A cottage gal has the last word.......{wink, wink}...

** Good evening from rainy Phoenix Arizona! No worries, we have enjoyed 8 days of sunshine and temperatures in the high 80’s…ahhhh. I am feeling a bit neglectful of this blog so while the family watches a movie I thought I would check in with you. I don’t think I could concentrate on a movie if my life depended on it, I just have too much on my mind.


You see, tomorrow our family boards a plane headed back to Minnesota – which technically really is not home anymore…..cause we have no home there, nor a home anywhere for that matter, we are currently in between closings! Our cottage was packed and loaded before vacation – a process that I survived, just barely, due to the fact that sweet hubby was in meetings in California thus crowning me single parent status for the week, dealing with less than competent movers and then the final (Calgon take me away moment) my big girl’s hamster was murdered by the neighbors dachshund shortly after the moving van pulled away! I spent hours consoling a very distraught little girl while scrubbing my house from top to bottom in preparation for the new owners’ final walk-through the next day……

And on that subject….this is the EIGHTH house that my hubby and I have sold during our twenty years of marriage (which we celebrated on April 6!). It was by far the most difficult sale we have ever been through….I don’t know if it is the real estate market and a case of buyers who expect the moon and more, but boy it was unpleasant. I will say no more. However, in the middle of it, I wrote a post about a tree……with words I really meant, about one thing, out of a million things that will define our time in our Forever*Cottage. I was asked to remove the post and I did. But it has bothered me ever since cause this little ol’ blog is mine, and well, I like to have the last word.


Bear with me, I am not able to post the pictures that accompanied the original post, but the words are there and I feel better that they are back where they belong. A new post will appear on Monday evening – some of my new favorite things – and maybe even some sneek peaks of what I plan to do in our new cottage – and even though our new home is not really a cottage, I am calling it that because I am a cottage-loving gal (who may also sort of like to have the last word too).


Good night from Arizona! Below are my words from the original post, with special thanks to my sweet hubby for saving them for me:

I never considered myself an environmentalist.

I'll even admit to snickering a bit

when the news reported

on people sitting in trees to protest

the cutting down of an old tree.

But if you are wondering where I am this weekend,

I just may be sitting up in this gorgeous

old burl oak tree

in our backyard.

The inspection on our Forever*Cottage took place

this week. This is always the most

stressful part of selling a home.

And while we worried about

some things inside our home {nothing significant}, we

never considered an issue with a tree.

Seems our buyers think this 150-200 year old oak

poses a hazard and danger to the home and

wants US to cut it down prior to closing!

The thought makes me sick.

Don't worry, we have 3 arborists over this week to

inspect the tree. Of course, the owners claim

that their arborist says to take her down.

But the two that came today proclaim her healthy.

Of course she is healthy. She has lovingly provided

the perfect amount of filtered shade that has nutured

both sun and shade loving perennials -

the hydrangea's, day lilies, hostas, black-eyed susans

and coneflowers that make up my

backyard gardens.

On her strongest lower branch has hung my girls'

favorite swing - the one that when daddy gives

a good push allows them to see the roof

of our cottage.

Oh, she is healthy alright! She produces enough

leaves to fill our large yard each fall -all

red and orange and yellow - and three weekends

to rake and bag them!

Maybe it's the lover of all things vintage in me, the things that tell a story,

that have stood the test of time that makes

me feel so protective of our tree. Or perhaps because now

our family is part of this tree's long and special history.

Have a wonderful weekend!