Cottage Highlights

As promised, here are some pictures and highlights from my vacation week at the cottage:

My birthday dinner, celebrated with as many family as could be there. (The best way to celebrate family, in my opinion!). Truth is, it's not just a celebration of my birthday, but all the July birthdays and anniversaries in the family - there are many in July. But I got to pick the cake: a Lime Coconut Cheesecake. Thanks, Mom!


My very first pedicure. I don't usually go for frivolous things like pedicures, but it was one of those things I'd always been curious about. It was fun, and I was pleased with the end result. It's not something I'll do very often; the price is a bit hard to justify.

Peace and quiet with only the sound of birds, the occasionally plopping of fish jumping in the water, the wind through the trees.

Perfect spot for hulling straberries, eh?

 Gorgeous sunsets that never disappoint.(Click for larger images)

And the best seat in the house

There were also some stunning sunrises...though, admittedly, I missed the first few. 

 

I went for a few bike rides, to check out a couple spots I had never been on the other side of the lake. Like this old cottage.

There was some "communing with nature", mostly in the form of spying on a bunny that frequented the lawns around the cottage, and pestering a very large (bull?) frog under the wharf. Seriously, this frog didn't even blink at us for a good few minutes. It wasn't until we "tickled" *giggle giggle* it with a stick that it actually moved. And, yes, we are grown-ups. I couldn't bring myself to actually try to grab it; I'm okay with the baby frogs, but the big ones make me shudder!

There was also a rescue mission (well, for my mom, not me): to rescue a baby bird from certain doom where it was in the middle of the dirt road. Mom figured it had fall from his nest, and that the nest was nearby given that the parents were flying around mimicing broken-wings. We searched for the nest but couldn't find it. Also, we think the birds were yellow-bellied warblers.

There was a whole lot of reading on the porch swing, and knitting whilst watching long period dramas. Very few photos of those activities.:) And there was a visit from friends, during which we had a spectacular thunder and lightning storm. Our power went out for about 6 hours and the lightning lasted for at least 2 hours (started around 10pm, ended around 12:30am). Taking photos of lightning over the lake proved difficult, but I did get a pretty great video which is about 8mins of me narrating the storm. If you're interested, here it is.

I'm already looking forward to next year's stay at the cottage. Or, maybe, with a little arm-twisting, I can squeeze another weekend in before the summer is over?

Solitude

There's something really special about having quiet time at the cottage. Since it has been so busy lately (see my earlier post), having time just to do things without being interrupted, to not have to rush to get things done inbetween commitments, to not have a day filled with routine and schedules is really, really delightful. I can do what I want, when I want and for as long as I want. Sounds rather indulgent, doesn't it?

I actually associate the cottage with family-time. And this vacation will have some of that too (friends and family will be popping in here and there through-out my stay). But for the most part, I've got the place to myself.  And I've got plenty with me to keep me busy:

I brought a couple Victorian lit books to keep up with Item # 2 on my 2011 To Do List. I'm currently reading Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, and next will be A House To Let (1858) which is a collection of short stories edited by Charles Dickens.
And speaking of Dickens, I brought with me the 2009 BBC series Little Dorrit. It's got to be my favourite of the period dramas and is perfect to knit to, since I've already watched it in it's entirety twice. 
I've started a Feather & Fan Shawl. This should help deplete my wool stash, but with 390 stitches to cast on and knit row by row, it's going to take awhile. Thankfully the pattern repeats are simple, and I think I might have just enough yarn, even if I did cast on with the wrong colour. (sigh!). I also brought a box of David Lewis material  to appraise. I haven't made a whole lot of progress with the appraisal process of DEL's scrapbooks since my last post on the other blog but my goal is to get through the first box this week. I've got 5 of 12 volumes appraised,  and with some time to dedicate to it, I think the rest can be done.
I also brought my bike and my swimsuit. I plan to use both this week. In fact, I'm considering a swim as soon as I get back to the cottage - it's been hot and humid these last couple of days and a swim would be refreshing (as long as I've got my watershoes on!). I've been hesitating with the bike as there are hills everywhere, and I'm intimidated by the hills. We'll see....
I brought my journal. I'm about as faithful to journalling as I am to blogging, and so have some thoughts to put down to paper as well as to put up here on the internet.

Who knows how much I'll get done, but I've got lots to keep me occupied should I wish to be occupied. This week isn't so much about being busy as enjoy the quiet and opportunity to not be busy!  I'm not going to lie to you, the first afternoon on my own at the cottage was not spent in the sunshine by the lake, it was spent on the cot sleeping! (That other delight of the cottage!)

