So, what is this? A story about an island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina? Is it a story about a beach house rental? Is it a decorating blog? A marketing blog? Is it about me? Is it about life and love and ups and downs and blessings and waiting and wondering and fearing???
Monday: I’m sitting here in the dining area of 10 Cuttin Sage- sick, my hubby’s sick, the weather is gray and windy and cold. We have a monstrous amount of work to do this week to get the cottage in shape for guests next month. The winter months on Ocracoke always wreak havoc on paint, porches, outdoor furniture, decking and walkways. Ants and other crawly creatures have moved in to take up residence and get out of the cold (I don’t blame them). The cedar trees are out again this month and allergies have combined forces with this cold I’ve caught to battle it out with my immune system. I can’t sleep because of the Doer’s truck-rattle kind of snoring that shunned me from the bedroom last night. I move outside of the bedroom to the living room sofa; the snoring still keeps me awake. I can’t move upstairs because I didn’t bring sheets for any more beds, and I don’t sleep in beds with no sheets. I trip over the Doer’s tool bag and cordless drill in the darkness. The house is a wreck because of tool bags, tools, paint cans, cleaning supplies, mops, brooms, etc.
We found out that the newly installed (but used, because we’re trying to recycle and save $$) heating/AC unit in the Boat House doesn’t work. (The one we paid $400 to have installed so that we wouldn’t have to pay $1200 for a new one.)
As I look around the house, I see To Do lists in every corner of the house. And every time we get into one project, we find more things that need to be done. Then I wonder why the heck I’m wasting time blogging??? (I AM the Queen of Procrastination). This trip isn’t turning out to be nearly as much fun as usual. This is one of those times when I wonder if all this is worth it: the cleaning, the investment, the maintenance, the upkeep, paper work at tax time..... And should I even be blogging when I’m feeling down and depressed or only when I’m happy and in a good mood? Does anyone really care?????
Tuesday: I look outside the dining room window and see Mustache-io, the Cat trotting up Fish Camp board walk toward the house. There is a pair of geese hanging around the dock (probably because I fed them bread last night) diving under water, white tails high in the air, to eat whatever is on the bottom of the canal. They're waiting for me to come out and join them (AND DON’T FORGET THE BREAD!) I name the gentleman, “Mr. Honky the Goose”.
My husband opens the door and calls in to me, “I want you to come out and meet some people!” So I go out sniffling, coughing and sneezing, dreading to meet people in paint-stained pants and T-shirt (me, not them). I reach out to shake hands, forgetting that I'm about to post cold germs on their skin. Too late..... oh no, I shouldn’t have shaken their hands, or I should have warned them that I’m sick. Now should I pretend to not be sick so they don’t realize that they're about to catch my cold, as I try desperately to stifle coughs?
Turns out this couple owns the precious Fish Camp house down at the other end of the boardwalk... the one where I attributed the remodeling to a woman in a previous blog?
They invited us to walk up and take a tour. They have been coming to Ocracoke for about 30 years, all the way from Ohio. They bought and remodeled the Fish Camp cabin so that they could stay there while they renovate and rent out their other cottage. (I’ll get to that story later). Turns out, they own a graphic design company and are both graphic designers; he is an artist and painted artwork on the walls of the cabin. If only I had taken my camera with me! No surprise that this cabin is a charmer! It is every bit as charming inside as out. It’s truly a “tiny house” and extremely livable...something you’d see on HGTV.
Thursday: I wake up feeling about 75% better. The Doer and I are able to tackle the screened porch; the weather is beautiful today, warm breeze and sunshine. We scrub every railing, chair, table, fan blade, light fixture, floor board, ceiling board, etc. We notice that the porch needs to be re-screened and repainted soon. More upkeep which the Doer will want to do himself, because he’s a Doer. The floor is old, worn and peeling, but I like it that way. The Doer does not. I talk him into giving it another 2 seasons and then we’ll do everything at once. He thinks that’s a good idea.
The Boat House got furnished yesterday with it’s new recycled plastic couches (doesn’t that sound soooo tacky?) After cleaning the porch and running errands around town, we spend this afternoon hanging stuff in the cabin. We put in place two of my husband’s latest projects, a coffee table made of old barn wood (which he rescued from our family barn at home which collapsed in the snowfall a month ago). We also hung a barn wood rack he made on which to hang antique fishing poles. We also hung an aerial photo of the Ocracoke harbor village that was taken in 1996 and given to us by our new friend that owns the Light Keeper’s Inn that I wrote about previously. At night we sit in the Boat House as the sun is setting, eat sausage, cheese and crackers and watch a movie, relaxing from a day of work. Mr. Honky, the Goose is just outside honking at us from the canal. What atmosphere!
