Our son has often referred to our family as the Soprano’s. I, on the other hand, have always referred to them as the Kennedy’s. Regardless each in their own right is a family.

This morning around 2:00 a.m. we were called to aid in a family matter. While following MacGyver home, I was flooded with recollections of several past events, which were equivalent to tonight. Events that occurred years ago so comparable in nature as to tonight’s events, it is eerie.

Thankfully, it was an event that was not serious, it was very comical though a sharp reminder of what family is all about. It was also an introduction of sorts to a new family member. I know she felt bad about calling us at 2:00 a.m. this morning to assist, but she handled the situation correctly. There is one rule that is always followed regardless of any disagreements or spats between the family members, and it is very simple but best summed up by this song by B. Scott and B. Russell.

The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows when
But I’m strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother

So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We’ll get there
For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother

If I’m laden at all
I’m laden with sadness
That everyone’s heart
Isn’t filled with the gladness
Of love for one another

It’s a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we’re on the way to there
Why not share
And the load
Doesn’t weigh me down at all
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother

He’s my brother
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother…

Welcome to the FAMILY!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Growing up, I never quite understood my mom. She was always busy in the kitchen or at a sewing machine, and I was always buried in a book or entertaining the thoughts in my head. I saw her more as an interruption to my days than as someone I wanted to spend time with. We were truly polar opposites. And because I was so close to my dad, I probably saw Mom as a threat to my time with him. Of course, I could never verbalize that or even process that thought in my head, but there was definitely a barrier between me and her. And it didn’t break down until I reached adulthood.
 
Now that I know my mom better, I see her life in a different light. Whereas she always seemed so busy and irritated by any interruptions, I know now that she was often overwhelmed by her daily tasks as a stay-at-home mom of three daughters born within 5 years. Her time in the kitchen was a creative outlet for her, but it was also necessity to make every dollar stretch as far as it could. And her time with a sewing machine was to keep us in clothing without being forced to take us all shopping (which was a complete nightmare) where she could get only a few clothing items when her own skills could create an entire wardrobe for the same amount of money. As I began to realize these were her talents and that she worked so hard to make us all happy, I dubbed her “Betty Homemaker” and started to appreciate all that she can do.
 
My mom and I finally became friends when I finally grew up. I learned to assess her life within its context, and I realized how talented she is and how little I had learned from her. Although I still don’t actively seek her knowledge, I’m fully aware that she is a treasure for our family. She was responsible for raising three girls much of the time while my dad was working long hours and being called in during the night. I don’t remember my dad being absent, but I do know that it was often Mom who disciplined me in the daily moments and who helped me with school projects. The fact that Mom was always home when I returned from school was something I certainly took for granted at the time but was something that allowed me to feel secure and stable in my life. And that was invaluable to me as I struggled through an emotionally tumultuous adolescence.
 
My mom is now my best friend. She’s the one I call first when something good happens or when I need a bit of advice or an opinion. She’s my greatest teacher, and she’s my most honest confidante. I know that Mom will give it to me straight, and I know that she will also steer me in the right direction. It was she who gave me the greatest piece of advice I’ve ever received: when I was miserable in a job and felt no respect for my boss, she told me that the experience was necessary to build character. I’ve never forgotten those words. And when I find myself struggling and uncertain as to how I can change a situation, I always hear Mom’s voice saying, “This will build your character.” It never fails to put things into perspective or to give comfort.
 
I celebrate my mom on her birthday this Friday, and I thank God for bringing us to a new relationship early in my adulthood. She is a champion with a servant’s heart, and I want her to know how much I love her and cherish her life. You truly are a treasure, Mom! Happy birthday!
 

