Dance Hall

With only minor work, Ulgedook is becoming less "church-like," and more like a dance hall. In fact, a four piece band could play quite comfortably in the former "sanctuary," but we can't settle on whether they should play country or rock music.


We've been going to Ulgedook about once a week, and by the time we get there, we only accomplish a few hours of work. However, the carpet is torn up, quarter-round baseboards removed, and pews raised. In all, a lot of nail plucking. Hopefully, more serious work will commence soon, now that the building is being emptied, and a new interior can be erected, after the necessary approvals of course.

Queens Place

I learned today that site preparations are well underway in Liverpool for construction of "Queens Place," the Region’s new multi-use recreational and community centre. Scheduled to open in late 2010, the facility will include a 900-seat ice arena, walking track, aquatics centre, fitness centre, and community room, and will serve as the central hub for recreational, social, and cultural activity in Queens County.

Just another benefit of becoming a Queens County resident, even if only seasonally. Learn more at: http://www.queensplace.ca/

Happy Holidays!!

Ulgedook Permanent Resident

For my birthday today, my brother gave me Mr. Potato Head (collector's edition), and informed me that this iconic toy was to reside in a special place at Ulgedook Cottage. With his classic funny face and interchangeable parts, Mr. Potato Head will amuse Ulgedook visitors both young and old alike.

Mr. Potato Head is an American toy consisting of a plastic model of a potato which can be decorated with a variety of attachable plastic parts such as ears and eyes to make a face. The toy was created by George Lerner in 1949, first manufactured by Hasbro in 1952, was the first toy advertised on television, and still remains in production today. In 2006, Hasbro also began selling individual pieces as sets to add to a collection instead of having to buy an entire Potato Head set with a body. Some of these themed sets include a Mermaid, Rockstar, Pirate, King, Princess, Firefighter, Construction Worker, Santa Claus, Chef, and Police Officer. With my affinity to Star Wars, I look forward to obtaining "Darth Tater."

Christmas Homes Tour

A quick stop at Ulgedook today, following a visit to Liverpool to enjoy the 11th annual Privateer Days Christmas Homes Tour. The tour showcases the decorating skills of eight homeowners of homes that range in age from the 18th to 20th century. We were delighted with the Christmas splendor, and the beauty of these heritage homes.

On our way home, we stopped at Ulgedook long enough for Joel to demonstrate his locksmithing prowess, as he retracted the broken piece of skeleton key from the lockset, and successfully opened the door. We stepped inside, turned on the lights, and tried to convey the decorating images from the Liverpool homes to conceive the potential of our church. Sheesh, we gotta lot of work ahead of us (lol).

Learn more about Privateer Days at: http://www.privateerdays.com/

Port Medway Gingerbread Lighthouse

An article entitled "Gingerbread by the Sea," appeared in today’s Chronicle Herald, reciting the magical memories of baking gingerbread houses. The author, Nadine Fownes, recounts how she "loved the pre-Christmas ritual of making and tasting the dough, rolling out pieces for the walls and roofs, gluing them together with icing and then plastering the whole thing with candies." This year, in "homage" to her Nova Scotian roots, Nadine baked a gingerbread lighthouse (pictured below) modelled after the lighthouse in Port Medway, Queens County.

Also below, is a picture of me taken at Port Medway Lighthouse in 2005, unbeknownst that I would become a seasonal resident of the area three years later.

Harvest Fest Table

We made an unplanned trip to Ulgedook today, to deliver our new-to-us table... a huge, oak conference table measuring 9'x6' in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid (a what?!?!?!?). This treasure was found at Habitat for Humanity's Restore (a retail outlet of quality used and surplus building materials), located in Burnside. At several hundred pounds, the table took four men to load onto the truck, and only Susan and I were available to unload it at Ulgedook.

After unloading and stowing the table in the back of the church, it was already dark and time to leave. Susan closed up and locked the door, but got the skeleton key stuck in the lock. Much fiddling and wiggling of the key failed to release the key from it's clutches, and resulted in the key breaking and leaving the bit in the lock. With that, we locked the deadbolt, and left the locksmithing for another day.

Happy Holidays

Ulgedook at night

Work commences

Work on transforming the church to a cottage began today, although only with very modest steps. We started with a stop in Lunenburg to purchase a new-to-us kitchen island and two upper cabinets from a young couple who decided to remodel their one-year old kitchen to accommodate their growing family. After unloading the cabinets at Ulgedook, we spent the remaining hours of daylight doing some light work at the church. Susan started removing carpet from the aisles and alter, while I spent time in the belfry removing bat poop and closing the louvres for winter.

The bell is certainly an impressive artifact, in good working condition. It appears to be a complete swinging bell with yoke, A-frame stands, wheel, clapper, and toller; similar to many Meneely Bells found in thousands of belfries worldwide.

http://danart.home.mindspring.com/bellsite/html/

Preliminary plans

and the ideas are... (drum roll please)

Interior Design
(layout, flooring, lighting, plumbing, etc.)
~open concept
~2nd floor from wall to stairs @ "alter"; 11 ft floor to 2nd level
~sliding patio doors to decking outside (Bar-Be-Que!!)
~need a loft about 1/3 of total floor space
~open fireplace in middle of floor or under back window
~stucco wall up to edge of ceiling, then colorful tiles along edge of the ceiling, then keep the rest of the ceiling the way it is
~remove tin ceiling above pulpit for behind Danny's woodstove; need at least 48"x60"
~place kitchen with bar in alter

