The bathroom sink works perfectly fine. Warning, the water is HOT. We have a hot water tank underneath the cottage. For the first five years of cottage ownership we did not have hot water assuming the water tank was broken and after actually purchasing the cottage did not have money to do any repairs/renovations. As time went on we saved a bit of money and discovered hot water tanks weren’t that expensive after all. We headed to the Home Hardware Store in Minden to price them out. We met a very helpful man there who informed us the problem with hot water tanks is usually the element. Sure enough, after paying $5.99 for a new element we have HOT water. Five years with having to boil water to wash dishes and bathe kids and for a mere six bucks we had scalding hot water. Which is the point to my story, the water is VERY HOT. Use with caution.
We have a wide arrange of toothbrushes because guests seem to leave them behind and I am afraid to throw them out in case they come back looking for them. I would advise the renters to bring their own toothbrush……or not……your choice.
Our outhouse underwent a minor renovation a few years ago. I actually wrote a piece in Cottage Life Magazine about the experience. In one week-end a bunch of girls changed it from a run down ugly outhouse to a run down sunflower themed outhouse. My husband still prefers the outhouse to the inside bathroom. By keeping the door open while you are doing your business your eyes are drawn to the beautiful view of the lake instead of the cobwebbed corners of the outhouse, which to be honest does not get cleaned frequently. It is a great place to go when you want some privacy away from the madding crowd.
The Toilet The first rule of any cottage is the toilet. While we do have indoor plumbing, our toilet is very particular. To keep our septic tank running as long as possible we have invoked the old cottage adage “If it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down.” You can’t just push the handle and walk away like in the city. With our cottage toilet you have to hold the handle down until it is finished flushing. Sometimes that is not enough. When we have a crowd at the cottage the toilet gets used many times in a day. The toilet does not like this and sometimes gets tired. We keep an old bucket in our bathtub for such occasions. Fill the bucket and empty it in the toilet bowl quickly…………and it will all disappear.
Well we did it. We rented out our cottage. Terry’s work schedule has changed and we wouldn’t be able to come up as often as we would like and the place was just sitting here empty. As we still have to pay extraordinarily large hydro bills (Why? Why?) as well as property taxes, we thought we would let the place work for us. I placed an ad on Kijiji which linked to my facebook page and before I knew it I was inundated with emails. We were finally able to make arrangements with a group from the Sarnia area.
We have never done this before and to be honest we don’t know what to expect. We want the renters to love the place as much as we do. As every real cottager knows, a cottage has its own character and there are special rules to be followed. I thought I would put together some notes for our renters so they can enjoy the place to its full potential, as well as prevent any surprises.
On Friday morning at 5:34 a.m. I became Grandma Sue. I can’t believe it. I picture grandmothers as grey haired women who like to bake cookies. I don’t fit that description at all.
Terry’s daughter Ashley became mother to gorgeous baby Ryder. While he was a hefty 8 pounds, 12 ounces, he is a tiny wee baby that looks like an ideal combination of his mother and father. I believe it was Dad Warren who picked out the name. Ryder is a perfect name for a baby boy who will most likely grow up riding dirt bikes and snow boarding, just like his Dad.
When Terry and I arrived at the hospital to greet the new-born, we arrived at the same time as Bev, Ashley’s mother. Immediately we congratulated each other and Bev asked me what I wanted to be called. I was very pleased with that, because as a step-mother/grandmother, I feel I am always treading water as to what my role really is. It was very generous of Bev to let me know immediately she was taking on the role of “Nana” but any other name was mine for the taking. Terry and I have decided on Grandma Sue….I hope that works for Ryder.
To be honest, I am not really a baby person. Even my own three children, when they were new-borns, I never felt this instant “bond”. Not until they start to display a real personality did I feel a real connection. I imagine it is the same with Ryder. When I held him, I knew I had in my arms the most adorable baby ever born, but I knew it would still be some time until I could really enjoy his company.
I just hope Ashley will be OK. As a new mother, everything changes. Gone are the days of hopping in the car to go wherever. I hope Ashley and Warren will take advantage of all offers of help they get. As our cottage is within an hour’s drive of Ryder and his family, it is my hope we will be able to spend lots of time with him as he grows up. Our cottage has been missing something these last few years……the joy of children laughing and screaming. We are ready for Ryder to learn to swim in the lake and to hang on to Terry as he bombs around the lake.
We held our annual Fun Fair at my school the other night. It is so much work on the part of so few volunteers but the entire community really enjoys it.
There is one part of it I enjoy as well…..I think.
We have our community “Fortune Tellers”. While I know the identity of these women, I am sworn to secrecy to tell. They dress themselves up in scarves etc and really look the part. They tell all of the children exciting things about their future. They are going to be the mother of twins and be an astronaut and other exciting things. It is made very clear it is only for fun. However….maybe not.
The first time I met these ladies I was in the middle of trying to sell our house and I was getting frustrated by the length of time it was taking. I desperately wanted them to tell me it was going to sell soon. But no, they said it was not going to sell until September and then we would move in October. I was disappointed in what they had to say but at least it relieved stress because I knew our house would sell eventually. Yes, as you can probably guess, they were exactly right!
Last year they told me I had better set some money aside because we were going to have some major household expenses. Wouldn’t you know it that summer we ended up having to spend twice as much as planned on our little reno project.
This year I asked specifically about Kaitlin. Is she going back to school? They said yes but not until second term. I asked where and they said University of Toronto. While I am pretty sure they got the second term part right (much to my disappointment…I was hoping for September but Kaitlin wants to wait until February), it is the location I am sure they got totally wrong. Kaitlin is hoping to go to law school in Australia. University of Toronto law school (Osgoode Hall) is out of her academic reach. So, these so called psychics really don’t know anything.
Kaitlin and I are heading off today to an information session about law schools in Australia. It is being held in Toronto - University of Toronto to be exact! Hmmmmmmmmmm…………………….
On the first of June Kaitlin’s roommate moved out and Kaitlin couldn’t afford the rent for their house alone. She doesn’t know for sure what her plans are for September, so she couldn’t commit to a lease somewhere else on her own. So once again, Kaitlin has moved back in with us. We are no longer empty nesters.
Kaitlin is a recent graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration. She has applied to law school and we are patiently waiting for an acceptance letter. The realization she panicked and bombed the LSAT exam thus limiting her chances of acceptance is causing me stress. Kaitlin not so much. She is young and to her the future is so bright she’s gotta wear shades. On the other hand, I am very impatient. I want to know where she is going to school next, where she will be working, what her life will become. OK…..I want to know when she is going to move out!
Since Kaitlin has been living here, a total of 48 hours, I have been harassing her about her plans. Terry calls me “the badger”, my friend Diane says I am a dog with a bone. Kaitlin has been very vague about her plans, outwardly displaying her annoyance with my interest in her future. Today, on June 2nd, her second day of living back with us, I gave her an ultimatum. She had one week to come up with a plan for her life.
Within five minutes Kaitlin revealed to me her love life is going in a totally different direction , she is changing summer jobs and she is heading to Australia in February. How is that for a plan?????
