Good Fortune to This House

Somewhere along the way, maybe when I worked in the boat yard, I learned that it was customary to put a coin under the mast of a new ship to bring good luck to the vessel.  I also learned that it was sometimes done with buildings as well, so about 15 years ago, when my favorite Brits John & Anne were building a new house, I put a coin under what would become their threshold.

Now that I'm building a house of my own, they've sent me a coin to put under my threshold.

To further ensure the future of the house, dear friends Sarah and Scott have also sent me a coin from Italy.

My oldest friends, Bruce and Nancy, who live in Washington State, sent me a Washington State quarter along with this Wikipedia explanation of the custom:

The ceremonial practice is believed to originate from ancient Rome. One theory is that, due to the dangers of early sea travel, the coins were placed under the mast so the crew would be able to cross to the afterlife if the ship were sunk. The Romans believed it was necessary for a person to take coins with them to pay Charon, in order to cross the river Styx to the afterlife and as a result of this,coins were placed in the mouths of the dead before they were buried.^[3] Another theory for this practice is that the insertion of coins in buildings and ships may have functioned as a form of sacrifice thanking the gods for a successful construction, or a request for divine protection in the future.^[4][5]

Bruce's coin has gone under the threshold of the shop, because since I'll probably spend most of my time there, that building needs protection too!

Lots of progress on the siding and painting.  By next week, both of those should be done.  Stay tuned for more pictures. Here's a sneak preview: