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The Cottage: Rising Up Like a Phoenix
All things considered, having a guest house in your backyard is a wonderful thing.
Our new cottage received final approval this past week and my family and I are ecstatic! We’ve decided to refer to it as the cottage, as opposed to calling it a guest house or ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) or mother-in-law quarters or anything else. The cottage represents a full year of planning, pulling permits, building, and envisioning and next weekend we will christen it with a bottle of Bragg’s apple cider vinegar. Thanks to Patricia Bragg for agreeing to stop by to be a part of this joyous event. And yes, a river runs through our property and can be enjoyed from three sides of the cottage.
In a couple of weeks, my eldest grandson returns to Stanford as a second year medical student. The family has decided that the the cottage is his for now. He’ll be inviting friends to stay over — the cottage comfortably accommodates seven — and we are excited for him to be able to entertain in this way.
Years ago, when I first decided to live in Santa Barbara on a part-time basis I rented a guest house. It was tiny and dark and in a state of disrepair, and I loved it. It was my private and secluded hideaway in a city I planned to call home in the near future. There was something about that slightly dilapidated space that gave me great hope for my future in…
