Grace Cottage

Attitude of Gratitude

2010-12-06T05:25:00.000-08:00

What a week! It began with having a ball running the Philadelphia Marathon on Sunday, November 21st while being cheered on by an amazing group of friends and wrapped up in snowy Stowe. The entire week appropriately, Thanksgiving week, filled me with an extra helping of what I like to call: Attitide of Gratitude and remind me that there is reason for thanks every day of every season.
After enjoying all 26.2 miles of the marathon and still feeling good, the 4 Kuhl's had a low-key celebratory dinner at home before driving to Stowe on Monday morning. Whenever that 450 mile drive is made without incident or accident I am relieved and yes, filled with gratitude. All of it: celebrating Thanksgiving with Mom & Dad and having them with us at Grace Cottage, the skiing, the jump-start on Christmas shopping in Stowe village, massage at Stoweflake, snow ball fights, foosball tournaments and reading by the fire made for a dreamy week.
But alas, life isn't always this good nor should it be. We need the phases of pain and discomfort for growth and learning. Just remember to keep the Attitude of Gratitude through it all.
Photo: 3 outa 4 Kuhls at the bottom of the Quad, Thanksgiving morning.

These are a few of my favorite things....

2010-07-12T08:31:00.000-07:00

Playing in the river, hiking (Moss Glenn Falls, Pinnacle), bike riding on the Rec Path, trolling the Farmer's Market, lunch at the Cliff House on a clear day, alpine slide, heading into Burlington for some lake-side fun, ice cream at the Malt Shoppe and simply enjoying the peaceful pace of Stowe in Summer.

Until a year ago, we only visited Stowe for skiing in the Winter and everyone told us: "Oh, just wait until you are here in the Summer!" I would take this comment with a smile and a degree of certainty that nothing could be better, in my mind at least, than Winter and all its joys. But, I am here to openly admit my change of heart - Stowe's Summer scenery is nourishment for the soul and a perfect retreat. So, to strangers and friends alike I join your ranks; while my passion for skiing and the lifestyle that goes with it has not diminished, the beauty and lushness that Stowe holds in the Summer is a treasure of constant serenity that the Winter does not hold.

Transitioning from the slopes to the deck!

2010-04-10T12:17:00.001-07:00

Early spring, we find ourselves relaxing at Grace Cottage, catching some spring skiing at Stowe and Bolton (wow - what an economical option!) and...getting ready to make the deck be the "hang out" for the warmer months. Furniture that's comfy yet will hold up to the harsh winters of Vermont and a gas grill with side burner now adorn our outdoor space.

The grill was just inside for assembly. :-)

Interested in staying

2010-01-08T07:50:00.000-08:00

Our first season of welcoming renters at Grace Cottage is off to a great start. While it has been chilly on the Mountain, the house is warm and stocked with plenty of firewood The skiing has been fabulous with nothing but more snow in the forecast!

If you are interested in staying at Grace Cottage, please email Sandi for availability and rates at gracecottagestowe@gmail.com. You will get a much faster response than leaving a post here on the blog.

Wishing everyone wonderful blessings in life for 2010! See you in Stowe...

Come Snow, Come Winter, Come Christmas, Come Guests

2009-12-12T20:45:00.000-08:00

What a week it's been...on Sunday December 6th, Stowe was the lead article in the Travel section of the Philadelphia Inquirer and now, Sunday December 13th has a piece on Stowe in it's annual Ski Guide edition. Check it out here http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/travel/13hours.html So that has been exciting.

I made a quick trip to Grace Cottage this week and was thrilled to see the beautiful Christmas decorations in the village, a foot of fresh snow, deer in the back yard (on the hill, opposite the creek) and skiers getting to the mountain the way ants go after a partially eaten lolly-pop left on the sidewalk.

Grace got some early Christmas pressies this week too! A new microwave oven for the kitchen, stools made from recycled skis (check out Mark's work at www.recycledskis.com) to go around the table in the "rec room", and a new faucet in the kitchen. Photos from our ski vacation in Zermatt last year are now adorning the upstairs hall too.

