Life back home goes on, whether we are here or not. But despite missing the relaxed peace of the cottage, there is always something good about being home, especially during this time of year when everything is ramping up. For me, the ramp-up was a reunion with my college roommates. And then, Halloween is just around the corner!
And right after that, the annual art sale. I'm getting my inventory together so I don't have to hustle too much at the last minute!
But first -- many of you asked in comments if we had thought about turning the cottage into a year round home and the answer is yes, and in fact, Rick would like that. I'm not a cold-weather woman. So, I told him that if he wanted to put in a furnace and pay for the additional utilities of heating and maintaining the house in the winter, he was welcome to do so. (In fact, when I was a kid, my parents did that; that furnace has long since died!)
We would go up for Thanksgiving, decorate for Christmas and return on Christmas day after dinner with my grandparents. Dad would ice fish, none of us wanted to ski and it was fine, but very lonely!
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Back then my aunt and uncle were living close to the cottage and sometimes Dad and I would take out Wendell's snowmobile. It felt fun then, but I'm pretty sure I would hate it now!
It is expensive enough maintaining two homes, even if one is only six months of the year. Besides taxes and insurance, keeping it open in the winter would mean heating bills and utilities, internet and potentially plowing or a lot of shoveling. So, unless he decides that several weeks of skiing would be worth the expense, it's a no-go, as enticing as it might seem.
On a more fun note, I gathered with my college roommates for a fun reunion. The five of us lived on the same dorm floor for two years and then in two different apartments during our junior and senior years. Obviously, we got on well! In addition, the various others who crossed our paths became part of our "group." This is four of the five of us.
I'll have more about that in another post -- but it was such a wonderful tonic -- loads of laughter and fun.
Our gathering ended on world's nicest day -- a true rarity. So I took advantage of sunny and 75 to take a walk down to the Ditch.
It looked beautiful. Though many of the leaves had dropped, those still there were dazzling.
And, I saw my buddy, Harry. I can't tell you what a joy it was to see my big bird, still here!
Harry wasn't the only wildlife at the Ditch. Bushy Squirrel was hanging out, too!
Then on Wednesday, Kate and I had an art day. I have to hustle for my upcoming sale and it was good to just sit and paint. I got a few more cards done, plus some experiments.
This was a new technique. I think I like it!
I have more to share -- a wonderful roomie reunion, October decorating, books from September (yes, September). More to come!
Sharing with: Friday Face Off
52 comments:
Amazing to have friends so long, and such fun. I used to name a local heron Harry, too! He had a missing feather, so I could recognize him in flight, also favorite fishing places.
I've hardly seen our heron at all this year and I miss him. We had a huge influx of Canadian Geese this year and as a results we've seen far fewer ducks and things.
So glad you got together with your roommates! What's the poster in the background of the old photo -- do you remember?
It seems an unimaginable luxury to me to have two houses, but I'm sure it is expensive. I can barely deal with one, and we rent!
Maintaining two homes only increases in expense; but it's still worth it to me. Great fall pictures. Love your new watercolor technique.
Although the idea of 2 homes sounds appealing, at this stage in life I don't want to clean and maintain 2. One is more than enough. That's why I am moving to a condo. Of course the me of an earlier age would have been gung ho for 2.
Sounds like a great reunion with your college buddies. As for the cottage, you're right about the cost.
Y'all look gorgeous! Great smiles.
Your explanation of winterizing the cottage pulls at the heart strings, but not enough to empty the wallet making it happen. An alternative is to make a mural of the cottage to hang on the wall.
Wishing you great success at your sale!
I can't imagine having two homes especially with costs so high these days. Glad you got to spend some time with your old college roommates. It seems Harry and the squirrel want you to know that they got the Ditch covered and everything is A-ok. :)
What a wonderful reunion you had with your friends, Jeanie. And I loved hearing about your time spent at the cottage in the early years. I know what you mean about the heating bill. It can be expensive, and now that my brother installed two additional heaters in the bedrooms, it's even more. But it keeps us warn, right? There is nothing like the peace of the mountains though, as compared to a busy city or town. I loved seeing the snow pictures, and what fun you had on the snowmobile. I think the last time I rode those was when I was around 18 haha. That photo of you and your Dad is priceless. Autumn is beautiful at the Ditch, and you have lots of golden color as well. Thanks for this wonderful post, Jeanie.
~Sheri
First your college roomates, next Harry and the squirrel, and then art work. Never a dull moment in your life, Jeanie.
Wishing you a very successful art sale!