Exterior Design
(landscaping, decks paths, fences, plants)
~climbing vines and flowers on lattice type wood
~always a big planter (pot) at the front door
~take a couple pieces of tin ceiling down for X-mas present for behind Danny's woodstove
~woodland plants along fringe of forest area
~trellis with climbers on side and front of building
~perennial gardens filled with pea gravel (low maintenance but softens the look) and ornamental grass would look great
~remove siding and utilize cedar shakes or planked board for country setting
~build a cute and cozy bunk house for guests; patio doors on side of house with a stone ~patio/garden between house and bunk house

Color your church
(walls, ceilings, floors, etc.)
~love blue thistle color (348-3)
~ceramic tile in entrance way and kitchen
~let Danny change color of tin ceiling pieces; I'll take them to my shop!!!
~victory blue trim (447-7); snow storm wainscoting (542-1); iceberg below (547-2)
~blend color scheme with color of stained glass; recommend the Tapestry & Mosaic color scheme; Cider chart, pizza pie, cracker ritz, mesa reipe
~end wall facing road: do one color (green) & then do two side walls another (buttery yellow)
~for a country theme, we recommend: morning rose, soft suede, magenta, sweet Annie

Decorating
(furnishings, window treatments, artwork, etc.)
~leave most of the stained glass except for two windows to bring in more natural light
~get rid of windows on the sides, using them perhaps in the loft; install new windows in the sides; keep front and back windows
~abstract art
~leave stained glass windows where feasible
~leave pine wainscoting on walls
~replace paneling with something rustic that matches pine
~replace paneling
~natural lights a must; skylights??
~take down some tin ceiling to have sandblasted and restored to original condition, and don't put so much back up
~replace ceiling with frame and wooden beams on seams
~what's under the paneling... plaster? may be able to paint in a way that enhances imperfection.
~wall scones

Pews-R-Us
(what to do with the pews)
~call Jeff & April; we'll take 1 or 2
~shutters for windows
~auction pews
~use for kitchen cupboard door
~offer them to ex-parishioners
~use some pers outdoors for a firepit... Kum-by-a
~use 4 for around a kitchen table
~use for head and footboard; utilize some to add under-bed storage drawers
~use a few as sofas/chairs, adding lots of cushions
~pews make excellent firewood @ Kearney Lake

Other
(references, considerations, etc.)
~open concept, post & beam; natural finishes; see what's underneath the layers of paint on the floor
~I know a great carpenter who does wonderful word with reused building materials for a rustic look; also - architect Nicole Coolen @ Sperry & Partners is wonderful
~find an "up & coming" local designer who would love to showcase their talent in transforming a church into a retreat
~call Debbie Travis, as she is working with youth to learn about home renos
~call every home make over show/magazine (Canadian) and offer to film a show of place being made over by expert designers

Open House (Church)

We hosted our open house on Saturday November 8th, and were pleased that it was well attended by many family, friends, and new neighbours. Primarily the event was a celebration of taking the keys to Ulgedook Cottage. More importantly though, it was a chance to share renovating and decorating ideas to convert this retired church to a cottage. We were enthralled with the many and varied ideas, but as my uncle observed, some suggestions may exceed our budget. That said, we wholeheartedly thank everyone for their input, and will consider all ideas with equal merit.

As a tribute to all who attended the open house, I present the following depiction of a favourite childhood rhyme.

Possession date

We took possession of the former Wesley United Church on Friday October 31st (Halloween), and have now converted it to Ulgedook Cottage in name only.

After acquiring the knack to unlcok the door with a skeleton keys, I crossed the threshold for the first time as the new owner and was enthralled with the opportunities that await. As the witching hour approached, I vividly imagined the multitude of costumes suited for a Halloween party here in some future year. For now though, we need to allow time to elapse for Ulgedook to transform from a house of worship to a cottage for rest and relaxation.

We spent Saturday tidying up a bit, in preparation for the open house. Furnace works well; very toasty within minutes. My father visited, and it wasn’t long before I heard him ask, "ya got a hammer." Soon he had detached a choir pew, to discover that it is only toe nailed to the floor. We also discovered that the pew is constructed from 1"x16"x6' solid pine boards; great for many applications from furniture to stair treads. Because the church seating was now unbalanced, I ripped up the corresponding pew on the other side. Lodged underneath, I discovered a tarnished coin (presume a penny) from Newfoundland in 1873 (that’s right... 1873).

In three days, we visited Ulgedook three times. The first to walk in and claim ownership, the second to tidy up a bit in preparation for the open house, and the third to deliver a table for the open house. In all instances, we were awe inspired with the architectural delight that this structure possesses, and the wondrous opportunities it presents as a cottage.

Ulgedook Open House

Family, friends, and community members are invited to an open house as we celebrate taking the keys to Ulgedook Cottage. Join us for refreshments, and share renovating and decorating ideas to convert this retired church to a cottage.

Who:
-all welcome, simply bring ideas

When:
-Saturday November 8th, 1:00-5:00pm

Hope to see you.

Please RSVP to:
ulgedook@gmail.com
-or-
Joel @ 449-4407
-or-
Susan @ 497-9585

Deconsecration

Today is a bittersweet day; one that marks the end of a chapter for the United Wesley Church and the beginning of a new one for Ulgedook Cottage.

A service marking the closure of East Port Medway United Church was held today at the community centre, and attended by more than 70 community members. Presided over by Reverend Joanne McFadden, and accompanied by the church’s former Minister, Reverend Vivian Moores, the service was a time to celebrate the church and reflect on many fond memories.

The final hymn was titled "Blessed Assurance," and before closing Reverend McFadden invited Susan and I to address the congregation. I stated that we wish to provide two assurances to the community: 1) that we will not alter the exterior structure of the church building, so that it will always be seen as the structure that people are accustomed to, and 2) that we will strive to become valued members of the community.

The following reception offered an opportunity for us to meet many wonderful people; all of whom seemed as genuinely excited for us as we are.