My solitude has been broken up a few times today, first by telemarketers (4 today! ugh!), and a door-to-door Jehovah's Witness. The latter was completely unexpected (as you can imagine), and his knock just about startled me out of my flipflops! I had my back to the door hulling strawberries at the kitchen counter when he knocked; and thought initially maybe he was a friend of my grandparents until I saw the tell-tale "Watchtower"+ Bible in hand. I politely declined his offer for literature to read on my vacation (seriously!?); and tried to shoo him away without being rude.


Well, that's it from me for today. I'll probably pop back here later to post more before the end of the week. As much as I love being unplugged, I also enjoy being able to plug in and catch-up on the blog.

P.S. Forgive any grammar, spelling mistakes. I'm on my netbook and find it tricky using the smaller keyboard. I'm also not doing my typical read-over to check for typos and edit my post (which is why this one is longer than most). 
P.P.S Pictures will follow later.

"No two sunsets are the same..."

I'm a little late posting a few pictures from my latest trip to the cottage. I debated about posting at all since my last visit was just a month ago, and only 3 posts ago. I mean, how many sunset photos can I post, before it becomes just more of the same? Well, as my grandfather says, no two sunsets are the same ... and this last weekend visit seemed especially lovely and worthy of it's own post.

I'm going say this particular weekend was especially lovely because of the company. It was the big July birthday/anniversary celebration and most of the family was able to get together (missed you uncle D. + cousin E.) . And we know how to celebrate in style...

...with a feast of lobster. And huge lobster at that! These crustaceans must've been about 2 lbs each. And wow, was it delicious!

After supper, G. and I went canoeing to check out a brook neither of us have noticed before that feeds into "the cove". We canoed past this derelict cabin, that's been abandoned for as long as I can remember.

There are so many nooks and crannies to be explored at the cottage. The lake is small, but the possibilities for exploration are endless. Such is the advantage of being in the backwoods. Here are a few pictures of the brook G. and I wandered along for a bit (there was even a little falls!).

And this year, for the first time in ages, I even went swimming in the lake. When I was younger, I didn't seem to be as bothered by slimy rocks, and underwater growth (lilypads, etc.) or creeped out by anything swimming under the surface that I couldn't see. But this year, after a rather sweaty canoe-ride, swimming in the lake seemed like a good idea. The water was incredibly warm and with water shoes I managed to forget about the bottom of the lake and concentrate on actually trying to swim.

And at dusk, we did something we haven't been able to do in ages because the summers have been either too dry - make a fire outside and roast marshmellows. Yum!

Last but not least, one of my favourite ways to waste away an afternoon at the cottage is with a book, in the quiet stillness of the day.

I picked up Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King from the library and quite enjoyed it. The novel is not structured in chapters but is a single account from Dolores Claiborne about how the events in her life unfolded. It was riveting and hard to put down (and not just because there weren't any chapter breaks!).

And that was the weekend! A delight as always.

Phew!

I'm done! The conference was a success - or at least the reports I'm getting suggest it was. And now I'm free to enjoy the summer. It's surprising how something can really consume every waking moment (and even some of my sleeping moments too!). I hadn't quite realised what I was getting myself into when I agreed to chair the Local Arrangements for a 3 day conference for about 250 people. It was a big job - much bigger than I expected! But everything worked out well, and ran much more smoothly than I expected. Even the weather cooperated. At the beginning of the week the forecast was calling for 70% rain on the two nights we had weather-dependent activities planned....and both days the weather turned completely around and really couldn't have been better!

After the conference I took some time off to escape to the cottage. Knowing that after a full and busy week of being "on", I knew I'd need some time to be "off". I booked the cottage for the week immediately following the conference figuring that would be the best way to shut down and reboot. I guess this defines me as an introvert, eh?Ahh, the cottage is so wonderful! Peace and quiet, no routines, no obligations or responsibilities or rules. I slept when I felt like sleeping, read when I wanted to read, ate when and what I wanted to eat, watched movies, and listened to CBC Radio almost constantly. Such luxury!

