Opening the cabin for the summer. It's great!

Rebecca

Apr 24

Opening the cabin

Opening the cabin and the bunkhouse is always an exciting time for us. It's a lot of work, but we love our adorable little red cabin and my pink and Frenchy she-shed. And, frankly, although we dreamed of it for years, we never dreamed we'd own one.

I always like to post pictures at least once a year. And if I do anything different, I'll post again. We've had the cabin for about twenty years. We built the she-shed a few yards away about ten years ago. It was supposed to be my art studio but has turned mostly into my writing studio, although I do paint there now and then.

Five years ago, we added a bedroom to the main cabin. It was one of those things you always wished you'd done sooner. Right?

Anyway, here's a gallery of cabin pictures first. Except for the futons, everything at both the cabin and the she-shed is upcycled or purchased at garage sales, thrift shops, and some from the side of the road. That made it even more fun.

The cabin was move-in ready, but a few years ago, we painted the paneling and added laminate wood flooring. I dearly love my black wall.

Here's what I ended up doing with the basket/cotton boll "thingee". The flower is one of those rubber (?) flowers from Hobby Lobby.

Opening the she-shed

It's called La Cabinette. It, too, is a plethora of thrift store finds.

Behind the floral curtain is my "library."

Grateful for both

We never cease to be thankful for the blessing of our adorable up-north getaway and have invited others to use it as well. It provides a sense of peace that nowhere else can. But before we had the she-shed, I had a tent in the yard which I called "My Tabernacle." Now, my tabernacle is the she-shed.

An aside

(None of this just came to us. We worked hard and saved our money, and we didn't buy a cabin we couldn't afford. I throw this in because it's too easy to read a post like this and say, "Well, wouldn't we all like to have a vacation home to go to? But we didn't for years. Don't feel bad. I do the same thing about bigger and fancier cabins. It's easy to covet.)

I often curl up for a nap on the wicker sofa on the porch of the she-shed) which, with the plethora of bears around here anymore, might not be such a good idea! And after a news report last week when this man woke up (he was sleeping on his porch) and found a bear staring him down.

I've asked my husband to figure out some sort of tripwire or something that would alert me if I find myself in the same situation. We see bears all the time when we're at the cabin, so it's a real possibility. Yikes!

When we're home, the kitchen table is my tabernacle. We can have a Tabernacle anywhere because God is wherever we are. Don't forget that.

We all need a "place."

I've always carved out a place for myself long before I had my own she-shed. It wasn't always just for my own pleasure, either. Sometimes it was for my own emotional survival. So I make this statement knowing that it can be vitally important, not just a luxury.

Sometimes my place was just a small corner of our home or, in the summer, outside. And it might even be different from day to day., And sometimes our "place" is that corner of our mind we keep just for ourselves.

Trying to find a writing space

I've moved my writing area. Again. First, it was the kitchen table, but then I'd have to move everything so we could eat. Then it was an upstairs bedroom, but I hated that. The dining room table was next It was a room I never had to clean, but now I did because I had piles of stuff all over the table.

Now, it's a corner of the living room. Who knows where I'll end up? I just know I have to feel a certain ambiance for thinking and writing. See what I mean about needing my own space? It's one of my quirks I know are important for my mental health.

Your personal space

Do any of you understand what I mean? Do any of you find yourselves craving a spot just for yourself? Some of us just need it more than others. Don't be afraid to carve out a spot. It may even change from day to day. But everybody needs a little corner they can call their own.

For Christ, it probably changed depending on where he was, but he always found a spot in the mountains or the woods to call his own.