The new old fishing pole rack. The rods came from an antique shop back home. They were surprisingly inexpensive. Again, the wood is old barn wood.
I think the furniture is perfect for a boat house!!! It is virtually indestructible!
And note this beautiful table my hubby made! His new hobby now is furniture making. He used both oak and chestnut in this piece and I love it! The finish is beautiful.
This is the photo given to us by a friend with a home on the island. It’s amazing how much development has taken place since 1996.
And the view outside is awesome!
Friday: Last day here and I’m feeling better but now quite melancholy! I don’t want to leave because we won’t be back until September! This past week, I was blessed with meeting a wonderful couple from Ohio, touring their fish camp cabin AND seeing their latest project, an old Assembly of God church that was going to be torn down and replaced by a new church building. Because of their love for Ocracoke, the church, and old buildings, they bought the church for $10,000, moved it to the other side of the village, restored it and turned it into a 3 bedroom, 2 bath rental cottage. They preserved every ounce of the character and integrity of that building and it is charming! The congregation was thrilled that the little church was saved. The husband is also a Doer and he and his wife did most of the work themselves. When I griped a little about the work and upkeep of property down here, his wife said, “But it’s a labor of love, isn’t it? Isn’t is all worth it?” They invited us to church next time we’re down and after hearing a little about the church, I’m so eager to try it! Seems to be a Godly bible-teaching church, the only kind I would want to attend.
While visiting in this charming home, I also got to meet and visit with a real born and bred Islander, Joyce, who is almost 80, with the original Ocracoke accent that I have so longed to hear, committed member of that church and full of stories about island history. Sadly, there are not too many of these people left.
Blessings abound this week as God has given us more new friends, stories to tell, Mr. Honky the Goose and of course, time with Becky the Cat who loves to cuddle up on my lap every evening on the dock. We also have a beautiful clean house, renters to come and enjoy it this summer and....
Yes, it’s worth it!
PS: Weatherbug is now calling for 32 degrees tonight and a frozen mix tomorrow. I believe it’s time to go home....
Monday: I’m sitting here in the dining area of 10 Cuttin Sage- sick, my hubby’s sick, the weather is gray and windy and cold. We have a monstrous amount of work to do this week to get the cottage in shape for guests next month. The winter months on Ocracoke always wreak havoc on paint, porches, outdoor furniture, decking and walkways. Ants and other crawly creatures have moved in to take up residence and get out of the cold (I don’t blame them). The cedar trees are out again this month and allergies have combined forces with this cold I’ve caught to battle it out with my immune system. I can’t sleep because of the Doer’s truck-rattle kind of snoring that shunned me from the bedroom last night. I move outside of the bedroom to the living room sofa; the snoring still keeps me awake. I can’t move upstairs because I didn’t bring sheets for any more beds, and I don’t sleep in beds with no sheets. I trip over the Doer’s tool bag and cordless drill in the darkness. The house is a wreck because of tool bags, tools, paint cans, cleaning supplies, mops, brooms, etc.
We found out that the newly installed (but used, because we’re trying to recycle and save $$) heating/AC unit in the Boat House doesn’t work. (The one we paid $400 to have installed so that we wouldn’t have to pay $1200 for a new one.)
As I look around the house, I see To Do lists in every corner of the house. And every time we get into one project, we find more things that need to be done. Then I wonder why the heck I’m wasting time blogging??? (I AM the Queen of Procrastination). This trip isn’t turning out to be nearly as much fun as usual. This is one of those times when I wonder if all this is worth it: the cleaning, the investment, the maintenance, the upkeep, paper work at tax time..... And should I even be blogging when I’m feeling down and depressed or only when I’m happy and in a good mood? Does anyone really care?????
Tuesday: I look outside the dining room window and see Mustache-io, the Cat trotting up Fish Camp board walk toward the house. There is a pair of geese hanging around the dock (probably because I fed them bread last night) diving under water, white tails high in the air, to eat whatever is on the bottom of the canal. They're waiting for me to come out and join them (AND DON’T FORGET THE BREAD!) I name the gentleman, “Mr. Honky the Goose”.
