My Cottage 

So many people I know have second homes; whether they are “up north”, as we say here in Wisconsin, or perhaps in another state.

Years ago I thought I wanted a second home on a lake somewhere—Perhaps on Golden Pond. Well, maybe not on THEE Golden Pond, but something like it. I need more than two hands to count how many times I’ve watched that movie. The soundtrack, the scenery, and all the warm feelings that come from it make me return to it again and again.

As I sat out on the deck the other night with John, I was glad I did not have a second home. I love perusing through magazines like Cottage Journal and Cottage Living while sipping a glass of wine in my Adirondack chair with the dogs nearby, and conversation now and then with John. Often I’ll show John a picture from a magazine of something I like and maybe want to incorporate into our home.

I realized in essence we have made our first home, our second home. We do not need another house somewhere else. Besides the fact, I want to live a simpler life, and having two homes does not fit my definition of simpler. That to me would mean more work!

It was a heart warming thing to realize how much we enjoy our little cottage or as I like to call it our “Cottage in the Village.” Often on the weekends, many of the neighbors are not home, so we have the chirping of the birds and whispering of the wind through the trees all to ourselves.

So often I think others have second homes to “escape” their busy, crazy lives- though many don’t feel this way, so I want to be sure to say that, too. But, I find complete joy waking up every day to my quaint home and loving it for what it is. I also have the glorious option of hopping on my bike or going for a walk past the lake which is only a few minutes from my home.  So I “sort of” have my own Golden Pond.  Maybe one of these days, you might even see me dancing and singing away to myself out in my backyard, just like Kathryn Hepburn does in the movie.  Now that would be something!

My writing cottage behind the cottage