When you grow up around endless fields of bounty they can leave an imprint on you.  So that even though I am miles away surrounded by mountains and desert, this is what easily comes to mind.  When deciding on a name for this, I started thinking about Field of Dreams.  “If you build it they will come.”

When my parent’s house burned down a few years ago, they had a tough decision.  Move down closer to my sisters in Virginia, fulfill their fantasy to buy a house boat and cruise around, or rebuild on the property. I offered up my design skillz and had the easiest time looking on the bright side of the opportunity. Dad, being the handyman engineer he is, stepped up to the challenge as none of us were quite ready to let go of the property – it is a very special piece of land.  Or perhaps it felt too much like being forced off on terms not our own.. But whatever the case we enjoyed creating the extra time together working on house layouts and planning the build.  While a lot of the house is now finished, not as many bedrooms are done as we need for the whole growing family.  So even though it looks huge, it can actually be a tight squeeze. We use trips home to motivate Mom and Dad to keep making progress and are hoping this year we’ll have enough done to have Christmas there once again. If you build it they will come!

This little blue cottage more closely resembles one of the places Mom and Dad stayed while they were in limbo during the build.  You still get the coziness especially with the chimney puffing. I have acquired my Dad’s taste for falling asleep in front of a wood burning fire.  I always have great dreams when I am home. My head clears and sometimes I can’t sleep as ideas dance in my head. Having so much space around me seems to charge my batteries and make me feel invincible.