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Our Place on Pine, 436 Pine Street, Minden, LA (2026)

08/07/2026

Post 35
Richard VS The China Cabinet

When the middle of the house was torn down, the dining room disappeared with it. One thing I hated to lose was the built-in china cabinet. It had a glass front with lots of storage and was just too nice to let end up in the debris pile.

My brother Richard spent hours working on that cabinet. It was attached to the wall and absolutely did not want to come off. I think the people who built that house intended for it to stay there forever! It wasn’t about to leave without a fight. But Richard was determined, and eventually he won the battle.

Oh course, the China cabinet ended up where so many treasures from Our Place on Pine have landed- Bennie’s shop. If you’ve been following along, you know that shop has become the temporary home for just about everything we decide to save.

Later, when I finally started cleaning everything out, I discovered all the Coca-Cola memorabilia that had been left behind. That’s when I remembered the China cabinet. Since there wasn’t room for it in the cottage, we moved it into the bar room, where it fits perfectly.

Just look at all the treasures it now holds! There are Coca-Cola collectibles of every kind, but one item that especially caught my eye isn’t Coke-related at all- a Super Bowl hat from 2010. Funny how you set out to save a cabinet and end up rescuing a whole collection of treasures instead.

08/06/2026

Post 34
The Day Southern Living Changed My Mind

I kept looking at those cornices in both the living room and the primary bedroom. I loved them, but wondered if they were too old-fashioned to keep. Since they were heavy wood, removing them would leave big holes in the walls. I also wanted to keep the wallpaper. And after I had already ruined the drapes, I figured I had the perfect excuse to start over. Now what to do.

Then something happened that changed my mind.

I picked up the latest Southern Living Idea House issue. On the cover was the primary bedroom- and above the drapes? A beautiful cornice. I read home decor styles come back around in cycles usually returning in a 20-30 year loop.

I took it as my sign, the cornices were staying.

Now I just had to find new drapes and sheers that would work with them and cover a 14 foot wall of floor to ceiling windows… without requiring a second mortgage.

While I was planning the inside, I decided the view outside those windows needed attention too. I planted elephant ear bulbs just beyond the glass, and they’ve grown so tall and lush they feel tropical.

I know cornices and elephant ears may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they are definitely mine. That is one of the best parts of creating a place you love- you don’t decorate it for everyone else. You decorate it for yourself.

08/05/2026

Post 33
When Silk Meets the Laundromat

The house came with beautiful-but old drapes and matching cornices. I called the cleaners to see if they cleaned drapes,but they were hesitant to try because of their age. I believed the fabric was silk, but since they were custom-made, there was no tag with cleaning instructions. I read that some silk could be hand washed, but there was absolutely no way I was going to hand wash those heavy drapes.

So Bennie and I loaded those heavy drapes into the truck and headed to the laundromat. The truck smelled slightly like an antique store. I figured that I had nothing to lose. Best case, I would save a fortune. I washed them in cold water on the delicate cycle and skipped the dryer altogether.

When I pulled them out, I knew I had not saved a fortune. The lining hadn’t shrunk one bit…but the drapes certainly had! They ended up about four inches shorter than the lining.

I guess it’s time to go shopping.-but what about those cornices?

08/04/2026

Post 32
Limbs the Size of Trees

I told y’all about the giant oak tree that split in half, crushed the pergola, and damaged half of the pavillion we had just finished building.

The Tree Guys cut away some of the limbs before the insurance adjuster arrived so he could actually see the damage. Today, another crew started actually hauling off the rest of the limbs- and when I say limbs I mean limbs the size of trees. This wasn’t just a big tree. It was massive.

A Bobcat was needed just to load the branches. Every load hauled away reminds us just how enormous that old oak really was.

The cleanup continues… and I have a feeling it’s going to be awhile before we are finished. But little by little, we’re making progress.

08/03/2026

Guess I better clarify that this is not our primary residence. The thermostat is pushed way up. I only push it down when I am there. Some are wondering how in the world our bill was so low.

Post 31
The $21,075.54 Electric Bill

Has anyone ever received an electric bill for $21,075.54… for just one month?

