If you're looking for something good to read, you might want to try "The Dirty Life" by Kristin Kimball. If you've ever fantasized about leaving the city behind and living off the land, this may be the story for you. The author is a Harvard graduate who happened to fall in-love with an organic farmer she had been hired to interview. She relinquished the fast pace of New York to undertake a 100-acre farm with her husband. It is hard to read this and not conclude that farmers should be among the highest paid citizens on the planet. Reading this, I realized how little I know about the food I eat, where it comes from, how it is produced, and just how much physical and emotional energy is invested by those who choose this life. Very inspirational...

Back to the cottage... I have become, as my daughter suggests, a "Craigslist Junkie." But it's hard not to when you're looking for bargain furniture. For the price of particle-board rubbish made in China, you can pick up solid wood pieces for incredible prices. Here is a sample of what I have found...a solid, Canadian pine armoire for $50...

A solid pine side-board for $100...

Three vintage lamps made in England: $50...

A brand-new wood burning fireplace, made in the USA, still in the box - $150...

We have a fairly decent wood stove at the cottage...

but it juts out about 54-inches from the wall, which makes furniture arranging pretty difficult.
My husband hates the brick, and he's tired of stubbing his toe on the vicious corners.
Last summer, we visited our cousins who also have a cottage on Mayne Island. They have a big, glorious, wood-burning fireplace and after sitting in front of it all evening, we just felt that a wood stove did not offer the same experience. And a fireplace can be installed almost flush to the wall which completely opens up a living area. Here is my dream fireplace...ours won't look like this.  Ciao for now...