Dum dum dee dum...

The big day is almost here... Congrats Sissie and Dustin-
Mom

New Lens... I'm a very Happy camper

I finally got my dream lens... a canon 2.8 100mm IS micro. Whooty hoo look out now. Everybody's mugs will now be showing up here. to start with here are the girls before the big night out.

Been a while hasn't it...

 This is my take on The usual plywood garden cutouts... Note the beer in Jim's hand.
Been busy, not accomplishing a whole lot but busy just the same.

This Osprey got dumped in the mudflats by a bald eagle. Took him quite a while to recover. He was in shallow water but the mud really bogged him down. Here he's trying to get the mud off.
Made for quite a bit of excitement.

A picture of Daniel and Dakota... say cheese...

Bearded One called and is on his way back from Camping in Central Ore. I'm sure he will have pictures to share.

All Alone in the Woods

The Bearded One is camping in Oregon as I write this. He will arrive at his cabin Tuesday and have two weeks of peace and quiet with wild horses, deer, and who knows what other critters. I miss him already. I'm a little slow in blogging my internet connection which is a wireless card is a little slow. I guess I should be grateful that I have service at all. I'm still taking pictures for the 365 project although my imagination is sometimes lacking. Okay enough grumbling. The above photo is a shot inside the original cabin circa 1935.
I've been experimenting with printing cloth panels on my little printer. I'm checking for the color fastness. I have ironed a couple with a hot dry iron. we will see. Memorial Day is coming a three day weekend. Whoo Hoo. Looking forward to it.
I've been dining on fresh clams and oysters, planting herb boxes and baskets with colorful annuals, and generally putzing about the cottage. learning to entertain myself sans TV and spouse. I really am rattling about. Working on my socks. really liking the process. Now if I can have them match...
Carry on and I'll try to post a little more often.

Pink

The "Bearded One" went for a motorcycle ride Saturday and Found this pink Studebaker.
I got to play with it a bit and give it a shine...
Yesterday afternoon we enjoyed a variety of wildlife including this Pileated Woodpecker that was feasting in the woodpile. He didn't seem to mind me taking his picture.

There was also at the same time a large river otter swimming about in the bay. He probably enjoys the clams as much as I do. Our goldfish have made the transition and will be fine as long as a raccoon doesn't wander by.
I've planted two of the planter boxes on the deck but will need to get a few more fillers for the rest. We do get a little afternoon son so maybe I can get a honeysuckle or clematis tp go on a small trellis.
It's getting to be my bedtime, five o'clock comes around really quickly so I will say goodnight.
Keep me posted...
PS I've turned my first heel...hooray. now on tho the finish line only to repeat the whole process again for the other sock.

Forest Floor
I've been working on some "Watercolor" Prints. I think the method really works well on Floral subjects.

Tree Peony

Hosta and Bluebells


Haven't got a whole lot accomplished this week. I am however attempting to "turn the heel" on my first pair of socks. Last time I ended up ripping back. I think I've got a handle on it now though.

Check out  http://tastebudandme.blogspot.com/ the Nephew is up to fine food and fresh roasting coffee beans. Also http://www.etsy.com/shop/careysartshop where Carey is offering her delightful earth friendly creations.

Moving so a little behind in Posting

Lyric and the Turkey. Ran out to Satsop. Lyric was kind enough to pose for some Photos... I will post a regular blog thing when I am able... Sitting at Borders to upload.

Iris

The Middle of April

Out and About

Knitting group was this past Thursday and Ferol was kind enough to get me started on my very first pair of "toe up" socks. Hooray. I'm only about 4 inches into the first one but already I feel so accomplished.

 It's been a real hoot getting together with other knitters chatting, feasting and getting inspired by one another's projects. Thanks so much to Ferol for being the "hostess" with the "mostess"

Cottage Life

We are moving more stuff in each week. It is at the point where it makes it a little tough at the apartment because so many things that I "need" are at the cottage. We are still working out the bugs as far as where things will go. There is limited space so it really needs to be organized.

