lakeside

I just returned home from another summer week at the lakeside cabin we continue to be blessed to visit annually. The cabin belongs to the children and grandchildren of a now-passed friend of my parents and each year that we return, I am more aware that this gift may be finite.

I have written about this trip many times before, although, since this blog is less than a year old, this is my first share here. I am missing the history of my old blog, so bit by bit, I am beginning to move appropriate older posts here to Creative. Light. Less. I am starting with a gift from the sea, which came to my mind fiercely a couple of weeks ago when a 'life-changing books' discussion arose among homeschooling mamas. (Click the link to read what I mean.) Those words I wrote 6 years ago could be true today. How time moves forward and how it stands still...

 So, the lake. It was another week of changes and "still the sames." This year, for most of the week, it was just my parents, the kids, and me. My brother is on a cruise (he is a research scientist) and M could not get the time off after our trip to Alaska. He was able to join us for a long weekend. This year, adults and children seemed to be at equilibrium, physically. My kiddos ended up sick, there were some emotional lows, and the adults were tired, so there were no major hikes (my dad and I took a short one of maybe 3 miles) and there was a lot of lounging, reading, and relaxing. Before illness really kicked in, the kids did some really strong paddling, getting more comfortable on the water than they ever have been and both did a little fishing.

There were loads of gorgeous wildflowers this summer, tons of mosquitoes and biting flies, and plenty of sunshine and wind. There were no thunder storms and I missed the shooting stars.

Home again, the kids are in day camp and I am feeling a bit burdened by worries. I am struggling to relax, focus, and address what is right here in front of me. We have been on the go and I am ready to have purging, organizing, and planning behind me, and relax into a pleasurable rhythm for the remainder of summer....