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

10/08/2026

Post 84
Sometimes Changing Direction is a Better Plan

Originally we planned for the pavilion to run the same direction as the house and be attached to the barroom.

That sounded like a good plan… until the welder came out and looked at it.

He told us connecting the two structures, one metal and one wood, wasn’t what he wanted to tackle. We went back to the drawing board.

I looked at Pinterest. A LOT of Pinterest.

Then I saw a structure with the pavilion running the opposite direction from the existing buildings and I knew immediately- that was what I wanted.

Bennie called the welder back and asked if he would be interested in building the pavilion as a freestanding structure instead of attaching it to the barroom.

And that is how we ended up with the pavilion that we have today. We put gutters along the side which helps a bunch, but there is still a five foot gap between the buildings.

Five feet becomes fifty feet when you’re trying not to get your hair, clothes, and shoes wet when trying to get from the barroom to the pavilion without getting soaked.

A new covered walkway was installed today between the barroom and the pavilion.

One more project completed.

And when I asked Bennie if he thought we were finally finished with it he just looked at me and said…

“Wouldn’t it be nice to have a covered walkway down to the tennis court?”

Maybe in the future, Bennie. Maybe in the future

And that, folks, is why OPOP will probably never be finished!

10/07/2026

Post 83
Everything But the Kitchen Sink!

Before the middle of the house was demolished we tried to save anything we thought we might possibly use. We were told they would haul off whatever we didn’t want. We got busy throwing all the nasty carpet and padding in the discard piles. My brother and Bennie took out all the cabinets to keep- just in case.

You know the old saying, “Everything but the kitchen sink?”

Well, they took the kitchen sink, too. And the laundry sink!

I never thought I would use the kitchen sink but the enamel is not messed up and the color is neutral. I think it can be scrubbed cleaned.

Some of those cabinets found the perfect home in the new kitchenette, where they worked beautifully.

As we use our property, we keep thinking of projects that would make it more useful. I thought it would be nice to have cabinets outside with a deep sink.

I don’t know if y’all remember all the lazy Susan’s in the Hunter’s kitchen, but there were LOTS of them- upper and lower. We still had some of those cabinets, so Bennie and I measured the wall outside the barroom to see if they would fit.

They did- with room for the refrigerator Bennie found at the last estate sale and a few feet extra for the sink base.

Yesterday we got the cabinets in place, they are filthy with soot right now and I mean real nasty but they should clean up nicely with some scrubbing, just like the ones we used inside.

Won’t it be nice to have outdoor cabinets for storage, countertops for prep space, a deep sink, and a refrigerator all in one place?

Do we ever run out of projects?

We shall see!

10/06/2026

Post 82
Where in the World Did That Frog Come From?

We had our family reunion at Our Place on Pine Sunday and several little boys were running around- including the same young man who had previously volunteered to help clean out the fountain.

Boys will be boys, I guess. Before long, one of them had caught a frog from the fountain.

Now, remember that fountain? The one we pumped completely dry because the water had gotten so thick and green that the frogs sounded like they were having their own little nighttime party?

Well, we still haven’t put any water back in the fountain. We wanted to get new electrical run to it and get it painted first. We did get a couple of inches of rain Saturday night and Sunday morning, until bout 11:00, but that was it. We were a little concerned that the rain might not stop in time for the reunion, but thankfully it did.

So now the big question is…

Where in the world did that little frog come from?

Who knows?

Maybe he was hiding in the mud. Maybe he came in with the rain. Maybe frogs just have a way of finding their way back to OPOP.

I do know one thing, though.

He left OPOP in a little boy’s hand and went home with him. I hope he got home and not in their car.

I might have to put that boy on retainer for collecting frogs. Maybe he can open a frog removal service!

10/05/2026

Post 81
Whew! What a Week at Our Place on Pine

Tuesday-I cooked for a catering job.

Wednesday- off to Bossier for a podiatrist appointment. I came home with a boot and a stress fracture. Just what I needed because I didn’t have enough going on.

Thursday- Lunch with some old friends until my cousins from Florida arrived. Then we headed to the Lakeside parade at 6:00. After the parade, lots of cousins met at Crawfish Hole for a good meal.

Friday- My FL cousins received their official assignment- helping decorate for a homecoming dinner for my granddaughter and some of her friends at OPOP. We used candles from the huge tub Bennie bought at the estate sale.

That night we went out to eat with my daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter home from college, and other cousins. We had a wonderful meal, listened to some good music, and enjoyed being together.

Then we made it back to Lakeside at just the perfect time to see our granddaughter being escorted onto the football field by her dad. There were so many beautiful girls!

And have you noticed something?

I haven’t mentioned cooking for my own company.

Not once!

Saturday- Homecoming dinner at OPOP for my granddaughter and her friends.

This time, there was no China. We used disposable plates, napkins, and silverware, with flowers and candles on the table and black tablecloths.

And, once again, I managed to avoid cooking. My son catered their meal.

