The good news is that the cottage is nearly complete. As in the best of home decorating tv shows, we've come in "way over budget" but it looks amazing thanks to a new floor, paint job and retro fit-out.
We're also excited that the tennis court is about 3 weeks from completion! Unfortunately, the heavy machinery necessary to make the court has had a heavy toll on the grounds. I'm trusting that the fun playing tennis will be worth this scar on the landscape.
My appreciation also grows for the small decorating touches instigated by the original owner. Below are some photos of doors on the property. In Australia, we don't usually give attention to doors - emphasis is given to the room beyond the door. Yet, as Gregory David Roberts writes in Shantaram, 'Every door is a portal leading through time as well as space. That same doorway that leads us into and out of a room also leads us into the past of the room and its ceaselessly unfolding future.'
As I wander around the property, these doors remind me of the past and also the dreams we hope to manifest in the future. May all of our doors tell a story!