I love the east coast with all.my.heart. I want to live there FULL TIME someday. The history, old homes, the people, the four distinct seasons, everything about it makes me happy. Sometimes I wish we could push a fast forward button on life. But then again… we’d also need a pause, mute and rewind button too. You just can’t win. Can you?
I spent this past weekend there painting our dining room, visiting the farmer’s markets, and working in the garden. When we bought our house on the east coast the one thing I wanted to change right away was the bright yellow walls. Slowly but surely it’s getting done and I always think it’s amazing what a few cans of paint can do to spruce up a place.
I’ve kinda fallen into sort of a routine when I’m there.
Visit the Farmer’s Market
Scour the local thrift stores once a day
Work in the garden planting, harvesting and weeding
Pick a house project to work on
Relax
This time around I didn’t find anything super exciting at the thrift store for the house, but I did find 2 sets of bed rails to go with the bed frames I found a few months ago. The guest room is now officially finished and now the only thing I have left to find is a few more chairs for the dining room table and I am done.
Someday we are going to move there.
But for now, it’s good to be back here in Washington state. Even if I was greeted to counter full of laundry to fold this morning.
~Mavis
P.S. There are so few things about my life I don’t share on the blog, but the location of our east coast home is one of them. So if you know where it is, or where it might be, please refrain from mentioning it in your comments. Just know, I’d rather be there, than here in the land of snoopervising.
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Naomi says
I love the East Coast as well, and am lucky enough to live her full time! While I truly have no clue where on our coastline you are (and I totally get keeping it close to the vest), the next time you’re out here and have a hankering to hook a little….rugs of course :o)……drop me a line! I am a hooker with more dyed wool than I know what to do with!! BTW – I’m in CT.
sara says
I totally get wanting to live on the east coast full time. I keep telling the hubs that I want a second home out there, and I think I’m wearing him down, he finally said I should “look around” while I’m out there next week.. Thankfully we have friends that live in Rhode Island that I get to visit a few times a year, and it’s easy to get around from there to “look around”.
Mavis Butterfield says
Keep working on him. I am the queen of wearing my husband down when I really, really want something. 😉
Katie says
I’ll trade you! I grew up in the west and have lived on the east coast for 20 years. I can’t wait to get out of here. We’re near DC. The traffic is life-altering; the summers generally are too hot to do anything outside; and I’m tired of the competition among parents to have your kids be the most active, best, brightest, etc. And did I mention it’s REALLY expensive to live here? A starter home in our neighborhood begins at $750K, and that’s just close enough (6 miles) to have a 50 minute commute downtown, instead of the 75 minute commute you get from anyplace further out. We have great history and museums, but trust me, there are a lot of drawbacks too.
Brianna says
I’m with you! I’m originally from the northwest and I miss the snow, mountains, and slow-paced life. We live in GA now, but we have lived in Hawaii, Oregon, Arizona, Kansas, and now Georgia. 22 more months and my husband retires and we can move back home. I am getting so excited and counting down! I think GA is the worst place we have lived….so many people are all about maintaining an “image,” rude, selfish, unfriendly, etc. I can’t stand all the people, traffic, and box stores everywhere. Someday we might actually own a home and stop renting, I can’t wait to finally put paint on walls and have a decorating style. I’ve lived at 18 addresses in 15 years, so I just don’t even decorate anymore.
Teresa says
At least it was clean laundry! I’ve never been further east than Texas. I’m jealous.
Leanna says
Me too! Furthest east for me is Austin, Texas. I do love living in the Southwest though.
Robin says
Mavis, the east coast is where it’s at, girl! I’m a native New Englander, living just north of Boston, and can’t even fathom living anywhere else.
Mavis Butterfield says
I agree Robin. 🙂
Marcia says
So what is it about the East Coast that makes you feel that way? I’ve seen your photos, and it’s beautiful of course. I grew up in PA Amish country with rolling green hills, and my spouse grew up in upstate NY, which is similar.
But sometimes I wonder – what is it really? You seem to have a beautiful house in a great area. A garden. I’m sure you have farmer’s markets. Maybe not 4 seasons (I miss the fall but NOT the 5 months of snow!)
Can you recreate what you like about the East Coast here? Or is it that your home there is far away from others? (At least by the photos it doesn’t look suburban).
Mavis Butterfield says
I want the snow. The wood stove. To be in a town with less people. A totally different view. It’s hard to explain.
Lana says
Mavis, I hope you battened down the hatches before you left! That hurricane is looking like a reality.
Beth Rankin says
Sorry-I’m proud I’m FROM New Jersey, not IN New Jersey. We moved to beautiful wine country in Oregon two years ago and I love it here!!!
Jane says
New adventures are the best! I think it’s so much fun to make changes and go new places. I lived in Ohio until this past Feb when we loaded up a moving van and moved to a little mountain town in Western Wyoming — which by the way has the most wonderful wood stove smoke smell. . . I can understand why you love that! Actually we have the snow too, you should visit 🙂 Love the east coast too! My favorite place on this great earth is the Outer Banks!
Diana says
I moved from MI to GA over 30 years ago because of work and love it here. For many years I said I wanted to retire to New England, but now I don’t know. I’m still single and I have my support system here. I love the feel of it up there, but now I’m not so sure I want to deal with all of the snow. I can visit it in the GA mountains… 🙂
Renay says
If you go to Zillow, they have a section on farmhouses….for those of us who can’t get there, we can look at cool pictures and dreammmmm….
KAthleen says
Well, I am originally from Omaha but now in the PNW area south of Seattle. Moved here about 1970 and have LOVED the area..until recently with the Seattle growth. The traffic to work is nightmare and the small towns near me with Main Streets are all now “corporate”. I went to Omaha this August and loved it…green lawns in 95 degree heat against drought in Seattle with my brown lawn. But I cannot take the humidity with the heat or the snow drifts anymore. I love everything about the PNW, but now everyone else is loving it too. Going Home in August to Omaha I did find that my heart will always be there and it is always my forever home. I just wish it had Seattle weather!
Cris says
What is the green and white squash in your picture?
Mavis Butterfield says
Striped crenshaw.
Margaret Bushee says
I am originally from Austin, TX. I moved to upstate NY, near Saratoga Springs, 4 years ago because my Washington State husband couldn’t take the Texas heat anymore. I have to say I do love it here. I love the change of seasons, the beauty of the big trees, how easy it is to grow things here, the stone walls that are probably a hundred years old, etc. I also realized that I am a small town girl and that Austin, TX was too crowded for me. I now live on ten acres outside of a beautiful, classic American small town. It is a short 15 minute drive away. Country life with out having to be too far from civilization…perfection.