The Inn Keeper has installed a magnetic knife rack and a great broom holder. Both of which are greatly appreciated.

Another neat thing is the larger board we picked up at Lowes to go on top of our existing little side table of sorts. The original top is 16"x 36". We have barstools that fit with it but the overhang was only a couple of inches so we couldn't really get close enough to our plates. The new top is 20" x 48" which not only gives us more leg room but also extra width without interfering with the drawers. Right now it's just sitting on top of the original but it will be easy to clamp it or attach.

The Happy Housewife

The kitchen aide has come home at last. Luckily it fits under the butcher block cart. (just barely)

The hanging baskets are doing well as are the herbs although they seem a little slow in coming on. I plan on adding a few more along with some trailing plants.  Oops, the Bearded One has just arrived with some more stuff to put away...

Reflections

 When a dog runs at you, whistle for him.

Henry David Thoreau
US Transcendentalist author (1817 - 1862)

Be well and take care of each other

Rhondi

Annie and the Little Man

Just a little Portrait...He's looking at Dad.

Back out at the Cottage

A purple Trillium on the hillside at the Cottage

Looks like Spring
It is looking a little like spring out here at the cottage. I can see blue sky amidst the clouds and it is almost 60 degrees out. I was sitting down taking a break after sweeping the patio, when a little brown squirrel scampered between my feet. He didn't seem much bothered by me. A cute little thing. It's normally quite out here on the Bay but today across the water I hear a live band. Someone is having a big “to do” of some sort. Either that or they are just having band practice.



The “Bearded One” is busy hauling shelves and boxes to a storage unit we found just a few minutes up the road from here. We definitely needed someplace to store the motorcycle and the other things that we have no room for here at the Cottage. Stuff like totes full of Christmas decorations, lawnmower, power tools, and assorted whatnot.

Cottage News

The boat down at the beach
It's feeling more and more like home here at the Cottage. Things are beginning to find their place. The “Bearded One” and I have each claimed our own closets, drawers and places to sit. We try to stay out of one another's ways. It's probably good that we're both not retired. It's a little quiet because we have no TV and our radios aren't really made for picking up stations. When we actually move in I will have internet radio and of course i-tunes.

The Inn Keepers fresh baked bread cooling on the deck

The Happy Homemaker


The Inn Keepers been baking again. I spied this loaf cooling on the deck on my way down to the beach this morning. It's been baked in a covered stoneware baker. The crust always turns out amazing.
We have a new fan installed in the kitchen. It's amazing. Very small, very quiet, and very effective. I was able to cook bacon, pancakes, and eggs and not fill the cottage up with the smells. Of course when you walked outside it smelled like breakfast being cooked in a campground... Still enjoy using the “earwig” vacuum cleaner and I found that my favorite brush attatchment fits really well on the end. Well the “Bearded One” is on his way back so I need to get some lunch going...
My Reading List

These High Green Hills,
Jan Karon
The third in the Mitford Series. A fun, feel good read recommended by knitter extrodinaire Ferol.


Us,

Lisa OZ
Wife of Mehmet Oz...I'm enjoying it. Really down to earth, funny, and inspiring.

Happy Easter...Happy Spring

Happy Easter

This greeting comes a little late... Not the thought but the posting. We are out at the cottage as I write this and I will post it as soon as I get back to civilization. We are having dinner with the “Inn Keeper”. It looks like we will be eating rabbit. How fitting. I don't think it's really “The Bunny” but a stand in. I love eating dinner at the Inn Keeper's. She always provides fresh bread, which she bakes Mediterranean style in a covered clay baking dish. At this moment she is traipsing through the forest collecting some wild greens to go into “the side dish”.

