The Cottage on the Hill

Here we go....it's the last day of May and still no garden. So, I ran hither and thither trying to find plants. My dad gave me two tomato plants. The local green house was out of many items, but I was able to pick up 3 more tomato plants, lettuce plants, and some flowers. I got pansies but no johnny jump-ups. :( Walmart had a lot of dead or dying plants, but I managed to get a bag of potting soil and 4 sweet pepper plants. Now, I just need dear husband to till the garden for me. That won't happen until this weekend. Patience, ladyscott. We have a longer growing season down here near the valley. I'm at an impass right now. You see, we have this slope behind our garage and workshop. It's a steep slope, shaded and the soil is poor from the pine trees that shade it. However, I'd like to grow something there more lovely that the weeds that currently make it an eyesore. I came up short at the stores and green houses. Hmmm.... Perhaps this year I'll just...

I have an enclosed front porch. We call them three-season porches up here, even though we only have two seasons in Upstate New York....winter and construction. This enclosed front porch has tongue and groove pine paneling and many lovely windows to look out of. I have a table that I'm redoing and two antique red windsor chairs. I wants of other furniture, but I know not what just yet, so I leave it alone. What it's desperate for is a new floor covering. Currently, the porch has an icky old green industrial carpet. It's ancient and filthy. Underneathe is an even worse linoleum. I need a floor covering of sorts. Any ideas? The basic color theme of the porch along with the wood is red and white with some green....cabin-ish colors. Birds and tea. I'm also keeping my magazines out there. It'll be a great place to read them! Oh....I wish I had a day bed to put out there. That would be even better than the windsor chairs! It would also make for a great summer...

We have returned from our trip to Maryland, and yes, my dear husband was right. I knew he was. I'm so glad God gave him to me! He knew exactly what I needed....a trip away. We had such a great time and no problems with the drive. Plus, when we got home, dear husband made me dinner. The nice thing was we moved closer to the thru way, so we got home sooner. When I walked through the door, it almost felt like home. Although, I was upset at myself for leaving dirty dishes in the sink before I left. Ah well, they'll just have to be cleaned up today! Things have mysteriously changed while we were away. We left a lawn, and returned home to a rain forest! I need to borrow some sheep or goats to help cut it down to mow-able size! The fish in the pond faired well without food or the fountain turned on. Luckily, it didn't get too warm to do them harm and there is a continued supply of mosquitoes and their eggs to keep the goldfish fed. Also, the weather has taken a turn f...

We've only just moved a week ago, and my dear husband insists we go to Maryland this weekend. *pout* He firmly believes we need to get away, as I have said in previous posts. Almost all day, I just stewed, wanting to grab him by the ears and make him understand that going away is more stressful for me than staying amid the boxes. But, for some reason, God has given this man wisdom to see into my weaknesses, one of them being a hermit of sorts. Perhaps we DO need to get away. My pride makes me not want to admit it. My personal sense of reason tells me to just stay and feather the nest. My husband says, "no." But I can't be mad at him. He's been so gentle and loving, seeing the strain on my face, hearing the weariness in my voice, and noticing the "blues" in my eyes. He only wants what's best for me. He came in this evening from changing the oil in his truck and kissed me on the head, saying, "You look like you needed that." And I did. I'...

I have a dining room in Taigh Beag. In the mobile home, we had an eat-in kitchen and I didn't like that because I had to stare at the pile of dishes in the sink while I ate dinner. The dining room in Taigh Beag is just perfect, though. We're "forced" to eat there because this kitchen is a galley kitchen and has no room for a table and chairs. So, we eat in the dining room like a king and queen. :) The dining room is also the center of the house. All the rooms are attached to the dining room. It gets a lot of traffic. It's also warmly lit and houses many of our 18th century-themed items. I can see it becoming the hub of hospitality. Right now, it's still swamped in boxes and lacking in a few pieces of furniture, like my grandmother's hutch. That still needs to be picked up. I'd also like to get a sideboard and a cabinet to house our scotch. (yes, hubby and I are scotch drinkers, but for him, it's a few sips a night, and for me, it's ...

