Recently I helped David set up and tear down a rather extensive sound system for a live music event we did in Tulsa. As I was helping carry microphone stands and speakers to the trailer we haul equipment in, David said, “You always wanted to be a roadie, right?”. I replied, “No, I always wanted to be a princess.”.
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Cottages and Castles
I was being a smart aleck but there might have been a bit of truth in there, too. After all, what little girl doesn’t dream of being a princess and living in a castle? Besides, my grandparents all called me “Princess” and my first grade classmates selected me to play Cinderella in our class play. Destiny, I’m telling you. Destiny.
Yet, here I sit, decidedly NOT a princess in a castle. And the truth of the matter is that these days I’m rather more drawn to cottages than castles anyway. Castles require staff and that means a lack of privacy…something I cherish.
I’m content to just admire photos of castles and hopefully visit one or more someday.
The Most Beautiful Castles in Europe
But living in a cottage? That’s a reasonable dream. Someday we will likely downsize and if we could build my dream home it would likely be reminiscent of an English cottage. As much as I’m drawn to the lifestyle of the French (and their food!) and as much as I might entertain dreams of a Parisian flat on the Left Bank within walking distance of sidewalk cafes, when it comes right down to it, it’s the stereotypical cosy English cottage which captures my heart.
I love lots of architectural styles but a vine-covered English cottage with a picket fence surrounding a flower-filled garden makes my heart sing.
Something like this, perhaps?
Okay, maybe a thatched roof isn’t practical. And honestly, I doubt I could find any builders here in Oklahoma who know how to make one.
Let’s see…
Ooh, I like this one. It’s obviously in the country, it’s purple and there are chickens!
Art by Michael Humphries. Click to see artist page.
And while Thomas Kinkade’s art is rather maudlin, he obviously shares my love of cosy cottages.
I’ll take this one by the sea, please:
Seaside Hideaway by Thomas Kinkade
So despite my dreams of being a princess in a castle, I’m truly more of a cosy cottage sort. I can’t imagine anything better than curling up in an overstuffed chair with a cup of tea and a good book.
Here is my reading corner. Nothing fancy but it’s comfy.
Still, something like this does have its charms:
Bojnice Castle at Bojnice Slovakia
What about you? Are you a cottage or a castle person? Or is there some other style of home you dream about?
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Note: I’ve mentioned this before but I’ll say it again. It must come from reading so much British literature but I just naturally want to use the spelling “cosy” rather than the American spelling – “cozy”. I usually try to go back and fix it but since it’s Anglophile Week here at Life With Dee I’m just leaving it as is.
I could go either way, I suppose. There’s a certain charm to the cosy cottage, after all. However, if I had the money to afford to buy one, as well as maintain it and pay the staff required to do so, I’d totally be living in a castle, complete with huge library stocked with plenty of books in formats accessable to me, of course. I’d also have a horse, because it’s only lack of space and money that stops me having one, and – let’s face it – if I’ve got a castle, I can totally afford a horse!
Ha! Good point. Yes, if money were no issue and I didn’t have to be the one to clean and maintain a castle, I could live in one. I would just need the staff to be unobtrusive and there as little as possible – I treasure my privacy. I’m totally with you about the library!
The staff thing is easy enough to figure out. I’d only want enough of a staf to make sure everything was running smoothly – and I only had to cook myself if I felt like joining the cook in the kitchen – without making it all the responsibility of one person. So, all I’d have to do is make sure they’re on a set schedule. That way I know where they’ll be at any given time, so can actively avoid them if I want alone time. Its easy enough to do in a castle.
It sounds like you’ve given this some thought. Ha!
Always have been and always will be a cottage girl!
Me, too. A cozy cottage with a picket fence and roses growing over the door is my dream house.