Archaeologists have a tradition of tossing coins — usually pennies or other small-denomination — into any pit they excavate. Making sure that the coin is from the current year, it’s like a calling card, a “we were here” bit of info for any future archaeologists, who may dig in the same place, and then know that it was disturbed, and when.
All my life, doing home renovations, I’ve come across similar little markers from the past. Sometimes it’s inadvertent, like the brittle newspaper pages that I’ve unwrapped from old pipes in the basement; or builder’s marks, where they measured, but didn’t cut.
But sometimes it’s deliberate — a name, a date, sometimes scratched into the wood or revealed under the final layer of wallpaper. My dad always encouraged us, as kids, to write our own names and the date in places that would soon be covered by new drywall, or paint, or a staircase.
So as Amy and I move into a new place (one of those houses that’s delicately described as “a handyman’s special” in need of some TLC — and I’m no handyman) we’ve been tearing out old and restoring new. Like many old houses, it has its challenges and its charms. One of the things I love about it is the old-style kitchen cabinet.
It needed (badly) a new countertop, though, as well as a new sink and taps and faucet. So off to the store I went, and I’ve been spending Christmas Eve eve ripping out the old and (hopefully this afternoon) installing new.)
After I tore off the old counter, though, I saw that I needed to clean off tons of dirt and grime.
Imagine my delight when, under it all, some paint came through:
Hello, 1951!
I don’t know if any of the work I’m doing now will last for 60-odd years. But I can at least maintain the good stuff, and pass it on to the next owner in better shape than I found it.
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6 comments
MPot says:
23 December 2009 at 5:53 pm (UTC -5)
I don’t understand you types, but whatever makes ya happy! Surely twill be a beauty when complete.
Matt Goerzen says:
23 December 2009 at 6:27 pm (UTC -5)
Cool. Like a fingerprint or an echo from the past.
thebanana says:
23 December 2009 at 11:46 pm (UTC -5)
Dude, Christmas Eve is tomorrow. You’re time warping again.
Grant Hamilton says:
24 December 2009 at 1:12 pm (UTC -5)
I believe the phrase I used was “Christmas Eve eve”.
That’s the miracle of Christmas — Eves in infinite regression.
Colin says:
24 December 2009 at 3:14 pm (UTC -5)
Canada Day - Christmas Eve eve-to-the-12th-power…
steve ojnes says:
5 January 2010 at 7:51 pm (UTC -5)
Theres a Canada Day?