Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cottage

I wanna know about the old country.

twistofrhyme — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:42:14 -0800

I'm going to be at a rainy cottage all weekend with 3 senior citizens: my dad, aunt, and uncle. I want my non-talkative dad and his sister to reminisce about their childhoods, but I suspect my aunt's talkative husband will dominate the conversation. If that happens, Dad and Aunt won't talk much. How can I encourage them to reminisce without hurting my uncle's feelings? Here's a little more info about the personalities:

My dad, age 70- good-natured, physically active, not very talkative, has terrible hearing (like 30%, even with a hearing aid).
My aunt, age 65- dad's younger sister. Has badly arthritic knees. She's fairly chatty, but can get a little tense with her husband.
My dad and his sister have not spent more than 3 hours together in about 30 years (no specific conflict- they just drifted apart). Also, they are both retired and spend a lot of time alone so they have withdrawn slightly- lots of naps and newspaper crosswords, not much socializing.

My uncle (my aunt's husband), age 65- professorial, very social, still works so he's "younger" than my dad and aunt and more plugged into the world. He tends to be dominant with planning and conversation, which irritates my aunt and causes tension between them. He is really sweet, and I like him a lot, but I am really more excited to spend time with my dad and aunt, since they are never ever together and my aunt is hard for me to contact (whereas uncle and I share some interests so we communicate by email already).

Two questions:

1. How to get Dad and Aunt talking about life in the old country?
I already asked Uncle to bring old slides and photos.
I'm gonna grab some photo books & a DVD documentary about the country to spark memories.
Any other ideas?

2. What else would be fun for us to do together?
My dad's bad hearing can make it really hard to do group activities.
My aunt's bad knees make walking a problem for her (so no hikes).
The cottage has electricity, TV, DVD player, etc.

I really want this weekend to be special and help my dad and his sister connect after so long apart!
I'm not gonna be all stressy and neurotic about it or try to force them to reminisce, but I would like to go in with a couple of ideas.
Thanks in advance for your help!

Jet pump troubleshooting at the cottage

saraswati — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 09:56:31 -0800

Help! We're at the cottage and we're having problems with the jet pump system. We installed a new jet pump and we're not seeing enough pressure to reach prime. We checked the intake line and it's filled with water and doesn't appear to have any holes. We also just installed a new foot valve. What else should we be checking? Help us get water to our cottage!

Weekend getaway near Vancouver

miles1972 — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:15:31 -0800

Where can I go this weekend from Vancouver? I would like to go away for a writing retreat this coming weekend. Probably Thursday to Tuesday morning.

Parameters: within 4 hours of Vancouver BC, power, cell coverage, ability to cook meals. Ideally, somewhat inspirational in terms of setting, just a good place to write and not a ridiculous amount of money.

The ideal spot would be someone's empty summer home on a Gulf Island, you know what I mean? (but I've used up my favours for this year)

Where to go in the Irish countryside?

Kronoss — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:13:09 -0800

Looking for the perfect small town in Ireland where my parents can spend a week or so this fall. My retired parents, who are longtime U.S. residents but were born in Scotland, will be visiting the old country once again this fall. This time, they're thinking of spending a week in the Irish countryside but are not sure where to go. They visited Dublin a couple of years ago, but that's it as far as Ireland goes.

I asked my dad what he was looking for and he said "someplace with a good pub." He's not a big drinker, but does enjoy an occasional dram of whisky. They're in their 60s and still pretty active. One of their favorite things to do on vacation is to go on long walks and hikes, so someplace with great natural scenery is a plus.

They'd prefer to rent a cottage somewhere, but someplace with a nice bed and breakfast will do, too. Other than that, I think they're looking for what lots of travelers are looking for: a picturesque village with friendly people. So any suggestions, MeFi?

Finding Victorian Poem containing a stanza about a peaceful cottage a peaceful cottage

Lorna — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:11:06 -0800

I'm trying to find a particular Victorian poem that contains a stanza depicting a peaceful cottage. Tall order, yes, I know. Victorian poetry is all about the peaceful cottage. All I remember is that the whole poem isn't about this cottage in the woods, just the one stanza. Any takers?

