The clubhouse

My mom asked my husband if he would check out the space above the garage while we were visiting her last week. She's owned this home for a few years now, but had never ventured up there, and thought it was a job best left to the strong and the brave.

What was up there? Old dusty boxes? cobwebs and wasp's nests? Illegal firearms? Dead bodies?

He ventured up.

It turns out there were plenty of spiders and cobwebs, and a wasp's nest, but not much else.

After a can of wasp spray fixed the wasp dilemma, Tommy had a great idea: this space was perfect for the girls.

Brooms and dustpans were secured and the space was half-ass-ly thoroughly swept.

The issue of the large window through which child or adult alike could easily fall was remedied by another trip to the hardware store.

Although it might not pass the FAA's safety standards, it was a hell of a lot better than nothing.

So now that it was semi safe, the girls needed to decorate. They got their chalk and proceeded to color the rafters, which was great and all, but the space was still, so, well, empty. My husband had another great idea and suggested that they raid my uncle's house for old rugs, and chairs, and other brick a brack.

They returned with all sorts of loot:

four or five small area rugs, a table hand crafted by my other uncle, folding chairs,

A clock to complement the lovely wall decor,

and even a radio!

As the week went on, they continued to add to their new abode. When they received beautiful peacock feathers from farmer Stan, they went right into the clubhouse.

And when they talked my mom's dear friend Fiona into hanging out with them in their clubhouse one night, someone had the bright idea of immortalizing the visit.

First clubhouse visit it reads. The girls are already looking forward to her second and third and later visits.
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But probably the very best thing about the girl's new clubhouse is the rope and pulley system. Yes, there is no need to lug lunch up those narrow, steep stairs. Just put it in the bucket,

and they'll pull it on up.

Every kid needs a clubhouse, right?