Historic houses of Romania collage (©Valentin Mandache)

I composed the image above from 60 selected photographs taken during my fieldwork this year, mostly in Bucharest, but also Iasi (NE Romania) and Sinaia (the Transylvanian Alps). In my opinion the collage is extremely suggestive of the exuberant historic architecture found within the territory of Romania: a peculiar crossroad of Western, especially French, and Central European influences blended together on a Balkan background with old Ottoman echoes. I hope the pot-pourri of houses, decorations and ornaments, often painted in garish colours, would give you a more wholesome image of the vast field represented by Romania’s historic architecture. I also use a version of this collage for my Twitter page background, have a look here: http://twitter.com/historo

Dear Historic Houses of Romania readers,

I have a new website address for my bolg at www.historo.wordpress.com (domain name derived from ‘Historic Houses of Romania’), with an entirely new and dynamic look. I very much hope you will like the new format. All my old articles and images are also contained within the new site, so you should not have any problems in accessing them there. For one month between 1 Nov. ‘09 and 1 Dec. ‘09, I will post simultaneously, in order to avoid confusions and allow for a smooth transition, my forthcoming architectural history articles and images on both old (‘viapontica’) and new (‘historo’) sites. After that date www.historo.wordpress.com will become my sole active blog site dedicated to the Historic Houses of Romania.

Best regards,

Valentin

***********************************************

I endeavor through this daily image series to inspire appreciation of the historic houses of Romania, a virtually undiscovered, but fascinating chapter of European architectural heritage.

***********************************************

If you plan acquiring a historic property in Romania or start a renovation project, I would be delighted to advice you in locating the property, specialist research, planning permissions, restoration project management, etc. To discuss your particular plan please see my contact details in the Contact page of this weblog.

Historic houses of Romania collage (©Valentin Mandache)

I composed the image above from 60 selected photographs taken during my fieldwork this year, mostly in Bucharest, but also Iasi (NE Romania) and Sinaia (the Transylvanian Alps). In my opinion the collage is extremely suggestive of the exuberant historic architecture found within the territory of Romania: a peculiar crossroad of Western, especially French, and Central European influences blended together on a Balkan background with old Ottoman echoes. I hope the pot-pourri of houses, decorations and ornaments, often painted in garish colours, would give you a more wholesome image of the vast field represented by Romania’s historic architecture. I also use a version of this collage for my Twitter page background, have a look here: http://twitter.com/historo

***********************************************

I endeavor through this daily image series to inspire appreciation of the historic houses of Romania, a virtually undiscovered, but fascinating chapter of European architectural heritage.

***********************************************

If you plan acquiring a historic property in Romania or start a renovation project, I would be delighted to advice you in locating the property, specialist research, planning permissions, restoration project management, etc. To discuss your particular plan please see my contact details in the Contact page of this weblog.

I was the firstborn of my parents’ children, and, as I hear it told, my dad was overjoyed at becoming a father. He’s always been very much a “family man,” and because he had almost three years with me alone, our bond developed without distraction. For most of my life, my dad was the most important person to me. Something I’m sure was difficult for my mom. My relationship with my dad was always stronger than with my mom, and it wasn’t until adulthood that this began to change. Of course, that doesn’t mean that things were always good with me and my dad. Throughout my adolescence he and I were at persistently at odds. I felt suffocated by his high expectations of me, and he was constantly perplexed at my indifference to them. He could never understand why I would want anything less for myself than the very best, and I could never make him see that my own hopes and dreams held just as much merit as those he had for me. The biggest issue, however, was church and living the Christian life. I was disillusioned by the hypocrisy of the “church-goers” I saw every Sunday, and eventually I just refused to return. Because my dad was raised in a home where church-going was expected behavior and not to be questioned, we began to argue about the subject at every opportunity. And I became more and more bitter about everything related to Christianity, but much of it was a direct result of simply going the opposite direction from what my dad expected of me. At 19, there was simply no chance of me hearing what “was best for me” when it came from a father who only sees the world in black and white. I wanted to live in the gray areas.
 
