january 2nd 2009

The first line of 

my first blog 

on the second day 

of the new year...

My husband and I spent time this afternoon in the basement sorting gallons of paint. Where did they all come from? It is like going down memory lane. The colors evoke feelings and thoughts as if  glancing at pictures in a photo album. Forgotten colors of days long ago. Some of them were quite "aged". They were trashed. I am combining some of them to make a new color which I will use on the interior walls of my cottage. From growing up in a very frugal household, I still salvage what I can and make good use of it. I guess that is where my "creative" spirit was given birth.

We purchased the property five and a half years ago. It had not been lived in in 30 years! You can't imagine the work that we have put into it, especially my husband.  Our house is livable but long from being completed. However, my cottage is almost done. I had painted the interior colors pink and minty green from the era of the 30's when the cottage was built. Now I am tiring of the Victorian cottage look and am going to more earthy and watery colors. 

When we first saw the cottage, there was a gaping hole in the roof and the interior was the humble abode of a phoebe. (For those of you who don't know birds, a phoebe is a member of the flycatcher family.) The screens on the back porch were ripped and rusted allowing for an easy entry when she glided in to feed her babies in their cozy nest. Today, the cottage is named Phoebe's Cottage after her. 

One day this last summer, I had propped open the front door of the cottage for some reason. I was busy "twittering" around in there when in flew a phoebe! I would like to believe it was the same one who lived in there before. I think she came to see what the new "nest" looked like. I very gently cornered her and carefully carried her out. She flew a short distance away and lit on a tree, flicking her tail as if to say, "SHE is not very neighborly!"

We are surrounded by five ponds and many acres of woods, birds and beautiful skies. No neighbors can spy on us - just woodland creatures, geese and the occasional buzz of an airplane drifting over.

Tonight my friend, Beth, is coming to visit. I am going to be her "guinea pig" for trying out the directions she is handing out at her next card making workshop. We enjoy our stamping, shopping for stamps and talking about stamp times.

Have a good day! 

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