My husband is always talking about that log cabin up on a hillside in the Vermont woods. He comes back to this same fantasy now and again… and to be honest we both love the countryside. Vermont and it’s people have a certain laid back vibe….we savor the whole idea of sitting by the fire eating pancakes with fresh Vermont Syrup while gazing out over a snow covered mountain off in the distance (probably full of skiers). It’s definitely appealing… but reality bites. We’re not skiers, and as we get older we’re not tolerating the cold as well as we used to. It’s colder there than here. And my thoughts always return to this…
1. We’re not the Rockefellers.
2. We don’t go away very often at all. When we DO get away, wouldn’t it be nice to see new places now and then? If you’ve got a second home, even a little cabin, wouldn’t you always feel obligated to go THERE instead of anywhere else? Because, you know.. you’re paying for it anyway.
3. What would I do with the dogs, chickens, horses? Bring them all? Even for short overnight stays? Oh, I know you can hire people to come take care of your animals, but how often are you willing to do that? And at what cost?
4. We’re at the stage of the game where the kids are grown up and almost grown. They don’t want to hang around with mom and dad, and most likely will stay home more often than not to be with their friends, blah blah whiney blah.
5. We’re not the Rockefellers.
Totally with you on that last comment!! I don't like the cold at all! But you certainly made 12 degrees look and feel beautiful….lovely winter pics!
Brrrrr
Sometimes a charming life sounds better than the reality of living it. I agree, you would feel that you always have to spend your free time at that one place.
Your life there in CT makes life look idyllic as is! Re the cabin thing. We had one once and all the things you said are realities. Plus, unless you ARE the Rockerfeller's, when you are at your cabin all you will do is work to maintain it. Very little relaxing gets done. A little known fact: the average time a person keeps a second home = 5 years. Our theory hence is that we rent one for a getaway and besides being able to go to different places, we actually save money as compared to owning a cabin. The up side was, we could always take our pups!
It's 12F on the farm now but the sun is shining, sky is clear blue and it looks like another beautiful day. Dave always wanted to move to the Nevada Mountains or Alaska cabin or someplace remote. I used to tell him "no" and then started saying "okay" which dampened his enthusiasm -grin.
Yesterday I spent almost 3 hours on the tractor, setting out hay, doing farm work and my knees still feel like shattered glass. I love it though and hope to be doing this a good long while.
I do have a farm sitter; a girlfriend who stays for free and a 16 year old girl I pay. Since October, I've been able to get away half dozen times…a record!
We are so cold here, too, Karen. 1 above and it's supposed to be like this all week. I'm not complaining too much since we are having our second warmest winter in a row in history.
I hear you on the Vermont thing…the romance of it all. Funny, I would like to have a getaway where it's cold (ummm…I do!) rather than a sunny, warm place like Florida or where ever. Again, the romance of it I guess. Even with a second home, we still get that wanderlust to see other places. A nice three day trip usually does it for us.
Stay warm! Hubby, too! ;-D
XO,
Jane
Wow such beautiful pictures. If the price of being cold is such beauty bring on the cold I say.
Well,see? I always thought you'd like a second home at the ocean. 🙂
I'm very fortunate that I have a second home to go to someday. Yeah, the nursing home. LOL
Patti, you know is in Daytona. Hunter told her over the phone "I can't believe you abandoned an old woman!" 🙂
Have a good day, stay warm if you can.
xoxo
Me too k it's cold here I have layers on as well ! I love cabins and hope more like dream to have one one day ! Stay warm and have a great day
I feel your pain. It was -11 here this morning with a wind chill of -23! This is a far cry from my January of 80 degrees last year. I have to say that I am missing my Charleston as my old bones ache! I drove Jemma to school. There was no way in Hades, I was bundling her or myself up to go the bus! This is crazy cold!
Sorry- your 12 would feel downright balmy here today. We are 16- below zero and when it does come back up to zero, we will think its okay to run to the store with no coats on 🙂
It's like that saying 'be careful what you wish for' 🙂 It's not always what you think you want..lol
Cold in nw/NJ also… 15 this morning and now a balmy, sunny 19…woohoo.
Layering and bundling is so tiring not to mention uncomfortable.
I don't like hot weather but I'm not crazy about frigid either. My comfort zone is between 63 & maybe 70.. lol.
It is minus four here right now. Frigid. It is A LOT of work to have a second home. And I mean A LOT! Not much relaxation especially when there is maintenance involved. We use our cottage a lot more than most people. Being able to keep it open from April through October really extends our season. The good news is…no mortgage. Many, many expenses that one doesn't even think about come up though. But, we CAN take the girlz with us!!
We are up to 10 degrees in South Central Illinois right now. It was in the 60's on Saturday…now that was nice winter weather! I had to laugh at this because we love Traverse City, Michigan and we do go visit a couple times a year in the spring, summer or fall. We are going to eventually (sooner than later I hope) move to Florida to be near our daughter, but my husband longs for a cottage in Traverse City. We also are not the Rockefellers…so we are a 1 home couple. As much as I love Traverse City, everyone says it is wonderful in winter…you just travel by snowmobile! What? I don't think that is something I want to learn at this stage of life…I'd break something! So, I've convinced him that renting a month or two in the summer when Florida is hot, hot…that's the way to go!