At the age of 27, I finally began to analyze my life in terms of my own sense of self and my own faith, rather than the faith of my parents. God was very gracious to show me that Christianity is not about going to church or believing what other people say simply to please them, but rather it is a life of faith and relationship with Jesus the Christ. And although these revelations were in line with all that my dad had expected of me, I fully embraced it because I had come to it on my own. From that point forward, my dad and I began to restore our relationship as father and daughter, and for the first time we also began to develop a friendship. I learned that our struggles had always been so volatile because we are almost exactly the same in every way. We approach the world through logic, and we both strive for perfection. We feel compelled to set things right, and we want people to appreciate the same things that we do. It helps to know that we are so similar since most of the world doesn’t follow our lead or play by the same rules. We now spend a lot of time shaking our heads at the rest of the world and wondering how people can possibly live the way they do. [Of course, the rest of the world, and our own family, spends a lot of time wondering why the two of us are not more normal!] At this point in my life, as I begin to realize I’m staring down middle age, it helps to have a partner like my dad. I am thankful for friendship and for his unconditional love, which I know exists even when I fail to meet his expectations. I’m thankful, too, that he has learned to see things as I do and to question more than he once would. I know that I’ve influenced his perceptions of people and that he wouldn’t be as much of a minister today had God not used me in this way toward my dad. I’m enormously proud when people tell me what a great man my dad is, and I’m finally beginning to understand why he spent so much time stressing the importance of “a good name.” Everywhere my family travels, someone seems to know my dad’s two older brothers, one of whom was a respected educator and the other a beloved football coach. This has always made my dad very proud. But now, I experience the same thing: many people know my father and have nothing but praise for who he is and how he serves. The older I get, the more I experience that same kind of family pride. And I’m so thankful that our relationship was restored early in my youth so that I could enjoy this time as intended.
 

1953 Buick Roadmaster Convertible:  Removed front and rear fenders, front inner fenders and radiator support, and lots of other misc parts…..Romoved the doors, and interior…started taking apart the engine…..

Hard to explain what is going on right now.  Very surreal to say the least.  My new job is amazing.  Great people, great cause…wow and I get a car, really???  It is so crazy that it is something only God could do.  All of these other jobs I interviewed for and I actually get an amazing one with an incredible cause to be extremely passionate about, a company car, my gas paid for, and I get to work with great people!

Oh how my Daddy loves me!  No words to really describe all of the sweet things He is doing right now.  So sweet, so precious…so much grace and mercy…..

I will follow You all the days of my life!

Hagley Hall, Worcestershire (Image: Hagley Hall website)

When the listed building restrictions were originally introduced the compensation for not being to do exactly as you wished with your house was that the government would provide grants towards maintainence.  Obviously successive governments have seen these funds as an easy target when seeking cost cuts and so despite the legitimate limits on changes still being enforced, the cost of the work was now largely borne by the owner.

So the news that English Heritage are atleast providing matched funding to the tune of £210,000 for much needed repairs and conservation work to the beautiful Hagley Hall in Worcestershire is to be very much welcomed.  Now, if only they could perhaps prise open the coffers of the lottery funds to provide further grants we might actually be able to claim that we truly support our built heritage.

Full story: ‘Hall will undergo £420,000 makeover‘ [Express & Star]

“The Lord said, ‘I will hasten my work in its time’ (D&C 88:73). Surely anyone observing the recent growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is keenly aware of that hastening process. This should make us humbly grateful for the Lord’s omnipotent hand. Obstacles that seemed insurmountable have proven to be merely challenges for the faithful, for ‘with God nothing shall be impossible’ (Luke 1:37). “Inspiration has prepared the way from the beginning, when the Lord impressed the Prophet Joseph Smith to compose the twelfth article of faith: ‘We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.’ This inspired statement was surely written for our day. The Prophet knew that the gospel was ultimately to be taken to all nations regardless of their governmental differences. He knew that the ordinances of salvation and exaltation could bless the lives of people regardless of their politics. And he knew that people who were taught correct principles and who were loyal to their civil leaders and observing of their local laws would be most able to enjoy the blessings of the gospel.”

Elder Russell M. Nelson

Did you know that you can lose significant amounts of power and fuel economy your truck once had just because you may have neglected your intake filter? A simple cleaning and re-oiling of your intake filter can make a world of difference. Let OCDiesel.com explain why this happens…

Your engine needs airflow. It’s one of the most important things that an engine needs. This is especially true in a Diesel engine. It needs oxygen rich, cool, clean air to run at peak performance. If you have an intake filter you have not looked at in 3 years then chances are you have been robbing your engine of this. Because better combustion from better airflow directly reflects how much power and fuel economy your engine will be getting. It should be important to make sure you have a clean filter.

OCDiesel.com carries aFe’s whole line of filter restoration products. This is one of the simplest and most inexpensive ways to bring more airflow to your engine.