My list of 'accomplishments' during my week of solitude:
1. Started & finished "The Secret Life of Bees"
2. Started "Anna Karenina"
3. Watched: "I've loved you so long", "Slumdog Millionaire", and "Everything is Illuminated" - three lovely movies for the cottage.
4. Also watched: Anne of Green Gables and the Sequel...because it's hard to knit and read subtitles (for 2 of the movies in #3)....and because it's also a perfect movie for the cottage.
5. Finished the strangling vines lace scarf I've been working on for far too long. And started & finished a pair of handwarmers from Joelle Hoverson's "Last Minute Knitted Gifts".
6. Went to the Annapolis Royal Farmer's Market bright and early on Saturday morning and came back only with a loaf of brioche.
7. Saw a beaver swimming in the lake and startled it (by accident, I promise) which made it slap it's tail on the water and then dive under out of sight.8. Kept the wood stove going on the one damp chilly day I had while I was there.9. Slept!

Now I'm back in the city, back to work and back to routine. After spending such an extended time planning for this conference, I'm actually really looking forward to getting back into my actual work. The question is....where to start!

Mentally packing

For the last 6 months my time and thoughts have been consumed by a conference I'm helping to plan. It's been pretty much all-consuming, in fact. And now we're down to the wire. Only a few short weeks left before it's go-time and all the planning has to come together. It's mentally and physically exhausting and I am so grateful for such awesome people on my committee who have helped so much.

Here's the thing though....I'm ready for it all to be done! I'm nervous about all the details I haven't thought around yet and all that will come up last minute that are guaranteed to throw me into a tizzy. But these things are to be expected.

So what is getting me through it all?
I've booked the family cottage the week immediately following the conference to relax and be reclusive. Some think a week is too long to be reclusive, but I'll argue that it'll be needed after such a busy week of networking, and coordinating, and trouble-shooting.

And now, whilst all the planning is happening, I'm also mentally packing my bags.

• What books do I want to read? I'm thinking a book or two, or four, that will be light, but engrossing.
• What movies do I want to bring? Something that I've been meaning to watch, but haven't had the time + a few old standbys (BBC's Pride and Prejudice anyone?)
• What knitting project/s do I want to start? And which skeins of wool should I bring?
• What comfort foods and treats should I plan to bring with me?
  
• And should I tackle on of the projects in my 2010 To Do List while I enjoy the free time?

As crazy as it sounds, I'm actually considering pulling out a bag and literally starting to pack. I think it may help keep me grounded while all the craziness is happening.

If you have any suggestions for any/all of the above, please feel free to share them.

Answer: 10

You were dying to know, weren't you?? :D
Actually, truth be told, we collected far more than 10 frogs in this container, but by the time I took the picture I think several had already escaped. Wise little frogs!

Feasting in style

Delighting in a good read

This is the view I enjoyed for a long afternoon at the cottage. And these were the sounds - a light breeze and the rippling lake against the wharf:

One of the delights of the cottage is the luxury to sit down with a good book and not have to get up for anything. It's a perfect place to shut out the world and immerse yourself in the world of your book. In my case, the book I was reading took me back to pre-American Civil War times in Kentucky. I finally finished reading Uncle Tom's Cabin, and I have to say this book shot way up to the top of my favourites. First of all I was completely caught off guard by the underlying themes. Yes, I knew the book was an indictment against the injustices of slavery and was very forward-thinking of its female author. In fact, Harriet Beecher Stowe has become a sort of hero to me now. The text, the language, is very pointed to particular social groups and at the time it was written in 1851 it had to have been very shocking to its readers. HBS was very counter-cultural and I dig that! But what I didn't expect was the message of hope and forgiveness in the midst of some of the worst kinds of treatment a human could endure by the hands of another. Uncle Tom's heartfelt desire was not really for his own earthy freedom, because he knew he would receive freedom in Heaven one day. No, his heartfelt desire was for his Master's freedom - freedom from that which has separated him from God, and freedom that comes from being released in forgiveness.

This is a long post, but I have to share these passages from the book with you. I hope they give you as much food for thought as they did for me. AND, if you haven't read Uncle Tom's Cabin - do!

On the abuses of slavery, the author writes to the reader:

"Patience! Patience! ye whose hearts swell indignant at wrongs like these. Not one throb of anguish, not one tear of the oppressed is forgotten by the Man of Sorrows, the Lord of Glory. In his patient, generous bosom he bears the anguish of a world. Bear thou, like him, in patience, and labour in love; for sure is he is God, "the year of his redeemed shall come." (Ch.12)

And when George, a slave who doubts the presence of God, finds refuge in a Quaker home:

"This, indeed, was a home, -- home, -- a word that George had never yet known the meaning for; and a belief in God and trust in His providence, began to encircle his heart, as with a golden cloud of protection and confidence, dark, misanthropic, pining, atheistic doubts and fierce despair melted away before the light of a living Gospel, breathed in living faces, preached by a thousand unconscious acts of love and good-will, which, like a cup of cold water given in the name of a disciple shall never lose their reward. (Ch.13)

And from St. Clare, on the hypocrisy of the church's support and justification of slavery:

"Religion! Is that what you hear at church religion? Is that which can bend and turn, and descend and ascend, to fit every crooked phase of selfish, worldly society, religion? Is that religion that is less scrupulous, less generous,less just, less considerate for man, than even my own ungodly, worldly, blinded nature? No! When I look for a religion, I must look for something above me, not for something beneath."

