The Little Blue Cottage
The typical cold and dreary month of February seemed like an ideal time to treat myself to a winter weekend getaway. I found a cozy little place right on the river in the Northern Neck area of Virginia. The plan was for some reading, writing, relaxation and yes, what my friend and podcast partner Ted refers to as explorying.
The plan was successful and the weather was surprisingly pleasant for early February. I will easily be able to write on this blog for several weeks about the places I visited and the people I met along the way; including some book people of course. I found bookstores, little free libraries, interesting shops, and had great conversations with some wonderful folks.
Sometimes I call Ted to tell him about my adventures while traveling back from a trip like this one, but in this case, I may save that update for a podcast episode so I can share the stories with those of you reading this now. If so, I’ll put a link to the show here in the article.
Until then, I’ll tell you about one treasure I found while visiting this special place. I’ll drop some related pics on our Two Sides to the Story Instagram and Facebook pages soon. For now picture this…
The little blue house I rented for the weekend has a built in bookshelf in the hallway between two of the bedrooms. It is nicely decorating with several books and some nautical decor. Just like when I’m in a bookstore or library, one of the books catches my eye. It is a children’s book called The Little Blue Cottage, written by Kelly Jordan and illustrated by Jessica Courtney Tickle. The Little Blue Cottage is a touching story of a girl, her cottage, and the memories they make together over the years. The book follows their relationship from the girls childhood through adulthood, when she returns to the cottage after a gap of many years, with a child of her own.
I found myself wondering for a brief moment if the book was written by the owner of the house I rented for the weekend. Doubtful as the book indicates the the writer lives in Decatur, Georgia with her husband, cat and dog, but the thought definitely made me smile. And either way, I was happy to read The Little Blue Cottage, while relaxing in a little blue cottage.
I’m thinking Ted will want to find a copy of this book so we can add this little story to our Two Sides reading list of 23 books in 2023.
Do you have a book you associate with a memorable vacation? Tell us about it at twosides2thestory@yahoo.com