Not all oil is created equal. Highly refined oil from aFe will not harm MAF sensors and cause engine light warnings. It works great with aFe filters and is a great way to upgrade competitors oiled filters. The cleaner is specially formulated to release dirt without harming the microfibers critical to efficient filtration and airflow

Be sure to check out our Black Friday – Cyber Monday Weekend Long Sale!

By Eric Adams

Question by a student: If you want to pray for me, pray that I would be filled with the Spirit and live according to its ways.  Pray that God would reveal himself to me and give me the strength to overcome the habitual sin in my life.  And I’m starting to doubt all of the growth I’ve experienced over the past year because of my recent struggles, so maybe pray that I wouldn’t be so negative or deny what God’s been doing in my life.

Answer: Someone once said: “Passion for God is born out of relationship with God, Remember, passion without relationship is emotion; relationship without passion is religion.”

I have found that to be true.

1 Kings 19 (New International Version)

1 Kings 19

Elijah Flees to Horeb

1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

7 The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.

The LORD Appears to Elijah

And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

11 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

15 The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.”

The Call of Elisha

19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother good-by,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”
“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

• Elijah ran for his life from a foe he had previously defeated.
• This is definitely a suicide attempt. He left his servant in Beersheba (which ironically means: “well of the sevenfold oath”), and went into a terrible desert. Kind of like us, huh?
• Burnout happens to the best of God’s people. James 5:17
• Elijah’s renewal began with giving up. He couldn’t go on, and he admitted it.
• God sent an angel, or messenger. the Hebrew word here is the same word for messenger that Jezebel sent to Elijah in verse 2. The adversary sent a messenger; so did God. Listen to God’s messenger, not the Devils’.
• Restoration comes from sustenance. Feed on God’s Word. It’s a long way out of a desert.
• Elijah made a 40 day journey to Horeb, which is another name for Sinai. He went to the place where God’s Presence had been awesomely displayed. Go back to the place where you know God was powerfully displayed in your life. Maybe not physically, but in your heart. Return to the place of God’s covenant, where his Shekina Glory shone down on you. Go back to that bedrock where you knew God moved.
• Elijah spent the night in a cave. Strange place to seek God. Do you feel like you are in a cave? Damp, alone, scared?
• God asks the first question. Get quiet, wait for him to ask the questions. It was kind of a reproach. In other words, “Hey Elijah, what are you doing here on this lonely mountain, in a cave, isolated and not where you are supposed to be?”
• Elijah whined and complained. Most of the Psalms begin with a lot of whining and complaining. It’s OK. God already knows what you’re thinking. Just let it out.
• Ultimately God’s servants are not called to live on a mountaintop of spiritual ecstasy, close to God but far from the world. They belong in the world, doing the work of God amidst the affairs of daily life. Elijah’s renewal is not complete until he has obeyed God’s commission to leave Horeb and return to work.
• Eating the life-giving food earlier in the story marked the beginning of Elijah’s renewal, but his answer to God’s question illustrates that his renewal is still far from complete. Elijah complains, indulges in self-pity, and touts his own actions.
• We expect God’s response to Elijah’s self-indulgent complaint, but none is forthcoming. It seems that God does not respond directly to exaggerated claims of self-importance, but merely instructs Elijah to go out and stand on the mountain before Yahweh. Placing oneself before God sometimes has a way on putting things in better perspective.
• Yahweh passes by accompanied by fire, earthquake, and a wind so powerful that it shatters mountains and rocks. Here again are allusions to Moses and Exodus events. Moses experienced Yahweh passing by as he was shielded in the cleft of a rock (Exodus. 33:17-34:7)
• This time, however, the outward signs were just used to get Elijah’s attention, while the focus was on the gentle whisper; not the wind, earthquake, or fire.
• Various dramatic phenomena, including fire from heaven, play a significant role in Elijah’s ministry (1 Kings 18:38; 2 Kings 1:10, 12, 14; 2:11), but 1 Kings 19 suggests that Elijah must also be open to communication from God that comes through simple and unexpected means.
• Again, God does not respond directly to Elijah’s self-serving answer, but instead gives him a new commission. Elijah is to retrace his steps, leave Horeb, and travel to Damascus in order to anoint Hazael as King of Syria; then he is to anoint Jehu as King of Israel and Elisha as his own prophetic successor.
• “Doubts will cease and misgivings vanish when God puts him to work.”
• God’s “appearance” to Elijah is not an end in itself but is intended to revitalize the prophet so that he can return to the social arena where God needs agents to implement the divine purposes.
• Get with God, and get on with it.
• In 1 Kings 19 two things bring Elijah out of his state of discouragement and lethargy. One is a new commission from God, and the other is the assurance that God’s cause has a future in the world which does not depend only on Elijah’s personal success or lack thereof. So get a new commission or assurance, and be assured that the world doesn’t revolve around yourself; God has many people in the world, you are not alone.

