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Have you ever been inspired by a place? Early this summer I took a trip with a friend to her family's cottage in Muskrat Lake in Gobles Michigan. I had been anticipating the trip, not only because I needed some R&R, but because hearing her describe this place made all my senses delightfully anxious . We arrived late in the evening not a peep to be heard in the deeply wooded area. We walked into the house and it felt like home from the very first second my foot entered the door. I tried to process all of the charm and character around me in fast scans of the rooms but it truly deserved time spent discovering every nook and cranny. We settled in and prepared a delicious Cuban meal, stuffed our faces and slipped into a temporary coma. I woke up early and anxious to look around and see this amazing place I've always hear so much about. The light was peeking in the windows ever so slightly it was a damp and rainy day. I went downstairs and made a cup of coffee, with my first sip and with rested eyes I began my exploration. This beautifully crafted Quaker cottage from the late 1800's is full of locally picked, junked and haggled pieces that have so much character you can almost hear their stories. A large deck and a gazebo was added to the back of the home, it over looks a densely wooded down hill lot that ends at the lake, a lovely spot to enjoy my coffee and some magazines while I wait for my friend to wake up. Once my friend awoke she gave me the official tour of the grounds. We slipped into our Wellies and checked out the "shacks", that is what she lovingly calls a series of small buildings to the right of the main home and around the vegetable garden beds. These little homes where built for fisherman to stay during the fishing season.
After walking down to the lake and enjoying the view for a while we got ready and drove down to the Elegan County Fair to search for treasures for our shops. Five hours later we returned with our car looking like a small circus clown car. It was a perfect weekend and I can't wait for our next trip in two weeks!
