Saturday, June 18, 2016

Want to Buy a Tavern?

Well everything I read I seem to find ancestral connections to.
I get an email blast from a real estate company in South Central Virgina....you know, because we are looking to retire someplace and this area, So CenVA, is where my mother's people are from.  Plus is close to where my last living sibling resides.

A property popped up for sale today on my list..........


The link to the listing is HERE.

Now reduced to $320K for a 186 yr old brick home that qualifies to be on the National Historic Register(but renovated inside with all the modern conveniences) and sits on 26 acres.

It is due South of the little town my maternal grandfather was born in, Pamplin, Virginia
This area where Harvey's Tavern sits use to be known as "Chickentown".  It's now called Madisonville, Virginia.  Back in the 1800's this area was called Chickentown because cockfights were held in a pit in front of Harvey's Tavern.  Cockfights, the rock concerts and movieplexes of our 16th and 17th century ancestors.

Back in the day homes or buildings on main roads, where people traveled to the county seat, or homes at intersections of roads, often were turned into ordinaries or taverns.  A place for weary travelers to stop for food, drink or to rest and/or water their horses became public houses/inns/ordinaries/taverns.  They were the gas stations and Holiday Inns of our ancestors who traveled the roads.

Thomas Harvey(1734-1812) owned property that lay on the main road due north that led into the court house of Charlotte County in Virginia.  In 1787 a license was issued to Thomas Harvey to operate a tavern on this property.  Thomas Harvey's son, Colonel Isham Harvey(1773-1842) is credited with having the Brick Tavern pictured above built, circa. 1830.  This Tavern is not the original building Thomas Harvey operated his ordinary out of as the license was issued 40+ years before this structure was built but this Tavern house built by his son Isham is still standing.

You'll notice that the realtor is marketing this Tavern as one that Patrick Henry was thought to frequent.  This is a bit misleading on two accounts--
1-While Patrick Henry did live in this area of Charlotte County Virginia at the end of his life, Henry died in 1799, meaning Patrick Henry couldn't have frequented this Brick Tavern as it was built 30 years after he passed.  Mr. Henry may have frequented it's predecessor as the ordinary license was issued in 1787.
2-The marketing says that "Presumed stop by Patrick Henry when on his way to Charlotte Court House."
Even if you disregard that Henry was dead 30 years before it was built, Patrick Henry's home, RED HILL, was due west of the court house.  He would have had to travel what is now US Route 40 East (known locally in town as Patrick Henry Highway)to go to the county seat/court house.  Madisonville where Harvey's Tavern is located, is due North of Charlotte Court House, on US Route 47(known locally in town as Thomas Jefferson Highway).


The grey line is the direct route from Red Hill to the Brick Tavern in Madisonville VA.  Notice how Charlotte Court House is east of the route traveled.

As you can plainly see, traveling between Brookneal(Patrick Henry's estate) and Madisonville(Harvey's Tavern) does not take you through Charlotte Court House Virginia.  Using the known roads of that time Mr. Henry would have had to travel due east on 40 and then, when he arrived at Charlotte Court House, he'd have to travel north on 47 to get to Harvey's Tavern.
Patrick Henry may have lifted a tankard or two at Harvey's Tavern in his day, but he didn't do it along his route from his home to the court house....that part is pure fiction.

And if you can't believe me who can you believe?
After all my 5 x Great Grandfather sold Patrick Henry a tract of land in 1798(well the transaction wasn't completed until the month after he died the next year in 1799 by his wife, Dorothea Dandridge Henry). I blogged about that HERE.
And.......my 2 x Great Grandfather was named Patrick Henry Baker(1847-1930).
So who ya gonna believe? lolz

I got curious about this Harvey family so I decided to do a little digging and see if I could come up with an ancestral connection to them.  After all, they lived in the same area of Virginia as mother's people during the 1700's so it's entirely possible I'd find a link.

And I did. 8-)

Isham Harvey, the man who had the brick Tavern build circa 1830, and his wife, also his cousin, Druscilla Harvey Harvey married and had among their brood of offspring a daughter named Maccarina Barksdale Harvey(1806-1860).

Maccarina married William Price Baker(1802-1860).
William P. Baker is my 2nd cousin 5 x removed.
We share common ancestors in Douglas Baker Sr. and Jane Thomson Baker---William Price Baker's Great Grandparents are also my 6th Great Grandparents.

So yes, yet again, I have a connection to something from years gone by in Virginia,  the Brick Tavern.

