The House Kitchen

 I talked a little about the kitchen at Quarters One in my last post and, in keeping with my original intent of the blog which was to tour these historic quarters, I've written a little more about the kitchen and adjacent mudroom.

NOT the kitchen at Quarters One, but, my dream kitchen instead, a photo found on Pinterest!

Our family has endured some pretty interesting kitchens living in military quarters. One had a view of the shopette, one was so narrow you couldn't open the refrigerator door all the way, another had unstoppable mice, and several didn't have dishwashers or air conditioning.  

But, kitchen life changed dramatically when we moved into Quarters One!

The kitchen was originally built with a butler's pantry, I'm sure it had cool stone or wood floors. In 1935 the butler's pantry was removed and the kitchen expanded to the depth of the house.  At some point, some very unattractive lighting, flooring, and cabinetry was installed.  It's really a professional
kitchen meant for entertaining and not cozy family living like the one pictured above.  It has two of everything, except the wine cooler and ice maker. In addition, there are 2 refrigerators and a freezer in the basement! It was certainly put to much better use when Candice was here. I'm afraid I don't quite do it justice.  When we are entertaining I usually don't let anyone in the kitchen because I don't like for people to see a mess...when the doors are shut it means do not enter! So here's a rare glimpse of a clean kitchen... I've included the sweet little mudroom adjacent to the kitchen, too.

Before Candice deployed she kept the food belonging to Q1 in the left fridge and we used the right.
When items are purchased with protocol funds, they have to be kept separated.

This view of the kitchen, with a double sink, looks onto the back patio and used to be the butler's pantry.

The kitchen window over the original sink is shady but has a beautiful view.

Viking oven and Falk Copper Pots from Belgium that I mentioned in my last post. Here is the original sink with a window that looks out toward St. Mary's chapel.  This is also where items belonging to Q1 were kept. Empty cabinets now. It makes me kind of sad!

Standing in what was the butler's pantry, the door to the kitchen was just at the end of this island. We often sit here and eat breakfast.  I made long panel curtains for the window to try to warm up the large space a bit.  When we entertained,  Candice and her team would set up a large, portable work table in the space. I still do that when I entertain, it makes preparations so much easier.

    

There is a ceramic stove top on the left I have never used! Why would I with a cool Viking?

More counter space! The steps in the back were once for the servants to move easily and unseen
from the basement to the fourth floor.

I had the opportunity to meet Paula Deen a few years ago!

Adjacent to the kitchen is a mudroom probably once used for deliveries and for workers to come and go from Quarters One.  It was built sometime after 1887 as evidenced by the exterior limestone wall which is now an interior wall. I would imagine it was added around the same time the kitchen was expanded. It was so sweet I just had to decorate it. Since this is the way we sometmes enter the house it makes us feel welcome!

A bright sunny spot that says "Welcome Home"!

A pot of oregano makes the little mudroom smell so fresh!

This bench from Germany was made from an antique quarter bed.

Of course, I had to add a chandelier no room is complete to me without one!

Over the door leading to the patio, another souvenir from Germany!


Thank you for reading and if you're interested in more history and happenings at Quarters One, please follow us on our Quarters One Facebook page.
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And until next time....
Duty First!

Asolare

Packed and ready to go...again

Ahh, another deployment... 4 weeks down already.  The past few weeks have been busy but right now, at Quarters One, it's quiet.  I'm alone, except for our dog who guards me diligently as she has for each separation.  At this moment, the year ahead seems too long to tackle.  I can't believe we're beginning our 5th year-long deployment.  Our boys, now Soldiers themselves, graduated from high school during deployments 1 and 2. Our daughter went off to college during 3 and I bought our first house during 4.  Andrew graduated from Ranger school and Margie will graduate from college during 5.  Somewhere in those years, once overlapping with his father,
 our oldest son, Chas, deployed twice.

Bill visiting Chas in Nuristan, Afghanistan

My dear friend, Melissa, tells me I'm sighing a lot without even realizing it.  I wonder why? Could it be that I am settling back into that other life? Last week my husband told me it felt normal to be deployed and I, sadly, had to agree.  Neither of us like the feeling but unfortunately it was easy to slip back into our separate lives...back to a normal that is uncomfortable and ill-fitting. I didn't marry my best friend like some say. I married a good looking young LT that I was madly in love with and, over the years, he has become my best friend. 

 I'm sad and I miss this man with all my being.

Bill and I always have our picture taken on this spot every time we return to West Point.

"Asolare" a strange and little used Italian word coined by the poet Cardinal Pietro Bembo in the 15th century. Used to describe the life of exiled Cyprus Queen Catarina Cornaro, the word translates "to live in bittersweet exile".  I first learned this word when we lived in Italy and I visited the romantic town of Asolo where Catarina lived out her life in "asolare".  Living in bittersweet exile.  I felt that way in Italy during deployments 1 and 2 and I feel that way now.  Fort Riley is an amazing and warm community.  I am surrounded by wonderful neighbors, who have also become my dear friends.  I live in beautiful quarters...and those gifts are the sweet part. But, I am also far away from my children and  family on the East Coast, my home at the shore, the one I love most.... and that is the bitter part.
Asolare.

