These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Confession time. Are you ready? What favorite things do you have in boxes in your attic, basement or hall closet that you just can’t let go of? How many times have you moved them? I’ll confess to being something of a hoarder. I tend to vest objects with such sentiment that it’s hard to toss…

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Cottage Renovations 2013

As we pack to leave our summer place behind, I thought a few last photos of our renovation, which I promised earlier, might be fun. We waited until things were “finished” and, of course, they never are. So this is the “almost finished” version of our house. There are lots of “befores” under the Renovation…

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Renovating a Novel and a House: How Much is Too Much?

Renovation is Not For Sissies: So what does a writer do when her home/workplace is filled with workmen and she has a book to write? In the beginning of May I left Florida believing I could settle into our 108 year old cottage in Chautauqua, New York.  While there might be a few interruptions as…

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Cottage Renovations: When the North Wind Blows

If you’re following the renovation of our cottage in Western New York, I have some new photos to enjoy.  And I say “enjoy” because you will enjoy knowing this is not YOUR house and you don’t have to worry about what’s happening when you are many states away. The truth, though, is that I was…

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If Things Can Go Wrong, They Will: Our Cottage Renovation

I’ve promised frequent updates on the renovation of our Victorian era cottage in Chautauqua, New York, and judging from the response to my last newsletter, you’re interested. Unfortunately there hasn’t been much to tell. Our contractor has been hard at work on another house, but there’s been a much more interesting delay. Chautauqua County has…

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The Walls Revealed: Our Cottage Renovation

I can’t remember a busier few weeks.  I traveled to Ohio for the Buckeye Book Fair, then spent four days of brainstorming with my new brainstorming buddies, and finally managed a quick trip to Western New York to see the beginnings of our cottage renovations.  Now I’m back in Florida and after moving from the…

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Catch-Up or This and That

In my quest to tie up knots and organize my in-transition life, lots of odds and ends today. We found a house!  The house has passed inspection.  So even though we haven’t signed the final check and moved our stuff from storage in Maryland, (that’s where the mover stowed our accumulated junk) things are looking…

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Summer’s End and What’s Ahead

My next blog will be from scenic Asheville, home of our Goddesses Anonymous friends. But meantime where in the world is Emilie? Well, Michael, Nemo and I are packing up our entire cottage in Western NY, storing everything we’re keeping in one room that was renovated last year and doesn’t need anything else done to…

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