Sunday, July 12, 2026

Lighting Issues

I put on my electricians hat and set about checking the lighting in Pennethorne Manor. I rewired the new dining room chandelier and rewired the chandelier in the main hallway that had come undone in the move. It was a relief when I plugged in the lights and they all worked!

The lights on the second and third floors all work, much to my relief, and the lights in the basement and sub-basement all work as well.

The only lights that aren't working are the outside balcony and porch lights, the gazebo light, and the conservatory chandelier. I tried everything I could think of and finally decided it was above my pay grade. So I contacted my friend Tracy who thought it might be oxidation on the wires connected to the tape wire. So, it looks like I'll have to resolder all the joints on this line. [Insert heavy sigh here].

To that end I've ordered a new soldering iron because the one I brought with me from the States, even plugged into a transformer, gets red hot. Scary, very scary. The new soldering iron will be here on Tuesday, so I'll get to work as soon as it arrives.

For now, I'll be reglueing things that have come off the house, like a window box and some bricks around the foundation. I was really hoping to be able to start pulling out the furniture and accessories, but it will have to wait. For now it's repair and clean in preparation for the family to return!

The family will be staying at the prestigious Waldorf Astoria in New York during the renovations and the staff will be staying in the village near the manor to oversee the work. Let's crack on!

If you'd like to catch up on the stories of the people at Pennethorne Manor, you might like this post . . .  

His Lordship Sterling Frederick Pennethorne III, Adelaide Elizabeth Gray-Pennethorne, 
and Rosemary Claire Pennethorne

Reginauld, Aoife, Edaline and Alyssa

305 Park Avenue, New York

The legendary lobby with its centerpiece ~ the 1893 World's Fair clock.

The offending line . . .


Saturday, July 4, 2026

One Year of Life in Portugal

 It's been quite a year! We celebrated one year in Portugal on May 12th (2026). In that time we've settled into our new home, completed several outdoor projects, painted several rooms in the house, received our Temporary Resident Cards, exchanged our driver's licenses, made new friends, celebrated holidays with neighbors, completed language classes to the A2 level (needed for permanent residency), and so much more.

I haven't worked on Pennethorne Manor for such a long time, but the other day I felt an inkling to get back to her. I received the chandelier, so there are some lighting issues to deal with, and I have to figure out the conversion of transformers, et cetera. We are having temperatures in the high 30s C so the upstairs room I have Pennethorne Manor in gets quite hot during the day, but rest assured, there is more to come!

For now I'll share a few pictures of our adventures here in Portugal! Boa Tarde!

















Tuesday, August 5, 2025

We Have Arrived!

Hey friends, it's been 12 weeks since we moved to Portugal and are settling well into our new home. It's been a whirlwind of activity, buying new furniture, getting to know our new surroundings, learning the language enough to get errands like groceries done, and so on. We've visited several cities like Porto and Braga and have explored many small villages and towns. This past Sunday we spent the day with some friends at the ocean enjoying their company. We started Portuguese language lessons and joined a Pilates class!

Our stuff arrived from the States and we've been busy unpacking, finding new homes for things and hanging pictures. We also unpacked Pennethorne Manor. She arrived relatively unscathed albeit missing the dining room chandelier and a few other bits and bobs. She has a new home in one of the upstairs bedrooms and I'm looking forward to unpacking the furniture, accessories and dolls once I get some time and the weather cools down. It's been in the 100s with no rain since we arrived in May. We're told it's an unusual year.

I ordered a new chandelier and some other goodies from J. Getzan. I'm looking forward to receiving them (fingers crossed as deliveries here could take months). As I get to putting her back together, you'll be seeing more of Pennethorne Manor!