Smugglers Cove Whidbey Island

Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

So, keeping in line with what I’d like in a house…what happened to medicine cabinets?  I am in a house with 2 1/2 bathrooms and zero medicine cabinets.  The last house was the same – no medicine cabinets.  Where am I supposed to put all those little items?  And let’s face it, medicine cabinets are interesting pieces of historical reference.  Think about your grandparent’s medicine cabinet.  I remember toothpaste powder and odd smelling creams; lavender and hard soap.  My grandmother had paregoric in her cabinet!  Without a medicine cabinet, where do you put your toothbrush?  Seriously, that is a major issue with me.

If you have read anything about the modern toilet and the fecal matter that flies through the air with each flush, well, you do not want your toothbrush on the sink in an open container.  I had to search high and low to find a toothbrush container with a lid.  Amazon has everything…just everything.

Back to the history lesson.  Tell the truth.  You know you look in people’s medicine cabinets.  Everyone does.  That’s half the reason to have one…it’s like show and tell.  Okay, maybe that is a stretch, but seriously, it is kind of an adventure to try and quietly open what could be a squeaky door and peer into someone’s personal business.  And medicine cabinets always have squeaky doors, which is undoubtedly a requirement.

So, I need to be sure and have medicine cabinets in any and all future bathrooms and I promise I will fill them with interesting bits of historical delight.

Two rentals in two months is too many.  However, it does give me the chance to live in homes and assess things I want or loathe.

Where did linen closets go? Did someone decide we needed a pantry in lieu of a linen closet?  That is not a good trade.  I want both.  And yet, I can fit five or six bath towels in the under counter storage.  This makes me laugh when I think of how many towels I had in Colorado.  How many bath towels do I need anyway?  Sheets are another matter.  They are packed away in a plastic bin in the guest room closet.

Oh…and closets.  The prior rental had a closet with doors that were too wide.  Seriously, I could not open the sliding doors more than about 6 inches.  Who are these design rocket scientists?

Counter space.  There is never, ever enough, but once again, I find myself filling up that space with stuff.  Stuff!  It breeds.  Bathroom counter space is another story.  I wish I could train myself to have next to nothing on those counters.  They need to be wiped down everyday and when there is all of that ubiquitous stuff laying about, well, you get the picture.

Every single house needs a clothesline.  The previous rental had a lovely rack in the laundry room and I used it all the time.  This one does not.  I bought a clothes-rack on wheels and it is now my drying rack.  I love hanging laundry…you saw the clothespins my pals gave me?  Well, that was one of the best gifts ever!  I use them daily.

Carpet.  Lose it.  It’s disgusting.  Have you ever pulled up a carpet and watched as the filth trickled out?  I don’t care how often you vacuum, that gunk trickles down deep.

Windows facing south.  Must have.

Stairs.  No.

House.  Need.

What a great day it was for the Kite Festival.  We had no idea there would be synchronized kite teams…who knew?  We watched one young kite-flier maneuver his kite in time with a techno-pop song and he was amazing.  He had that kite spinning, dipping, soaring and diving.  I feel lucky if the thing gets into the air.  Time to ramp up the kite skills!

Do you see him?  He/She and his/her partner ( I need to do Heron research) are on the beach everyday.  I forget to bring the camera with the long lens.

We live on the hill to the left.  Being that close to the water is really, really seductive.  It is downright magical.

This morning, we awoke to dense fog and it was chilly.  First day in long sleeves.  However, by mid-morning the fog lifted and it was another marvelous day.

I bought yarn today!  Yes, I did.  The morning was full of frustrations and so off we went to Coupeville to do a few things that seemed “doable”.  They were.

There is a wonderful yarn shop in town and the owner (a delightful woman) has decided to retire.  She is selling everything down to the fixtures.  I did not buy fixtures, but I did buy some gorgeous yarn.  Now, when the weather turns chilly, I will knit and crochet and weave.  I am planning to make market bags to sell at next year’s farmer’s markets.  We’ll see how that goes.

..and so it begins.  The vacation.  The sitting back and enjoying the Island.  Today we went on the Farm Tour.  It was beautiful, informative, wondrous and much more.  Coming from Colorado, we are stunned to learn we can plant greens now.  It’s September!  We can plant garlic and onions and much, much more.  We will now buy our beef from the Island; from a hardworking farm that we toured.  Imagine putting something into the earth in September and not offering it up to the Frost Queen…who knew?

Good times:

…walking the dogs along the golf course

…seeing a seal on the beach by the house

…noticing a doe and her two babies on the golf course this morning

…hummingbirds at the feeder

…banana slugs

…having a massive flock of swallows visit

…fresh Island corn on the cob

…knowing I can still plant salad greens in September

It’s a gorgeous sunrise.  It’s going to be a fabulous weekend with a Fibre Festival, silliness in Langley…soup box derby, Farmer’s Markets, Farm Tours and more.  Lots to do on the Island.

And…Lucy came home.

We are another home in another place on another part of the island.  We may have sold the Black Forest home and we may have the previous rental rented out. We lost a good pal, Ms. Lucy.  We have no plans to make any decisions in the near future.  The bunny is still with us and he’s probably happy that he is made of clay.

Every time I go to the beach, I remember one of the reasons I am here.  The pull of the ocean, for those of us who were raised near the sea, is a constant.

Add to the mix lush forests and my breathing calms.

And so we move again.  The title “A Dream Deferred” keeps infiltrating my consciousness.  I know nothing about that book, but I know where the library is and I think some investigation is in order.  I am feeling melancholy.

It’s time for a walk in the sea with the dogs.