We sold the mobile home yesterday! I mean, it's officially in the ownership of someone else! I hope they are satisfied. It does need a little work. They seem happy, though and eager to work on it. I'm glad someone else saw what I saw in that little mobile home more than 3 year ago, when I was house-hunting just weeks before hubby and I tied the knot. *sigh* There's that sad feeling again. I've been blue all week! I was a little better yesterday and hubby commented that I sounded more cheerful, but today I'm blue blue blue blue blue. The gloomy, sunless weather isn't helping. It's damp and cold. I also went through our budget yesterday and I'm gloomy that we can't really save much money until those stupid credit cards are paid off! It's time I went to the Lord with it all. That'll cheer me up. He always does! I'm also kinda stressed out because even though I quit my sewing business, I still have customers that demand satisfact...

And what is "this" that I like? Due to our move, I've had to quit my sewing business. Owning my dog is preventing me from finding an insurance company that will insure a business in the home with the dog present. Therefore, I've had to "temporarily" quit my at-home business. So, since our move, other than my small job cleaning the church, I've been just a housewife and I breathe a sigh of relief! I enjoy being able to feather the nest and deep clean (rather than just wiping off because that's all I had time to do). I can actually take my time making dinner rather than rushing through it. I enjoy being able to get my housework done rather than ignoring it because I have to sew. I actually feel like I'm getting more done and getting more quality work done! Even my husband has seen the difference. Before, the house would be a mess and he never really saw the progress of my sewing because it was often packed and shipped before he saw the fi...

What a gloomy day. It's been rainy, cold and gloomy since Sunday and there's no end to it in sight for the week. That's why I'm typing this in a cheerful color. The wind is whipping and I sit here in distress because I still have to return to the mobile home to pick up the garbage and take it out to the park's garbage dumpster. I REALLY don't want to do this chore in this weather. :( *sigh* The sooner I get it done, the sooner I'll be back in Taigh Beag. Taigh Beag is getting quite cozy now. I did my first load of laundry in this house today. I felt bad because my brother and SIL left me their brand new washer and dryer because they didn't want to bother hauling them out of the basement. Instead, I gave them my set, which is only 3 years old, but isn't as high quality as their set. But it was their decision. They were the ones who offered the switcheroo. So I guess I should just count my blessings that I have such a nice washer and dryer...

Listen....do you hear it? It's quiet here. Something my husband and I have wanted. Peace and quiet. Just the sound of the birds, the rustle of leaves, a dog barking in the distance. I never realized how strange it would be. I grew up in a large family at an intersection between two schools. It was rural, but there was still plenty of noise, especially when 3 of us 5 children were teenagers and each had our own taste in music and would play it all at the same time! My oldest brother would play classical. My older brother would play classic rock. I would play showtunes. Not to mention that the neighbors on one side had 3 children and a couple of ATVs. The neighbors in the small farm across the street had 5 children as well. We also lived close to a private airport and would often have small aircraft flying overhead. There was always noise. But here, it's so quiet. I listened to talk radio most of yesterday just for another voice, another sound. Outside, I could hea...

When I was in Scotland, I loved that people still named their houses and estates. The house I stayed in was called Drummore. Some friends of mine have named their houses. One friend's tiny colonial saltbox is "Endsleigh Cottage." My husband and I have decided to call our house, "Taigh Beag" (pronounced "tie beck"). It is Scottish Gaelic for "little house." Simple, but effective and rather cute.

It's kind of hard to explain, but all day yesterday, I had this strange sadness about the moves. I felt sad for leaving hubby and I's starter home....the home where I began our marriage and spent 3 lovely years forging ahead in life. We really needed to upgrade to a house, and had definately out grown the mobile home, but I still felt sad leaving it. I also felt sad about my brother and his wife leaving their home, the one we bought. It still feels like, "L and S's house." So much of their "touch" is here and I almost feel imposing. Plus, they moved a bit of a distance away, so it's no more, "Hey, you wanna come over?" and we're visiting in less than 1/2 an hour. I'm also sad about leaving the foothills and moving to the valley. I really fell in love with that little town and all it's redneck workings. I miss not being able to just hop a mile around the corner to the Fuel and Food station where everyone knew everyone el...

