The Boys are Back on the Block!

Inspiration comes from the “wildest” of places. With each step of this restoration, we have learned not to rush, but to listen to the house. What does it want, what feels right? It may sound silly, but for us, the house seems to reveal to us what it wants us to do next. Not sure what to do with the space, give it a little time, and all of a sudden, the house will tell you. 

It was Max, my husband that had the initial idea. 

“Lions,” he blurted out of nowhere. And then he got lost in his head again, thinking.

“Yes,” I replied, “It has Lions. So??” 

“No, it needs them to greet you. At the entryways. Lions that will flank either side.”

I smiled, “Yes, It does need Lions”. 

It happened just like that. The idea then began to fester, the house was now calling for lions, but not any lions, the right lions, the ones that embraced everything that this home was and wanted to be. Elegant, Magnificent, Stunning. A lion that when you saw it, that when you entered, you knew you were in a special place. 

So I began searching, googling concrete lion statues, and constantly hit dead ends. Max started to search, and would find something, but I would then look at it and immediately turn it down. We called landscape companies, scoured every lead we could find, only to be disappointed. It then happened, one day I was on the internet and I came across the Lion that captured my heart. It had the “feeling” that I was looking for. But the $5,000 price tag did not match our limited budget. 

It just so happened that fate came to our aid. Our friend Lisa stopped by to see the house. 

Over the course of our tour she mentioned to me that she has a “way” of finding things. She had just found a boat at an estate sale out of state for half price and now had to figure out how to get it to Grand Rapids. But she found it for half price, so if there was something I was looking for, to let her know. 

I told her I was looking for Lions, but not just any lions, the “right’ lions. I opened up my ipad and showed her the images of the ones that I loved, but couldn’t afford. The lions that were supposed to be at the house. I didn’t think much about it after that, until….

A week later she texted me. “Tammy, I found the lions! Had to pick up the boat I bought. On the way home, I found these 2 concrete lions on the side of the highway at a Concrete statue place. I did a u-turn!!! Pulled the truck and boat right in and here are the pics!!. 

I couldn’t believe it! Here they were, the Lions that I had been looking for for months!! But in our budget!!

Max and I were so excited, I couldn’t wait. We coordinated borrowing a trailer and headed for CJs Barn an hour south of town. We were told the lions were 300-500lbs a piece. They were lowered into the trailer and the trailer shifted under its weight. We strapped them together and we didn’t breathe for the entire hour drive back to the house. Nervous one wrong turn could put all of us in a ditch. 

We pulled in, parked and smiled. They just fit. Max said, “woah, these are big! Are you sure?” 

“They are perfect,” i replied, “Just perfect” 

But perfect doesn’t mean easy!!!

Max, pushed with all his might. The lion didn’t budge. 

“There is no way that I am going to move this. This thing is NOT 500lbs” he said, not amused. 

“How are we going to get it off the skid?” I responded.

“No idea,” he mumbled, already sounding agitated. “You just had to get the big ones. We will need to deal with this tomorrow”

He left to go work on a project, and I headed to the mural I had been painting. It was then that I said a little prayer. “Dear Lord, please help. I don't know what to do, please help us get these lions off the trailer, I don't want this to turn into a really big problem tomorrow.”

Fifteen minutes later, a loud knock at the back door startled me so much I jumped. 

Our neighbor Adam stopped by to ask for a contractor referral which I gladly relayed. I then took a big gulp of air, nervous of the answer, and asked if he had any idea of how to get the lions off the trailer. He said it was not a problem at all! He had a palette jack\ and could be back at the house at 11am the next morning to help move them!!

I was just in awe. A stopping point for one, was as easy as 123 for another.

The next day arrived with much anticipation. Adam arrived on time and so did our neighbor Ethan (whose wife willingly volunteered him for the extra man power we needed). It took all 5 of us to slide the skid of Lions off the trailer. The men strapped on shoulder straps to move the lions to each side of the garage while they awaited transport to their final destination, only to find out that 2 men couldn't move them. Manpower simply didn’t work. 

They stayed where we left them.

The scale of these lions are so large, that they were deemed to now need their own footings! Which meant, even more concrete was now required. And a few days later, Tyler, our concrete guy came to take a look. He chuckled out loud. Looked at me and said, “Tammy Jo, you are one crazy lady! These lions are easily 800-1000 pounds.”

I replied, “Yep. But I always get it done!” 

So the boys, our Lions, are now waiting for their final position, their place at the house to greet you when you approach. A place where you smile and you know that you have arrived. 

The boys are back in town. 

Appropriately named, John and Sid, in honor of the 2 men of this estate.