Lisa Feldt always told her husband David that if the house at 98 N.

Saturday, March 16, 2002

Lisa Feldt always told her husband David that if the house at 98 N. Sixth St. in Northwood ever came up for sale, they were going to buy it.

&uot;I love to drive through small towns and look at the old houses,&uot; Lisa said. &uot;When we’d go from Albert Lea to Mason City, we’d always look at this one.&uot;

In 1998, the house did come up for sale. And Lisa did buy it. The job of renovating it would be bigger than she anticipated. &uot;It’s been a labor of love,&uot; she said of the old house she’s turned into an antique and gift shop and tea house, known as &uot;Mama’s Memories.&uot; The shop is a result of several of Lisa’s hobbies: crafts, antiques and renovating old houses.

The Feldts have renovated seven homes in all, including five in Albert Lea, Mama’s Memories, and the home they live in now, which is about nine miles outside Northwood.

&uot;There’s something about ‘This Old House,’&uot; Lisa said, adding she actually learned a lot about the history of the house after she bought it. It was home to two different midwives – one in the 1930s and one in the 1940s. She’s talked at length to the sons of the second midwife, who live out of state.

Ironically, the Feldt’s daughter, Chelsea, came up with the name for the shop before the family knew the history of the home, Lisa said. But it simply seemed to suit it.

When they bought it, the home needed a new roof, and the ceilings in the upstairs had fallen in. The panes were falling out of the windows.

&uot;We pulled out 500,000 staples,&uot; Lisa recalled. &uot;We worked on it for 2 1/2 years.&uot;

They put in new sheetrock walls and some new floors. What they couldn’t do themselves, they hired someone else to do. They painted the outside green. They had to clean out the yard, which neighbors had nicknamed &uot;the jungle&uot; for its overgrown trees. Lisa now has some 15 rock gardens in the yard, and has plans to put in a waterfall this year.

The Feldts have also built a deck onto the kitchen of the house, which will provide additional seating in warm weather. Lisa has plans to cover it with lights and grapevines.

Because Lisa has her own paint, wallpaper and decorating business, she isn’t afraid to tackle what others might be. And it shows in the way she’s arranged the shop. She opened the gift and antique portion of the shop in December 2000. She has 13 rooms, and each is geared toward a special theme, season or place.

For example, in the Americana Closet, red, white and blue items greet shoppers.

There’s a Barn Room, with roosters and hens, John Deere items, miniature barns and birdhouses made from old barn wood. Lisa has covered the ceiling with chicken wire.

The Garden Room, with floral arrangements, grapevine wreaths, candles, soaps and potpourris, even has a garden gate hanging on the wall.

The Up North Room features bears, moose, fish and wolves in various gift items with an outdoorsy theme.

Christmas is never out of style in the Christmas Room, which has frosted windows all year long and an icy border on the walls. Snowmen, reindeer, and of course, Santa, fill the room.

Downstairs, candles, quilts, garlands, soaps and gourmet items, as well as a themed Easter corner, fill the room.

Antiques have been worked into every display, and quilts -&160;made by Lisa’s husband’s grandmother -&160;can also be found in abundance.

Lisa said more than 50 consigners of antiques and crafts have helped fill the shop with its large variety.

In addition to the scents may of the gifts carry, the warm smell of lunch cooking drifts through the air. Lisa began serving lunches in August 2001 when another tea house in Northwood closed.

&uot;People suggested that I start serving lunches,&uot; she said.

She serves sandwiches, soups, chicken salad, muffins, flavored coffees and cappucino. She can seat up to 18, and recommends reservations for groups. Clubs have held luncheon meetings in her shop. Most of the seating is in the kitchen, on painted wooden chairs with antique tables.

Mama’s Memories is open Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The phone number is (641) 324-1096.