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My Little Farmhouse [] ( I can not upload this video directly as it is too large for the Wiki, but you can see it on YouTube!)

[|Interview betweenJoanne Puryear and Thomas Holly] Google Doc

** Interview between Thomas Holly and Joanne Puryear **

Thomas Holly words in black Joanne Puryear words in red

Thomas Interviews Joanne

What experiences, interests, and/or knowledge in your life prepared you for this activity? I was an interior design major before I changed to business. I have always loved old houses, and recently found out I lived in a house similar to the house I moved when I was a toddler. What did your family think of this project? They thought I was not operating on all cylinders. One daughter told me that you do not buy and old house like and antique and stick it in your backyard. Did you know what you were getting into? I had a friend that had moved two houses together, and I loved her house. I did not know the expense would be so much. Part of that was due to the fact Hurricane Ike came through and construction costs skyrocketed. Did you have any time where you had fear about failure? Constantly, but I prayed every step of the way with this project, I had a huge support group that prayed with me. At the time I was home schooling my children, and all the home school ladies were praying for us. It was really a beautiful thing to have that support. What did you learn from this activity? I learned to trust yourself if you have something you think you should do, and you have prayed about it. I took one step at a time with this project, not knowing what the next step would be. It was a great exercise in faith. There were many times when things looked overwhelming, but each time, I received the help I needed. It was wonderful. Do you have any regrets about this experience? Not really. Sometimes I think I should not have spent as much money as I did on the house, because right after we moved in, my husband was forced to retire. We were not prepared for that. He has been unable to find work since then (5 years). If I would have known that before we started the project, I may not have started. But, because we started the project, we had to sell the big house to finish the farmhouse. That was really a great move as we sold it before the real estate meltdown. Now we are in a smaller house and the bills are about 1/3 of what we were paying in the big house.

Would you ever restore a third house? Absolutely! Tom, here is my script. I am sending it for you to review.

Have you ever walked into a place, and immediately knew you were home? Something indefinable that seems to invite you to come in and stay awhile? A few years ago, that happened to me. An old, 100 + year old farmhouse that was, sadly, in disrepair was up for sale to be moved. The house was build by an old sea captain and his grandson, my friend, Joe Ed Fairfield, was born in that house. Now, the house had seen better days, and its future looked bleak, but when I saw it, I loved it, and that little 26” X 26” house became my little house. The news was not especially well received by my some of my older and wiser children. One response was, “You don’t go buying an old house like and antique ... and stick it in your backyard. But, I did. And, not just that house, but a second house that came with the deal. It was an old Gordon Van Tyne catalog house that was sold through Sears Roebuck. This house was on a full basement and just moving that house off its basement is a story by itself, to be told on another day. So, one cold, rainy night – after about 6 months of trying to align the house mover, the electric companies (2), the Sheriff’s office, the bucket truck driver, the pick up people to pick up anything that falls of the house, the county permits and all the other necessary people – we moved 2 houses into my back yard. ..sort of. We moved them to the back of our land on 10 acres. I have always wondered what my neighbors thought! Over the next year, we worked very hard. We dug a pad, put in piers for a foundation, dug a well, installed a septic system and finally connected the two little houses together. A perfect fit! After we finished the roof, we gutted everything in the house… and replumbed and rewired it Next was the insulation and sheet rock. We sold our big house, finished the farm house and moved in. I love my house, and I have from the beginning. Now, when my family comes over, they do, too!

Joanne Interviews Thomas How did you meet your wife? Or Why did you go to China?

Tom Holly- Interview for Love/Adventure Story:

Joanne: You mentioned your personal story about meeting your wife in China. How did that adventure begin?

Tom: My wife was born or raised in Northeastern China, and I have grown-up in Texas, so we could not be a more diverse couple. A few years ago, we met online and became closer and closer friends over several months. We talked at length by e-mail and video conferencing. Conversation always centered on what we had in common and what was vastly different about our cultures. We talked about the places we lived.

Joanne: That’s interesting. Was there anything you didn’t feel comfortable talking about?

Tom: Not really. We’re both open-minded and respectful regarding each other’s cultures, work, families and opinions. We avoided politics, as a rule. This is generally not something the Chinese are outspoken about. They are interested in their own personal lives, mainly. We realized our personalities go really well together.

Joanne: How did you meet in person?

Tom: One thing we share is a love of travel. When she invited me to visit her hometown, I planned this for my next vacation.

Joanne: How exciting! What was it like to meet in person for the first time?

Tom: We knew each other well by then, so it was very comfortable. It’s amazing how technology can bring us together, closing gaps both in culture, and in distance.

Joanne: What did you see in China? Did you go back or propose on this trip?

Tom: Well, my future wife showed me her hometown, and several famous spots in China such as the ancient capital of Xi’an and the famous spiritual retreat of Mt. Tai. I decided to propose on the top of Mt. Tai.

Joanne: Were you married in China or the U.S.?

Tom: In the U.S., the following year. Since then, we have been living happily in W. Texas, and she is a full time student now, studying accounting.

Joanne: Were there any special challenges in making such a big change for her? Culture shock?

Tom: Yes, some culture shock is unavoidable. It helped that Texans are so friendly, and she has many friends now, and improved her English to be quite independent. The hard part was leaving her family, which is natural. We hope to bring her parents here to visit us in the future.

Joanne: It sounds like a fairy-tale ending. Thanks for sharing!

Tom: Yes, our adventure is just beginning. Thanks

Draft Script of Tom’s Personal Digital Story. Title: East Meets West: A Love Story

Life is an adventure to those open to it, and take us to wonderful, unpredictable places. Just such a thing happened to me when I went to China and met my future wife, Fei, in 2008. We first became friends in the most modern way, via the Internet, and friendship soon blossomed. When she invited me to visit her country to continue our intercultural exchange, I had a decision to make. Was I going to take this opportunity and big step, or turn it down? How could I say no to the future? I got on a plane without hesitation for a three week trip to China. With travel time and layovers, the time it took was about 35 hours, and four different flights, hopping through Dallas, Los Angeles, and Seoul, before arriving in Qingdao, China. Fei and I were happy to see each other in person for the first time. She had arranged her vacation schedule to be able to spend time showing me her country. Some of the most memorable places I visited were Mt. Tai (Taishan) at the top of which is a famous Buddhist temple and hotel. The sunrise viewed from the mountain top is particularly amazing. Another place we visited was the famous ancient city of Xi’an, known for its army of terra cotta warriors. Throughout my visit, I sincerely tried to embrace the culture and the food, trying everything I could. It is definitely true that authentic Chinese food bears little resemblance to Chinese buffet food in the U.S. The variety and taste was very impressive, and there was nothing I tried I didn’t like. I was able to meet Fei’s family in her hometown of Qingdao, and we got along great, despite the language barrier. Fei’s job as interpreter must have been tiring, though! Before I left China, we decided that our good-byes would need to be temporary, and became officially engaged, deciding to start the long visa process. This process was a little nerve-wracking, since there are no guarantees of success. We kept the faith, however, and Fei and I returned together to the U.S. approximately 1 year later, after the visa was granted. Our marriage was in Midland on July 4th, 2009, and we have lived happily ever since, continuing our journey, facing any challenges together. Who knows how our adventure will continue? One thing for sure, is that we will face it together.