Tag: cottage living

Posted on in lifestyle

Old faithful

Author in her blue flannel shirt

For the past 20 years, we’ve spent Labour Day weekend up at our friends’ Murray and Libby’s cottage for our annual “Labour Day classic weekend”. This year they came to us due to COVID.

No matter where our Labour Day gatherings take us, I have one old faithful friend who has my back, literally, the final weekend of summer–my checkered blue flannel shirt.

I’m not sure when exactly I inherited it from Dave. It was some time when we were first dating or married, but one day, it somehow ended up in my closet instead of his. It’s been my faithful friend ever since.

Old faithful always makes an appearance on Labour Day weekend. It’s a great dock shirt when the summer sun begins to wane and the cooler autumn breezes return. And it’s a great cottage companion since it doesn’t care how much dirt, grime, wine or food gets spilled on it.

It’s been my faithful friend all these decades and is still as comfortable and comforting as the first day I wore it.

So here’s to you, old faithful, the memories we’ve shared, and always having my back. And here’s to the final days of summer. Enjoy!

Author's husband in the same shirt
Dave wearing old faithful many moons ago
Posted on in nature

The cottage life

I can’t imagine anything more Canadian than heading to the cottage for the long weekend.

Life is definitely sweeter at the cottage. It’s as if the kaleidoscope of life’s daily challenges stops turning the moment you turn off the paved highway onto the cottage laneway.

You roll down the window to drink in the fresh pine air, and slow down to a normal pace (and to avoid the potholes and washboard).

The moment you step out of the car, you leave the city and its troubles behind you. All that matters is whether you have enough wine, ice cream and bug spray for the weekend, whether it’s going to rain, and who the best Rummoli or Boggle player is.

I live on a lake but the lure of the cottage has never left me. I’ve been blessed over the years to have wonderful friends who have kindly shared their cottages with my family. They are always my most favourite weekends of the year.

Time stands still at the cottage. No one cares if you sleep in til 10, eat lunch at 2, nap at 3 and declare cocktail hour at 4. There is time to actually read…books of all things.

There’s more time outdoors, kayaking, swimming, boating, and playing horseshoes. And then there’s eat and drink (and lots of it).

But the thing I love the most about cottage weekends is the precious time spent with family and friends and the warmth and camaraderie of these gatherings that have created so many wonderful memories over the years.

This week’s #HappyAct is to experience the cottage life this summer. Here are some pictures from last weekend and our annual girls’ spring get-together at my best friend’s cottage north of Minden. It was the first time we invited Grace and Clare, “the next generation” to join us for a girls weekend.

Young girl on dock

Girls and dog at cottage

Girl in boatLake at sunset