art design family

What Happened to the Owl?

About a month ago, I posted about a necklace I had made with a pink owl pendant. I was wondering whether I should keep the owl or lose it, so I asked around online. Since that time, I’ve been sidetracked by tearing apart our dining room. Perhaps you’re wondering whatever happened to that owl necklace. Did I keep the owl on the necklace or take it off and rework it? The responses I got to…

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history pragmatic historian preservation

In Memory of Denis P. Gardner

Denis P. Gardner was Minnesota’s National Register Historian. It was a role that was perfect for him because he was so passionate and particular about documenting Minnesota’s historic places. I had the honor of getting to know Denis by serving on the State Review Board, which reviews nominations of Minnesota properties to the National Register of Historic Places. The State Review Board and National Register Historian fall under the auspices of the State Historic Preservation…

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family home pragmatic historian projects work in progress

The Ceiling Plaster Is Down

Posting a little late today. That’s because I spent the entire day taking plaster off the ceiling in our dining room. Whew, what a dirty job! I did not take a “before” picture (just imagine an expanse of white plaster), but here are some “after” photos. While tearing plaster off the walls was messy, it wasn’t as messy as we expected. The ceiling was another thing altogether. The dirt and debris sifting down through the…

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