This is was so lovely, and timely, as today I've been thinking of memories that should have been, that weren't, and aren't, and balancing that sadness with steadfast thankfulness for where I am today. You paint such lovely picture, movies almost, with your words. Thank you.
There is a book -- How Buildings Learn (https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/38310) -- that looks at how owners adapt their spaces, and how architects can be artists of time. It has helped take some of the edge off my sadness when I see old buildings transformed into very different structures. Before we assumed occupancy of the house we're in now, we made it our own, not with major exterior changes to open up the main floor. In the farm cottage, we added a loft. I love that you kept the cottage largely as it was, including what it contained, and I love even more the idea of the Roberts passing through and marking their approval. I'm sure you are lovely stewards!
Thank you, Prue, for sharing this week's Chicken Scratch. Speaking of ancestors! 😊 Keep waltzing, friend. Grace is worth pursuing.
There is no place like home, Prue. What a beautiful post - it resonates with me deeply, because I feel such strong ties to my own. I count myself very lucky to get to spend time - often! - in the house I first lived in when I was nearly two, because my parents live there still.
Those jigsaw boxes! Absolutely beautiful. Is that Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret pictured in the second jigsaw pic?
Loved every word. And hurrah for your ballet, and not listing to port. YAY!
Thick with nostalgia…. The yearning for a simpler time, but miraculously you found a home that enabled you to continue that delightful lifestyle. The ghosts of owners past are thrilled, of that I’m certain. Such beautiful words that transported us readers to a very beautiful part of Australia. I loved all the photographs too. Another wonderful post. Thanks so much dear Prue.
Thres so many things that bring special memories some quite small and inexpensive, but knowing the beloned to a loved one no longer with us makes them special, as you remember where they were and who they belong too. or who bought them Other things are easier to let go xxx
I loved learning that you kept the house as it was, and had your son help you make it yours, but the same. It is full of light and warmth and I can see how you would be attracted to it. How delightful that you've kept so much of what was there that drew you to it. We too enjoy quirky, and ended up realising when we were looking for a house this last time that we preferred the houses whose rooms were not set in purpose but could be made to have many different uses, as needed. If every room in a house was clearly defined, then we got immediately bored. But the ones that we pondered, and thought, what if ..., we ended up loving. And so we are in another quirky house with different levels and aspects of light. It has a long history in time, but not many owners, so it feels well loved. 'House as a mirror of self' is a wonderful book about how our houses reflect our psyche.
I loved reading about your home. I think all homes tell our story. My house tells the story of a fortunate life of comfort and safety, untouched by hardship or much worry. That’s the part that takes my breath away. My parents came to Canada as displaced people--refugees--after WWII with nothing. I am the daughter of immigrants who accomplished everything they set out to do as they rebuilt their lives here. They wanted their children to be well-educated. They wanted them to have opportunities. They wanted them to have successful and fulfilling careers. They wanted them to have families of their own. They wanted them under no circumstances to know hunger and cold. They wanted them to feel safe and rooted in a peaceful country. They did not want their children to carry forward or even know about the trauma and terror they had survived at the hands of the Nazis. So when I walk through the rooms of my house, and I see the the things they passed down to me, I am very aware of their stories.
So much to love about this one, Prue! I am obsessed with Cornishware myself, it's so heartbreakingly reminiscent of home - and we never even HAD it at home but still, it makes me swoon when I see it just like willow pattern! Your cottage is completely charming, "shell-grit from Mr. and Mrs. Roberts’ old chook yard" and I know they must be so happy that you are the new caretakers. (Is that The Terrier I spy in the foreground, bless his wee paws!) Your photos are amazing - all these little details, they add up to something so magical. (P.S. We also love Kevin and Grand Design too!) You are so lucky - and I know you know x
This is was so lovely, and timely, as today I've been thinking of memories that should have been, that weren't, and aren't, and balancing that sadness with steadfast thankfulness for where I am today. You paint such lovely picture, movies almost, with your words. Thank you.
I wonder what the pieces to evoke such memories will be in a 100 yrs from now?
So lovely and true. The home is reflective of our personalities. I hope mine represents me and hubby.
There is a book -- How Buildings Learn (https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/38310) -- that looks at how owners adapt their spaces, and how architects can be artists of time. It has helped take some of the edge off my sadness when I see old buildings transformed into very different structures. Before we assumed occupancy of the house we're in now, we made it our own, not with major exterior changes to open up the main floor. In the farm cottage, we added a loft. I love that you kept the cottage largely as it was, including what it contained, and I love even more the idea of the Roberts passing through and marking their approval. I'm sure you are lovely stewards!
Thank you, Prue, for sharing this week's Chicken Scratch. Speaking of ancestors! 😊 Keep waltzing, friend. Grace is worth pursuing.
There is no place like home, Prue. What a beautiful post - it resonates with me deeply, because I feel such strong ties to my own. I count myself very lucky to get to spend time - often! - in the house I first lived in when I was nearly two, because my parents live there still.
Those jigsaw boxes! Absolutely beautiful. Is that Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret pictured in the second jigsaw pic?
Loved every word. And hurrah for your ballet, and not listing to port. YAY!
Thick with nostalgia…. The yearning for a simpler time, but miraculously you found a home that enabled you to continue that delightful lifestyle. The ghosts of owners past are thrilled, of that I’m certain. Such beautiful words that transported us readers to a very beautiful part of Australia. I loved all the photographs too. Another wonderful post. Thanks so much dear Prue.
Thres so many things that bring special memories some quite small and inexpensive, but knowing the beloned to a loved one no longer with us makes them special, as you remember where they were and who they belong too. or who bought them Other things are easier to let go xxx
I loved learning that you kept the house as it was, and had your son help you make it yours, but the same. It is full of light and warmth and I can see how you would be attracted to it. How delightful that you've kept so much of what was there that drew you to it. We too enjoy quirky, and ended up realising when we were looking for a house this last time that we preferred the houses whose rooms were not set in purpose but could be made to have many different uses, as needed. If every room in a house was clearly defined, then we got immediately bored. But the ones that we pondered, and thought, what if ..., we ended up loving. And so we are in another quirky house with different levels and aspects of light. It has a long history in time, but not many owners, so it feels well loved. 'House as a mirror of self' is a wonderful book about how our houses reflect our psyche.
I loved reading about your home. I think all homes tell our story. My house tells the story of a fortunate life of comfort and safety, untouched by hardship or much worry. That’s the part that takes my breath away. My parents came to Canada as displaced people--refugees--after WWII with nothing. I am the daughter of immigrants who accomplished everything they set out to do as they rebuilt their lives here. They wanted their children to be well-educated. They wanted them to have opportunities. They wanted them to have successful and fulfilling careers. They wanted them to have families of their own. They wanted them under no circumstances to know hunger and cold. They wanted them to feel safe and rooted in a peaceful country. They did not want their children to carry forward or even know about the trauma and terror they had survived at the hands of the Nazis. So when I walk through the rooms of my house, and I see the the things they passed down to me, I am very aware of their stories.
So much to love about this one, Prue! I am obsessed with Cornishware myself, it's so heartbreakingly reminiscent of home - and we never even HAD it at home but still, it makes me swoon when I see it just like willow pattern! Your cottage is completely charming, "shell-grit from Mr. and Mrs. Roberts’ old chook yard" and I know they must be so happy that you are the new caretakers. (Is that The Terrier I spy in the foreground, bless his wee paws!) Your photos are amazing - all these little details, they add up to something so magical. (P.S. We also love Kevin and Grand Design too!) You are so lucky - and I know you know x