It Started with a Fairy Tale

This is my first post in quite a while.

Our life here was changed in a big way over the past months, and I'm ready to share the story. It's a bit long, but bear with me. There is a very significant point to this tale.

From the day we bought this cottage, our dream was to bring my Mom from Texas to live with us. Every decision we made during the renovation was with her in mind.

Fast forward to this past December. While on our annual visit to Texas, Mom finally agreed to come home with us to Ireland. We weren't looking forward to the actual travel day, knowing that it would be very tiring for my 90 year old mother. To our surprise, she came through it like a champ!

Once in Ireland, she was as captivated with it as I was. She loved the countryside, the food, our cottage - everything. She said we were spoiling her rotten, and we were!

Suddenly, without warning, my darling Mom had a heart attack and passed away a few days later.  She was here just under two months. It wasn't long enough, but I will forever cherish the days and weeks we had together. The last thing I told her before she took her final breath was that she made my dreams come true when she came to Ireland. And she understood and shared my love of this cottage. That's understandable, because it all started many years ago, with HER, may she rest in peace. ❤️

When I was very small, Mom would read me to sleep every night. She was the BEST reader,  and she was so good to read my favourite story over and over without complaining. That fairy tale changed my life.

The story? HANSEL and GRETEL. You know, the gingerbread house, the witch, and the brother and sister lost in the woods. But how did THAT story have an effect on me, you ask?

Hansel left a trail of pebbles that led them back to their home when the MOONLIGHT  glistened on the stones that pointed the way to their COTTAGE.

When Hansel and Gretel came upon the gingerbread house and started to eat it, the witch inside called out to them, saying:

NIBBLE NIBBLE NOTTAGE...WHO'S NIBBLING AT MY COTTAGE?

        

Obviously, that story and those images stayed with me my entire life. I remember showing pictures of the cottage from this blog to my sister, and her response was, "You really watched too much Disney as a kid, didn't you???" I was a bit offended by that remark, but in all honesty I guess she wasn't too far off.  My dream cottage was first created  from the beloved fairy tale that my sweet mother so lovingly read to me night after night.

Thank you, Mom. Moonlight Cottage is as much a part of you as it is me. You will live on forever in our hearts and in this place that you helped to imagine all those years ago. I'll love you forever, dear Darling ❤️

         Islarea Caviness 1926 -2017