Cottage

We are thinking about getting a cottage up north (muskoka)...ok, what I should say is I REALLY REALLY PRETTY PLEASE want a cottage in the muskokas...

I don't know the first thing about finding a cottage.  I suppose "get a real estate agent" is good advice.  Maybe "convince your husband" comes slightly before that...

I day dream about spending two months of every summer with the kids, lakeside, in a small dwelling, something that keeps the bugs away while you sleep.  Indoor plumbing and a roof that doesn't leak are suggestions...I am not sure that we NEED electricity...but, I think you need power to keep the hot water tank humming (I definitely NEED hot water, don't I?)...Candlelight scrabble games, and songs around the bonfire are enough evening entertainment for me.  No internet, no TV, no coffee machine, no stove, no video games, no movies, no air conditioning, no rice cooker, no hair dryer...these are city perks! 

I want to fill the crooked, hand painted (by me) kitchen cupboards with thrifty mix n' match dishes...and drape the most garish floral tablecloths over the dining room table that came with the property (we would need at least two table cloths because the table is ridiculously long, in fact although its in pretty good condition, the last owners didn't take it because it was just too big...it was probably built by their handy uncle)..

I volunteer to mow the lawn, tend to the tomato plants and herb garden, repair the screens on the windows and caulk everywhere (to keep the bugs out)...but I may need some help to repair the old dock...

I will give the exterior, and interior, a nice fresh coat of paint...and wouldn't the old hardwood floors be charming painted a soft green colour?...I will scout for the perfect pull out couch bed (a comfy one, brand new, for guests) and scour garage sales for pre-loved coffee tables and a chair...

I'm not worried if the drive, the lack of electricity, or the slanted floor of the screen porch keeps some visitors from returning...I know my idea of cottage living is not for everyone!

I haven't spent much time wondering how the laundry gets done, or where the groceries come from, or how much sunscreen & polysporin you need to bring with you to last the full season...I'm not sure what we will do about the leaky faucet (let it keep dripping or consult the old TIME LIFE diy books sitting on the windowsill?) ...I'm not really pre-occupied with these details.

Am I looking for a brand new winterized four bedroom modern home on the water, or a condo at blue mountain?  They are shiny and new and convenient.  Except I want rustic, old, and comfortable.  I am not looking to duplicate what we have in the city, I want an escape. You know when you take a deep breath in and then slowly exhale, you know that moment of relaxation and release you get from such a simple exercise? This is the feeling I want to capture in our cottage.