Seems like there's always someone missing in an Army family's photos, this year it was our son, Andrew.

I'm often asked by friends and family not in the military how I endure these separations. I explain that I just do, there's no plan B or acceptable alternative. To me I have no other option but to be strong and move forward, calling on faith, family, and friends for support. I believe that is my duty to hold down the home front and preserve the life here that my husband entrusted to me when he went to war. It's my duty to keep his place in our lives safe and ready for his return. I never sleep on his side of the bed or use his closet space (even though I'm sure he has more than me). I never sit in his favorite chair to watch tv (although I do happily wield the remote at will). His reading glasses and books are still where he left them ready to be picked up again. I preserve his physical "space" in my life, our life, so that he knows it still belongs to him when he redeploys. 
Living this way I have found that it is easier when he comes home to be released from "asolare" and return back to a life that is truly normal.

Til next time...Duty First

Almost Like Breakfast at Tiffany's...

Dorothy Mayville, my mother in law, at an Army wives' coffee circa 1962.  She is next to the end on the right.

I come from old school Army. Back in the day when my husband was a young LT it was routine to write your spouse (we were referred to as WIVES back then) into an officer's evaluation report (OER).  Much to my husband's chagrin I was indeed written into his first OER after we were married. Luckily, my report was favorable and this practice is forbidden today with good reason.  I mention this old fact because there was a method to the madness of  some of our Army sisters "raised" back in the day. They came from a time when they were at risk of being evaluated by the military and their performance, or rather their contribution to "the team", was perceived to be almost as important as that of their Soldier's. Today we can be ourselves and not be evaluated (in writing, at least) and honestly I think that's why we have become a little more laid back and casual.  This is good for me because I make mistakes easily but, like most people, take criticism to heart.

Recently, Fort Riley had the honor of hosting our FORSCOM (Forces Command) Commander and CSM and their spouses. We began our day by meeting at the airport and returning (wives only) back to Quarters One for coffee. Even though I have known the FORSCOM commander's spouse for many years, I still had butterflies anticipating a visit from a senior ranking officer's spouse. That quickly passed when we sat down to chat. I want everyone to know that no matter where you go in your Army life you are going to feel a little intimidated by someone and someone is going to feel a little intimidated by you! Always be yourself, as long as that self is kind, and judge not!

Here are some photos from our coffee. I am a big fan of casual elegance. That's a new "buzz word" for anything goes if it's on pretty dishes...well, that's my interpretation at least!

Keep everything simple, these French Breakfast Muffins were served warm with coffee.

We set our serving up on the coffee table in the living room. It was accessible to everyone but I did serve each guest. We had eight ladies that morning. I find that one recipe is plenty at a function such as this.

Can you tell I love white dishes? I love anything French Country or Italian. Having a set of white dishes and accessories allows you to mix and match easily even if the whites aren't exactly the same. It also gives the opportunity to add colorful pieces when you want to do so.

Here is the recipe we used for the French Breakfast Muffins    
French Breakfast Muffins

makes about 30 mini muffins

• 1 ½ C plus 2 T flour            
• ¾ sugar                                
• 2 t baking powder               
• ¼ t ground nutmeg              
• ½ C milk                             
• ½ t vanilla                   
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 C butter, melted
• 1/2 C sugar plus 1 t ground cinnamon
• 1/3 C melted butter, additional for topping

Combine first 6 ingredients. Add milk, egg and 1/3 C melted butter.  Mix thoroughly, batter will be thick. Grease and flour mini muffin tins. Fill ½ full and bake at 400 degrees for 20  minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from tins while hot and immediately dip in remaining butter and roll in mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Best served warm!!

We make our own vanilla flavored sugar by storing fine baking sugar with several vanilla beans...we use this sugar in most of our baking at Quarters One.

Find us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/QuartersOne) for more photos and recipes from  Quarters One. 'Til next time...

Duty First!

.

Come On In...

"Jack fumed when he saw it, and declared we could not take it all, as it exceeded our allowance of weight. I declared we must take it, or we could not exist." Martha Summerhayes, Army wife, 1874 I adore this quote and wouldn't you know, nearly 134 years later,  Army wives are still saying the same thing! Seriously, though, don't we all dread moving out, moving in...what's going to fit, what should have been tossed years ago and why did I throw out those things I really need now?! Welcome to 9,000 square feet of design dilemma!  I have photos of all of my furniture and artwork so that I can place everything either with a floor plan or during a quick walk through before the movers get there. I agonize over this for weeks, it's just in my DNA. But I recommend making a plan and sticking to it. I had a floor plan of Quarters One and a few photos before we moved in, but the night before we got our key that was me peeking in the windows with a flashlight! Here are some photos of Quarters One on moving day...eek! The historical photo above is Quarters One circa 1900.

