us!  
     Reps from the Department of Historic Resources (DHR) will visit us at the house this Wednesday to chat about work already accomplished and work to be done.  Charlie and the boys can start rebuilding the kitchen after the proposed work is approved by the DHR.
     A fianl note---Chas found an old wheelchair in the stables today and spent a significant amount of time "pumping up his biceps" by wheeling around the bottom floor of the house.  I had to walk away when I heard Charlie telling Chas how cool it would be if he got up some speed on the front porch, popped a wheelie off the porch, and landed on the back wheels of the wheelchair in the front yard!  :)