This past weekend was the BIG MOVE. Friday night, hubby and I packed the truck and utility trailer. Saturday morning, I packed the car while hubby headed for our new home. We met there and my brother arrived with his moving van. (Remember, hubby and I moved into my brother's house and my brother moved to another town). We packed the moving van and every vehical we could. My worst fear came true. I ended up having to drive my husband's pick-up truck with the trailer on the back. Thankfully, it wasn't that bad. What was bad that we hadn't got 5 minutes on our 2 hour trip to my brother's new house and I suddenly had to "go" badly! And I went before I left! It was so bad, after an hour and half of driving, I gave up the convoy and pulled into a gas station. There was NO WAY I was going to make it another half an hour. Thankfully, my brother, who was driving his truck behind me, saw me pull in and was able to lead me back on the right road to his ho...

Here is a happy housewife right here! Scotchbrite Erase pads/sponges have made cleaning fun for me! I love them! They're a little pricy for the length of time they last, but they pick up grime so easily!! It cuts my cleaning time in half! We're coming upon the weekend and I was glad to get an early surprise and see there was a large garage sale today! I called up my mom, and we both took off for it. I spent $14.00 and walked out of there with an old, but in great shape heavy-duty hand truck, 2 lawn chairs in GREAT condition, and a Thomas Kincade puzzle for my husband, "Mountain Majesty." Tomorrow, I'm hitting a few more garage sales, and Saturday is the village-wide garage sale in the town my brother is moving in. Us girls are conspiring to sneak away under the pretense of picking up some pizza and hit a few of the garage sales. ;) ladyscott

Ok, I'm a little upset! I am so sick of this sue-happy world we live in and the lows of this society who get rich quick on ridiculous lawsuits (and the judges who rule in their favor!) I'm also sick of media-hype which is just another word for out and out LIES and/or deception! What is this soapbox rant all about? I am finding it hard to get insurance to have a business in my house because I apparently own a "dangerous breed dog." What a bunch of hooey, especially since I train my dog well, she's a sweetheart of a dog who adores humans and when people come over, she's penned up away from them and I do not allow them to pet her unless I trust them to behave. If they behave, she'll behave. My doggy, an American Staffordshire Terrier, is labeled until "dangerous breed" or "pit bull" even though she has no history of legalities against her for biting. I can't say she's never bitten, because ALL DOGS BITE! She bit me once whe...

Today, I brought up another load of boxes in my little car to my new house. When I pulled in the driveway, I saw my mom's car there. When I walked in the house, there was my mom, unasked, on her hands and knees scrubbing the floors!! I had to chuckle, though, because she kept asking my SIL about what other chores she should do, when it's MY HOUSE! LOL.....of course I didn't press the issue. She's actually cleaning for my SIL who can't do much because she's in a very careful pregnancy. I did stop by Home Depot today and splurged on a book about how to paint rooms (hints, troubleshooting, decorative techiniques) and I was blessed to find they had a small baggy of paint in the exact color I want for the kitchen! I bought that and am going to try it in the kitchen tomorrow! Tomorrow's chore: bring up the bookcases. I can empty a LOT of boxes if I have the bookcases up! ladyscott

And the nesting instincts are kicking in full gear! Yesterday, our closing took only 1 hour and *bam!* we were homeowners, hubby and I. However, we're still in the mobile home because we're letting my brother and his wife live in the house until they close on their new house this Friday. Please keep them in prayer. We did move some of our stuff yesterday and my brother moved most of his furniture into the shed. I grabbed a shovel and started edging what will be my vegetable garden. Now, I just need to beg of hubby to grab his dad's tiller and till the garden for me. We also met our neighbor. He's a very nice man, very kind. He runs the farm next door and lives across the street from us with his wife and 3 children. I'm so thrilled to have such nice neighbors, especially since we're leaving some behind. Today, I have SO MUCH to do! I have to take out the garbage, clean the church, pack more, call about a million people and places, shop, find an ink cartr...