The high schoolers ate, visited, and headed off to the dance.

Once they were gone, we switched gears and started getting ready for the Stewart Reunion.

Sunday- A few last minute things to set up, and then it was time for the reunion.

We had a record crowd, I believe this year- 79 people.

Seventy-nine! We did miss some of the regulars though.

That’s a whole lot of Stewart family, a whole lot of food, a whole lot of talking, and a whole lot of tables and chairs.

Oh, and somewhere in all of this was my birthday on Friday.

I received the most beautiful flowers from Red Blooms, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. We were blessed to enjoy those gorgeous flowers for my birthday, at the homecoming dinner, and then use them again at the reunion.

And they are still gorgeous today! Flowers just brighten the day!

Monday- my sister-in-law got a broom and helped clean. Bennie’s workers and my brother folded tables and chairs and got everything back into storage for the next event.

I’m washing tablecloths,things are being put back where they belong, and we are almost back to normal around here.

What a week it was!

Family, friends, music, football, homecoming, birthdays, a reunion, 79 Stewart’s- and somehow I didn’t have to cook for my own company even once!

I’m calling that a successful week!

10/01/2026

Post 80
I Don’t Have Time for a Boot!

For at least a month my foot has been swollen and hurting. I kept thinking it would get better. You know how that goes… you have things to do, places to be, no time to stop and deal with something as inconvenient as a hurting foot.

Well, a few days ago I finally admitted that I couldn’t stand it any longer and scheduled an appointment with the podiatrist. I went yesterday.

His solution?

A boot… at least until I go back in four weeks.

Four weeks? Does he not understand that I have a family reunion, cooking for Hugh, grandkids, a homecoming dinner at OPOP, and company coming from Florida?

Who is going to get everything done while I’m sitting down?

So this afternoon I sat there while Bennie scooted tables and chairs around to see if we had enough for the reunion.

So here I am, wearing a boot during a week that is already packed.

The first thing he asked me was,”Are you retired or working?” I kind of laughed and said,”I’m retired, but still working.” Wonder what difference that made?

I told the dr I had things to do, and he said to wear the boot. He didn’t say I had to stay off my foot.

So, if y’all pass by and see me waddling around OPOP in my boot, just know that I’m still trying to get things done.

09/30/2026

Post 80
We Went to an Estate Sale

Bennie mentioned several times that there was an estate sale in town. I told him I couldn’t imagine there was anything there that we needed. Does that stop Bennie? Of course not!

Bennie’s solution to not having enough room for more stuff is to just build another building to put stuff in.

I keep trying to explain to him that just because something is a good deal doesn’t mean we have to buy it. He doesn’t listen. I know a couple of other men who like to buy stuff too but they like to resell.

He went early to the sale and actually came home with something we could use. We are getting ready to start on a simple outdoor kitchen at OPOP. We are realizing that for all the gatherings we have there, we need some storage and countertops to set things on. I had even mentioned that an extra refrigerator would be nice. Well, he found one.

And you know us- we are all about using what we already have before buying something new.

We still have some great maple cabinets in Bennie’s shop that came out of the original Hunter kitchen. We didn’t use all of them when we built the kitchenette. Those cabinets are nice and should have plenty of life left in them.

Probably more than we do.

Saturday, Bennie went back to the estate sale and started sending me pictures of things he thought were interesting and that I might want.

And he wasn’t just sending pictures to me.

He was sending pictures to other people too because he thought they needed some of the things.

They didn’t!

I told him we didn’t need the things he was showing me either. He informed me that everything was half price now.

The way Bennie looks at it.. that changes everything. So I agreed to go with him for his third time going.

And guess what?

Those same things I had looked at in the pictures and said we didn’t need…

We bought them. Can you imagine?

But honestly we had a good time. We enjoyed getting out together, found a few things that will be useful, and even stopped for a good Neta’s sandwich before heading back to work at OPOP.
And around here, if we can find it useful, repurpose it, or get it for half price, Bennie considers that a successful day. He loves a bargain!

Our poor children when we are gone!!!

09/29/2026

Post 79
The Pergola is Finished.. Now About That Fountain

The pergola is finally finished… well, almost. We still need to find some really long white zip ties to hold the wisteria on the new columns until it gets a little stronger and decides it likes its new structure. It has been laying on the ground for about two months.

But when I looked at the picture of the new columns and planters, something else caught my eye. That water in the fountain that is so thick and green. The fountain hasn’t had power connected to it in years, so the water hasn’t circulated in years, either. Bennie has pumped some of it out a couple of times in the past when we used to get rain. It would rain, the fountain would fill back up a couple of inches, and eventually we’d start over.

Well, this weekend, one of Bennie’s workers wanted some extra hours. Bennie asked him if he wanted to start cleaning out the fountain. He said he wouldn’t mind. Bennie told him he would get him some tall rubber boots.

The worker had a different plan.