Ancestral Sluggy

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

How My Week is Going So Far

Well I've been on 3 grocery shopping trips so far this week-two trips to the local grocery stores and one trip to the bread outlet.  The highest total was $29 something, the lowest $11 and I've let $50+ out of my wallet.
Not bad considering and the food budget is not blown....yet! ;-)

The meal plan is sort of working so far this week too.

Both Daughter and BF have gotten jobs already.  Daughter went out Monday and applied to 2 places and by that evening she had a job offer at one.  It's just a part time job as she will be starting back to college in August.
The BF went out yesterday to 1 place and they hired him on the spot.  It's the same work he was doing in LA and the same sort of facility.  The guy was shocked that someone walked off the street with his experience to apply for a job there.  I guess that doesn't happen much as it's specialized work that they usually have to train applicants to perform.
This was the first job BF has gotten on his own, his previous job he got through his dad so I think he's a bit chuffed over all this.  8-)
And BF started work this morning already!

I've been doing a bit of granddog sitting as Daughter and BF have been on the go almost every day since they got here.


The dog has been spending a lot of time waiting at doors and whining.....I HATE whining!! lolz
She's s big dog and Husky mix so she likes to PULL.
Grandma here is having hard time with her.  The poor dog needs more exercise than she is getting and is bored to boot.  I've got to come up with a way to occupy her a bit more.
And she needs training.......she has my Daughter trained instead of the other way around. sigh

Daughter and BF went out to buy BF some lunch foods and breakfast sandwiches for the mornings he works.
I came down this morning to this sight.......



That's a grocery receipt in my wastebasket.
This makes me sad.........

Ok, I've got to go start making my homemade enchilada sauce for tonight's chicken enchilada.
It's a process people. lolz

Then it's back to the dining room to go through the last 2 boxes of papers.

What are you up to today?

Sluggy

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Boring Blog Giveaway Winner

39 valid entries and the winner is.........


Belinda!

Those truffles would not last here to make it into a giveaway. lol

Count me in too. :)

Congratulations Belinda!!!
Please email me your mailing address Belinda and I'll get this box of goodies out to you asap....IF I can find it now. lolz

Thanks to everyone for playing and reading.

Sluggy


Monday, June 13, 2016

This Week on the Dining Table

It's the "In the Midst of Barely Controlled Chaos" Edition.............


Well they are here as of Thursday night.
This is the current state of my living room.
There is small pile of crap in the upstairs hallway as well, plus a few things in the garage and a filled 5x10 storage unit they decided to store some things in.

I have taken this opportunity to declutter my own shit some more too so the dining room is partially filled with boxes I am going through and there is a full box to donate in the garage.

College Boy has also lost my phone for the second time this past week. ugh.  I fear with the upheaval in the house now it won't be turning up anytime soon.
Oh well......


Moving on......

Onward to the meal planning!

Here's what was planned last week--

1. Sunday--Chinese Take-Out(I was just too wiped out to cook.)
2. Monday--Leftover Chinese Take-Out or Fend for Yourself
3. Tuesday--Beef Stroganoff, Rice, Spinach Soufle or Salad
4. Wednesday--Broccoli Soup, Garlic Bread
5. Thursday--Leftover Stroganoff, Salad or Veg.
6. Friday--Chicken Fried Steak(I'll have something else), Collards, Cornbread
7. Saturday--Leftovers or Fend for Yourself


And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Chinese Take-Out(I was just too wiped out to cook.)
2. Monday--Leftover Chinese Take-Out or Fend for Yourself
3. Tuesday--Beef Stroganoff, Rice, Cauliflower/Broccoli Blend
4. Wednesday--Broccoli Soup, Garlic Bread
5. Thursday--Leftover Stroganoff, Salad
6. Friday--Chicken Fried Steak, Collards, Cornbread
7. Saturday--Pizza take-out, Tossed Salad

3 meals cooked at home, 2 nights of leftovers and 2 nights of Take-Out.  Pizza was the only not planned thing about last week's menu but was just the right thing to grab while in the midst of chaos.

As for my grocery spending..... I spent a total of $21.59 on 2 trips to the store last week.  Actually Hubs and College Boy made these 2 trips as I didn't hardly leave the house last week.  ;-)
They bought 3 dozen eggs at .77¢ dozen, 3-4 lbs. of London Broil at $2.99 lb., a gallon of vegetable oil at $7.29 and a gallon of milk at $3.10.