Well, Our Place on Pine did!

We had a little graduation celebration planned at the cottage when, all of a sudden, the electricity went out. It definitely got our attention because electrical problems had caused the original fire. Even though we had replaced all the wiring, we couldn’t imagine what had happened.

Bennie immediately called the city and the electrician. Faster than lightning, the city workers and the electrician showed up-even though it was after hours. Graduation was almost over, and we were expecting a house full of guests any minute.

After three trips and a little detective work, they finally replaced the electric meter. Thankfully there was nothing wrong with the wiring. The lights came back on just before our guests arrived, and no one ever knew there had been a problem.

A couple of weeks later I opened our monthly bill… and knew instantly something wasn’t right. I couldn’t wait to show it to Bennie.

Now, I shouldn’t admit this, but sometimes- quite often, in fact- Bennie has a tendency to overreact just a little. And, yes, I may occasionally enjoy handing him news like this just to see his immediate reaction. I know, I know it’s probably wrong, but we laugh about it later.

So, I casually handed him the bill and waited. It didn’t take long…

After Bennie recovered he sent Mayor Cox a text and jokingly asked if he was trying to get a raise. Thankfully, the mayor took it as it was intended and said he’d check into it. Bennie told him not to worry-we were just teasing and planned to visit the utility department the next morning.

When I went in the utility department they were already working on the problem. She also thanked me for being so nice about it. I imagine those employees deal with some pretty upset customers, and I certainly didn’t want to make their day any harder.

A short time later, a corrected bill arrived.

The new total? $188.

Now that was much easier to pay!

Sometimes it pays to stay calm, be kind, and let people do their jobs. Besides it’s a lot more fun to laugh about a $21,085. mistake than to have a $21,075. electric bill!

08/01/2026

Post 30
The Goat Chapter

During the construction of Our Place on Pine, Bennie came home with two unexpected additions-eight week old Dwarf Nigerian goats! I have to admit, our granddaughter had a little something to do with that decision. Oreo and Brownie were so cute.

Since we live about nine miles from Our Place on Pine, the goats were brought to our house. Bennie immediately got busy making them a place to stay. They were so little that both of them, could curl up together in a big doghouse. They were happiest when they were side by side.

It didn’t take long to discover that goats love one thing more than anything else- climbing. The higher the better. Bennie turned a 10x10 foot dog pen into a little goat playground with ramps, platforms, and things to climb on. Since it was winter, he covered the pen with tarps on every side and filled it with hay to keep them warm.

Those little goats quickly became celebrities in our neighborhood. Children and adults came by to visit Oreo and Brownie. We even put chairs around the outside of the pen so everyone could sit and watch their antics. We sat in the chairs and they would jump in our laps when we let them out. They provided better entertainment than tv.

About that time Eloy Sosa was working at Our Place on Pine. Eloy is one of those handmen who can figure out just about anything. He painted the outside of the houses and helped us solve countless little problems during construction.

As winter turned into spring, I finally told Bennie those goats needed to move out of our backyard. They had eaten all of my plants. The collection of mismatched tarps wasn’t exactly adding curb appeal, and when we let Oreo and Brownie out to play they weren’t particular about where they “fertilized” the yard. Let’s just say our grass was getting excellent treatment at least what was left of it.

Eloy and Haleigh were trying to start a little farm. They already had one goat and some chickens. By this time I was more than ready for Haleigh and Eloy to become the proud new owners of our two sweet troublemakers.

As we watched Haleigh load them up, I felt a little tug in my heart, but mostly gratitude. Those goats had brought us laughter, chaos, and more memories than I ever expected. And in the end, they didn’t just leave our yard- they found their people.

07/31/2026

Post 29
Expanding the Gathering Place

When we saved the brick floor from the Hunter’s garden room, we weren’t exactly sure how we would use it. It turned out to be the perfect gathering place.

My granddaughter celebrated her 15th birthday at Our Place on Pine, and we needed a way to protect everyone from the weather. Marty Bamburg, owner of Ark-La- Tex Tents & Rentals, had a tent that fit perfectly. In fact I think Marty has a tent for just about any occasion or size you could imagine. We asked if he had one large enough to cover the tennis court, and sure enough, he had one that measured 60x100.