My husband opens the door and calls in to me, “I want you to come out and meet some people!” So I go out sniffling, coughing and sneezing, dreading to meet people in paint-stained pants and T-shirt (me, not them). I reach out to shake hands, forgetting that I'm about to post cold germs on their skin. Too late..... oh no, I shouldn’t have shaken their hands, or I should have warned them that I’m sick. Now should I pretend to not be sick so they don’t realize that they're about to catch my cold, as I try desperately to stifle coughs?
Turns out this couple owns the precious Fish Camp house down at the other end of the boardwalk... the one where I attributed the remodeling to a woman in a previous blog?
They invited us to walk up and take a tour. They have been coming to Ocracoke for about 30 years, all the way from Ohio. They bought and remodeled the Fish Camp cabin so that they could stay there while they renovate and rent out their other cottage. (I’ll get to that story later). Turns out, they own a graphic design company and are both graphic designers; he is an artist and painted artwork on the walls of the cabin. If only I had taken my camera with me! No surprise that this cabin is a charmer! It is every bit as charming inside as out. It’s truly a “tiny house” and extremely livable...something you’d see on HGTV.
Thursday: I wake up feeling about 75% better. The Doer and I are able to tackle the screened porch; the weather is beautiful today, warm breeze and sunshine. We scrub every railing, chair, table, fan blade, light fixture, floor board, ceiling board, etc. We notice that the porch needs to be re-screened and repainted soon. More upkeep which the Doer will want to do himself, because he’s a Doer. The floor is old, worn and peeling, but I like it that way. The Doer does not. I talk him into giving it another 2 seasons and then we’ll do everything at once. He thinks that’s a good idea.
The Boat House got furnished yesterday with it’s new recycled plastic couches (doesn’t that sound soooo tacky?) After cleaning the porch and running errands around town, we spend this afternoon hanging stuff in the cabin. We put in place two of my husband’s latest projects, a coffee table made of old barn wood (which he rescued from our family barn at home which collapsed in the snowfall a month ago). We also hung a barn wood rack he made on which to hang antique fishing poles. We also hung an aerial photo of the Ocracoke harbor village that was taken in 1996 and given to us by our new friend that owns the Light Keeper’s Inn that I wrote about previously. At night we sit in the Boat House as the sun is setting, eat sausage, cheese and crackers and watch a movie, relaxing from a day of work. Mr. Honky, the Goose is just outside honking at us from the canal. What atmosphere!
The new old fishing pole rack. The rods came from an antique shop back home. They were surprisingly inexpensive. Again, the wood is old barn wood.
A close up view of the rods and reels.
I think the furniture is perfect for a boat house!!! It is virtually indestructible!
And note this beautiful table my hubby made! His new hobby now is furniture making. He used both oak and chestnut in this piece and I love it! The finish is beautiful.
This is the photo given to us by a friend with a home on the island. It’s amazing how much development has taken place since 1996.
And the view outside is awesome!
Friday: Last day here and I’m feeling better but now quite melancholy! I don’t want to leave because we won’t be back until September! This past week, I was blessed with meeting a wonderful couple from Ohio, touring their fish camp cabin AND seeing their latest project, an old Assembly of God church that was going to be torn down and replaced by a new church building. Because of their love for Ocracoke, the church, and old buildings, they bought the church for $10,000, moved it to the other side of the village, restored it and turned it into a 3 bedroom, 2 bath rental cottage. They preserved every ounce of the character and integrity of that building and it is charming! The congregation was thrilled that the little church was saved. The husband is also a Doer and he and his wife did most of the work themselves. When I griped a little about the work and upkeep of property down here, his wife said, “But it’s a labor of love, isn’t it? Isn’t is all worth it?” They invited us to church next time we’re down and after hearing a little about the church, I’m so eager to try it! Seems to be a Godly bible-teaching church, the only kind I would want to attend.
While visiting in this charming home, I also got to meet and visit with a real born and bred Islander, Joyce, who is almost 80, with the original Ocracoke accent that I have so longed to hear, committed member of that church and full of stories about island history. Sadly, there are not too many of these people left.
Blessings abound this week as God has given us more new friends, stories to tell, Mr. Honky the Goose and of course, time with Becky the Cat who loves to cuddle up on my lap every evening on the dock. We also have a beautiful clean house, renters to come and enjoy it this summer and....
Yes, it’s worth it!
PS: Weatherbug is now calling for 32 degrees tonight and a frozen mix tomorrow. I believe it’s time to go home....
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