Cottage News

“Tulip in the bathroom window”

This trip we brought over several totes full of books, baskets, and odds and ends. We have less and less stuff at the apartment and more of ourselves here. Cooking in the little kitchen is becoming easier now that things have an assigned place to be. Friday night we had baked salmon with rosemary potatoes. Last night we dined on fresh clam chowder. Fresh meaning that “The Bearded One” gathered the little steamer clams that very morning as soon as the tide would let him. Yummmm. You can't go wrong with fresh clams, cream, butter, bacon, celery, garlic, and potatoes. I would of taken a picture but I was concentrating on scarfing it up...
The “Bearded One” put up a shelf in his closet and was quite pleased with the outcome. I say put up, but really he just went to Lowes and got a shelf board and then laid it on top of the clothes pole brackets. He gets the upstairs closet and I get the one downstairs. This place is very tiny but there is an amazing amount of storage. The living area has a small chest of drawers, an old drop front desk with drawers, and a side table that has two small drawers as well as a file drawer. Oh, and there is the coffee table which is an old wooden trunk of sorts. We will have all sorts of space for clothes and odd bits.

The Happy Homemaker

I have several projects that I'd like to tackle. I'd like to finish planting the herb boxes out front. We have some tarragon, thyme, sage, and oregano already from the old boxes and would like to add a couple of basil and then a few annuals like Baccopa and Calabrochia (pardon the spelling) to hang over the sides and add some color. We have some boxes downstairs that have bay laurel trees and rosemary. I think they are shaded enough to plant impatiens. They are on automatic drip irrigation so that will be nice.

Almost April

Out and About

My entry for the phototips.biz challenge "inside-outside"


The Bearded One once again helped me out of a jam. I had to come up with something that was inside-outside. The interpretation was up to each one. This is what I came up with… A little creepy, but a lot of fun.



Cottage Life

We are counting down till we move in full time. Each weekend it gets a little harder to go back to the apartment. Thanks to "Little Tattoo mama" and "Ms Corporate" we have a lot less stuff to move. Way to go girls!!!

This weekend The Bearded one fixed up the herb boxes on the porch and hung up the hanging baskets for me. It looks a little more like home each weekend.

The Happy Homemaker

The Inn keeper got us a new vacuum for the cottage. It's made esp. for bare floors and low nap carpets. It seems to work really well although it kind of resembles an earwig. It has a v-shape nozzle on the front that looks just like an earwigs pincers. A little creepy but it works…

Reflections

I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific. 

Lily Tomlin 



Pasted from <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_funny3.html>





Till next post...Be well and take care of each other
Rhondi

 

Another Weekend at the Cottage

Little Miss Madelynn trying her hand at embroidery a while back...


Out and about
We were a little more organized this time going out to the Cottage. I had gone grocery shopping the night before so there wasn't this big after work rush that happened last time.
The Bearded One had taken our Bistro set and ornamental grass pot out earlier in the afternoon so we were able to take lil' green, and have plenty of room for everything we needed.
We headed over to Shelton Sat. morning to pick up a few plants for the porch containers and also stopped by the local pet store to see a bout a home for our finches. We love them but there just isn't room at the cottage for two extra large cages and their inhabitants. We will be able to take them to Paws and Claws anytime so The Bearded One will probably do that this week. So sad. The babies have been a hoot to watch. Each one has their own little personality.


Cottage Life
We went to the Innkeepers last night for a glass of wine and ended up partaking in dinner. We had a wonderful combination of fresh steamer clams, kale, dandelion greens, and garlic chili sauce over bulgur. It was amazing. Then followed a course of baked squash and a mixed greens and avocado salad. The Coup de gras, was the caramelized apple cake. Yumm. Wine and stories flowed and a good time was had by all.

Happy Homemaker
Tonight for dinner we are going to have fresh steamers. By the time this is published it should be a done deal with pictures to document the event.
It began yesterday when we dug (actually sort of raked) our clams during the afternoon low tide. We did this using a small hand held garden fork. It's a very muddy job because you are on the edge of the rocky beach which quickly becomes mudflats. The abundance of clams is amazing. Of course I was a little distracted by all of the oysters lying around waiting for me to pluck them up. But that's another meal.
You only keep those clams that are and inch and a half or larger. These we put in a small plastic laundry basket which has about a fifty foot rope which is tied to a tree on shore. We put a couple of heavy rocks on the bottom to keep it from flipping over. The tide then comes in and out and washes most of the bay mud off the "captured" clams making them much easier to clean for cooking. I am at this moment waiting for the tide to go out so that I can retrieve my dinner. I plan to steam them with butter and garlic. And serve them with a nice salad. What a way to live.

