Old Hickory - F. W. Knox Villa

      " A trip to the mountains".  That phrase meant something different when I was eight. Back then, I would be glancing at the clock from a   tiny desk, waiting for the hands to strike the number three. Now I illuminate my smart watch, waiting for 5:00 to stand out on the screen while rolling back in my chair.        Then there is the part that didn’t change. I carry my bags out to the car and buckle my seat belt. I begin chatting about my day to help eat away at the long drive that will take us from highways to an overly bumpy dirt road. After hours in the car, I stretch my legs and breathe in the refreshing air. The apple trees are still there, maybe a little more gnarled and not bent in quite the same position. I found myself surrounded by green, my favorite color, which quickly disappears as the sun sets, giving way to an unbelievably dark and sparkling sky. It’s like nothing has changed, but that is not the truth.       ...

     I have    recently gotten a lot of inquiries into our completion date for the house. This is a question that I always avoid answering. I know a lot of it simply stems from curiosity but I also feel like a small portion of it stems from doubt in us ever being able to complete such a task. I’ll be honest with you, we don’t have a completion date and the house will never be finished. This isn’t a term paper that we will submit. It’s more like a pet that we will need to care for throughout its lifespan. I guess you might not even call it a project then, you would call it a commitment. As long as we are successful with our care, one day someone else will begin the continuous task of caring for the house because it will still need someone to help it along once we are gone. The house was listed in the local newspaper as completed in May of 1880. That wasn’t really true, in that instant the paint was already starting to wear away and the shingles beginning to age. ...