OH it is a lovely cottage and the grounds are so pretty. Love the tunnel green house. Thanks for sharing this link. do you mean you are going all the way to Ireland? Moccasin Landing will want to go with you.

Welcome to the small house board. Glad you posted to us. I am so over considering resale. For once in my life I am going totally nuts with our house inside. Doing what I like and brings me joy.

chris

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to cottage

Hi shadesofidaho
Thank you for the warm welcome. If you go to the calendar and look at different months there are some lovely posts showing the different seasons, the blogger's musings, recipes(canning, wine, baking) and philosophy about the earth & sustainabilty. I want to steal her dog & cat they are so cute. Jack looks so happy.
I got married in Ireland, we are currently looking for a 5-6 acres with cottage or a cottage with land nearby: ducks, chickens, 1 Kerry cow, goats are in the plan...oh and a big rooster under the bedroom window to wake up my sweetheart to light the fire put the kettle on...My tuxedo cat is flying over too.
My sweetheart is from Co. Kerry. He's been home since 23 Oct and was due back on 20 Nov(his birthday is now 23Nov :( but extended his stay until 4 Dec. His sister is dying from Lou Gherig's disease.
That's why I'm up so late doing research. I'm the GC & KD responsible for getting the apt. kitchen finished...I do own Red Wing boots:) I found a few people on the kitchen forum who were helpful, especially regarding soapstone(I'm getting it) but for the most part my remodel(and used appliances) is so different than most of the kitchens that I decided to check out this "small house" forum. I'm glad I did.
It's been typical construction BS, but the end is in sight. I got the Italian porcelain tiles installed, but then the installer screwed up saddle thickness...I need to fill a 24" area between cabinets, but can't find a good undercounter refrigerator for less than $1200.I can't get template for counters until I get the fridge...can't install sink until I get counters...Thought my beloved tuxedo cat got out last night and I ran up and down 5 flights of stairs and outside searching,searching, I called my husband on Skype at midnight his time, hysterical. RIGHT after I got off and was about to get together a search party, HRH comes meandering out to finish her dinner. Amazing how lonely and empty the apt. was for that short amount of time without her sauntering around.

LOL Another cat lady. WE lost an old timer last week. Miss him terribly. We still have 8 left.Two inside and 6 outside and a couple that come to the porch to visit and snatch a meal.

So sorry about your DH's sister. That has to be ruff on all. That is such a tough disease.

How exciting you really are moving to Ireland. I think it is such a Beautiful romantic place. It is good you are currently living in a smaller place so you do not have many things you are attached to to have to move.

Here is a link that might be useful: The six porch kitties.

NEED A LAUGH ???: http://www.simonscat.com/Films/Let-Me-In/

my last post didn't go through will post comments about those kittys when I wake up :)

LOL oh Yes I know all about that one. Now we have a storm door in front of the long glass door and one kitty,Dusty, sticks her claws in the outer screen. She forgets she needs to pull claws back. Thanks for the laugh this morning.

You are quite welcome ShadesofIdaho-thank you for your kind words too
I watch those films over and over. I need to laugh...as not only is SIL gravely ill but my father passed away at the end of August.
I'm going to post some photos of HRH(her royal highness...)I really love this cat and am SOOOO HAPPY she didn't get out. I'm going to the farmer"s mkt on Friday to get her clams...

EATREALFOOD, just checked the link--the cottage is charming! If I could choose any place outside NA to visit, it would be Scotland, Wales and Ireland. So sorry to hear about your father's passing--I hope you can find comfort in memories, and strength to face your SIL's illness.

shades, did you notice the mosaic floor in the cottage?

Thank you mama goose for your kind words, my sweetheart is due back this Sunday.
I like your "recycled" kitchen, nice & big and comfortable, great use of those cabinets.
Bealtaine Cottage blog is my favourite, it is so relaxing to look at the grounds and read about the seasons, cooking, canning etc. I love Jack and her cat. It's so cozy and I just realized that my furniture would look great there ! That's why I like it.
Need a laugh...if you have cats you understand, other films are hilarious see"Fly Guy" so typical..

Here is a link that might be useful: humorous cat link

I live in a ranch that's 1640 sq ft. I think it's BIG.
Probably because it also has a 1240 sq ft basement, a 3 car
garage, and it's on an acre. There's just hubby and me,
and the peke.
These days it's considered a "small" house....

Hi pekemom--I really bet 1640 sq ft is big too when you have to clean it :) when you need to clean it all spaces are big...1240 is a large basement, the size of a another house and your garage is probably the size of my apt LOL

Hi EATREALFOOD--Luckily the basement is just for storage,
I rarely go down there, and the house is only 6 years old
so the basement is still pretty clean.
Cleaning is easier in this house, before we had (still have
as a rental) a 1265sq ft ranch with full finished basement, 3 kids,
3 dogs, 3 cats, and fish. This one seems like a breeze in
comparison.

I am so dense. I've read this thread several times and wondered how you all knew about the cottage EATREALFOOD mentioned. I just saw the link. Duh!

But it's a beauty, and I've bookmarked the blog for future perusal. I didn't know you were in Ireland too. I've never been one for travel, but that is one place I'd like to visit, and do some research on genealogy.

marti8a, My sweetheart(from County.Kerry) has been there 5 weeks but is due back here tomorrow :) and I still didn't put blinds on the kitchen window ! I'm in trouble. We are going back in the Spring and renting before buying land/cottage. There's an interesting permaculture 2 year class we want to take in Co. Cork. We are taking our cat so we need to do her travel papers.
The link show's a cottage we like, but they need to drop the price. It's right down the road from one of my SIL's. At one point they wanted over 400Keuro for it(HA HA HA), I wouldn't buy it for more than 100Keuro(add about 32% to get USD)
We rented a house right in front of the Shannon(Querrin, Kilkee, Co. Clare) for 5 months(Winter/Spring) in 2009, walked to the beach down the road and took long walks to talk to all the animals in the field(our favourite was a goat, that was left alone).
I may need to invite you over once I get settled !

Here is a link that might be useful: kerryview cottage

Marti, don't feel bad, I just saw the whole thread!!!
Now where was it all this week? We got home on the Wed. before Thanksgiving, but maybe I was not cogent enough to even read. Double duhhhhh for me.

And EatRealFood, the info about your sweetie being from Co. Kerry is quite interesting. I drove around the Ring of Kerry in 2007, on our vacation, and never have felt so crowded for space in my life!!! A tiny car, narrow roads, and meeting TOUR BUSES. My DH is first generation Irish, both his parents were born in County Clare. You obviously have GOOD TASTE, choosing an Irishman ...... :)=

Nothing in Ireland is far from the ocean, one way or another, and it is lovely. I'll have to link you to my albums of photos taken on our trip that time. We flew into the Shannon airport. Took the Ballyhannon Coachhouse in Quin for what they call self catering, and I still correspond with the owners.

That's funny mocassinlanding, I feel exactly the opposite when I go there as all my in laws have farms and I live in 500sq/ft here!
The small cars never bother me, we own a V8 Toyota Carina 4 door and my SW took me for driving lessons on the beach...We were married in St. Mary's cathedral in Killarney, I'm sure you visited Killarney when you were there.In 2006 we took 4 months and took a week driving up along the coast Mayo, Sligo, Donegal, Derry, Antrim to visit friends in Donegal & Derry. Achill Island in Mayo is beautiful. The ocean looked like it was part of the lawn at the B&B we stayed at.