 A happy ending to a great weekend.

Be Safe and watch out for each other...
Rhondi

Slow to Post

 Today's 365 Picture, "Frog on a Rock"

Out and About

Yesterday was Rock Star's Wife's Birthday.

Since it falls on St Patty's Day Green was the appropriate color of the day. Little Miss Madelynn was in charge of decorating the New York cheesecake with shiny green icing. She did an excellent job of adding a large green bellybutton somewhat in the middle of it where of course a belly button should reside. Lovely and delicious.

Tomorrow we get to go back Home to the Cottage. The Bearded One will be taking our wrought iron bistro set to put out on the patio. It will be good to have a place to sit outdoors and enjoy the view now that the weather is getting more Spring-like. I think we will also bring along our "Fish Pot" Hopefully the raccons won't discover the goldfish.

Our Patio adjacent to the Original Cottage and just outside our laundry room door.

Mom and Sis will be coming by tomorrow afternoon to check out our new digs. That will be fun. Of course food will be involved…

Cottage News

The innkeeper has left a couple of empty containers for me to plant. I am excited about the prospect. I love planting pots. I think for the larger on which is actually not real large, I will put in a clump of black Mondo grass, a Heuchura, a Hellobore, and a couple of pansies. That will make a planting that will last through the seasons. Our Cottage porch faces west but because we're in the trees I don't think we will get a lot of direct sun.

We have revised our list of things to take with us to include things like Kleenex, and paper towels. Oh, and maybe an afghan or two to keep cozy in the evening.

The Happy Homemaker

I think that we will be having artichoke dip with a thinly sliced and toasted baguette. I've remembered to replenish the coffee and will try to think of a few other things to have.

We picked up a mid size crockpot at the goodwill and are planning to use it to cook a nice little pork roast with potatoes and carrots, for dinner Saturday evening.

It will be nice to get the gas grill as soon as possible to help with the cooking situation. I have plenty of room to cook in my little kitchenette but keeping the "mess" outside seems like a great idea. No messy pans to clean up.

Reflections

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; But often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.

Helen Keller

Pasted from <http://www.allgreatquotes.com/quotes_to_live_by.shtml>

Be well take care of each other,

Rhondi

First Weekend Home

    Our view from the beach

 Out and About

Friday we spent our first Night at the cottage. We started off the evening at the Inn Keeper's with a glass of wine. We met the two "Boys" from next door and the Innkeepers friend. What a great time.I had brought salad fixings and a roast chicken so fixing dinner was pretty easy. I quickly Got to know my away around the tiny kitchen. I have a wonderful "Boat Galley"(as in small)gas stove top. It's amazing. I cooked breakfast on it this morning. It was very hard to come back to town to my electric range. My favorite amenity in the kitchen however turned out to be a plug in "Tea Kettle" It was amazingly fast, fashionably chrome and vintage looking and lifted on and off it's hotplate for easy pouring.

The stain glass window
 above the stairwell.

Cottage News
Had the best night's sleep at the cottage. Fresh feather top bed with down comforter and pillows freshly laundered and plumped. We could see the stars through the skylights and through the trees that surrounded the sleeping nook. It's really quaint with windows on all three sides. Another neat attraction is the set of built in track lights on dimmer switches at the head of the bed for reading.

Because of the kitchenette's limited counter space we picked up a butcher block cart that we happened to find discontinued at Lowes. It had originally sold for $199 and was marked down to $49. The Bearded One had to assemble it but it turned out perfectly. It has a leaf that pops up for more work surface and two shelves and a good size drawer. The bottom shelf will be perfect for the Kitchen Aide, and the drawer will hold things like knives and spatulas. It has heavy duty casters and rolls very easily. It has made all the difference in the world as far as food preparation goes.

