For many years, I’ve aspired to live in a cottage, which I talked about here. Yesterday, I was sad to hear that Cottage Living magazine is closing up shop — a victim of the economy. I’ve been a subscriber since the first issue appeared in my mailbox four years ago, a freebie because I subscribe to other so-called “shelter” magazines. And I’ve saved every issue — only missing a couple when my subscription got messed up during a move.
Over the years, I’ve lamented the sometimes light-on-content issues and the propensity to feature rooms done or redone by magazine staffers who obviously have the whole design resources of the magazine at their disposal. Country Home magazine has become my favorite for being consistently wonderful. But still, Cottage Living was something I looked forward to and couldn’t bring myself to give up, even as I dropped other subscriptions (e.g., Real Simple, though lovely, was expendable in the name of simplifying; Cooking Light fell by the wayside as it became too much Cooking with 27 Ingredients or Cooking Largely with Ingredients My Husband Won’t Eat). This time, the decision is made for me — and I assume I lose my unfilled subscription dollars too, which really doesn’t seem fair at all.
Coincidentally, I just got a card saying my nephew (via my sister) got me a subscription to Martha Stewart Living, so I’ll get my creative decorating (and inferiority) fix anyway. I subscribed for a year or so many years ago, and decided then it was just too darn intimidating. Now, I think, I’ll just appreciate it for its beauty. As for my cottage dreams…well, I’ll just have to nurture them the old-fashioned way — in my head.
I can envision a small cottage somewhere, with a lot
of writing paper, and a dog, and a fireplace, and
maybe enough money to give myself some Irish coffee
now and then and entertain my two friends.
~ Lt. Richard Van de Geer
Writing by Ear 
kevie said,
Friday, December 12, 2008 at 3:00 pm
i always thought we lived in a very english style 1920’s cottage, much like those we see in england…slate roof, klinker brick, nice formal boxwood planted garden entrance courtyard behind wrought iron gates with stone hares atop the brick gateposts, front door with iron strapwork…interior great hall with a huge wormy chesnut heavy beamed roof and stone fireplace, two bedrooms, one and 1/2 baths, morning room, dining, and library + artist’s studio….lots of gardens…..sounds very cottage-like to me..however when the english ‘rellies’ came to visit they were heard to exclaim “we thought you said you lived in a cottage!” maybe i should have read cottage living….
WritingbyEar said,
Friday, December 12, 2008 at 3:11 pm
I know what they meant, Kev. Much too grand to be a cottage with all the additions. I love it to pieces, and maybe it would still qualify as a cottage if not for the beautiful adds (but with that great hall, I dunno. It’s so darn, well, great), but the house is so much more now.