After hosting several family gatherings and spending time entertaining friends, we realized that we needed more room. We started laying our ideas out by placing strips of artificial turf and green landscape edging from the cottage to the barroom. Bennie already had the materials, so it was an easy way to visualize sidewalks, and see how everything might flow together.

As we walked around, one idea led to another. Before long, we weren’t just talking about sidewalks anymore. We decided to double the size of the brick gathering area and connect it with new concrete. Once we settled on the design, there was no turning back. We took the plunge and had the additional concrete and sidewalks poured.

Oh course , now we had another problem. We had all this beautiful new concrete, but it still needed a cover. Marty’s tents worked perfectly, but after using them a few times, we realized we wanted something permanent. Instead of simply covering the old brick patio, we decided to build a pavilion large enough to cover the original brick floor and all of the new concrete as well.

Sometimes the best ideas come from living in a space before you finish it. What started as a temporary solution ended up changing the entire direction of Our Place on Pine.

07/30/2026

Post 28
A Bathroom Becomes a Kitchen

The remaining house consisted of the primary bedroom, an office, a laundry room, and two bathrooms. We swapped the bedroom and office and now have a nice sized living area. We had no need for two bathrooms in a 900 square foot cottage. We decided to turn one of the bathrooms into a kitchen. We already had the plumbing and a drain in place, so why not make use of them?

A J Raynor had helped us with the tile floor, so we asked if he could help with the kitchen as well. His grandson, Glen Hamilton, grabbed a sledgehammer and went after that old cast iron bathtub. He made quick work of it! Before long, the tub was gone, and I could finally picture a refrigerator and dishwasher in its place.

I debated whether to install a stove or a dishwasher. In the end, I realized we probably wouldn’t use an oven very much in this space, so the dishwasher won. Instead of a traditional range, I added an airfryer, a hot plate, and a microwave. It’s a simple setup, but it fits the cottage- quick meals, easy cleanup, and no wasted space.

The original maple kitchen cabinets had been stored in Bennie’s shop, so we were able to reuse them. Can you believe the original house had five Lazy Susans in it? Even in the upper cabinets! This was one of my favorite features. We were able to repurpose one of them. It makes that corner so much easier to reach, and I am always happy when we can give something old a new purpose.

Little by little , the small cottage was beginning to feel like a home. What once felt like an awkward collection of leftover rooms has slowly been reshaped into a warm, functional space with its own quiet charm. Now, with everything in place, it’s ready for its first real test- this weekend, my daughter-in-law’s parents will be coming into town for the Miss Louisiana Volunteer Pageant watching our granddaughter, Presley Wood compete. They will be staying there. I’m looking forward to seeing the cottage through their eyes and finding out if all these changes truly turned it into a place where guests feel as comfortable as we hoped they would.

07/29/2026

Post 27
More Than Just Benches

Well, you know we bought the Griffith Stadium benches- but we didn’t stop there.

With the infield being converted to turf, all that beautiful Bermuda grass was headed for destruction. Since Our Place on Pine needed several pallets of sod, Bennie saw an opportunity.

What does Bennie do? He gets a sod cutter from Hol-Mont Sales & Rentals and gets to work. Hol-Mont had so many things available to rent that we have needed. With a couple of helpers, they cut, loaded, hauled, and laid pallet after pallet of grass- saving us a pile of money.(Have y’all priced sod lately?)

Thankfully, this was about six weeks ago when we were getting a few showers. Even so, my job was keeping all the new sod watered. Let me tell you- that was practically a full time job. I think I spent more time with a hose in my hand than inside the house. I’m still having to water since it has gotten so hot. I wish we had an irrigation system, but I did have a granddaughter, Peyton Wood, stay with me last week. She was a big help.

It really does feel like a little piece of Griffith Stadium has found a new home.

Oh- and there was also a big old Coca-Cola box with a spigot that was used for icing down drinks at the ballpark. Oh course, it came home with Bennie!

Our Place on Pine

08/07/2026

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