The Happy Homemaker
I went for a walk on the beach this morning…

Breakfast Oyster…

Within minutes with butter, garlic, and a little lemon pepper He was history… Yummm

Reflections

The universe is simmering down, like a giant stew left to cook for four billion years.  Sooner or later we won't be able to tell the carrots from the onions.  ~Arthur Bloch

Pasted from <http://www.quotegarden.com/hmmm.html>

Be safe, and watch out for one another,
Back on Wednesday…

Rhondi

Thursday Mania

Max's eye
Part of a larger picture at
http://rlperdue.smugmug.com/

Out and About

Today started out really windy and wet. I worked about a half a day then had to call it quits. Of course by the time I got home it had let up a bit. That's the way it goes sometimes.

I went over to Rockstar wife's to visit the grandkids and help her with a new venture. She is planning on opening an Etsy shop where she will be selling a cute line of children's clothing she's made using vintage fabrics and hand embellishments. Such talent. I will post a link when she's up and running

Cottage News

Tomorrow's the day we get to go "home". Okay so it will only be for the weekend but it will be like a little mini retreat.

I'm still working on my menu. Any suggestions would be grand. I'm a little limited because of this "Induction" thing I'm on but it really is workable. We will probably have finger foods tomorrow night and some easy-peasy breakfast. The Bearded One will be back in town on Saturday so maybe he can pick up a roast chicken. We can cook at the cottage but we want to keep it pretty simple this round.

The Happy Homemaker

I need to start paring down. Hmmm. Where to begin. Oh... that's right. I was supposed to reduce my bathroom stuff to one fairly small basket. It sounds real good in theory. Haven't made that a reality yet. It's a good thing we don't move out of here until May.

Trying to figure out what to do with our finches. I don't think we will have the room in the cottage. Very sad, we've grown really attached to the little buggers. They add so much life and require so little in return.

 Yes…I am aware that these are not finches. They were just handy.

Reflections

Carlos Castaneda:

The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same.

Pasted from <http://www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_attitude.html>

Be well and take care of one another

Rhondi

I

Wonderful Wednesday

Out and About
Today started out cold and windy but slowly warmed up a bit with plenty of blue sky. My job took me out on Cooper point first thing this morning so my teeth were chattering but I had a divine view of the Sound.
Spring is definitely in the air. Weeping cherries, Forsythia, and Tinus Vibernum were in bloom and deer were out and about dining freely on everyone's expensive landscapes.

Cottage News

Looking forward to this weekend at the Cottage. Still haven't come up with a menu for our stay. Everything we need to cook with and bunk down for the night is already there. Bearded One has a job to do on Saturday so I will remain there solo for the early part of the afternoon giving me and the cottage a chance to bond.

I've been compiling a list of shady plants that will do well in the boxes that surround our patio. I'm thinking definitely some impatiens. They are so easy to care for and I can buy them by the flat at Classical Farms. They are a great choice because there is no deadheading involved. Just an occasional trim back to keep them full.

I'm thinking we can take the "Fish Pot" with us. It has a great papyrus plant and the sound of gurgling water is always nice. I might have to find a solar pump though depending on whether I can locate an outside plug. Hopefully the raccoons won't discover the fish. (wishful thinking, I'm sure)

Still looking at the Char Broil infra-red Small Grill. It has gotten some good reviews. Cleanup is supposed to be easy because it can get hot enough to turn the food bits into ash that you can just brush off.

The Happy Homemaker
Trying to come up with creative ideas for small space living and cooking. This week I will be unloading a lot of the "Bathroom Clutter" all those tubes and bottles of this and that that I've packed around for who knows how long. Keeping the best towels and washcloths, and only the current "face" Most of the stuff in the bathroom I haven't gone through or even looked at since we moved in last June. And then I had a lot of stuff that I'd brought with us that I hadn't dealt with earlier. So I should be able to reduce my bathroom footprint to one fairly small basket… Ha! We'll see I love a challenge.


