The first time I stepped into the cottage I was enamored by its cozy simplicity. There were no cupboards in the kitchen that would allow clutter to gather behind closed doors. Instead, plates are stored in an open, wall mounted plate rack and glasses stacked on long shelves. The sofa and chair in the living room are covered in crisp white slipcovers. Shaker peg boards have been placed in the bathroom and on bedroom doors to hang ones identity at the end of the day. The floors are rustic, wide-planked wood that reflect the same character as the exposed beamed ceilings.
Narrow steps lead visitors to an upstairs landing with views of the back field, lilac bushes and woods. A fresh breeze is circulated between the windows of the master bedroom and guest room. The windows upstairs swing up on their hinges and are hooked to the ceiling adding yet another layer of character.
I had to force myself to just "exist" in the space for the first three weekends before adding unnecessary layers from the outside world. The cottage is suppose to be a retreat -- a haven for allowing the mind to re-energize and exploring the meaning of life. The natural inclination is to define life by adding "things" -- sometimes material things -- to our landscape so that we feel fulfilled or fool ourselves into thinking we have found meaning. My goal was, and continues to be, to edit out the unnecessary items that would not bring value or meaning to my retreat space.
In the first few weeks, cooking as been a favorite activity -- with a preference towards fresh, local products -- i.e., editing out unnecessary junk food that can quickly fill one's cabinets. No cabinets = no junk food! (with the exception of one guilty pleasure -- Pillsbury orange rolls -- a treat from childhood that I have not been able to find in NYC markets but stumbled across in the local market upstate). The owner of the cottage has a farm where I purchased the beautiful eggs in the pic below. Kinderhook Farm hens eat grass and the bugs that naturally exist in their space -- which is outdoor, open space. As their caretaker Georgia would tell you, they are happy hens and not confined to small spaces nor fed artificial feed products. When I stopped by the farm this weekend to pick up a dozen eggs, Georgia told me I would be surprised with how golden their yolks are -- a reflection of their grass consumption. She was right! I have never seen eggs that beautiful and rich in golden color. I can't wait to see how they perform with future baking projects. Thanks to my friend Hal's winning scrambled egg recipe, I was able to do some immediate experimentation:
4 eggs whisked + a few dashes of kosher salt + 1 tbsp of diced chives (all mixed together). Melt 1 tbsp of butter on medium heat -- once frothy, add egg/chive mixture. When almost completely cooked, take off heat and mix in 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese (I used 1/4 cup), making mixture creamy with the white of the cheese slightly lumping. Feeds 2.
What I have discovered over the past few weekends, is that my exercise in editing has made me more joyful. I am not burdened with "finding a home" for unnecessary items; there is less to clean -- which means more time to enjoy things that make you happy; there is an obvious and clutter free spot for everything which decreases frustration. It makes me want to come home and purge everything out of my Manhattan apartment.
This weekend, the cottage hosted its first guest -- my friend Jody. An old kindred spirit from graduate school. Jody tackled a few local tag sales with me (keeping in mind my new exercise of editing unnecessary items!) Tag sales are great -- it's so much fun discovering items that can be re-purposed for your own needs. In my case, that was a $2 old, red antique tool box that will either store tools that my dad has passed down to me or perhaps serve a less practical use of displaying some pretty white geraniums.
The rest of the day was spent strolling Warren Street in Hudson, NY which is dotted with beautiful brick row buildings, antique stores such as the Hudson Super Market http://www.hudsonsupermarket.com/ and unique boutique shops such as liliandloo:http://liliandloo.com/
The upstairs guest room assembly was finally completed this weekend (pics below). Four twin beds were put together in anticipation of a gaggle of girlfriends visiting for a weekend and staying up all night sharing stories over martinis. Each of the bedrooms at the cottage has been christened with a name. The aforementioned room has been named the Carlock Room in honor of my great-grandparent's fruit farm. Growing up, my mother and her first cousins were very close and most holidays were spent at Mamaw and Ba-bo's house (my great-grandparents) with all the family present. Sundays spent at M&B's usually meant fried chicken or a pot roast. Mom and her sister-like cousins would regale me with their stories of sleeping together on feather beds in the attic of the old farmhouse, staying up all night talking. Their visits to the farm felt like home -- picking peaches that were so juicy that their elbows would be sticky from its streaming, sweet nectar or Mamaw's homemade baked crust that was served with the farm's fresh fruit and ice cream. I hope that the Carlock Room will be filled with as many memories as that old farmhouse attic room was years ago.
The downstairs guest room with its antique twin bed, has been named the Thoreau Room as it looks out onto the back field full of animal activity and contains a small writing desk for those visitors so inspired to take pen to paper.
While I finished assembling the upstairs room, Jody tackled the herb garden -- getting me started with some thyme, lavender, rosemary, sweet snapping peas, and a few varieties of tomatoes. I hope to get some basil and flowers planted this coming weekend. Some fresh mint added to a glass of ice water created a refreshing break from the early-summer heat wave we had -- 85'.
To add a little excitement to the day, while walking barefoot in the grass to cut some honeysuckle, I stepped on a snake. I'm not sure who jumped the highest -- me or him. After some diligent computer research, I think he was identified as a brown garter snake. A harmless snake which I keep reminding myself will keep the cottage free of rodents.
The exercise in editing never seems to include the fresh supply of flowers and blooming bushes on the property. The fireplace mantle was adorned with fragrant lilacs this weekend and the peonies should be in bloom within the next two weeks. Cutting and arranging the flowers is always my joyful reward after a long and productive day.