I have spent $136.41 for June and have $263.59 left of my $400 food budget.

Leftovers going into this week......cauliflower/broccoli soup, cornbread, collard greens, stroganoff, and rice.

Here is this week's "food plan"--

1. Sunday--Roasted Chicken w/Roasted Onions, Potatoes, Zucchinni
2. Monday--Leftovers of FFY(Fend For Yourself)
3. Tuesday--Marinated London Broil & Skewer Veggies, Fettucine Alfredo Noodles
4. Wednesday--Chicken Enchiladas(using leftover roast chicken from Sunday)
5. Thursday--Steak Sandwiches(using leftover marinated London Broil), leftover Collards
6. Friday--Fish, Cole Slaw, Hush Puppies
7. Saturday--Leftovers

This week will see 3 new meals cooked and 3 meals of leftovers or planned-overs.
Trying to work around everyone's various schedules is going to be the death of me this week.  Hubs is out of town 1 night, CB works dinner shift 5 nights and I have no clue whether Daughter and BF will be here on any given night.  I'm just cooking and hoping for the best. lolz

What I need to buy for this menu.....chickens and fish are in the freezer and the London Broil was bought last Saturday. I do need some fresh veggies for kabob skewers on Tuesday, a bag of sub rolls for Thurs. and a bag of Cole Slaw mix for Friday.  We are almost totally out of sandwich bread so a run to the Bread Outlet is in order as well this week.  This all should run me about $25.
May pick up some loss leaders later on in the week as well.

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten last week?

Any great deals on food at your stores this week?

Sluggy

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Vacation Financial Post Mortem



I am such a nerd.....but y'all already knew that.
I did my Louisiana road trip Financial Post Mortem the other day.
I discovered that we spent a total of $2873.78 on that 12 day extravaganza. 8-0

* Gas came to $265.72  Once we got down South into more gas tax friendly states gas prices were excellent.  No complaints here. 8-)

* Lodging came to $911.74  That was 11 nights at various hotels.  The stay in LA was 6 nights in the same hotel, the one we stayed in on last year's trip.  I got a deal through Expedia and paid $68.20 a night(including all taxes)for a King Bed room in a nice hotel with indoor pool/hot tub, exwercise room and free hot breakfast.  3 of the other nights on the road were booked in advance and we got good rates at those as well($62, $84.59, $97.56).  The 2 hotels we didn't book ahead were outrageously expensive to me for what they were.  I hate not booking ahead but Hubs doesn't always want to be tied down to stopping at a particular place so I suffer. lolz

* Food came to $402.35(And that included treating Daughter to a meal 6 times as well.)  Eating didn't include much traditional fast food, so we ate well, and still didn't break the bank.  It helped the bottom line that we were treated to dinner three times along the way.  It wasn't planned but totally awesome and we appreciated it truly.
Last year's trip saw us spend $143.52 MORE on eating.

* Liquor(when bought to drink later or at home, and not at a restaurant)came to $303.66
This was almost totally Hubs purchases.  I spent a mere $32.93 on alcohol this trip.  8 bottle of beer, 2 bottles of vodka and 6 "Adult Slurpee" bags.  Hubs bought lots of beer and some pricey whiskey/whisky and bourbon.  It sure adds up. 8-(

* Entrance Fees for Sightseeing came to $74.95
This includes 3 sites/museums/gator park.  Other things we did/saw were without fees.

* "Souvenirs" came to $891.10
Before your eyes bug out of your head, know that we usually don't buy typical souvenirs.  A t-shirt, hat or bumper sticker now and again.  But I have also been known to buy food stuffs we can't get in PA, and unusual consumable items as well as souvenirs.  Most of the typical type souvenirs are bought to give as gifts too.

A usual souvenir that Hubs is known to buy are books......and books ain't cheap. ;-)
I also hit two fabric stores on this trip.....one was going out of business(so most was pretty cheap)and one was rayon batik fabric heaven(and that AIN'T cheap!).

* That leaves $24.26 I can't account for that was frittered away on this or that in cash that I don't have a receipt for.  A cup of coffee for Hub, a tea for me, or some other doodad on the road.

I can't seem to find a Total Spent for last year's road trip to Louisiana.  Maybe I didn't do one?  I can't recall.  I'll dig around when I find the time and look for that blog post so I can compare the two and either feel proud about this recent trip's spending or just go drink heavily if we spent way more this year.  ;-)

Do you keep track of your spending while on vacation?
How do you keep your costs down on trips?

Sluggy