stone cottage day

I'm having one of those I-would-pay-good-money-to-be-anywhere-but-here days. They are what I refer to as "stone cottage" days- ie- you think of your happy place to distract you from the day. It's actually a reference from the movie "French Kiss". Those of you who've seen it are with me. Those of you who haven't, should see it immediately... it's hilarious... especially the references to a collapsable model of the Eiffel Tower and ass-twitching...

But I digress. Why is today a stone cottage day? Hard to say really. Work sucks, but that's nothing new: I am slowly proving that you can, in fact, drown in paperwork... or I suppose that's suffocation, isn't it? Needless to say, I have plenty to do. I've got my tunes going, so that's good, and the sun is trying to come out. Maybe it's just 'cause it's Monday and I'm tired due to lack of sleep this weekend. Regardless, I don't want to be here, but have to be (either that or lose my job... so here I sit), and therefore I am amusing myself by picturing my stone cottage.

The stone cottage is more than just a place: it represents a life that I think would be pretty damn cool. And of course, since it's a fantasy, it seems wonderful and problem free. Don't burst my bubble, people. Everyone's gotta have a dream.

This dream is a little stone house situated either in the Lake District or on the Southern Coast of the UK (it varies depending on the day- today I'm on the coast- Cornwall), near a little village, but apart from it and within an hour's drive of a good-sized town. The yard is enclosed by an ancient stone fence, and there is a fairly large patch of vegetable garden out back- I grow all my own veggies, you see. There is also an apple and a cherry tree (the house sheilds the trees from the sea winds) that produce copious amounts of fruit. In front, there are a few rose bushes that I pretty much let go wild and a holly tree or two.

In the back, there is a weathered-but-strong-as-all-get-out oak dutch-door that leads into the kitchen, which has a grey slate-tile floor, walnut cabinets, state-of-the-art brushed stainless steel appliances, a big ol'hearth, and a huge old mock-butcher-block table, sanded down. There is a swinging door, directly across from the dutch-door, that leads into the front room. Here there is a huge picture window that looks out over the landscape to the sea, which is less than a kilometer away. I've got my computer and desk (a big, old antique wooden affair) set up in front of this window, and my books line the walls of the room. There is a couch and an extremely comfy-looking armchair arranged on a cozy rug, near the hearth (oh yeah- there's another hearth in here).

On the extreme left hand side of the room, there is a wooden staircase that will lead you up to the Master bedroom (the only bedroom), which has a fabulous view of the sea, and a huge bathroom- complete with jacuzzi tub (with a window overlooking the garden and the landscape beyond) and a separate shower.

Now you will say: That's all well and good, but how could you possibly afford such an Eden? I've thought of that too. I will make my living by writing books and articles from the comfort of my little cottage, and by working/consulting on women's issues, clinics, and programs all over the place. It would be a full, but well-paced life. Oh! And I almost forgot about Samson (Sammie for short)- he'll be my labrador.

Ok- I shown you all mine. Now I wanna know what everybody else's 'stone cottage' is!!! Do tell!!! I'm waiting!!!!