Reflections
It's been a good day all in all. I've resolved (once again) to climb back on the lowcarb wagon. Got the "new", new Atkins book with lots of ideas and the science to back it up so tomorrow I will again start the induction phase. I'm starting to sound like a broken record I know. I just feel so much clearer and focused when I'm eating right.

Okay, Until tomorrow
Stay well and watch out for each other
Rhondi

Tuesday

Out and About
It was a pretty good day today. I was able to accomplish a lot at work and then went to Urgent care to get my release for work. I'm feeling so much better now that I can move again.
I'm trying really hard to be able to integrate my "One Note" with the blog so that I can create in one place and then just press a button and viola' It would show up where it needs to be. I can get the text there but can't figure out how to get my graphics and doodles to go along for the ride. I know that it's probably really simple. Oh well. I will keep plugging away.




Cottage News
The "Inn Keeper" as I shall refer to her, is amazing. She has had the windows cleaned, Duvet freshly fluffed and stuffed and she is even having the kitchen knives sharpened. Every detail to ensure our comfort is being taken care of. We even have a large supply of biodegradable Detergent and laundry soap.
We plan on spending this weekend there. We will head out Friday afternoon armed with a variety of tidbits, reading stuff, music, and wine. It will be lovely I'm sure. We will have to remember to check the tide book so that we can plan a walk on the beach. It's very secluded and forested right to the edge so we have to allow time to get back or swim for it.
It's a prime place to kayak so I'm sure we will add that to our list of things to do.



The Happy Homemaker
Thinking of ways to creatively make use of our "Kitchenette" and downsized fridge. Because I work in town I will be able to pick up produce and things on the way home so that food storage shouldn't be a problem. It will probably help if I would plan out a menu ahead of time. Having a gas grill will be helpful as we can have grilled meat and veggies for dinner, which is great for summer time. The kitchen is very tiny but the innkeeper has taken a lot of care and used a lot of "IKEA" stuff which makes for practical storage solutions. I look on this endeavor as a grand experiment which of course is right up my alley. I'm thinking I'm gonna love it...


Reflections
I am grateful for all the blessings that have come our way this last couple of weeks. Synchronistic harmony. Strange events coming together in a marvelous way adding up to Miraculous outcomes.


Be well and look out for each other
Rhondi

Another Jeep in the Family

Out and About

Yesterday the Bearded One went out for a loaf of bread and came back with a Jeep. A little green '98 Wrangler that henceforth shall be called "little green". It all made perfect sense. After all, we will be moving out into the woods, and the Mazda Pickup truck lacked both the power and personality to cope with "our new" lifestyle. So now we are a two Jeep family. Me with the Grand Cherokee (old lady jeep) and Bearded One with the new (Hip Young Stud) Jeep.

 

Cottage News
Yesterday we were invited to the Cottage for wine and appetizers with our new landlady. We of course in all the excitement about the jeep and not being late, had forgotten to take the checkbook. The Bearded One volunteered to drop me off and made the trip back home to retrieve the check. I had an amazing time. LL had prepared a variety of toppings for thin sliced crusty bread. One was a combination of greens (cooked Kale), gorgonzola cheese, and tomatoes. Oh my!! And the red wine she served was terrific. It was one she had gotten at Trader Joe's. I need to remember to ask for the name, it went perfectly with the aperitifs.

We discussed the possibilities for the cottage. I had been thinking of getting a gas grill and I also wanted to clear the way for my wrought Iron Bistro set, potted plants and the installation of coat hooks in the entry way next to the bench.
It turns out that I get to plant the boxes that line the deck. I am really excited about that. They already have drip irrigation installed. I'm in heaven, what can I say.
I think I might have a solution to my "kitchen aide" problem. Sis and I discovered that Lowes had a butcher block cart on wheels with shelves below on clearance. Regularly $170 it was on sale for $49. that would enable me to have extra counter or cooking space when I needed it but it could be rolled out of the way at will.
We will be spending our first weekend out at the bay come this Friday. We will take books, computer, wine, and food. It will be amazing. We will be able to explore our new digs and surroundings.


