Many teachers and families head to the beach for spring break. We did, too—the frozen lake at the beach near our cabin. We drove up with our 14-year-old rescue dog, Suzi, who sometimes gets scared when we travel (she did this time). But we know how much she loves the cabin once we get there, and as her mobility is declining, we never know how many more chances we’ll get to watch her enjoy it.
If I’m being honest, the DIY projects took a backseat to the real reason we invested in a lake property. We had our son visit for a day, which gave us a glimpse of the future we hope to have there—family visiting, recharging, and just being.
When you have a senior dog, you learn pretty quickly that a deadline is just a suggestion. If Suzi wanted a slow walk by the water or just to sniff around the neighborhood, the paintbrush stayed in the tray. The weather was its own character this week, swinging from a blizzard on Monday to record-breaking highs by Saturday. We even managed to eat lunch with our son on a rooftop patio overlooking the lake—a far cry from the snow we started with.
There are some DIY “wins,” though! Mike finished building a custom removable shelf that conceals the shower plumbing, and I installed a toilet handle and shower drain cover to match the rest of the bathroom hardware. Mike also installed a sink in the upstairs 1/2 bath! We call this spring break a success! That being said, the bathroom is 99% complete, and I’m holding off on the full reveal until it’s officially across the finish line. Every good story needs a bit of drama, and mine came in the form of a thrift store fail. I found two incredible 4-foot brass mirrors that I planned to use as a pair to finish off the bathroom design. I hesitated, and by the time I went back, one was gone. I stood there staring at the “survivor,” wondering if one was enough to carry the room. In the end, I bought it—deciding that maybe the cottage didn’t need a perfect pair, but just one big, bold statement. The final details (including that mirror and some custom artwork) are coming soon. The wait will be worth it, I promise! (a sneak peek at the bathroom is in the video below)