It's noon here in Minnesota. And -9. For real -9. We're looking at a high of -2. 🙂 It's okay – it's Minnesota.
I want sooooooo badly to get a time share in Mexico. Then the kids would COME to US because why wouldn't they? All they'd have to come up with is airfare. We've been traveling a bit over the past few years and I LOVE Mexico. All I want is ocean, sun, warm, humidity, sun, sun sun, and my family.
My hubs is starting to think so too. He is loving Mexico more and more. He always says he wants to see more stuff, but bottom line, for us, we just want to relax in warmth during our long cold winter.
In fact, we just set up our family vacation for late April after tax season. We're taking everyone, the two girls and their two boys. They only have to pay for any extra entertainment that isn't included in the all-inclusive. I'm so excited I can't wait.
a dose of reality. 🙂
love the furry mini.
Item #4 had me thinking and smirking this sounded so much like the TV commercial for CIALIS. lol
I am so with you on the reasons for not buying a little cabin in Vermont. But you can still get away. When I was in my early 20's, I would farm-sit each summer for two weeks. It was a fabulous job for which I was decently paid. I lived in the person's house and took care of her garden, the chickens and delivering of the eggs to the locals, a herd of goats, many of which needed milking and some babies who needed bottle feeding, plus walking the dogs and feeding them. I loved it!
Cold here today too but we're in the low 20's. Not as bad as you up there in CT.
All day I have been talking out loud to myself, trying not to whine about being cold. The reason this is important today is that I have to clear out a large portion of my basement workshop for a plumber who is coming tomorrow, and that part of the house is drafty and unheated … on a good day in winter that room is 55 degrees. It's 49 in there right now (yes, I have a thermometer on the shelf … I'm weird that way.) Outside? Not on your life! It's 28 out there. Okay, I have to make a quick run to the store … but my Jeep has heated seats, so I should survive. At least the sun is out.
That cute little mini with the fuzzy jammies is adorable.
Oh I got a kick out of this! It was MINUS 2 up here in Indiana this am. MINUS FREAKING TWO. It's on mornings like this that I question my romantic hankerings to be off the grid. I'm thinking no thanks – I kinda like my programmable thermostat. I think you are on the right train of though girlfriend….you just stay put. We thought about buying a mobile home by this fishing lake a few years ago – and I knew myself too well..I'd not go there and 'get away' I'd go there and work my fool head off all weekend trying to make it 'homey' and plant a garden, and and….
I used to love winter so much. Now that I'm older, my body hurts from the cold… and it's not even that kind of cold!
Here in Minneapolis this morning the temp was -12 with a wind chill of somewhere -20/-25. We won't get above zero today. So I am with the Mr. and the cold. I have always planned on moving back to the east coast. I'm from Boston but like you I'm not a Rockefeller. Mass. is too expensive for my retirement, and sure I won't be winning any lotteries, so I'll move some place further south on the east coast with a more temperate climate and moderate cost of living. But I'm getting worn out from the cold after 20+ years.
Donna
I am so envoius of you and your snow.i have never seen it but it is on my bucket list to do…At the moment we are having bush fires and heatwave conditions.So yeah i think i would rather your beautiful snow-love dee x
Hey, we have a Rockefeller living right up the road from us! She just bought a huge log house on a hill with a bit of acreage.
You should retire to the South! I'm b*tching about the 25 degree night we are having tonight! Of course it gets really hot in the summer, but I'm thinking TX! TX is a great place to live–especially the hill country around Austin–Kerrville, Fredericksberg–lots or ranches, quaint old German settlements. Wish I could talk my hubby into moving even farther south!
It's nice to have some choices. We sure have enjoyed spending most of our time in Florida. I love wearing sandals just about every day…all winter long. I love all of the sunshiny days, too! You're still young…it will be fun to dream and decide where to spend time! Hugs!
I am lazy so we keep life simple as possible. Vermont is a great place to visit but I don't think we could live there. I really dislike the southern states, but sometimes a warmer climate does sound appealing.
Well good, your life can stay 'as you know it' for a while…. until the Mr. gets another 'wonderful' idea!!!
Cracking up, LOL. I love it. Your husband came to his senses. Funny stuff.
I would imagine if I had a second residence, I too would feel obligated to go there instead of any where else. That's why my fantasy is a place on the beach.
Isn't it funny how different people are?
Great post Mrs Rockerfeller.
How beautiful pictures. The second from the top is my favorite.
I read someplace that instead of taking 'vacations' we should make the place we live the place we want to be all the time.
🙂
and vermont is a stone's throw from me, and trust me, it's COLD……zero this morning, and colder tonight.
Funny! I know the older I get the more I can't tolerate the cold. Hmmm, maybe a beach cottage in the Florida Keys. Now that sounds wonderful to me.
PS: You live in a beautiful place!!! Love the pictures!
Beautiful day at your farm . . was 10 degrees in Virginia last night. Yes F***ing COLD.
Looks lovely there.
I enjoyed this post so much.
🙂