Where in the world is the Parsons’ family this week? It almost sounds like we’re off on some great adventure, but we’re really just bumming around staying with family and in homes that are open to us! I suppose that is an adventure of sorts and we are trying to make it feel like that. We had the opportunity to stay in my cousin’s lake house for about a week and it has been such a treat. The house itself is cute and comfortable and I’ve enjoyed sitting on the dock watching the swans, people floating by on kayaks and the clouds. It’s been peaceful, restful, and felt like a bit of a vacation from all of the car trips.
We are now heading back to Raleigh, NC for a few days before we head back north to Pennsylvania, but before we leave, I thought I would show you our lake digs.
We were staying at a house in Lake of the Woods, Virginia, which is not far from Fredericksburg. Jeff has been in heaven being this close to Civil War Battlefields. history nerd that he is! We had exchanges like, “I stood on the exact spot where Jackson was shot at Chancellorsville!”
“Good for you, honey.”
I opted to stay close to the house most of the time. I was aching to get out for a walk around the neighborhood, but the doctor told me at the end of June that my foot wasn’t ready for that. So, I took art classes, played games with the boys, sat by the dock and sketched or read a book, and even spent a day laying on the sofa watching a show.
The lake house is a 1980s house that has some charming features and is well-kept. It really is the quintessential lake house. We spent a lot of time in the family room, which is welcoming, comfortable, and painted the perfect shade of blue. I am smitten with the beams and stone fireplace. I imagine this room must be so cozy during the winter.
The house is owned by my mom’s first cousin (her dad was my Opa’s brother), so there are a lot of things in the house that feel very familiar. Some of the same prints and pictures hung in my Oma and Opa’s home and many of the furnishings have a traditional southern feel.
Even my mom collects wooden ducks and displays them around her fireplace hearth in the same way.
Right away, the sunroom caught my eye. I ended up setting up my “studio” at the table on the right and enjoyed painting and practicing.
I loved looking at the family pictures along the staircase wall. Some of them are ones we have and some were unfamiliar to me.
A short hobble away (I’m still in the boot) a stone path leads to a dock.
Jeff and I both sat out there in the mornings and evenings, just watching and enjoying nature. We had a wonderful display of clouds one evening. Another late afternoon, the light was hitting the water at just the right angle to cause bright sparkles to bounce off the ripples.
I will definitely get some paintings out of these pictures!
A pair of swans came to visit a couple of times, hoping that we had some treats for them. My cousin told me they like bits of kale, but I forgot to pick some up at the grocery store. They nibbled at the dock and squawked at me in disappointment before swimming along to find a more obliging human.
I did get some good pictures of them, though, and I will definitely be painting them as well even if swans are a little “twee.” (I learned that word from watching Landscape Artist of the Year. Look it up.)
We’ll be going to another lake house in PA in a couple of weeks and might find another lake or beach house to stay in later in the summer since we all enjoy being near the water. We’ll see what August brings…
Has your husband’s job search hit upon any areas you are thinking about? I’ll be with you in spirit as you head to Raleigh. My son lives in Wake Forest down the road from Fall’s Lake. I love visiting them , it’s so relaxing. We fish and hike around the lake and eat some great meals.
Yes! He has been interviewing and is lined up to preach. Things are going well and we hope we’ll know where we’re going soon. It is hot in Raleigh, so just visiting in spirit is the best way to visit right now!
Lake of the Woods is near me!
Seeing the sunshine in the stairwell shining directly on your photos, they will be faded in no time. Make copies of everything and put them in the frames instead. Furniture in the sun will also fade as well as curtains. A lot of my things have been ruined this way. Even indirect light will fade.
Yes, that’s a good point. This is my cousin’s house, so I’m not sure if the pictures are original or copies. They might be copies and not an issue.
This home looks like a cozy place to relax. I’m delighted to hear your husband has a teaching interview. I know God will place you exactly where He wants you! Excited to hear where that is! Enjoy each spot along the way!
The patterns of light in the swan photograph will make for an interesting painting…but what medium will you choose?
Your life right now is so different from your “real” life that it must feel like a never-ending vacation. You will cherish when you get to nest again.
I think I would paint the swans in oil, but we’ll see. And yes, my life is so strange right now. I keep feeling like we’ll pack up to go home, but we don’t have a house right now. I know this is just for a season, though. I try to remind myself of all of the things to be thankful for and that this was something we chose. That makes things better and I try to enjoy where I am.
So exciting!!! Your swan photo takes my breath away. I admire your talents & love for the Lord so much. Thank you for generously sharing with us all 🙂
what dreams are made of……you’re very lucky!
It really is a great place!
Never heard that word, “twee” before. I like it! Maybe my grandchildren are “twee”? Not sure it the word works there?
I take it to mean that something is overly sentimental…maybe cheesy. They say putting birds and things in the paintings is too twee. 🙂
Glad to hear things might be getting close for you. I would imagine your boys will be relieved to know where they will be going to school soon.
The house is beautiful and looks like a Carl D. Silverman home. That was the company who built homes in Lake of the woods and Lake Caroline, not from from where you were staying (which is where we use to live). It’s a real treat to live there year round with all the seasonal changes. Looks like you enjoyed absolutely every moment both in and off the lake.
Typo…The builder was actual Carl. D Silver Company.
I was married at the clubhouse at Lake of the Woods. An evening wedding overlooking the lake, in July, it was beautiful.
My sister in law and her husband lived in Lake of the Woods for about two years before they moved to PA. They rented a ranch style home that was once owned by Reese Witherspoons grandmother. We visited them several times as it wasnt a long trip from our home in Chester, VA. I really loved the neighborhood and community. FYI…..John Daly the golfer grew up there and played at Lake of the Woods golf course.