The Happy Homemaker

Asian Cooking Pots


http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Articles/Unique-Cooking-Tools-641/chinese-clay-pots.aspx


Asian cooking pots. A new fascination. Our landlady uses them and swears by them. When you season them properly they turn this amazing earthy brown color. She uses them both in the oven and on top of her gas range. They are really intriguing and I will be investigating.


Reflections


This has been a good day. I was able to get back to work and that felt good. I'm really excited about the cottage and "going home" I've been reading "Simple Abundance" by Sarah Ban Breathnach. It's a great read and full of encouragement. It reads like a sort of devotional with one new essay or thought for each day. At the end of each months readings there is a list of Monthly ideas… really liking it so far.


That's it for now…
Be safe and look out for each other
Rhondi

Inspiration, Fresh air, and a great glass of wine...

Out and About

I was able to go and visit sister at Sidehill Farm yesterday. It was amazing... The sky was blue, and spring was definitely in the air. They had fried up a mess of razor clams (my favorite) which I sniffed out immediately and I got to sip some of her latest vintage.



We walked about the farm envisioning what will be and seeing the bones and structure already in place. Of course I had my camera in hand and had to take a few shots of Prudence the llama ,the chickens, and sheep. What fun. It was good to encourage each other and trade stories and dreams.



We are both beginning again in a way… starting a new page. She is finishing up a long year of building for someone else and having to put her own nest on hold and The Bearded One and I are getting ready to move into our dream cottage and start a new way of life.

So here's to us… Let the Journey continue.

                                               PRUDENCE


Cottage News

 

Our LandLady has invited us over for hors devours and wine this afternoon. We will pay her the rest of the deposit and get the keys to our kingdom. It's true. It is all really happening. I don't know whether to do the "happy dance" or to panic. We will need to do some serious downsizing.
A couple of issues that will have to be addressed are the parking situation or should I say lack of good parking and some of the shared storage space down in the laundry area.


I will be able take my beloved craftsman rocker and footstool since Melody out of the blue offered to remove a cute but quite Victorian chair and Tuffet combo. That was an unexpected little bonus.


I did talk to her about getting a gas grill. It will open up the cooking possibilities and help keep the miniscule yet efficient kitchen area a little less cluttered. There is a lot I will be able to do with a nice size grill all year round.


We will be staying just on the weekends until May when we will move full time, so that will give us some time to work out what we need to keep, have room for,
and what we don't.




Each time we go out to the Bay it gets a little more familiar and comfortable. To be honest the first time we drove down the 1700 foot dirt driveway we swore we heard banjos playing and we were both simultaneously humming the theme from deliverance. Once we got to the bottom though and saw the magical setting with the cottages all nestled together we were hooked. Didn't think it was doable at first but then the cottage just seemed to draw us and our landlady was warm, friendly and enthusiastic.


The happy Homemaker


I made the first batch of yogurt the day before yesterday and today am using one of the containers to make Yogurt Cheese. The yogurt itself turned out really creamy and fairly soft. The starter came from a whole milk yogurt I got at Trader Joe's.
My technique, (learned from Sis) is to put a coffee filter in my colander, add one container of yogurt, top with another filter, and weight it down with a plate and a can of beans. Already whey is dripping into the catch bowl… How about that!


Reflections


The Bearded One is out shopping for new wheels. Well not actually new wheels. New to him wheels. He is looking into trading his Mazda PU for a sporty little Jeep Wrangler (soft top of course) He has been a little skeptical of taking his PU up and down the woodsy road that we will be moving to. I am waiting by the phone as we speak.

I don't really know how this fits into " reflections" other than I think we are all moving towards that new doorway, a different scenery and a new bend in the road. We are all moving forward with both expectation and a little in trepidation. As with anything new and unknown we can start with small little shuffling movements or we can jump in with wild abandon...

Cannon Ball anyone?

 

Rhondi