I’ve always depended on the kindness of others!

Some of my favorite moments are days our family has spent over the years at my husband’s business partner and friends cottage a mere 90 minutes from our home in the city. To be honest, as a business partner we’d probably have not had the opportunity to use this lovely venue but these generous folks have offered it to us on many occasions as friends.

We’ve vacationed there when our kids were young and we’ve retreated there since our kids have become adults. We do our utmost to leave it in exactly the same condition we found it, if not better. It’s our way of showing our unending gratitude to use this quaint New England style cottage. It’s a waterfront property so our first view in the morning is the sun rising over the lake and our last view at night, of course, is the sun setting and the moon rising over the trees. When the moon is in the seventh house and Mercury aligns with Mars, it casts a rippling ray of light across the water and it’s mesmerizing.

One of my favorite aspects of the cottage is the seaside and nautical decor inside. Right out of Coastal Living. Everything is yellow and blue. Lighthouse pictures flank the front door as you walk out onto the veranda that borders the house on two sides. A favorite spot to drink your morning coffee or sip your evening glass of wine nestled on one of the adirondack chairs available. The charming interior is enhanced with all things seaside.. seashells, sailboats pictures, old classic books, throw cushions. We’ve been blessed to spend time at this cottage in all seasons. Sinking into huge, soft leather couches and breathing a deep sigh of relaxation in front of the stone fireplace is the beginning of a relaxing retreat. There’s even a heart shaped stone imbedded in the stone work coupled with a poignant painting of children sitting on a pier dangling their feet over the edge. This picture was representative of the owners children and cousins when they were young and more recently, it represents the grandchildren that now frequent this family getaway.

Another favorite thing I do at the cottage is to lie in bed at night beside my snoring husband (indicative of a deep sleep) and watch the flickering lights across the water from the resort town on the far end of the lake. My pillow is even with the lower edge of the window for a comfortable and lingering view. I feel so far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. I pretend I’m in the Hamptons.

As a family we have painted pictures at the cottage, played games, watched every genre of movie, baked, sewn quilts, read books, swung in the hammocks, suntanned on the dock, taken walks and jogs, found furniture in the ditch (dragged it home and refurbished it), gone to the farmers market, drove into the resort town for ice cream and groceries, ran into and visited with other friends that also have cottages in the area, eaten well and slept deeply.

We have so many memories at this familiar spot that sometimes we forget that it doesn’t belong to us. We’ve had the privilege and pleasure of being there at Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and of course, summer. We have been so blessed to have friends that have vacation homes and have invited us to use them as well. SO BLESSED.

My aunt has a gorgeous peaceful cottage (we actually call it a lodge) on a small lake just down the road from popular ski resort in B.C. We have started a tradition of spending 5 or 6 days surrounding the August long weekend there. She is a very young, active and athletic 65 year old so Mike keeps her busy racing her down the highway on mountain bikes, canoeing all over the lake, chopping and piling wood, paddle boarding and planting things allowing me to couch potatoe myself on the dock surrounded by cold drinks, snacks, magazines and music and pretend I’m in the swiss alps. We do puzzles at the lodge and eat outside daily while talking to Neville, her pet squirrel, who lives in the trees hanging over the veranda. We occasionally make a run into town for Costco and Starbucks. One of my favorite pastimes at the lodge is to go down to edge of the dock in my pyjamas in the morning and watch the mallard ducks  swim and surface while listening to herons argue. The water is as clear and still as glass and I journal and take pictures. Another wonderful tradition on this secluded lake is the party boat phenomenon. These are actually motorized floating docks with chairs and music and coolers aboard so we can cruise the lake for a few hours at night with wine glass in hand and take in the sunset, stillness and lights across the water. I love being out in the middle of the lake in the kayak surrounded by mountains and nature. Although I’m not especially fond of the poison ivy I contracted the past two years. No more walks in the woods for this gal. Sitting on the veranda watching the moon rise over the mountains while listening to the cry of the loons is also a peaceful, relaxing experience.

We have dear friends that owned a vacation rental mansion on the Big Island of Hawaii and have graciously hosted us four times before recently selling it at Christmas (that’s another story for another day). More recently my mind flashes back to picking sweet juicy oranges off a tree in the back yard of another friends second home in Phoenix on the golf course. We’ve also had the benefit of glorious weekends on the lake with friends in Kelowna and memory making days at a friends ranch and sprawling ranch home not far from the city.

But my favorite place to be is on or near a huge body of water. There is something so peaceful and soothing about gazing at the ripples or waves. Laying in bed listening to waves beat the shore in Kona reinforces the message ‘you are on vacation’ because this is an impossibility at home in the city.

It would be a dream come true, a bucket list item,  if we ever had the opportunity to own a vacation home and use it to indulge all these generous and dear folks who have been so kind to us over the years. They have allowed us to gather cherished and treasured memories to last a lifetime.