Okay. The long-promised tour of Nathan and Meagan’s house is about to commence.
(For anyone new to the blog, our son and daughter-in-law just bought their first house in Auburndale, FL.)
To set the stage for the tour, I”ll repost a picture of the outside. I just love the pop of the red metal roof against the blue Floridian sky.
We’ll start with a vital room in any house: the kids’/guest bathroom.
Here’s Noah’s room. Meagan is using a planes, trains, and automobiles theme which is perfect for a little fella who loves all three of those things.
Two views of Princess Madi’s room.
Dining room.
The dining room doesn’t normally sport a blue curtain; however, Meagan hung that for Steve and me during our visit so we would have a little privacy at night sleeping in the office/playroom beyond the curtain. Love that thoughtful gal!
And just to brag on Meagan a little more, she found this beautiful dining room set at a thrift store. In fact, Sarah and I were with her when she found it, which was fun.
A view of their lovely kitchen.
Here it is as seen through the cutout area between kitchen and dining room.
This is the living room. Nathan and Meagan have gotten almost all their furnishings second-hand including a huge, almost new washer/dryer set. They are thrifty shoppers who know who use their bargains to make lovely, creative spaces.
The master bedroom.
Steve and I are thrilled that they have such a lovely place of their own where so many memories will be made.
I forgot to tell you about the thoughtful gift this gal gave Steve at Christmas. (Those gifts aren’t for Steve, by the way
–I just thought Sarah was extra cute in these pictures.)
To set the stage for the gift description, let me first ask if any of you have ever heard of Chickenman.
If not, consider this to be your official introduction.
When Steve was in the 6th grade at Pearl Harbor Elementary, his teacher used to play a 2-minute episode of the Chickenman radio program every day before class started. He said the kids would come into the classroom, she would say good morning to them and then, Bam! It was on to that day’s episode of Chicken Man. (Lucky students, right?)
Steve fell in love with the program (which was played mostly on Armed Forces Radio during the Vietnam War), but then forgot about it until last year when an old classmate mentioned it on Facebook. He started dropping some hints that he would love to receive some of the episodes for Christmas.
Sarah did a search and found out that “ready-made” Chickenman recordings were going to be next to impossible to locate and/or afford. So she went to Plan B and found a public domain site that had over two hundred episodes available. She downloaded them all, burned them a disk, designed a cover and presented her creation to Steve. He was absolutely tickled pink, as you can see in this video.
And just a little explanation: Before Christmas, Sarah and I had told him (with appropriately mournful voices) that Chickenman was not available for purchase; we wanted him to be extra surprised when he actually got the gift.
That is why he is saying, “You lied to me!” in the video.
I wanted to brag a bit on his creativity.
Earlier this week, a woman from church asked him if he might know how to replace a missing handle on a guitar case. Steve had never done it before but he loves a challenge and told her he would take a look at it.
Steve is one of those people who saves various items he finds hither and yon. Sometimes we will be taking a walk and he will stop and find a piece of thick foam, or a small screw, or some other oddment and he will tuck it in his pocket and say, “I could find a use for this.”
Several years his brother, Jeff, gave him a tool belt for Christmas; Steve had to cut off some of the belt in order to get it to fit properly so he ended up with a piece of leather that had no obvious purpose. But Steve knew that at some point, he would find a use for it.
Enter the handle-less guitar case.
Steve retrieved that piece of squirreled-away leather and cut it down to size.
He went to Ace Hardware (his favorite store) for some supplies and before I knew it, voila! The guitar case had a beautiful new handle.
So there you have it.
The Floridian House tour. Chickenman. A guitar handle.
You just never know what you’re going to read about when you stop by Smithellaneous.
What about you? Have you ever heard of Chickenman? (Steve would be glad to know he’s not alone in his love of that show)
Did you have a favorite radio/TV show growing up?
I have never heard of “Chickenman” but one of my favorites on the radio was “And now you know the rest of the story” with Paul Harvey.
Megante’s home is beautiful. They have done so well for themselves in such a short time. It pays to be thrifty and most times, unless you tell someone where you bought something, they would never know that it came from a thrift store. Have a great week.
Mel,
I also loved Paul Harvey’s radio show. If I remember correctly, there was a book published with a compilation of some of the favorite stories from that show. I’m glad you reminded me of Harvey; I’ll have to try and locate that book again.
