Monthly Archives: January 2016

Something to crow about

Posted on January 28, 2016 by Marcia Ren

THE CROW AND THE PITCHER A thirsty crow found a pitcher with some water in it, but so little was there that, try as she might, she could not reach it with her beak, and it seemed as though she would die of thirst within sight of the remedy. At last she hit upon a clever plan. She began dropping pebbles into the pitcher, and with each pebble the water rose a little higher until at last it reached the brim, and the knowing bird was enable to quench her thirst.~ Aesop I’m hoping that your first month of 2016 … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Downton 6E4

Posted on January 26, 2016 by Marcia Ren

Tonight was another fun evening spent with my new friends, and fellow Downton fans here on the coast. I’m finding much comfort while settling into these winter nights. My friend Allegra graciously hosted again. I don’t think any of the ladies are excited to have me host. Perhaps, it’s because our BIG tv is in the bedroom…or that currently our cottage is under the weather. (grin) Aka…the front room is getting a little make-over. Anyway, Allegra’s home is charming. Here’s a link if you haven’t seen this tour. https://marciascottagebythesea.com/christmas-on-the-coast/  It’s so nice to have beautiful cottages to enjoy the ending of this glorious … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living | 4 Comments

What Do You Do When You Don’t Know What To Do?

Posted on January 21, 2016 by Marcia Ren

  “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. ”  ~William Morris No doubt I could have called this post “Things I wish I could’ve learned years ago.” Do you ever feel that way about life? Oh, oh, I think I’m about to preach to MAH-SELF. Because this post is more than likely only speaking to me today. This past week marked 6 months in our cottage on the Oregon coast. Overall things are moving along nicely. However, without going into specifics I know there is a shift going on … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, Our Cottage | 7 Comments

Downton Abbey Tuesday

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Marcia Ren

  Hi!  This is a re-post from January 2016. The same group of wonderful ladies have just recently begun another ‘Book Club’ on the PBS Masterpiece Theatre Series Victoria. One of the ladies offers her home for the evening, & the others are asked to bring a snackie, wine or both. *************************************** I’m loving this Downton Abbey group. Have I mentioned how nice all the ladies are. Perhaps that was a requirement. Ha! Anyway, I decided to take advantage of it by posting a What I make and take to this fun gathering. I’m not going to spoil anything for … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living | 5 Comments

To Thine Own Self Be True

Posted on January 15, 2016 by Marcia Ren

“One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes…In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt Hi there! I hope that you had a wonderful week. I continue organizing things around the cottage. Things can accumulate rather quickly here if I’m not diligent in my simple living philosophy. I must constantly stay in tune to myself. Listening to that small voice. I think You know the one I mean.Your best friend. you…  The voice that knows deep down about things that are really important. Those priorities in life. I … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living | 2 Comments

Peanut butter cookies

Posted on January 14, 2016 by Marcia Ren

Hi! I wanted to share a super easy recipe for peanut butter cookies. I love peanut butter, and since I don’t eat meat, or chicken, it’s a great way for me to get a little protein. Are you ready for easy? Okay, here it is. Peanut butter cookies 1 cup peanut butter 1 cup sugar 1 egg mix all ingredients together, & bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. That’s it! Sometimes I use peanut butter with coconut instead of plain peanut butter. And, of course I always use organic sugar, and eggs. However, it’s just a preference of mine, and … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living | 1 Comment

It’s a Wrap!

Posted on January 13, 2016 by Marcia Ren

Forgive me…I’ve been meaning to share these adorable gift wraps since early December. This is when I met up with a couple of friends for a festive lunch. Anyway as always time slipped away. I’m mostly sharing photos of beautiful wrapped gifts. The wrapping itself is truly a gift, and will bring pleasure to the person receiving it. For me it’s hard to justify spending a lot of money on gift wrap when I know it’s just going to get torn up and thrown away in a few days. I loved the way my friends made the wrapping look like a … Read the full blog post →

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The Chill of Winter…& Downton

Posted on January 12, 2016 by Marcia Ren

“Sometimes it’s good to rule by fear”~ The Dowager I’ve been thinking about you, so I thought I’d “ping” a quick “Hi!” and share a yummy recipe. The chill of winter on the coast brings with it a desire for comfort. Thank goodness for a little group I was invited to join. I call it the Downton Abbey Groupies. A small group of ladies meet up once a week to chat, eat, and  of course watch Downton Abbey. This brings comfort for me. Just recently we all met up, and I decided to bake up my famous quiche. It is fabulous. I served … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Life as Adventure

Posted on January 7, 2016 by Marcia Ren

Hello, Welcome to Marcia’s Cottage by the Sea. ♡ I’m so happy to see you today my friend. ♡ Shall we have a little tea. ♡ How was your first week of 2016? So far so good on my end. Christmas is put away for a year. A new little birdhouse wreath decor for January has been lovingly placed. And,  of course my fresh new calendar is up. I purchased it at a shop in Nantucket “last” October. 2015. Wow! Seems like such a long time ago now. Nantucket was part of a two week vacation my husband and I … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Tamales

Posted on January 3, 2016 by Marcia Ren

  *So here’s a cute story for a Sunday. I grew up with a tradition of having Tamales on New Years Day. When I lived in Southern California it was very easy to go to a Mexican deli and just order them for the holidays. Often, when I was still a teacher, parents would bring some  in for me. One year I actually had a few parents come over to my home and teach me how to prepare them. I was somewhat in a quandary when I moved to The Oregon coast. I wasn’t sure where I’d find tamales. So, recently while eating dinner at a local Mexican … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, Our Cottage | 9 Comments