Category Archives: cottage

Summer days mean boating, beaches, sandy sandwiches, fresh strawberries, and the smell of sunscreen.  In the little town where we have our cottage, it also means music in the park on Thursday night.

I know some towns that bring in bands every week or so in the summer, but in our little town it’s the local band the visitors line up to listen to.  We take our dog and our kids, and it’s hard to beat a cold ice cream cone afterwards.

There’s something incredibly satisfying about listening to the local talent while laughing and relaxing with family and friends.

I’m so not ready for summer to end!

On the Merits of Dusting

When we bought our cottage, built in 1873, we knew we were in for some renovations.  The disgustingly old and dirty green carpet was the first thing to go.  My husband spent almost 6 months sanding the aged wood floor—the big sanding machine wouldn’t work on paint so old.  We replaced all of the trim, painted the walls, painted the trim, gutted the bathroom, laid tile, and added wainscoting to the upstairs bedrooms ceilings, for starters.  Please note:  when I say “we” I mean “we.”  These jobs weren’t hired out, friends; this was some serious blood, sweat, and tears for a couple whose previous home renovation experience consisted of painting a bedroom and stenciling some sailboats in a kid’s room.

The one thing we knew we wouldn’t change, though, was this old-fashioned chandelier that hangs over our dining room table.  It’s missing several of the glass teardrops, but for me that only adds to its charm.  If you look closely, you can imagine that more than a little dust settles in the intricacies of the design.  Plus, I’m not a big duster, so time contributes its fair share.  Yesterday, though, I stood up on the dining room bench and took the time to go over every little crevice.  No more cobwebs or hazy glass.


Hmmm, maybe I ought to dust more often.

Winter Wonderland

Rain, sunshine, or snow, the beach is where I’d rather be.  Of course, when it’s this snowy, I prefer merely to enjoy a view of the beach from the inside of someone’s, anyone’s, toasty warm home.

The ducks, however, appear to be coping with the cold just fine. Hearty souls.
Apparently, however, they’re not so fond of sharing their little corner of the ice.

Wouldn’t you think they’d want to huddle together?  Crazy birds!