I too, remember my phone number when we lived in Fargo, ND – it was 24251. As you notice, of course, we did not have area codes at that time. This was about 65 years ago.
Sharyn,
That is so amazing to me that phone numbers could only have 5 digits and still have enough numbers to go around. Of course, many years earlier than that, I suppose it was just a couple digits and then gradually expanded.
Nathan and Meagan’s home is beautiful – and what a great find their dining set was!! I’ve never heard of chickenman; but I loved Steve’s reaction to receiving it. That was so thoughtful – and ingenious – of Sarah to download and burn the episodes; truly a labor of love. My favorite show as a child was Batman. Watching episodes as an adult, I can’t believe how campy it was.
SueEllen,
That’s funny you should say that about Batman. Although I didn’t watch it as a kid, when I see a few minutes of it now I think, “Really? THAT was is what TV shows looked like back in the day?”
Quite a change from then to now!
Nathan and Megan were so smart to save and buy a home, which is lovely. I like the window seat in Noah’s room. Instead of a big wedding and honeymoon we used our money to buy a home instead of living in an apartment after we got married. A wise decision that we never regretted.
No, I have never heard of Chickenman! I can recall a Wolfman Jack? On the radio. Earliest show I can remember was Captain Kangaroo. Maybe the different shows were specific to local areas? I do know we only had channel 2, 4, 7, 9, 50, 56, and 62. Now we have hundreds of channels and nothing I care to watch!
Kari,
Isn’t that so funny how meaningless info from the past (like the TV channgels) stays in our mind for so long? I can still remember my phone number from my childhood but can never rememer my passwords! 🙂
Didn’t Wolfman Jack have sort of a gravely, rough voice when he talked? I think I remember him, too.
Yes, that is how I recall his voice. I have no idea why those channel numbers stuck in my head!
No, have never heard of Chickenman before. We used to listen to a radio station in Detroit Lakes, MN on Sat., and they would play kids records with stories – like Sparky, a boy who had to practice playing the piano, fell asleep and found he could play excellent and went on tours – then woke up. There is another one too (but won’t go into it) – which I found both of them on a record at a record/tape/cassette shop and put it on a cd. Great memories. Well, I kind of do what Steve does, which my husband wishes I wouldn’t do when we go walking – I find towels, sweatshirts, socks, etc. and I wash them in hot water and call them my “roadkill.” Many of them don’t come clean, but I figure, why not try. I think that guitar handle is very creative. I’m sure when he had that leather didn’t realize it would come in so handy. Nathan and Megan’s home looks lovely, and know they will enjoy it for years to come.
Sharyn,
How fun that you found a recording of those two favorite childhood shows. What a treasure! I’m glad you were able to get them transferred to CD. I’m sure when you listen to them, a hundred memories come flooding back.
I loved your description of “road kill.” You never know when you might find a treasure, right?
I’ve never heard of Chickenman before, but I now have the “Chicken Dance” song in my head. Congratulations to Nathan and Meagan on their new house!
Jenna,
I don’t know the Chicken Dance song which I’m kind of glad about it because it would be stuck in MY head, too!
I have never heard of Chicken Man–I must say, he looks a little alarming! But I’m sure the stories were entertaining. Must have been, for Steve to remember them all these years later. You and Sarah did a great job tracking down the episodes for him–such a wonderful, thoughtful gift! Plus you had the added element of surprise–yay! 🙂
And how marrvy is Steve, making a guitar handle out of this and that! Gotta love a creative guy!
Nathan and Meagan have made their new house look so look homey and welcoming. I am totally jealous of their kitchen as mine is the epitome of tackiness. But I keep reminding myself that in a third world country it would be the epitome of luxury. So….it’s all about perspective. But I’m still jealous. (So much for that inspiring exhortation to myself!) :-}
Love, Deb
Deb. Do yourself a favor and listen to a few Chickenman episodes. Only 2 minutes each.
Deb,
As usual, your comment made me smile.
Even though your kitchen is still in a slightly unpainted state, the rest of your house and yard are lovely so you are semi, sort of surrounded by loveliness! I may have to book a flight up there and get a paint brush going on your behalf. Of course, since I can’t actually paint, maybe I had better just leave well enough alone . . .
Wow! Nathan and Megan’s house is lovely. So happy for them. I have never heard of Chickenman, maybe its not a northern thing? Cause I am old enough to have heard of it, ha! Sara did really good to surprise him so well. Have a wonderful weekend. I get to care for my 3 year old granddaughter while momma and daddy get a weekend away, Yay!