It's Closing Day!! I'll let you know how it goes...... ladyscott

We all think, "It'll never happen to me," but yesterday it did. I figured I lived in a conservative enough area that I wouldn't have to face this, but I guess I was wrong. I was sitting in the insurance agency getting my homeowners and when asked what I do, I said, "I'm a housewife." She avoided looking at me, but almost seemed sick. I guess it's hard to believe that a strong, active 24 year old isn't "working." So, then she asked, "You mean, you don't work at all?" Ok, she got me. I told her I had a job cleaning the church I attend. She seemed relieved until I told her that it only takes me 2 1/2 hours a week. (It's a small church.) Then, she seemed almost desperate. "Are you going to be having children soon?" There it is! It was her last grasp at "reason." I told her I was hoping to have children soon, and she seemed settled. I guess it's ok to be a stay-at-home mom, but not a sta...

Woah, what a day! I had to apply for last minute homeowners. The insurance company wasn't happy, but they were nice and complied with my last minute wishes. However, I got a call back from them saying that I was denied because I own a "dangerous breed dog." I have an American Staffordshire Terrier (a close relative to the pit bull...in fact the AKC shows them as the same breed). She is the sweetest, nicest dog as many of them are. Well, thanks to media hype (most "pit bull" attacks aren't even American Pit Bull Terriers or American Staffordshire Terriers) and sue happy creeps, I couldn't get homeowners. Finally, my agent found someone who'll insure our home with our dog, but we can't have liability insurance. I've been bitten by just about every kind of dog moreso then I've ever been bitten by a pit bull! So, I took what I could because I need it for closing, but I'm doing heavy searching to find a company that'll give us...

This past Saturday, I packed up my sick mother and we went to some garage sales. We had a blast! I spent a total of $6.00 and this is what I got: 1. A Thomas Kincade gift box with Thomas Kincade notecards in it (I gave this to my mom because she loves Thomas Kincade paintings) 2. An old wooden chair that's just so neat and shabby chic! 3. An ottoman for hubby that I'm going to slip cover in a lovely 18th century style fabric 4. 3 herbal prints for my new kitchen 5. a wild game cookbook 6. A Denise Austin workout video Next weekend, we are moving, but hubby has to work on Friday, so that'll give me the morning to go to some more garage sales! My goal is to get lots of old furniture I can revamp into shabby chic and then sell. I better start out small, though, because I don't want to be stuck with a lot of furniture! ladyscott

Ok, real quick, because I have to start dinner.... I talked things over with my Mom about the kitchen in hubby and I's new home. We both brain stormed and although we like the red and white kitchen look, we both think a soft green and white with botanical prints is more practical for me and for that kitchen. Mom says that she would love the red and white kitchen, but she thinks I'd get sick of it too quickly...plus it would involve extra money invested because my current kitchen decorative items are more suited to a soft green kitchen like the one I have in my mobile home. So, soft green it's going to be, I guess. I better ask hubby's input, though. He often has some great ideas and decorating solutions! I am trying to convince him to let me replace those icky teal countertops with a butcher block countertop. :) ladyscott

Moving on to the next room in question, the kitchen. The kitchen is a galley kitchen with 1950's metal white cabinets, and a teal blue swirly countertop and small floral wallpaper. Hubby wants to spend very little money on the kitchen because we're eventually going to move the kitchen into an addition we plan to build in the future. However, one of the things I learned with our mobile home is to go ahead and spend some money to make a room livable and likable rather than just living in blech. So, I'm stuck with the metal cabinets, but I decided to turn lemons into lemonade with them! My original thought was to cover them with Victorian style botanical prints, but then I got inspired by some vintage linen kitchen towels I have with red stripes along the boarders. I've wanted a red and white kitchen for some time now, but it has to be just right. So now I'm thinking along the lines of a 1950's country look. My brother turned the lemonade even sweeter when he...