I hope this is helpful.

By Eric Adams

Question from a student:

I have been losing conviction for sins, losing my faith and  falling into old sins. I don’t know what is wrong. I want to be saved and have cried out so much to be saved but I just can’t believe completely and repent truly for some reason, I want godly sorrow and godly repentance, if that makes sense, but I just don’t have it. I need prayer.

Answer:

Psalm 51 (New International Version)

Psalm 51

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. (Lust, adultery, lying, deceit, murder. He’s in a bad spot. Here is how he dealt with it. Nobody has blown it so bad that God can’t restore them. Period. )

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.(Turn to God. Stand on God’s Mercy.)

2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.(Pray for cleansing. 1 John 1:7-9)

(5 ways David acknowledged his sin:)

3 For I know my transgressions, (1. Sins is serious.)
and my sin is always before me.(The rewind button is stuck.)

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned

(2. God is the primary offendee. This doesn’t mean Bathsheba and Uriah and the baby weren’t hurt. It means that what makes sin to be sin is that it is against God. Hurting man is bad. It is horribly bad. But that’s not the horror of sin. Sin is an attack on God—a belittling of God. We hurt people, we sin against God.)

and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.(3. No self-justification; no defense; God is just)

5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.(4. Some people use their inborn or inbred corruption to diminish their personal guilt. David does the opposite.)

6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts ;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.(5. David had sinned against God’s Wisdom and Truth; Light in his own heart.)

(Plead for renewal.)

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. (Hyssop was the branch used by the priests to sprinkle blood on a house that had a disease in it to declare it clean. Lev. 14:51)

8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

(God’s discipline has consequences. Sin has consequences.

9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (He prays for ;purity and stability.)

11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.(Don’t let me fall away and show that I was only drawn by the Spirit and not held by the Spirit. Confirm to me, O God, that I am your child and will never fall away.)

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.(David needed restoration, he needed joy; he needed a willing spirit, he needed sustainability.)

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.

(He asks that the upshot of all this will be a life of effective evangelism.)

14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.(Praise is what joy in God does when obstacles are taken out-of-the-way.)

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.(Under all this, David has discovered that God has crushed him (vs.8) in love, and that a broken and contrite heart is the mark of all God’s children.)

18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.(We need our walls to be rebuilt after sinning. It is God’s good pleasure to do so. Count on that.)

19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings to delight you;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

(After all of the acknowledgment of sin, the repentance, the cry for restoration, the promises; then we offer proper sacrifices of praise.)

I hope this helps. You are loved.

Eric

On Sunday the weather here in the Mid-west was gorges! I asked MacGyver to search for some white Christmas lights I thought were out in the garage. He uncovered several stands of lights that we had purchased for our tree that is in the front yard.

We bought an evergreen tree, which had a root ball so that we could transplant it in the yard to mark the first Christmas we spent in our new home, fourteen years ago. Now, the tree is so big you need a ladder truck to put lights on it, and since Mac is recovering from gallbladder surgery I was not going to be putting those up to this year, so I decided to string them around the front porch. Since he was good enough to dig them out, and it was so nice out.

Wow…the Sunday before Thanksgiving. This is a first! Yes, I’m the one who hates to see Christmas light out before THANKSGIVING, and can be very vocal about it! Which my son quickly reminded me of, when he saw the porch illuminated with the Christmas lights.