Quality goods made by real people

dance — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:36:19 -0800

Talented people making high quality goods (belts, wooden objects, pens, misc leather items , clothes, manuscript books, etc) at reasonable prices. A recent askme thread whetted my appetite for lovingly crafted objects created by real people who have a talent and a passion for their work, and are maybe selling on eBay...or via a personal website.
These things are perhaps made simply but effectively, or in a traditional way - and the seller's aim is usually not massive profit but just to see their quality goods used by happy customers.

Or maybe people who refurbish antiques, get them working again and sell them on?

A real world example is a man called David Naish who sells his high quality leather wallets, belts, pouches etc from a bridge in Jesmond Dene, Newcastle, England for very small amounts of money.

What would it take to make a cabin?

history is a weapon — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:13:28 -0800

How cheap is it to build a small house in the middle of the woods? Can someone with no carpentry skills do it? So my girlfriend and I are debating building a small cabin outside of the city. We're thinking less than a thousand square feet, basic electricity and plumbing, able to handle winter and rain, and mostly for weekends and short stays year round.

A lot of the prefab designs look like a basic living room area, a bathroom, and a sleeping loft. I think we're imagining something close to something like that. Basically a cabin for us to work or unwind.

How difficult would this be to build ourselves? How cheaply could we do it if we both participated in the construction? Could we build it ourselves with a carpenter? How long would it take if we dedicated real time to it?
We have some free time, a small budget, and want a space to go chill. If you were in our shoes, how would you do it?

Where can I find plans for cottages with a modern design aesthetic?

SNACKeR — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 05:04:17 -0800

Where can I find plans (not kits) for cottages with a modern design aesthetic? I am looking for designs that maximize light, are energy efficient, and function well in a Southern Ontario climate (snowy winters, warm summers).

Although I would welcome a modern design for the structure, I am also fine with more traditional exteriors, e.g., A-frame, or other designs with a cathedral (or at least high) ceiling for the main living area. What I am mostly looking for is some interesting features in the interior, like this.

Of course, budget is limited. I will likely be doing most of the interior finishing myself. I expect to have the structure built over the next year, and then spend the next couple of years completing the interior.

Perhaps I just need an interior designer, which I could possibly afford later on? A little guidance please...

Get us away from the world for a couple of weeks' honeymoon

TrashyRambo — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 19:14:01 -0800

My fiancée and I are looking for an isolated honeymoon cottage on the coast, in a temperate region. Can you find it for us? We want to go somewhere wild and green and blowy where we can read books together - but on our own. Think cottage on the Atlantic coast of Ireland, west coast of Canada, Brittany. July this year with a wood fire, outside of villages and complexes, no internet (I'm bad with this). Anywhere in the world would be OK but preference to North America and Europe (languages: English, French, Spanish best but not fussy).

Other uses for a cottage may include...

disillusioned — Sun, 13 Nov 2005 03:11:39 -0800

My family is buying a cottage in the woods. Help suggest some fun activities to keep things interesting! My parents recently finalized the plans to purchase a cottage (read: 1,200 sq/ft 3-br) about an hour and a half from their primary residence. (Strawberry, Arizona.) The area is right against a National Forest, so hiking and the basic exploring is definitely in the mix.

We also plan on getting a couple of ATVs, so any suggestions on makes and models and what to look for with these would be fantastic.

Some other things we're tentatively planning for include the standard board games, card games, a fire pit, a telescope and horseshoes. So far, so good, but what other activities or hobbies might we want to invest in for this weekend getaway? We'll be there throughout the year, and assume that we'd be willing to invest a few hundred into something that makes the trip even more worthwhile.

Thanks in advance for your help and cottage-esque experiences!

Good UK coastal villages for holidays

blacksky — Sat, 12 Nov 2005 07:33:29 -0800

I am looking to go away for a long weekend with friends and hire a cottage. We want to go to somewhere coastal ideally and find a village to stay in that has a some pubs and places to eat. We have been to Robin Hoods Bay in North Yorkshire a few times and are looking for somewhere quaint and pretty like that where you can have a few walks on the beach and a few pints. Any ideas for anywhere good? Any recommendations for cottages would also be appreciated. Cheers.