We went to pick up lunch for everybody, and when we got back, there he was wearing a thick black trash bag duct taped around his shoes and jeans. I’m not sure that was OSHA approved, but I have to give him credit for creativity. It may not have been official safety gear, but it was definitely budget-friendly.
He got right into that muck with the pump running and a pitchfork in his hands, pulling out sticks, rotten leaves, and who knows what else that had been growing in there. At some point a rake was used too.

They loaded everything into the dump bed of a Kabota utility vehicle. There must have been at least four loads of that muck hauled off.

Several hours later, he and Bennie had pumped out the entire fountain.

When they got down to the very last bit of water, the high tech equipment had done all it could do. Out came the knife and milk jug.

Yep. They dipped the last of that fountain out with a cut up milk jug.

When you’re working on an old place like OPOP, you need a pump, a rake, a pitchfork, a trash bag , duct tape, and a milk jug. And a willingness to get very, very muddy.

Now we just need to get fountain cleaned up, get electricity running to it, run water in it, and hopefully convince those frogs to find a new party venue. There will probably be some unknown factor too- because at OPOP there always is.

Oh and Bennie’s worker is getting a new pair of jeans and a package of socks!

09/28/2026

Post 78
This is What Boys Call Fun

A few weeks ago my great nephew was at Our Place on Pine with his grandparents and I was telling him about all the frogs that had taken over the fountain pond.

He decided he needed to investigate. He laid down on his belly, reached his hand into that green, slimy water, and grabbed one of the frogs! I told him we really need to clean out this pond. He immediately offered to get in there and start cleaning it out.

I figured his mother probably wouldn’t approve of me putting her child into a fountain filled with frogs. So, I declined the offer.

Now after seeing what that fountain had turned into I’m beginning to wonder if I should have let him at it.

Boys apparently don’t see green water, mud, frogs, and who knows what else as a warning. They see it as an adventure.

On the other hand Bennie and I are dreading it!

Fast forward a few weeks… I took another look at that fountain,

Wow

The water was thick and green, and at night the frogs sounded like they were having a full blown party.

And that brings us to the fountain story…

09/27/2026

Post 77
A Big Pot, A Little Louisiana, and A Place to Gather

Our grandson, Grant, is attending Oklahoma State. When Grant graduated his Uncle Hugh gave him a jambalaya pot and a recipe. Grant knew exactly what to do with that big pot. He got it out last weekend, started cooking, turned on some music, and before long there was a BIG pot of jambalaya boiling away right out in the open.

And you know what happens when people see a big pot boiling outside?

They stop, take pictures, and start recording. Then somebody asks, “What are y’all cooking?”

Before long people were gathered around watching Grant stir that pot and asking questions. It made me think about what we are trying to create at Our Place on Pine.

We aren’t just fixing up an old property, we want it to be a place where people gather, a place for family reunions, birthday parties, rehearsal dinners, showers, homecoming celebrations, weddings- or just a Saturday afternoon when somebody decides,”Let’s get everybody together.”

That’s really what we love about OPOP.

We have spent a lot of time working on the buildings, the porches, the gardens, and all the little details with more still to do but none of it means much if people aren’t there.

That’s the fun of having a place to gather.

Maybe it’s a family reunion, a wedding, or a group of friends sitting around talking long after the food is gone.

That’s what we hope OPOP becomes-
A place where people come together, make memories, and leave already talking about the next time they’ll get together.

It seems like all you really need to get a crowd gathering is a big pot, some music, and some good cooking in it!

09/26/2026

Post 76
Bennie Pulled It Off

It took several guys, some equipment, a little creativity, and probably a whole lot of “How are we going to get this done?” They did it once before but that was before the tree took down the pergola. Now the wisteria has been broken and not quite long enough to cover the pergola. They did it the day before the homecoming court luncheon.

I told Bennie the pergola was going to be beautiful when the wisteria grows back and fills in but I thought maybe it needed a little more until then. I told him that after the luncheon maybe we could look for planters on sale. I had bought some grasses to put in front of the columns but they kept falling over. The pots were too small and light.

This is what he does. Before he came home he headed to Walmart to see if they had any planters left. He found five- and snatched them up!

The next morning bright and early he got some gravel and added it to the bottom of the planters for weight, bought mulch to put on top of the gravel, and planted those tall grasses to give the columns a finished look. He added black zip ties, thanks to Neil. We still need some really long white zip ties to secure everything, but that will have to wait. We didn’t have time to search every store in town this morning .

But this is the part I love.

That special granddaddy, Gaga, wanted those columns looking nice for his granddaughter’s luncheon. So he got busy planting tall grasses.

He worked until everything was finished before the girls arrived.

It may have been a last minute project, but to him, it was important.

That’s just Bennie!

He may fuss about all the work at Our Place on Pine, but when it comes to making something special for his granddaughter, he’ll move mountains- or at least some planters full of gravel and mulch!

And somehow, he always pulls it off. Next job- that fountain!!

Our Place on Pine

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