I hope you manage to reach a decision with your 2 houses! Fun that you met up with your old room mates, that was great. Enjoy the time where you are just now! Hugs, Valerie
Jeanie, loved this post. And seeing your roommates reunion AND seeing Harry. That is a really, really good photo! And, of course, I always enjoy seeing your art. I see you use the same water jars I do—a pair of Talenti containers!
How wonderful Jeanie, that's a special group of friends you have there. I always enjoy your posts and photos, thank you so much!
There is something about a cottage in winter, but it ain't cheap when it's time to fill the tank.
Nice fall photos! The color in the leaves is really spectacular this year. We have a lot on the ground but the trees are still beautiful too. It seems to me that your most important reason for shutting down your cottage in winter is that you really don't enjoy being there when the weather is gloomy and cold. That's all the reason you need.
best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
It is good to see your group photo. Really a great atmosphere there. Art is a great therapy for soul.
Yes, if you would never want to spend a winter there it would be useless to add a furnace, etc.
Nice to get back with your group of girl power friends! Ad you got some painting done, too. Busy-busy!
Enjoy the rest of your week. :)
There is nothing better than close good friends and you have been blessed to have these relationships for such a long time. The fall scenery is just beautiful and how long have you been seeing that bird?? Love your artwork too.
Both areas you live at are wondrous.
Such a lovely post, Jeanie! How wonderful to still have college friends that get together. Your photos from then and now are very joyous. And Harry is the icing on it all!
It's a measure of good character when people who knew you way back when still want to be in touch with you years and years later -- I'm not surprised you have so many longstanding friendships. Glad you've had the chance to reconnect with a few of them recently.
Beautiful pictures from the Ditch, too. And I'm glad to see Harry again,too.
Am curious about this new technique you were experimenting with. I love the rich colors and the feeling of color being scraped (?) onto the page. Did you use charcoal for some of the reeds/texture on the wall?
Hope you're enjoying a wonderful week!
How wonderful you got together with your roommates!
You all look gorgeous.
I enjoyed seeing all your fabulous photos, as always.
Hugs and blessings, Jeanie.
On the road where our family cottage is about half of the twenty cottages have been turned into year-around cottages. So there are ten people to help keep the road plowed. They all got to trim the trees along the road because they all use Amazon and other delivery services so often and they were having trouble getting through. Takes a real commitment to live on a lake in the winter. As much as you enjoy your arts and decorating and get-togethers with friends I understand why you like having a summer life and a winter life.
Hello Jeanie :=)
What a happy reunion you had with your former room mates. Lovely photos throughout your post, and I so enjoyed the ones of when you were younger.I wonder if you still play the guitar, although goodness knows you have many hobbies to occupy your artistic self. Watercolours and crafts, cooking, making preserves, and so on. Where you live has beautiful scenery and Henry the heron is a welcome sight and also the squirrel.I enjoyed it all.
All the best, and keep warm:=)
Sonjia
I always love your photos, the old and the new. How wonderful that you meet up with your college roommates.
There is the odd moment of regret that I sold my cottage years ago, but it quickly passes. I don’t miss the expense and the upkeep of two properties, and I didn’t have the family connection that you have with yours, Jeanie.
I totally get about maintaining 2 homes. And winterizing takes some cash too, especially if it hasn't been updated. It's fun to see the old photos of winter. But it sounds like even though closing up is sad (and I know that sad from my mother-in-laws), but coming home sounds fun too. You've had some good things to do. A college reunion sounds fun. We have a plan to see some college friends in December, and we saw another couple back in September. Enjoy the weekend. That nice weather is in NH now, and then the cold is a coming. :) hugs-Erika
Hello,
The reunion sounds fun, I love the two photos of you and your college roomies.
I love the ditch photos, beautiful fall colors. It is great to see Harry the Heron too. Take care, have a wonderful weekend!
How wonderful to be able to get together with old friends from your college years. You are blessed in that way. I am not a cold weather person either. Luckily, having Scruffy makes me get out and walk everyday. Otherwise, I would stay in when it is cold and blowing snow.
Best of luck with your art show. I am sure you will do fine and it will be work all the work once you get there.
Have a wonderful weekend. xo Diana
Try as I might, I can't even remember the names of my college roommates during my undergraduate years! There again, so much moving around played a role in losing touch. I admire your long-term connections, but I don't envy them, in the sense of feeling a lack. On the other hand -- that autumn color and the beauty of the ditch? I envy that!
Jeanie, how fun to get together with. College roomies again. Years of friendship are priceless. I can only imagine the costs of maintaining two houses. Some of our friends have experienced that and said it’s too difficult. Happy weekend.
I agree amazing to have friends that long..look at you all:)
2 homes are super expensive..
love you painting also:)And your peeps in first pic:)
Sad that winter keeps you from living in the cottage. It´s so beautiful there.
