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Cottage time … and time again
I am floating, suspended in the deep green, cool, clean water. Drifting. My body relaxed, head back, ears submerged in the water muting out any sounds other than the quiet of the lake. There is no other body of water where I have passed so many idle hours. Lazing on an inner tube, extremities dangling languidly into the water. Plunging into its refreshing embrace on a hot day. Swimming leisurely along the shore. Little Straggle Lake. I have been coming to this little lake my whole life. Literally. My parents owned the cottage before I was born so my first trip was as a baby. My husband and I now…
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Memories of zucchini blossoms
My daughter really likes to cook and try new dishes. She’s always browsing for recipes. I suggested in the spring she find some recipes for zucchini. This slender green squash is apparently prolific, and I planted several in my garden. We would have an absolute glut. I may have been a tad optimistic. Cucumber striped beetles killed my zucchini plants. Gardening lesson number 1 for me. Truthfully the cabbage worms in my kale were lesson number 1. It’s a multifaceted lesson: many critters can wreak havoc on a garden and they specialize. These pests are the policy equivalent of subject matter experts. They zoom in, laser focused, on their area of expertise…
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Curbside visits in wine country
Vineyards make a beautiful scene. In any season. In the fall, the bushy leaves change from deep green to rusty and golden hues. In the winter, the rows of barren vines take on a minimalist look. A dark gnarly silhouette against the white snow. Each day I visited the Twenty Valley this fall and winter was special. Winery tours and tastings with friendly servers. A cosy fireside raclette. Even a brewery visit in the midst of the vineyards. I was looking forward to returning in the spring to see the changing landscape once again. I assumed I could return. Again and again. Whenever I wanted. How wrong I was. Three…
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Sit and remember
Memories are powerful. You could even say they are like a superpower (Meik Wiking in the Art of Making Memories goes so far as to say so). I tend to agree. If you take the time to focus, to nurture a happy memory, it can transport you back to the specific moment. The feeling of the moment returns. Puts a smile on your face. I am fascinated by the things that can trigger a memory. A smell triggering a fond childhood memory. A taste. The call of the loon reminding me of the cottage. A song making me want to dance like I’m in my 20s. Returning to a meaningful…
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Harvest Salad
I enjoyed my first harvest today. A little harvest. Fittingly. It’s been four weeks since I finished planting our smallest little garden, and I am amazed at how much bigger everything is. The plants are flourishing. Thriving. Thank you sunshine! My painted rock labels are now buried within the lush greenery. It has become my morning routine to check on the little garden at the side of my house. Assess the progress. Water if needed. Mound the soil around the potato stems. Weed. Inspect. Play in the dirt. Sniff the basil. Rather spontaneously, I picked a bunch of green lettuce and purple kale this morning. Small clusters, still young. The…
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Alone Time
Imagine you are in Florence. In the popular Uffizi gallery. Standing in front of Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus. It’s the one with the Goddess herself standing nude on a large scallop shell casually covering her unmentionables with her arm and flowing auburn hair. The painting is famous. People come from all over the world to see it, or buy a replica on a souvenir. There is generally a crowd gathered around the masterpiece. Necks stretched to get a peak. In this instance you are completely alone. The room is empty. Serene. This a moment in Stephanie Rosenbloom’s book, Alone Time: Four Seasons, Four Cities and the Pleasures of Solitude.…
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A happy souvenir
There are so many wonderful things about visiting a wine region. The glorious sight of rows upon rows of tidy grape vines. The musty smell of grapes as you tour a winery operations. A fun tasting with a friendly server. However there is one feature I am most appreciative at this moment: the tangible souvenirs you take home to enjoy later. And that is exactly what I am doing now. Savouring a memento from one of my visits to the Twenty Valley this fall. If you are imagining me sipping a wine, this is completely understandable. A fragrant rosé or a crisp Sauvignon Blanc are excellent choices on a warm…
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Our smallest little garden
The tiny green sprouts are poking out. It all started early April. A friend sent me a photo of her raised garden beds. She was starting a backyard garden, maybe I can too? Her sunny plot is in California. Mine could not be so ambitious. Nonetheless, my dreamy aspirations grew larger watching the Biggest Little Farm. Thankfully, the Halton Environment Network organized a helpful webinar on Starting your own Garden. This was the practical advice a first-time gardener like me needed to get going. Here’s the basic process I followed: Step 1: Find a sunny spot It’s the west side of our house. We have a very small patch of…
