Cottage Weekends
This past weekend I got to spend a time with some of my best friends at the cottage. It was just what I needed to give me a much needed mid-winter lift in my spirits. The cottage is a very soothing place for me and whenever I feel the need to escape everyday life, that's where I want to go. They kept thanking me for inviting them and I told them that even though the cottage is a favorite place for me to spend time, that nothing makes me happier than having it filled with great friends, and that I thanked them for being there. That's when it is most special for me. We had the living room floor covered in makeshift beds for the kids and the place was kind of crowded but we all had a great time.
Howie and Nicky and Bob and Kim and three of the kids came up. We barbacued steaks and had salads and stuff to go with it. I baked a lemon meringue pie once I got there and it turned out perfectly. The boys did a little snowmobiling, we watched the hockey game and "Walk The Line", we played cards and some wild games of UNO with the kids, and made a huge breakfast of bacon, eggs, homefires, leftover steak and booze-filled coffee.
For me this is one of life's simple pleasures. Tell me about yours.
posted by lights | 7:47 a.m.
18 Comments:
That sounds like a great weekend. My grandparents' cottage wasn't winterised, so we only went in the summer, but I always loved those times when we'd be up there with them and my cousins would be up too. There'd be some people out in the yard in tents, some people sleeping on the veranda, some in the living room. Those were the days.
Anyway, since we don't have a cottage getaway, I like to go hiking. I really enjoy the sounds of birds and rustling leaves. I like to sit at the side of a pond and just watch the dragonflies and look for fish or turtles. When I need quiet, that's what I like to do.
even though the cottage is a favorite place for me to spend time, that nothing makes me happier than having it filled with great friends, and that I thanked them for being there
Lightsy, this sentence above is exactly why I like and admire you so much. This is exactly the way I wold like to be and how I'd like to live my life - cottage getaways, escaping the worries of the world, but doing it with friends.
Guesstures optional!
Sounds wonderful!
We packed up the kids and headed to the farm Saturday morning. The kids played with tractors and cows and dirt and ran around like little heathens. They even discovered a few treasures in the old chicken house - a handmade wheelbarrow, a wagon, etc. Saturday night was the community fire dept fundraiser dinner up there, so we got to see lots of people we knew and tons more we didn't know. Yesterday was relaxing and a bit of shopping and more of the kids running around like heathens. I didn't want to come home. It's just too bad the job market up there SUCKS.
I know how you feel, lights. My MIL has a house in Minocqua and we ocassionally have getaways with friends. We need a dvd player up there, as in the winter it gets a little boring.
My MIL does a bad job of keeping the place up. It was a new manufactured home in the early 1993, but since the divorce she has let it go. It's dirty and she does these HORRID paint jobs. I bought her a paint edging tool to help, but most of the painting was already done. We do a lot of projects and massive cleanings when we go up there, but she's there every weekend almost & has more time to spend.
She plans on retiring there. I fear that it's very isolated and she'll be living alone. I also hate that it's about 4 hours away, so her maintenence needs won't be easily met by us.
Simple pleasure? I need some bad right now.
Ours is normally hanging out on the boat during the summer. I really don't have one during the winter. *pout* Growing up it was hanging out at the cabin at the lake. I miss that.
Simple Pleasures...well this weekend I left the house once and that was on Saturday to get something to eat and try to visit my friend who was supposed to be having a birthday party for his nephew. Other than that, I stayed in my room most of the weekend watching movies on TV. Pretty simple.
It sounds lovely Lights! I haven't done the cabin thing since I was a kid, and all I remember were big spiders. *shudder* I love the idea of doing it again, and everything you described sounds perfect.
We watched Walk the Line yesterday. I loved it.
Wow, that sounds so nice Lights!
A simple pleasure for me is swimming at my parents' house. Usually one or the both of them is in the pool as well, we talk and it's just a relaxing time. When my brother's kids are there, it's a lot of fun, having diving contests and such.
Sometimes we'll eat dinner on the porch when the weather is nice.