“Mom! You hate Christmas lights out this early! You have never done this! What is going on?” He said with a big grin on his face. To which I replied, “The porch light had burned out several months ago, and I keep forgetting to buy a new bulb, don’t need one now! It’s about be resourceful.”

Kids!

Exquisite end c19th Art Nouveau style window from a dilapidated, nearly ruined historic house, Lascar area, Bucharest. (©Valentin Mandache)

Dear Historic Houses of Romania readers,

I have a new website address for my bolg at www.historo.wordpress.com (domain name derived from ‘Historic Houses of Romania’), with an entirely new and dynamic look. I very much hope you will like the new format. All my old articles and images are also contained within the new site, so you should not have any problems in accessing them there. For one month between 1 Nov. ‘09 and 1 Dec. ‘09, I will post simultaneously, in order to avoid confusions and allow for a smooth transition, my forthcoming architectural history articles and images on both old (‘viapontica’) and new (‘historo’) sites. After that date www.historo.wordpress.com will become my sole active blog site dedicated to the Historic Houses of Romania.

Best regards,

Valentin

***********************************************

I endeavor through this daily image series to inspire appreciation of the historic houses of Romania, a virtually undiscovered, but fascinating chapter of European architectural heritage.

***********************************************

If you plan acquiring a historic property in Romania or start a renovation project, I would be delighted to advice you in locating the property, specialist research, planning permissions, restoration project management, etc. To discuss your particular plan please see my contact details in the Contact page of this weblog.

Exquisite end c19th Art Nouveau style window from a dilapidated, nearly ruined historic house, Lascar area, Bucharest. (©Valentin Mandache)

The house is in a zone abounding in unoccupied modern low-quality office blocks, some of them half-built and abandoned, that replaced countless other historic houses during the rapacious Romanian property development boom/bubble of the last few years.

***********************************************

I endeavor through this daily image series to inspire appreciation of the historic houses of Romania, a virtually undiscovered, but fascinating chapter of European architectural heritage.

***********************************************

If you plan acquiring a historic property in Romania or start a renovation project, I would be delighted to advice you in locating the property, specialist research, planning permissions, restoration project management, etc. To discuss your particular plan please see my contact details in the Contact page of this weblog.

Now this is what I needed growing up, my own little kit! Every shoe-head has their own shoe kit that they use to keep those kicks looking clean. Mine was a tooth brush, a jar of soap scraps, and a white rag. That was all I needed to keep my Air Jordans looking mint.

Now JGoods has capitalized on the idea and put together a restoration kit, complete with a  a 12-inch square white towel, a stiff scrub brush, a melamine foam pad, JGoods Finish Remover, white and black JGoods Leather Paint, a high-quality paint brush, cotton swabs, and a scourer sponge! What else do you need?

You can cop this stay fresh kit here for $35 dollars. Not bad!

(JGoods)

What does forgiving really mean? Clearly it has little to do with human
fairness, which demands an eye for an eye, or with excusing, which means
brushing something aside. Life is never fair, and it is full of things that can
never be excused.

When we forgive someone for a mistake or a deliberate hurt, we still rec-
ognize it as such, but instead of lashing out or biting back, we attempt to see
beyond it, so as to restore our relationship with the person responsible for it.
Our forgiveness may not take away our pain- -– it may not even be acknowl-
edged or accepted -– yet the act of offering it will keep us from being sucked
into the downward spiral of resentment. It will also guard us against the temp-
tation of taking out our anger or hurt on someone else.

This nation is affluent and has more than it needs. The realization that what we have is a free gift can deepen our desire to share this gift with others who cry out for help. When we bless the fruits of the harvest, let us at least realize that blessed fruits need to be shared.

