Lucas Blackwood Contemplations » Home and Garden

Frank Lloyd Wright was my father’s favorite architectural designer

Lucas — Tue, 08 May 2012 02:53:26 +0000

When I was growing up, my father would take us kids out and drive around to look at open houses in different new neighborhoods. He made his living as an architectural designer and he was always looking for what the “other guys” were doing and what was the newest and trendiest thing in architecture.

He had designed the house we lived in, and although at the time I thought that it was not an attractive building from the outside, I have to admit that the interior layout was really very nicely designed. It wasn’t until I was a young adult that I learned that the inspiration behind the house was from the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright. I had never even heard of the name of Frank Lloyd Wright until the album “Bridge over Troubled Waters” was released by Simon and Garfunkel. I can remember asking my father who Frank Lloyd Wright was, and he told me that he was a famous architect. I always thought it was weird for Simon and Garfunkel to be singing a farewell song to Frank Lloyd Wright…. but it did pique my interest to learn who he was. And to be honest, he really was a very good designer!

I’m A Stubborn Old Cuss Sometimes

Lucas — Thu, 03 May 2012 23:12:22 +0000

I really don’t know what all the fuss is about, my current address plaque suites me just fine, but I guess I’m the only one since I keep getting harassed by folks about looking at new address plaques and finding a new one to put up. You see the one that is presently installed on the front of my house is the one that I made in Shop Class back in high school and I’ve gotten pretty darned used to having it there. I know that it has faded out a bit during all of this time, I mean it’s been outside in the weather for all of these years, but I can still read it just fine, thank you very much!

This morning when I checked my email, my sister had sent me a link to a company that has a ton of house address plaques that is wanting me to check out and pick one to order to put up to replace my home made one. I have to admit that there are some might fine looking address signs there to offer, but I’m a stubborn old cuss and I’m standing firm on this issue.

Waterproof pet bed

Lucas — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 03:53:01 +0000

One of the best investments I ever made in pet supplies was the waterproof pet bed that we bought about a year ago. At the time that I bought it I had hoped to keep it in the house for the dogs to sleep in, but the cat kept marking it so I put it outside on the back deck for the dogs to lounge on when they went outside. They love it there, and one of the dogs likes to sleep on it all night long if the weather is good. So I’m really glad that I bought it, and if I could find another one in a local store that was smaller than that one I’d like to buy that one too.

OBX homes for sale

Lucas — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 15:10:34 +0000

When Stan told me that he was going to the Out Banks to look at some obx homes for sale I thought he was joking. Turns out he wasn’t joking at all! There is a “for sale” sign out in front of Stan’s house now, and he and his wife are busily putting fresh paint on the walls, having me do some landscaping work for them, and they are starting to price out the costs of having moving companies come and move their furniture to the new house. They still haven’t picked one out yet, but they know that it will take some time for their house up here to sell, so they are getting all of their ducks lined up in a row.

Solar is made easy

Lucas — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 02:11:42 +0000

With all of the technological advance made in recent years, more than ever before solar is made easy to learn about and to purchase. From what I understand, solar panels that are installed on rooftops are used to generate electricity, and that the panels are expected to last for twenty years. Research has shown that after twenty years the solar panels still generate 80% of the amount of energy that they generated when brand new. Roof top solar panels can also be used to heat water, which can in turn be used to heat a house, but in northern climates such as New England or the United Kingdom that is not recommended as the sole source of heat.

Using solar power to heat swimming pools, by using special floating mats that are placed on the surface of the water in the pool is a very effective and popular way to bring a swimming pool up to a comfortable temperature, especially in cooler climates where summer time is very short. Recently my sister-in-law has been talking about wanting to install an in-ground swimming pool at her house, and I’ve grown interested in learning how she plans to maintain the pool. So far she has not mentioned heating it, or putting a fence around it.

Metal daybeds

Lucas — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 03:54:00 +0000

My wife and I have been talking about buying a couple of metal daybeds to put in the guest room so that we could make the guest room multi-functional. My wife has been talking about using that room as a den/office, and having the daybeds would make it look more like an office than a bedroom. I’d like to see if we could just buy one daybed, though, and maybe it could also be a trundle. I think that would be awesome!

Finally Some Rain

Lucas — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:52:46 +0000

We have had the most wonderful weather for long now. Unfortunately the need for rain has been great, so great that there has been a lot of fires just over the mountain. Some days you can look out and ever so faintly see the smoke that is continuing to billow from all of the wild fires going on over there.

So to wake up to a nice steady rain is a good thing today. Usually the rain depresses me and makes many of my bones ache but today is a good day all the way around. The lawn and the garden sure could use a nice soaking right now. There has been talk of water restrictions being put in place all ready and it is only April for heaven’s sake.

Wish List

Lucas — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 01:47:53 +0000

Well it seems that the wife has all ready made her wish list up in anticipation of our tax return check this year. She is wanting to find some cream comforter sets to use in our guest room, as well as a daisy bedspread for our daughter’s room. The only thing on her list that I really think she needs is the decorative wall mounted coat racks that we found online a few months back that we just haven’t ordered yet, so when we do get the money in the bank I guess we will go ahead and place the order.

I guess I really need to buckle down and get all the paperwork done and get our taxes filed since we only have a few days left to do it in. I really hate doing our taxes and each year I seem to procrastinate right up to the deadline which really drives the wife crazy. I guess it all stems back to the day when I knew I had to send a check in and didn’t want to part with my money until the very last moment.

April Showers

Lucas — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 08:22:02 +0000

Well we haven’t held true this year with the old saying that April Showers bring May Flowers. I sure hope that we do get some rain soon, my well is acting like it is running on the dry side and that isn’t good news. I wonder who ticked off Mother Nature this year. We have had nothing but wacky weather for so very long, it’s getting old.

New Bathroom Tiles

Lucas — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 03:53:27 +0000

I have to admit that the website MetalStainlessSteelTiles.com has some really nice mosaic metal tiles that would look good as the bathroom back-splashes in my parents master bathroom that they are getting ready to tear apart and completely re do in the very near future. They are having to make that bathroom easier for the two of them to get around in, complete with a new hot tub spa that is handicap accessible for my dad to use to get in and out of with little or no effort.

They want this new bathroom to be easy to keep clean as well. So I believe having this nicely decorative metal tile will help in that area, it is easy to clean and it will help brighten it up as well. I’m sure I’ll be assisting my Dad with some of the work that this will all take, but I don’t mind. I rather enjoy working along side my Dad, we don’t get to spend as much time together as I’d like and we get along famously so I look forward times such as this to hand with him when I can.