This is the grand hall. Really, I don't know what to say about it, it's just big! There are double french doors to the front porch and transom windows all original to the house.  The chandelier is one of 2 Maria Theresa chandeliers that belong to the house, added in the past few years. The fire place is one of 5...4 of which share the same chimney.  Those 4 are non-working. Originally the house was heated with radiators, some of which they left for historical reasons...there's one here in the hall.

The bench on the staircase gives a good respite for the long walk up to the sleeping floor, just kidding, it's not that far! It is an interesting feature and it looks onto Forsyth Avenue and the Cavalry Parade Field.

Our daughter calls this the Harry Potter closet, it's storage under the stairs. The closet to the left was turned into a WC in the 1930's. Quarters One has 6 original bathrooms and this is the 7th. (Yes, 7 bathrooms...who needs that many?!)

 So what did I do with all of this? It was indeed overwhelming and I needed some where to start (you always need a starting point). There was a large mirror donated by a previous occupant hanging in the dining room that we moved over the fire place, that gave me a direction to go with. Here are the photos...

I gathered some artwork that matched the mirror and to hang in the hall. The photograph was taken of a church in New England by my husband's aunt.  I love this simple montage!

I love layering...even lighting. We always have candles lit when we have guests and even when we don't! Be sure to check and double check your candles when going to bed though, I've been known to leave one or two on by accident but don't tell housing that!!

This buffet is one of the few pieces that belong to Quarters One.   A humidor and our guest book find a home here. We always have guests sign the book, no matter the event. It is so much fun to look back over the years and remember happy times. I know we'll be glad we have this book when our lease is up!

The grand staircase..these are the only military themed pieces of artwork we have in Quarters One. For me, I believe that type of artwork belongs in an office. We have a long tradition of West Pointers and military in our family and this wall reflects that history. The sign on the top right reads  "EAT DRINK AND BEAT NAVY"! The bench on the stairs has become a lovely place to reflect on the beauty of the house and it's intriguing past.

The front hall looking into the living room.

Vintage photos that came with the quarters I added the capitol to give the grouping detail.

This historical plaque also came with the house and is maintained by the Historical and Archeological Society of Fort Riley. It lists all of the occupants of Quarters One for the past 123 years. It's quite an honor to have our family name here!

The Commanding General's Mounted Color Guard often stops here on their tours.

Bill and I always greet our guests at the front door together. We offer drinks, take coats, do all those things that make our guests feel welcome in our home.  Another tip, when we entertain in the evening, I always like to turn on all of the lights in the house all the way up to the fourth floor. Because Quarters One is so imposing I think it makes the house seem warm and welcoming. That's a good tip for anyone having guests over, you just want the whole house to seem happy to see you when you walk up. 

Thanks for visiting! The house is big and the tour may take a while but I hope you enjoy it. Next time I will tell you about my trip to the set of Army Wives and how Quarters One helped inspire some of the sets for season 6!
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Til next time...Duty First!

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Welcome to Quarters One!

Built in 1888 at the cost of $9,474, and some change, these quarters have been the home of Fort Riley's senior commanding officer for 123 years. Built from limestone quarried here at Fort Riley, the impressive home sits at the end of Forsyth Ave. looking directly at the Cavalry parade field, fitting since the first occupant of the home was COL James Forsyth himself. Then the commander of the 7th Cavalry, he and his family lived here from 1888-1894. This 9,137 square foot home is affectionately known as Quarters One.

Today, my family and I have the honor of being the 71st (possibly 72d, as there is some discrepancy in the early dates) caretakers of this marvelous and some what mysterious place.

I am an Army brat. I have been married to my husband for 27 years, dating him since his senior year at West Point. He is currently the commander of Fort Riley and the 1st INF DIV, the Big Red One, the Fighting First, the oldest division in the United States Army. We are both humbled and honored to be here...and I am being sincere and not cheeky when I say this. 

I have always wondered what went on in the lives of general officers and their families. They seemed to live somewhat mysteriously in a world of their own. Surrounded by a chosen few who, alone, knew their secrets. I always felt like generals' wives knew the right thing to say, all the Army acronyms, the right fork to use, the right hands to shake... Now that I am, amazingly, in that position myself this gives me a great laugh as I still get most of those things, and many others, wrong! We are ordinary people given a chance to live, for the moment, extraordinary lives. Playing a role that will, in a couple of years, be played by someone else.

This blog, however, is not necessarily about being an Army wife or mom, although those are the two things I am most proud of being, but about welcoming you into Quarters One and sharing with you the things we do and how I go about making these quarters our own...for now.

Hopefully, you will pick up a few good decorating tips, recipes, or entertaining ideas. And just maybe you'll be comfortable to give the next general officer's wife you meet a big hug...or a vodka tonic...most likely, she could use both!

If you want to know more about Quarters One you can follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/QuartersOne)

'Til next time....Duty First!