In summer... Fun pics of you all, then and now.
Harry looks as if he´s feeling cold, oh, and such a cute squirrel.
I love your artwork!
Looking forward to your next post already.
WHat are the names of the collection in the first picture in front of your books..I know I have seen them before..they're adorable..
I totally understand the 2 house thing!! I might be tempted to redo the cabin if I had the resources..I love winter..But your decision is probably the sensible one..
Glad Harry is always there to meet you..
Enjoy your weekend..
I had wondered about your cabin in winter, but it makes sense not to add the expense of it all. Plus, I agree, it would be lonely.
How lovely to gather with dear friends.
Love, love that last card. Good luck getting ready for the sale.
Love the friends reunion! Such a nice thing - to have friends like that all through life. Maintaining one house is hard enough, never-mind two, but it is a difficult decision to let one go. The photos of you there and with your Dad are wonderful memories. Beautiful fall colors at the ditch and good to see Harry and friend are still going strong. Always love seeing your beautiful artwork, too. x K
Jeanie,
I am amazed that you are still in touch with college friends...How wonderful...I can understand about not waning to put heat and other expenses into the other home...Great pics especially of the heron....Thanks so much for stopping by!!! I truly appreciate all of your visits...
I hope you have a great weekend!!
Hugs,
Deb
What a wonderful treat to meet with your college roommates, I can’t wait to read more! The ditch looked pretty and so happy that Harry was still around. I totally understand keeping up two homes for all 12 months would be expensive and hard. Happy Weekend, Jeanie!
Autumn has been good to you ... so many lovely gifts and events to be happy about. And oh, would I love to learn more about watercolors from you ... isn't it the most stressless, gentle activity ever? I'm dabbling just a bit here and there and love every minute of it.
Happy weekend to you!
You gals have aged so beautifully. The friendship is such a gift!! I love the fall feels through your eyes, Jeanie. And I totally understand the hesitancy of keeping the two (really three if Rick's is in the mix also, not to mention his rentals) year-round. In an inflationary economy, one has to think hard about how to spend the budget.
Was that picture you took of the leaves random? So many different colors! When you first talked about making your cabin 4 season, my first thought was "ice fish". Then your next sentence talked about your dad ice fishing! I have such great memories of ice fishing at my dads.
Such fun to gather with old friends, I do like the photograph of you all.
Also, so good to see Harry, and a sweet photograph of Bushy Squirrel too :)
Hope your art sale goes well.
All the best Jan
Maintaining two homes must be quite expensive so I can understand that you only want your cottage for half a year. And it gives you such nice summers.
Beautiful watercolor cards. I'm sure your sale will be very successful. Keeping up inventory is not easy. I usually have a constant inventory in my shop, but the knitted items can take up a lot of time.
How lovely to get together with your college roommates. Have a lovely weekend, Jeanie.
We sure have been spoiled by summer running so late. I think we're into the deep freeze now though.
My sister is moving down that way soon, just across from Port Huron. We may get together yet Jeannie!
having two homes would be expensive and exhausting. I am not a cold weather person. Your photo is all I need .
How wonderful that you and your college friends still get together! Always love your Ditch photos and Harry. The squirrel looks well fed. Have a super week with the sale. Your Halloween figures are adorable!
I can relate to maintaining two houses, it is expensive and a lot of work. How wonderful to still be in touch with your college roommates, that's amazing! I'm glad you've been painting, I like your new technique!
Jenna
Lovely painting and photos.
What a wonderful reunion of college friends. And again beautiful pics and art of your fall scene Moving all out to the lakeside cabin sure sounds idyllic…. Does that mean you’ll be farther away from movie theaters? 😉
The expense of two homes year 'round is not to be sneezed at, especially if one of them isn't 4-season ready yet. Still... it's a lovely dream.
Your reunion looks like such fun!
This post was so cozy!! And how fun to hang out with your roommates. I missed our college roommate reunion last year due to Covid! It was the week Wyatt and I had Covid and it was a bummer, since my good friend was coming in from Australia where he moved after graduation. :( Anyway, I am glad you had such a beautiful day!!
That makes sense about not winterizing the cottage unless Rick really wants to. We did winterize our old cabin when we started to spend Christmas there but I don't remember going there all that often. That would have been when I was in college/in my early years of my career so I was certainly not up there much during the winter. Now my parents live there year round in their home that they built about 10 years ago. They love the winter season but it's easier when you are only maintaining one home!
I love the pics from your college reunion!!! I would love to do something similar with my college friends but it is so hard to plan something in this stage of life as everyone is so busy with their kids. It will be different when we are all retired! My mom still sees her nursing school classmates on a pretty regular basis - usually 1-2 times/year!
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