The last couple of years, as we worked on our little church, I had a project focus: here is what we need to do, what we will accomplish, who we need to call, etc. But this year, I suddenly feel like the church is really becoming a cottage. Nesting is happening, folks, and it feels good.

First of all, Erik has made huge progress with the kitchen. All the cabinets are in and we used a nice slab of acacia to create the island countertop. We used tung oil to finish the top – it should be fine for our purposes from here on out. We selected soapstone for the sink area – it is being fabricated and will be installed in 3 weeks (which holds us here until then). The glass is in the upper cabinets. We had a stove and a dishwasher delivered so we can cook – although dishwashing has to wait for the countertop install. Somehow we always seem to be completing things as we walk out the door.

The other huge improvement is the loft floor. What a lovely experience that was! The fellow who sanded the main floor came back and did an amazing job with the upstairs. We now have a lovely nest upstairs away from the main windows. It makes a huge difference to see the sun splash color across a real floor. Our adventure getting the bed upstairs is best left to your imagination. Suffice it to say, spiral stairs are not the most convenient for furniture moving. But there it is and quite comfortable too. I really like how the window wells are working but we do plan on installing small railings around them to match our bannister.

Perhaps the biggest (but least labor intensive) improvement is the addition of furniture! Yes, we have comfortable chairs to sit on. Two of the chairs were found in the church and reupholstered for this summer. The other soft chairs were selected based on comfort and immediate availability. One more hour of sitting on the wooden Adirondack-style chairs and our backs might have broken.

Fear not, it has not been all work and no play. In fact, we have gone to the beach nearly every day, either for a walk or a swim. Sometimes, I knit, but I also gave spinning a shot one day. Now that is a reason for an e-spinner! How great to sit in the sun by the water and spin. It isn’t for every day, but once in a while it is fun. I bike often and even get some yoga time in. Wifi lets us stream music so the church is full of sound.  For grins (to feather the nest, so to speak) I have been weaving coasters to protect our new furniture.

The nicest thing of all? We can stay here this year. No commuting to a rental place, schlepping food and ice chests, battling fatigue as we watch for moose on our trip to our beds. In fact, that may be what makes this so much more a home this year. We eat and sleep here. And we can cook real food without fighting the mosquitoes. Even Toby feels it. He certainly has settled into a comfortable routine. I do think, however, that I did not so much buy a loveseat as I did a very cozy dog bed. Clearly Toby feels at home.