Wendy,
I know you have been enjoying that granddaughter of yours.
Isn’t being a grandma so wonderful! 🙂
What a wonderful home for Nathan and Megan. Lots of me friends will be made there. It’s interesting how all the floors are tile, I’m thinking it’s a florida thing? Maybe to keep it cool. I have never heard of Chickenman, so that was interesting to learn about. The oldest program I can remember is Clutch Cargo. It was an old cartoon where the animation was severely lacking and only the red lips moved when they spoke. Oh, and there was a cat cartoon, yes, Felix the cat. And let’s not forget Romper Room in the very early 60’s where kids walked around in cardboard cars 🙂 Yup, that’s all I got.
OK, twice I corrected ” me friends” back to the word “memories” and it still switched it back to “me friends” when it posted, which is two words that I don’t think you would ever see together in a sentence. Am I right? I challenge you or Sarah to make such a sentence, ha!
Lesley,
Hmmm. Me friends? I think maybe your auto correct needs to go back to school for a little while!
As far as your TV memories, they sound rather non-scintillating. Animation where only the lips move and kids walking around in cardboard cars? I know you are grateful right along with me that technology and TV production have both made such advancements. Back then though, we thought it was the greatest!
And yes, I think tile in Floridian homes may very well indeed be due them staying cooler in hot weather.
loved seeing the wonderful new home!
I think I told you this story before: I was CHICKENMAN for a Halloween party which was at least a week before Halloween… and I ran out of gas, and had to walk home as Chickenman, and no one, including a police car, stopped to help me. I have absolutely NO MEMORY of anything about Chickenman. I don’t remember ever listening to a radio show. Was there a Chickenman song?
Mrs. Pam,
I must not remember your Chickenman story because that was back before Steve had made me aware of that character.
I am just wondering how you even decided to be Chickenman for Halloween when you had never heard the show? Was it just that the costume was available? (Coincidentally, that is how Chickenman chose his personna.)
I don’t know if there was an actuall song but at the beginning of each episode, there are voices that say rather histrionically, “He’s everywhere, he’s everywhere!” Pretty exciting stuff.
Nathan and Meagan’s house is very nice. I agree with the blue Floridian sky. Tampa had some of the prettiest skies. Even the clouds were magnificent. I often thought about just taking pictures of the clouds. Then there were the stormy skies.
I have never heard of Chickenman. Trying to remember what shows we watched as a kid. I know we watched Andy Griffith as my dad still loves them. Then there was the Brady Bunch with Alice, Carol, Mike and all the kids.
Phyllis,
Yes, it doesn’t get much better than Andy Griffith. My mom and sister still sit down a couple of times a week and have tea and watch their Griffith CD’s.
Timeless, classic, great TV.
Beautiful, Sarah. I never heard of chicken man but Steve is younger than I am. The house is lovely and I know they will enjoy it. I always enjoyed the Mickey Mouse Club, Roy Rogers and Sky King television shows. Do not remember any radio programs growing up. Have a great weekend.
Ann, ask Jim about Chickenman. It was played on armed forces radio during the Vietnam War.
Nathan and Meagan’s home is so nice and I love the decorating. What a wonderful first home!
I have never heard of Chickenman. When I was young, my favorite TV show was Gilligan’s Island. Seriously. Of course, there wasn’t much to choose from…..we only got three channels. 🙂
I love Steve’s creative thinking! I like to fix things and solve ‘problems’ too. I just don’t save everything in anticipation of putting it to use someday. I’d rather go buy something. 😉
LeeAnne,
I’m sure it’s absolutely unbelievable to the younger generation that there were only 3 channels to choose from back in the day!
I gave never watched an entire episode of Gilligan’s Island in my life but I know a lot of people have loved that show through the years.
i would call that video of Steve – PURE JOY! good job ladies
Becky,
Yes, pure joy is the perfect way to describe his reaction. It’s fun to really be able to surprise someone!
Nathan and Megan have a lovely home. Love the furnishings. Can’t believe how much Sara looks like Steve in the second picture holding the gifts. Chickenman sounds interesting!
Diane,
That’s funny you should say Sarah looks like Steve in the second picture; I went back and looked at it and she really does! I guess because she is being dramatic and making a face, which is where Steve really shines. 🙂