Dressing up the Cedar Key House

Those who know us well are aware that we tend to be financially conservative and environmentally sensitive. Nor are we big spenders. None of these qualities would appear to apply to people who own a house on a barrier island. However, we do own a house on Cedar Key, Florida, having acquired it more or less by chance. Getting the place wasn’t part of a long-range plan or the dream of a lifetime, but to our surprise over the past five years we have enjoyed it immensely. Once a week or so we escape into a new and alluring world, only an hour away, but far removed from the daily routines and relative bustle of Gainesville. 
 
This year we have dressed up the Cedar Key house in two ways, just in time for the holidays.  First, just after Thanksgiving we took advantage of a visit from Pam and James to install (James actually did the installation) a new lavatory in the main bathroom. The old one was funky and we discovered it even had a pedigree of sorts. After removing it we found a mark on the underside indicating that it was made in 1948. Venerable as it was, unfortunately its style was 40s modern. It seemed incongruous with our claw foot tub and did nothing for our decor. We’re enjoying the new one and keeping the old one for some other use. 


Then this weekend we set up an early Christmas gift—an electric space heater that is also a faux wood-burning stove. It has already served us, last night taking off a slight chill as we enjoyed an otherwise lovely evening.