A glorious week at the cottage!

Well, I'm back from another glorious week at the cottage. There was sun, there was rain, there was plenty of reading (I finished Uncle Tom's Cabin, but more about that later...) and relaxing, there quiet times and there were games played and fun times with family.

My week started with a family gathering - all 15 of us - to celebrate the July birthdays (mine included!) and the recent marriage of one of "the granddaughters". Happy times, all of them.

It was a beautiful day, perfect for entertaining a certain 6 year old with a cottage past-time that kept us "granddaughters" busy when we were little girls -- catching the little frogs (or are they toads?) that are so easily found this time of year on the cottage road. We spent hours collecting those little critters, along with all sorts of other critters - caterpillers, ants, etc. -- and building homes for them, terrariums of a sort. We weren't afraid or squeamish by any means.

"How do you find them?" someone asked. "Just stare at the ground long enough!" The ground is hopping with them. You'll have trouble walking along the road afterwards for fear of stepping on the little guys.

There was a whole lot of glee from the 6 year old over her cookie-tin full of frogs - so much, in fact that the tin got passed around to all the adults for inspection and admiration.

Here's the tin in all it's glory (click on the image on the left for a larger image). Any guesses as to how many are in the tin?
(I kind of like the image on the right - mostly because the focus is on the pointed finger. Also I haven't asked permission to use this photo but as it is blurred and the faces aren't shown I hope it's okay. Let me know if it's not.)

You'll be seeing one or two more posts about my week at the cottage. There' s just too much to put in one post.

Going Offline

I need a vacation. So, I'm going to spend a week at the cottage in Digby County. It's been a rough week, so I'm really looking forward to some down time.

4 more reasons ...

...why the cottage is my favourite place on earth:

1. Nosey geese trying to get as close as they dare to shore to see what's causing all the ruckus. We were at the the cottage for the annual clean-up day and, of course, making a lot of noise - the dogs barking, the chainsaw cutting trees, people talking and shouting over the chainsaw, etc.
We were also visited by a loon, but it didn't stick around for too long.
2. Gorgeous sunsets in the Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter! This was my first visit to the cottage in the Spring. As usual, I was able to stick around to see the sun setting over the lake and it did not disappoint.
3. Indoor plumbing that has, as a result, rendered this outhouse redundant! The cottage has had indoor plumbing and an bathroom for many years now, though I do remember a time when it didn't.
4. Mayflowers! I managed to find, with the help of my mother, a few remaining mayflower blossoms. Ironically, they blossom in April. It's been a long time since I've looked for Mayflowers, so now I have a better idea of what I'm looking for on my woodsy walks in the city.

The cot at the cottage

Can you see why I've chose this as my most comfortable place?
This cot is coveted by any who visit the cottage. It's a perfect napping spot, reading spot, relaxing with some knitting spot, or a place for reflection and creative thought. And I swear time stops when you're on that cot!

This summer I had the luxury of spending a couple solitary days at the cottage and it was absolutely wonderful. This is definitely one of the biggest advantages of living in NS again - that I can take some time to go to the cottage and relax. I took a few books, a few movies with my laptop (there's no internet connection so I was still "unplugged"), and some knitting projects....and just relaxed. I didn't follow a schedule or routine - I ate when I was hungry, slept when I was sleepy, played loud music when I craved noise, and swam a couple times (though the slimy rocks and underwater growth put me off swimming in the end). It was as perfect as an earthly experience can be.
And then when the day ends, you get to enjoy the best view around...

...and the quiet solitude of a relatively uninhabited lakeside in the middle of backwoods NS (well, not far from Digby anyway) . Sadly, I didn't hear any loons, but there are always other birds, and the scampering of squirrels, and the lapping of the lake water on the shore.

Phew! I almost didn't get this post up today....now it's bedtime.
Read about what others are saying about their most comfortable places here.

Thankful!

...For a wonderful weekend with family at the cottage.
...For creativity.
For beautiful weather: the crisp Fall air, the sunshine to warm your back, and the gorgeous colours of the leaves.