Happy Holidays Everyone

Freyja looking out side our living room window.

Our family has been getting better acquainted with our new home, our newest addition Freyja (pictured) is getting big and just as fluffy as ever.  Our cat Kitt (not pictured) is getting used to her, since she is obviously not going anywhere.  

Jerid is getting bigger and enjoying his new space as well.

The day before Thanksgiving the bridge that is right next to our home has been finished! No more construction workers, equipment and pounding, just a beautiful bridge! (picture below, taken by Justin Hartley)
We have had a great time during Thanksgiving, we went to my Grandparents home, and had lots of good food and cheer.

a view of our shop door

Although with our good cheer we had some news that my Brother Zach had a seizure on the way  to visit his mother up in northern Minnesota.  He and his family are safe and great to report that no one got hurt.  He has been diagnosed with Epilepsy, which was something no one know knew he had, including himself.
Prayers are for them are always welcome.

We have a shop in our home and have since August of this year.  We are having alot of fun with it.  However, this weekend was some what distressing.  I have been a rude to a few of our customers. Which brings me to my rant. So here it goes.

Jerid making his self comfortable in our home.

So we live in a house that hasn't been open to the public since the early 1900's.  It was in the 1850's through the 1890's a hotel, then Bertha and her husband Dr. Everett Hartley, had inherited it from her family and made it a private residents a Doctors office.  Then after Dr. Hartley passed away the home has been closed to the public for many many years, over 50 that we know of.  We have opened the old doctors office to the public once more not only to sell our art but to be apart of the community and to share a piece of the house that has been closed for so long. This isn't where I've got rude. These are just facts that are there for the back story of my rant.

Now when we get costumers I don't mind telling those who what to know the history of the house.  I have no problem telling them that the rest of the house is our home and or a private residence.  I have a problem with those who come into my shop and telling me what I should do with our home.  I've had costumers tell me that we HAVE to rent our home out.  We have had costumers ask us why we not opening a coffee shop.  We have had costumers ask us if we are renting out the rest of the house and when told we are not, they ask us why not?

finished bridge next to our home Picture taken by Justin Hartley

 I can tell you why not!  WE LIVE HERE!  OMG! What part of WE LIVE HERE don't you understand!  I could let it roll off my back the first few times I've heard it, Our first first costumer asked where the antiques were that were from the house.  A costumer this weekend came in and told us she used to work for  the historical society and told us that have been (circling like vultures waiting for the people who live there to die so they can claim antiques from the house) waiting for an estate sale!   It is the rudest thing in the world to hear!

It is all that I could do to just close the doors for good and make a website and tell the whole town where to shove it.

We also had a visit from the head of the historical society of Carver MN.  John Van Walter, he told us that we should get the no interest loan from the city to fix the facade of house, which would be wonderful if we didn't NEED a roof (which the historical society will NOT help us get they can care less if our house is collaped)  I think Justin put it beautifully when he told me the next time we hear this from him or anyone about our facade. "That would be great if we were building a movie set, but for now we wish our roof not to cave in."

I've actually told a costumer that it was rude to tell me that my home should be a dinner, I then followed it up with why not make your house into a dinner, and leave mine alone?

As I have already stated we really do what to have more involvement with the town.  We want to open up more of our home with the community.  We just want people to ASK us what that means, and not have them tell us what that means. Also we would like to have people to ask us what we need and not tell us what we need.  

I know I shouldn't let people get to me.  Tell you the truth we knew that we would get these types of people coming in.  I just thought most people would have tact, couth , or sense of history that doesn't involve simply pushing the town's historical locations towards there own selfish agendas. 

You would think a home that has been in a family for five generations in the same town would be revered in a town that claims reveres it's historical presents, but sadly we are not seeing it.  We were hoping for better.

So I will try to be better and try my best to have it roll off my back.  It's not going to be easy.  I hate having to defend our right to live in our home.  Our shop is open every weekend till X-mas.   Lets see what happens.

Happy Holidays everyone!

P.S. Please send me feedback, let me know if I'm out of line, I've been known to blow things out of pa portion.

Thanks.