08/09/2026
It’s been at hot summer at the cottage. The sunflowers and zinnias are struggling to hang on. I’m thankful for the intermittent rains we have received to offer a bit of relief.
We closed the cottage in July to have time to take care of some maintenance and beautification issues and for a little shoulder surgery. While I was recouping, we had a new field line put in. It was not a glamorous upgrade but necessary. We also had the back porch ceiling, walls and floor painted for a fresh look. It looks so much cleaner and brighter.
But, my favorite upgrade was the installation of my antique stained glass window in the kitchen. I found the piece on Facebook Marketplace in Montevallo, AL. I didn’t even measure the window because I just knew it would fit perfectly. I sweet talked my husband into taking a ride with me and it was quite the trip! We drove on dirt roads and eventually lost cell service but somehow found our connection.
The man was asking quite a bit for the window and when Karl saw it, he said uh, no thanks… it’s rotten! I think the man had gotten tired of waiting on us to follow the bread crumbs to his field so he quickly replied, just give me $50. I handed him the money before Karl could say anything. The guy helped him load it up. Two out of three of us were smiling when we pulled out. Karl…not so much. He didn’t have the vision. lol
Thanks to my handy, dandy brother-in-law, Terry, my vision turned out beautifully! He had to remove the rotted wood and when he did that, parts of the stained glass fell apart. It was an old transom window and had been stored probably in a barn somewhere. He had to order new lead and bought wood and glue and paint and spent countless hours working on my window. He is so talented and refuses to be defeated. He will try anything. I do love that about him.
I could not believe my eyes when I saw my window. He saved it! It was exactly what I had wanted for the kitchen window. It’s a sunrise or sunset looking out at the beautiful pasture next door. Perfect❤️. I can’t thank him enough.
We are back open now and have guests visiting family here from Tucson , AZ. We are starting to book up for the fall and are ready for our football guests to roll in. If you have guests coming in for a visit, we would love to host them. I’ll do my best to make them feel at home.
