Opening The Front Door

Welcome to Wild Plum Cottage. We’re pretty informal here, so get comfy, put your feet up; maybe you’d like cup of tea while I tell you about what you'll find here.

The Cottage itself isn’t really a cottage; to be honest it’s a rather modern house in a subdivision that sits at the edge of town, and though there isn’t a wild plum tree in sight, there are four ornamental plum trees in our front yard. A couple years ago one tree began producing a mind-boggling amount of small, juicy plums – perfect for making jam. An obsession was born. I make a lot of jam. Some attempts have been spectacular, others not so great.

Either way, it’s the process I love - the quiet attention to detail, the way I can’t get ahead of myself or be too distracted by any other part of life, the sweet smell of fruit and sugar boiling, the jewel-toned jars cooling on the table. You'll find recipes here too, especially when I discover one too delicious to keep to myself.

I like making things and it doesn't stop in the kitchen. There’s a room at the top of the stairs that’s officially known as the Guest Room. Unofficially, and more accurately, it’s known as the Room That’s Always a Mess because at least one project is laid out on the bed and another stacked up on the desk at all times. You’ll hear more about my creative binges later.

I’m of the firm belief that creativity can heal just about any grief. At its best it helps us find happiness. The worst it can do is clutter the house. But then, house cleaning gives my mind time to ponder other things, like writing and re-arranging the furniture. It's all creative if I let it be.

Life is full of small moments and quiet gestures, brimming with magic and wonder - if we slow down long enough to see and feel and hear its song.

Wild Plum Cottage is my home away from home, a place to let those things I love shine, whether in the kitchen, in that room at the top of the stairs, or in the garden. It might be something I see during my commute or on a Sunday morning drive into the countryside with my husband. If it makes me happy, catches my eye, or otherwise piques my interest, you'll see or read about it here.