Many ladies posted suggestions on the Beautiful Womanhood message board. The general vote is for muslin curtains slightly embellished. I thought of this myself, and I also thought of inside shutters that simply sit on the window sill. Today, I went over to my soon to be new house and checked out the bathroom more closely. The window doesn't have a sill (I'm not going to mount shutters) and the bathroom really is quite narrow and small, therefore I don't want clutter. Curtains sometimes make a room look smaller and more cluttered to me, so I think I'm going to settle for white shades for now and maybe and embellished muslin valance. Oh, how small that bathroom is!

Ok, I need help! I don't know what to do for curtains for my bathroom in my new home. The bathroom already has white tile and a light colored vanity. I'm doing the walls in a french blue and I'm getting a blue toile shower curtain: However, I haven't an idea yet about what to do for a curtain for the window above the toilet. I don't want more blue, nor another toile....so I'm thinking white or slightly off white. Swiss dot? Muslin? A brocade or jacquard? Since the house is a cottage, I want a cottage look, nothing too elegant. The bathroom is sort of going to be a quasi-french country provincial look. Any ideas? ladyscott

Today, I'm eating Cap'n Crunch Berries and changing my address on my credit cards and magazine subscriptions. There is just so much to do and to think of while moving! It's a good thing I pretty much stay at home. I can't imagine trying to do this while working outside the home! My husband and I downright have ants in our pants! We're so eager to move! It's so hard to concentrate on anything else but the move and the new house. Thank goodness for this blog to let my feelings out! ladyscott

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!! His timing is always perfect! We found a buyer for our little trailer! They're paying cash, so that's going to mean less headache with financial institutes! Plus, I have another thing to be thanking God for....if this falls through, there's someone else who's willing to pay cash for our trailer! Oh, He is SO GOOD! We're almost moved! ladyscott

It's amazing how the Lord always provides. I often find that His timing is a bit more "last minute" than what I'd prefer, but somehow, it's always perfect! He knows. :) As we creep closer to our closing, we're beginning to get eager for someone to buy our mobile home. Yesterday, a young couple with two children stopped by and I took them on a tour. They loved the mobile home, but it's still up in the air whether or not they're going to buy it. Wednesday, I have another lady stopping by to see the mobile home. Hopefully, one of the two will decided to purchase. It really is a cute mobile home. This weekend, we had a family yard sale. My husband and I did well and made around $100.00. Now we're having a cheerful debate on what we should use that money for. I originally thought about putting it towards a new bedroom set. Hubby figured we will need a weedwacker. Then, I suggested getting one of those old-fashioned candlestick phones, since we've be...

Appetizer: Name a store or restaurant you no longer visit because of a bad experience you had there. Applebees (but only one branch). The restaurant wasn't busy at all, but once we were seated, the waiter came up right away and took our drink orders. After we got them, it took him 20 minutes to return to take our order. Then it was a LONG time before our order came to the table (no drink refills in the meantime because he was too busy chatting with the barmaid). The order was all messed up and he took even longer to try and correct it. (How hard is it to run back and get an order of fries?) Still no drink refills. When our food came out, it was served by someone else because he was too busy chatting to the barmaid. During all this, a rather large family was seated, served ate and paid before we managed to get our appetizers! When all was said and done, we left no tip. Soup: If you could own any building in existence, which one would you want? Hmmm....any gorgeous colonial ...

Welcome to my blog about my Cottage on the Hill. This is going to be a housekeeping blog for my new little home. After failing "homemaking 101" in hubby and I's first home, I intend to tend our new home like a Proverbs 31 and Titus 2 wife should! This blog will also trace our footsteps as we proceed to close on the house (Closing is May 17) move, redecorate, add to and generally live in our new home. I'll also discuss my gardening as we have a lovely plot of land I can do much with! I'll also post pictures when I can. The Cottage on the Hill, as I'll temporarily call it for now, is a 1950's bungalow, 1 story with attic and basement. 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, a galley kitchen, cute dining room, good sized living room and an enclosed porch. Hubby loves the 2 car garage with workshop and the two large sheds on the property. Currently, the existing landscape consists of a bulb garden, some evergreen shrubs out front, a stone wall, a garden patch, a decora...