When my parents go out of town, which is often since they retired, I house-and-dog sit. I spend a lot of time on the porch (and in the pool, depending on the weather).
Hi Lights! The cottage sounds wonderful. We really need a vacation, but I have to settle for small things, like eating out at a new place (lots of restaurants in Frederick to explore). We plan on being at the peep meet in July, though, so that's something to look forward to.
Seana, our cottage isn't winterized either but it does have a wood burning fireplace that will heat it up quite nicely. Both sets of my grandparents had cottages and my parents had one too. All of my childhood summers were spent at the cottage and I think that's part of the reason that ours is so special to me. It brings back very fond memories. Someday you'll have to make the drive north and come visit us.
MTW, I always thought it was because you liked when I flashed you. *grin* Seriously, thank you. Sounds like we'd get along just fine.
Momma, I've heard you mention the farm before. Is it a family place? I was raised around farms and I know how much fun us kids always had, until someone landed in a cowpatty that is. *giggle*
Kim, it's funny that you mention the DVD player. On the weekend one of the guys said that we should pick up a cheap surround sound system. I laughed and reminded them that it was just a cottage. We've already got way more comforts than I had planned to have. Before we bought our cottage we stayed with our friends at theirs. They weren't all that interested in making improvements to it. I guess to each their own. I look at it as an investment and we love doing the improvements so it's a win-win situation for us.
Breezy, you can come visit and snowmobile any time sweetpea. We won't be spending much time on the boat this year seeing as they finally removed the dam to replace it and the water is down about 8 feet. There will still be water but with the water down so low we won't have any at the dock and there will be stumps and rocks popping up all over the place. We'll spend time on the boat but we'll have to go to other lakes to do it.
CSTL, that sounds like most of my weekends this winter. I've done a lot of hibernating and enjoyed it for the most part.
MM, there were no spiders to be found. *grin* If you ever come to visit, I promise I'll kill the spiders for you.
Sonya, it seems like everyone who sees it loves it. I haven't heard a single bad comment about it. For me, I think it's going to be one of my all-time favorite movies.
Mon, that sounds really nice. We tried to convince my parents to put a pool in years ago but they never caved in. I was thinking of you a couple weekends ago when Paradise Lost 2 came on tv and I ended up watching it again. It got me all wound up all over again.
Hey Silver, nice to see you! Are you planning on camping for the peep meet? I considered that but I scrapped the idea because our camper is old and heavy and it would cost us more in gas to tow it there than a hotel room would. *wink*
CSTL, I tried to get over and visit your blog but every time I try to open it my computer freezes. How about I just wave from here until I get a new computer here at work? *waves*
I wouldn't mind a nice weekend at the lake. Unfortunately it's been too cold. And no snow to enjoy. It's just wet and cold and miserable. :(
Hi Lights,
You sound like my mom, who loved to be surrounded by friends and family! We lived near Lake Ontario, which is very beautiful but way too cold for swimming in comfort most of the time. (And I think it has been too polluted for swimming since I was a kid. The last time I visited my old favorite beach there, I saw signs warning people against even wading!)
Every summer my mom rented a lake cabin somewhere, usually in Michegan or Northern Ontario and invited all comers. I have some wonderful memories.
Tom and I usually like to just get away by ourselves--we have our favorite lodge on the North Shore (of Lake Superior) and we go there and just cocoon. Him and me. That's pure heaven! Well, I guess the in-room jacuzzi makes a threesome, lol!
...and usually, I know how to speel Michigan.
*squeal*
An invite to the Lights' cottage!
Thank-you so much!
Now, if I could just convince DH that you aren't the kind of person who would murder a harmless snowman with a chainsaw...
Aw, poor Carey. I think you should take a vacation and head up here to see me. The sun is shining and the snow is actually melting today. But, it's supposed to be raining by Friday so, nevermind. *grin*
Did Swami just call me old? *snicker*
Yes, I've heard something somewhere about how much you and Tom are into jacuzzi threesomes.
*snort* Seana funny! Who me?
I did not call you old! I paid you the highest compliment that I know how to bestow on another human being. :-)
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