{"id":1609,"date":"2014-06-10T10:00:26","date_gmt":"2014-06-10T14:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ridiculousredhead.com\/?p=1609"},"modified":"2014-06-26T15:44:37","modified_gmt":"2014-06-26T19:44:37","slug":"the-reason-im-crazy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ridiculousredhead.com\/?p=1609","title":{"rendered":"The Reason I’m Crazy"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am so excited that Lincoln has built up a small library of books. \u00a0His Aunt Katie sent us two boxes for my shower which I thought was a great gift. \u00a0TB and I had saved our favorites from when we were a child and have now added those to the mix. \u00a0It makes up one shelf so far but it is the first step toward being educated (and a Supreme Court Justice or whatever he wants to be.)<\/p>\n

Even though I am pretty sure there are a limited amount of words he understands we are reading him those books. \u00a0And he loves it. He is always so enthralled by them that he sits quietly and listens while touching all of the pictures. \u00a0We have been working our way through and I finally came upon a book of mine.<\/p>\n

It was a book from my childhood that I didn’t remember at first. The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton. \u00a0As I started reading, it all started to come back to me. \u00a0The story, the distinct illustrations. \u00a0And all at once I had this epiphany if you will. \u00a0There was a moment of such clarity. \u00a0I realized why I was so crazy.<\/p>\n

\"Courtesy<\/a>

Courtesy of Goodreads<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

The story is about a little house. \u00a0It’s a happy house that is built and loved by many generations of a family. \u00a0Over the years it falls into disrepair. \u00a0Soon what was once the country is now the city and tall buildings have grown up around it everywhere. \u00a0It can no longer see the sun. \u00a0No one takes care of it and it becomes abandoned and boarded up. I don’t want to give the ending away but I don’t want to be a downer. After a long time in what seems to be downtown Detroit, someone comes along and actually sees the house:<\/p>\n

“Then one fine morning in spring along came the great-great-granddaughter of the man who built the little house so well. \u00a0She saw the shabby Little House, but she didn’t hurry by. \u00a0There was something about the Little House that made her stop and look again.”<\/p>\n

So they realize this is her family’s house and have it moved out of the city and out to the country. \u00a0The house is so perfectly personified in the story: how it was scared at first but then was excited to see the grass and hills again.<\/p>\n

“The windows and shutters were fixed and once again they painted her a lovely shade of pink… Once again she was lived in and taken care of.”<\/p>\n

I read this story when I was a child. A lot it seems by the shape of the book and its binding. \u00a0When I read it to Lincoln I cried. \u00a0I mean I cried a lot, like puppies were dying. I could barely make it through the whole story. \u00a0And it was then that I knew that this is where it all started. \u00a0This is where I learned that houses have a soul in a way and that they just want to be pretty and have happy people live in them.<\/p>\n

It’s where I got my love of saving old house, old things.<\/p>\n

I had thought it was handed down from my family, my step father mostly who loved old houses. And that definitely\u00a0helped but I think this book may have been the spark. \u00a0The spark that led to stripping woodwork, cheering over original clapboards and lots of research. \u00a0And lots of TB rolling his eyes at me when I tell him the next project I want to start.<\/p>\n

So I am looking forward to this book being part of Lincoln’s education. \u00a0I want him to understand that the past matters. \u00a0Old things have worth and are many times better than anything you can find made today. \u00a0 I want him to learn to love saving these treasures. \u00a0And that it really is worth the time.<\/p>\n

Old houses are expensive. \u00a0I am breeding my own crew.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am so excited that Lincoln has built up a small library of books. \u00a0His Aunt Katie sent us two boxes for my shower which I thought was a great gift. \u00a0TB and I had saved our favorites from when…
Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1610,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[22,183],"tags":[257,221,255,256],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/ridiculousredhead.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/The-Little-House.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1J4KT-pX","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2296,"url":"http:\/\/ridiculousredhead.com\/?p=2296","url_meta":{"origin":1609,"position":0},"title":"People’s Climate March","date":"September 23, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday we had the crazy awesome experience of marching in the People's Climate March in New York City. \u00a0You may have heard about it on the news since it was the biggest climate march ever and also the largest social demonstration of the past decade. \u00a0It was set for two\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "About Us"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ridiculousredhead.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/L-Peoples-Climate-March-Ridiculous-Redhead.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1444,"url":"http:\/\/ridiculousredhead.com\/?p=1444","url_meta":{"origin":1609,"position":1},"title":"Introducing Lincoln Arthur","date":"November 25, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I would like to introduce you to our wonderful little boy, Lincoln Arthur! He is now two weeks old and we are so very happy to have him here. \u00a0He is such a great baby. I don't want any of the other moms to hate me but this kid is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "About Us"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ridiculousredhead.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/3255-c.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":292,"url":"http:\/\/ridiculousredhead.com\/?p=292","url_meta":{"origin":1609,"position":2},"title":"How we made sure our friends didn’t fall through the floor","date":"December 6, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"As I write today's story, Opie and I are sitting in our sun room.\u00a0 That's because it's one\u00a0of the only rooms left we can actually walk into.\u00a0 We are in the process of installing hardwood floors.\u00a0 And it is quite a process. The way\u00a0our little\u00a0house was made there was only\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Before & After"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ridiculousredhead.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/IMG_0309-764x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2109,"url":"http:\/\/ridiculousredhead.com\/?p=2109","url_meta":{"origin":1609,"position":3},"title":"Networking","date":"August 14, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I have been talking a lot lately about how I am working on growing the business now that Lincoln is a bit older. \u00a0I have told you about the Building a Creatively Made Business 2.0\u00a0course that I recently wrapped up. \u00a0I learned so much and have a long list of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "About Us"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ridiculousredhead.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Ridiculous-Redhead-Mad-Pots-of-Tea.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1457,"url":"http:\/\/ridiculousredhead.com\/?p=1457","url_meta":{"origin":1609,"position":4},"title":"Trying to have a schedule","date":"February 1, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"It's been a little while now since Lincoln has come into my life. \u00a0Now that I am beginning to get my bearings a bit I am starting to look at how my new life will work. I always tended to over schedule myself. \u00a0Now I go to bed thinking of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "About Us"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ridiculousredhead.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMG_3536.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1549,"url":"http:\/\/ridiculousredhead.com\/?p=1549","url_meta":{"origin":1609,"position":5},"title":"Lifefactory Glass Baby Bottles","date":"May 20, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"To continue on with our Green Baby series, today I bring you Lifefactory glass baby bottles. Although I thought breastfeeding was the only way to go (and it was sooo easy), I thought I should have bottles on hand for the times when I was away. \u00a0Little did I know\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Green Baby"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ridiculousredhead.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Lifefactory-bottle.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ridiculousredhead.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1609"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ridiculousredhead.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ridiculousredhead.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ridiculousredhead.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ridiculousredhead.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1609"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/ridiculousredhead.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1609\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1613,"href":"http:\/\/ridiculousredhead.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1609\/revisions\/1613"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ridiculousredhead.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ridiculousredhead.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ridiculousredhead.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ridiculousredhead.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}