Music to our ears!

The first week comes to a close on a high note. Today, our contractor’s team put a new post to replace the section of the fence they took down, then replaced the fencing so that the gate actually opens. That’s service. Then they removed the rotted part of the foundation, insulated the new foundation, and then covered the whole area with a big tarp to protect the open area from anticipated rain. This was a full-day job and the workers were so friendly, efficient, and creative! We have a huge pile of bricks from when they removed the brick patio section for the new foundation. They used some of those bricks to anchor all around the tarp at the foundation. Smart! Throughout the day, they played awesome music.

And music is a theme of at least some of the homeowners, current and past. Dan is a musician and the child of musicians. We were thrilled with the gift of his parents’ baby grand piano when they moved from their home. The acoustics of the home, particularly on the main floor of the house, are outstanding with the wood floors and open-floor plan. At least one former owner, Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers, is a professional musician who held concerts in the house with visiting musicians. He lived here with his wife and their two children about 20 years ago. (I have his permission to post this and I am not naming members of his family to protect their privacy.) I found Rodgers online after we were thrilled to find height marks of children in the basement and because I have public records of most previous owners. (We sent him photos.) What came of that connection was extraordinary for us!

Rodgers told me about a song he wrote for one of his children, who loved the large Sycamore tree in the front/side yard visible to the children’s bedrooms. Here’s the song, one of his most popular, and the story behind it. By getting in touch a few years ago, that child–who was going to be in town–was able to visit their childhood home. That was a gift to us not just because we had the opportunity to enjoy their memories, but because we learned some things about the house that we did not know, including that a laundry chute was hidden in a lower (carpeted) attic stair. (Another previous family had a story about that chute that I will share in the future. It’s a doozy!)

Previous homeowners include professors, coaches, physicians and more. Music is another common denominator.

Rock on, contractors! Make our house sing!