The late August afternoon that we stumbled upon an old cottage bungalow for sale was when my "somewhere over the rainbow" dream came true. A For Sale sign was planted in the tiny front yard and I asked my husband to pull into the driveway. Our teenage daughter was with us and as we got out of the car, our eyes saw a huge front porch with a white swing beckoning quietly for us to try it out. We did, and that in a nutshell, was all it took for my heart to fall in love with the faded yellow cottage. For you see, I had been living in a house just like this one, only in my dreams. The very next day, we threw caution to the wind and after offering full price, it was ours, quirks and all! We finally had bought our "dream home". Let the packing begin!
Now, eleven months later, as I sit here in my comfy chair and write this, I feel the urge to still pinch myself to see if my dream really has come true! Every morning I wake up, sip my first cup of coffee and feel so thankful that we have been given this chance to be "caretakers" of this sweet 84 year old house. We have now affectionately dubbed her "Daisy Cottage" for the happy, unpretentious flower that greets each day with a new bloom. This is the attitude that we want to have while living our days here within these old plaster walls.
It took us some time to finally arrive here, however. Twenty six years to be exact! First there were apartments, then starter homes, and babies. We were happy being a family in our ranch-style home for the last 14 years. We were always remodeling and working on projects. That home will forever hold a special place in my heart as it was where our children truly grew up. But my "dream" never went away. Years went by and my book and magazine collection featuring lovely cottages and old houses grew by the basketfuls. My car seemed to know its' way by heart to the historic district as I'd drive by one cute old house after another, all the while envying the lucky homeowners who were living there. Their friendly porches with pots of happy flowers and welcoming front doors were perfect to me. And now the cottage-life dream has become our reality!
We've been spending our time so far painting and planting, cleaning and decorating. I love to scour the thrift shops and often wake up early on Saturday mornings to hit the yard sales. My little white VW "bug" gets packed to the brim with cottage treasures for our home. Ceramic roosters perch on kitchen cabinets, vintage curtains hang in the sun drenched windows. Various collections, none of monetary value only heart value, fill our rooms. This cottage seemed ready for lots of fun, spunky color and I happily tried to oblige.
We chose the boldest, happiest yellow paint for the outside of Daisy Cottage and planted our own gerber daisies. Two white rocking chairs don our front porch and provide the perfect place to sit for quiet evening chats. Neighbors pass by. Birds bathe in the bird bath and squirrels help themselves to our trees. It is like heaven and life is good. Our "empty nest" is right around the corner as our daughter graduates this year, but I hope that our cottage blessing will see us through that bittersweet time. And as the song goes - "the dreams that you dare to dream REALLY do come true."
What a beautiful Florida morning on our back porch! Could it be that fall is trying to whisper to us that it is coming for a visit? Although quite discreet, fall's arrival here in the land of liquid sunshine is always a happy event for me! The constant humming of the neighboring air conditioners quiets down with the slight dip in temperature, making the whistling trains in the distance easier to hear. A few yellow leaves are popping in the landscape. The air is blissfully fresh. The birdies seem to be energized. I think I'll pour another cup of coffee and just sit for a bit and enjoy the sweet moment! 