And a new photo of the dining room with the leaf extension in the table.

It was a short visit but worth the peace and calm that home affords; a welcome respite before the hectic weeks of Christmas and New Year's.

Are you waxed & ready to go?

2009-11-06T20:13:00.000-08:00

The Mountain opens for skiing November 21st and plenty of snowmaking has been going on!

So what is in those kitchen cabinets?

2009-11-03T12:14:00.000-08:00

Reviewing the photos posted, I decided that the kitchen is the most boring (well, a close tie for the shot of the laundry room). So, today I'll share what is not in the photo...contents of the cabinets and drawers.
The dishes that are in the cabinets at Grace Cottage I actually bought with the intention of using at my primary home but decided they belonged in Stowe. The bowls are deep and perfect for ice cream, chili or soup; hearty size mugs long to be filled with coffee or cocoa. The cream color plates just showcase whatever food is put on them. There is ample stock of pint size glasses, wine glasses and amber colored glass double old fashioned glasses (perfect for a highball)! As for cutlery - there is plenty of it, even steak knives as well as serving and cooking utensils. In addition to a 14 piece set of stainless steel pots and pans there is plenty of Pyrex bakeware/cookware, cookie sheets, mixing bowls and decorative serving pieces.
Strawberry huller? no. Cheese knife? yes.
While on vacation you may not want to even be a slave to the stove so for those evenings us one of the two slow cookers (extra large size and a more petite size one). Other appliances include blender (yes, the ice crushing kind), toaster and coffee maker. The refrigerator has an ice maker and the dishwasher is nice and quiet (bonus seeing how open the kitchen is).
Basics like napkins, dishtowels, paper towels, dish and dishwasher soap are stocked for any visit; and more often then not you will find coffee in the freezer.
At the risk of putting people who are reading this to sleep, I am going to stop here, so if you are wondering about a particular item that you don't see listed - just ask!
As noted, the stove is brand new and I took it for a test run last weekend cooking dal palak on the stove and heating naan in the oven, all went smoothly and I'm pleased with its performance (and how the meal tasted, yum).

A picture is well, just a picture.

2009-11-02T10:57:00.000-08:00

So, lots of photos of Grace Cottage are here now (scroll down) and we hope you find them helpful in making a vacation destination choice. However, photos can't portray everything. They can't give the joy of sharing a glass of wine with a friend around the coffee table while telling the story of the day's hike. They can't make you feel the comfort of a good mattress under a fatigued body after a day of skiing. They can't provide the convenience of a well equipped kitchen. For all that and more, come experience Grace Cottage in Stowe.

Any comments, questions and feedback of any kind is appreciated; direct it all to gracecottagestowe@gmail.com

There is a house...

2009-11-02T09:02:00.000-08:00

Several years ago while on a ski vacation in Stowe, Vermont I picked up a local Real Estate Guide and spotted a lovely yellow Cape Cod on Birch Hill Road. I wasn't in the market for Stowe property, really couldn't even fathom being a homeowner there, yet I was drawn to this house in a gentle way where I would drive past it several times during that week back in 2006. I'd park in front of it and wonder what it was like inside. To me, it was the perfect location in Stowe - easy walk to the rec path and town and just a ten minute drive to the slopes.

Winter 2009, I found myself actually contemplating a second home. Nothing extravagant but a comfortable place to rest and enjoy, the location was easy: Stowe. Driving around with a real estate agent, I inquired about the yellow Cape Cod style house off of Mountain Road that had been on the market sometime back. "Never sold but I know the owners, that house could be on the market if you are interested" she responded. Five months later, I made settlement.

I could chronicle the ups and downs of negotiating a purchase and sale agreement, the downs of applying for a mortgage in a collapsed market, the joy of erasing day-glow orange wall with fresh paint; but I will simply say this: Life always works out the way it is supposed to. In my life, I was meant to have this house and to share it with others who will make beautiful memories there with family and friends, as will I.