At Last...

While it is always thrilling at the beginning of any adventure, sometimes there is a twinge of sadness that accompanies the leaving-behind of things you treasure. I had a few of those moments this weekend, as we finalized our move out of the Cottage. As the late afternoon sunlight poured in the South-facing windows, turning the pine floors and buff walls golden, I realized how much I'll miss that. The emptiness in this shot enhances the light but reminds me of the hollow, echoing sounds of the rooms after we removed our life from them...it was a wrenching moment.

I had always wanted to live in a home that had its own character. No plain builder box tri-level or split, but one with architecture and personality. This sweet little Cottage came into my life during some very dark days, and it nurtured my soul. It became a place where healing took place - physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. It was a nest, a cocoon, a cozy enclave that embraced us for seven years... it is, after all, just a house. But it was embued with a force, an energy, that made it a home.

I'll miss that golden light, and the lakeview out my windows.


I'll miss the 40's kitchen with its big tall cabinets and copious storage! I'll miss the morning sunshine streaming into the kitchen and dining rooms.

I'll miss the birds singing and chirping, I'll miss the black & white kitty that always sunbathed on the front deck, the eagle soraing over the lake. I'll miss the towering birch tree behind us and the gnarly old apple tree beside the driveway. I'll miss the memories of Sam, our sweet boy, wagging his tail at us when we came in, and squeaking his ball a few times before he would go out in the dark to potty at night. I'll miss being able to sit on the very spot where he last lay. I'll miss the lights and cheers and strains of music and drum cadences from the high school football games. I'll miss coming home and saying 'Hello Cottage!' as I walked in the door.

But I am able to hold onto my memories and say 'Goodbye', letting the Cottage go to the next resident who will undoubtably love it as much as I did. It is a place filled with spirit, with love, with healing energy, and I wish its wonderful blessings on whomever chooses it.

Our new home is filled with the spirit of growth and abundance and blessing, embracing us with joy and possibilities. Its rooms wait for thoughtful, loving touches and details that bring our life inside and allow it to embrace us. While not filled with charming architecture or unique details (yet!), it does have spacious rooms - and a jacuzzi tub!

Its views reveal a new landscape, new treasures, new vistas to enjoy: the sun illuminates the master bedroom and kitchen in the morning, the living room at noon, and the dining room & my office in the afternoons. By summer, we'll have sun back in the master at sunset. The sea at a distance peeks in from the northwest, through the media room, master, and master bath windows. And out every window is a view of our fields... where not an eagle, but a resident hawk keeps watch. Heron visit, doves perch in the cedar, an owl hoots in the evening air. Our neighbor's horses graze peacefully, and a cat has begun stalking us from the tall grass. Tall fruit, cedar and fir trees shelter us, and the big barns stand resolute in the wind.

It's a new place, a new home, a new life. New things to discover and enjoy. I am so grateful, and I know that my love of the Cottage prepared me to love this place... our Home.