- Henri J.M. Nouwen, from his book The Genesee Diary

By 1997, as well as falling into disrepute, the Electric Cinema in Portobello Road was falling into disrepair. It had been closed for 4 years until local property developer European Estates and architect Gebler Tooth Architects, the team behind the Travel Bookshop (the real one not the one in the film Notting Hill) wondered if it could be rescued. It needed more than just restoration to make it viable. Cinemas today depend on moviegoers buying extras around the price of a ticket but outside the Grade II* listed auditorium, the Electric didn’t have enough space even for decent toilets.  Over the next 4 years Sasha Gebler of Gebler Tooth exhumed the Electric’s history and negotiated with RBKC planners for a mixed use scheme that would combine the next door shop 191B Portobello Road. In 2000 he achieved the planning consent for a combined cinema, club and restaurant that would secure the cinema’s commercial viability. Support and encouragement of RBKC planners Roy Thompson, Andrew Patterson and Mark Price, licensing officer Barry Croft and David Stabb of English Heritage was also instrumental. Sasha discovered that Peter Simon (founder of Monsoon) was the owner of 191B and approached him with the project.  Which was a happy coincidence because Monsoon apparently started life outside the Electric with Peter Simon selling Afghan coats. He subsequently bought out European Estates, retaining Gebler Tooth and stumping up the £2m to restore the Electric and build the combined scheme with contractor Gilmac. The cinema was restored and reopened for business on 21^st February 2001 run initially by City Screen (Clapham Picture House et al). Nick Jones (Soho House) took over the lease shortly after introducing interior changes with Sasha and interior designers Michaelis Boyd and Ilse Crawford. In the process Sasha’s original idea for a wide screen rising out of the stage migrated into the remarkable expanding screen developed with Unusual Rigging. The next door site 191B provided space for WCs and modern air conditioning plant for the cinema as well as an upstairs club Electric House and the restaurant Electric Brasserie. Under Soho House stewardship they have all been a great success and the Electric Cinema is now the undisputed favourite movie experience in London.

Links
Sunday Times ‘The Rediscovery of London’s Electric Cinema’
Screen Daily ‘London’s Electric Cinema set to reopen’
Architect’s role: Profile in local mag The Hill
Article on Electric Cinema in The Hill

Electric Cinema project at Gebler Tooth Architects web site
Gebler Tooth Architects site

From The Denver Post (Mark Jaffe):

Because the site is in the South Platte River watershed, the restoration efforts are broad. About 280 acres of wetlands on the Eastern Plains will be restored at a cost of $818,000, based on an initial $75,000 from the Shattuck settlement. Adding funds and services to the project are government agencies, private businesses and landowners, said Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Matt Filsinger. Among those participating are Ducks Unlimited, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the Lower South Platte Water Conservancy District, the Harmony Ditch Co. and Drakeland Farms.

The Shattuck settlement also will help pay for a $235,000 restoration of Overland Pond Park. “It was felt that since Shattuck was an urban Superfund site, some of those funds should stay in Denver,” Archuleta said. The Fish and Wildlife Service will put $120,000 toward the project, and the remainder of the $235,000 will come from funds and services from community groups, such as the Greenway Foundation, and city agencies, such as Denver Parks and Recreation. “Overland Pond Park has been loved to death,” said Casey Davenhill, administrative coordinator for the nonprofit Greenway Foundation. “Those 8 acres are really heavily used.” The park, created in the early 1970s, has small habitat zones representing Colorado from the prairie to alpine forest, Davenport said. “This has made the park an important educational resource, and that’s something Fish and Wildlife wants to support,” Archuleta said. The project will include grading trails, new signs, upgrading the pond area and new plantings, according to a Wildlife Service draft restoration plan…

The draft restoration plan is open until early December for public comment and can be viewed at: www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/nrda/Shattuck/index.html

More restoration coverage here.

by Carl Strang

Recently I described this year’s results in my ongoing study of the trailing strawberry bush, Euonymus obovatus, at Meacham Grove Forest Preserve. There was notable growth in the median size of patches or colonies of the plant in 2009, which may have benefited from a controlled burn that took place there in 2007.

The graph shows that Euonymus patch size dropped in 2008, apparently from burn damage. The jump in 2009 I suspect was the result of the fire’s harming Euonymus competitors and giving the trailing strawberry bush an opening. Trailing strawberry bush colonies approached sizes they had not achieved since the 1980’s. I returned to Meacham Grove, as well as Maple Grove, on November 11 to collect data on leaf miners in maple trees. I found that both study areas had received controlled burns.

At least some of the Euonymus twigs were severely scorched.

Burned stems like the one in the photo represent a setback for the species, but the previous burn helped by reducing the competition. Now I am interested in seeing how this trailing shrub will respond over the coming season.