"Don't refuse to go on an occasional wild goose chase - that's what wild geese are for." ~Author Unknown
The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it. ~John Ruskin
"'Oh, Marilla, looking forward to things is half the pleasure of them,' exclaimed Anne. "You mayn't get the things themselves; but nothing can prevent you from having the fun of looking forward to them. "
~Anne Shirley
"I’m very fond of men. I think they are wonderful creatures. I love them dearly. But I don’t want to look like one. When women gave up their long skirts, they made a grave error…"
~Tasha Tudor 
Opening all windows in the early morning hours, if it is cool enough, allows the stale air to be replaced and takes advantage of nature's cooling system. Following that, and as the heat of the day progresses, closed windows and drawn blinds thoughout the cottage will prevent sunshine and warm air from penetrating. Wait until the sun has left the horizon before opening windows and raising shades to welcome any cool air the evening may bring. Opening upstairs windows and keeping the lower ones closed will permit the warm air, which has risen, to escape.
Electric fans put in action at strategic point throughout the cottage will keep the air in circulation. In front of the fan or fans, place a tray filled with chunks of ice-they will cool the air which is circulated by the fans. This cooler can be camouflaged by covering the ice with fragrant branches (summery scents; lemon, scented geraniums, or lavender), or by placing potted ferns or other greenery in front of the equipment to hide its clumsy, if utilitarian features.
Evenings will be somewhat cooler if candles are substituted for electric lights. Light bulbs do emanate heat as well as light. Candles, in hurricane shades, will make summer dining a cooler, pleasanter experience than the glare of electric lights will allow.
(Adapted from Woman's Home Companion Household Book)
A good book should leave you... slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it. ~William Styron
"My characters will have, after a little trouble, all that they desire."
~Jane "Becoming Jane"
"Tea is drunk to forget the din of the world." ~T'ien Yiheng
"The gardener left the hamper by the garden gate, so that the carrier
could pick it up when he passed. Timmy Willie crept in through a hole in
the wicker-work, and after eating some peas--Timmy Willie fell fast
asleep."
~The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse
The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible.
~Oscar Wilde
"…as nearly perfect a little place as I ever lived in, and such nice old-fashioned people in the village." -Beatrix Potter
ELINOR: "I do not attempt to deny that I think very highly of him - that I greatly esteem him... I like him." MARIANNE: "Esteem him? Like him? Use those insipid words again and I shall leave the room this instant."
"I am thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.... I am thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby." ~Nancie J. Carmody 
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
There's something delicious about writing those first few words of a story. You can never quite tell where they will take you. ~Miss Potter
