Feels Like a Cottage Morning

Posted on August 11, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…even though I’m still in the city

I woke up early this morning to the sound of rain hitting the pavement. After all the heat and drought we’ve experienced this summer the rain is welcome relief. It’s one of those mornings where you want to stay in bed, read and write and contemplate life.

But alas I have company here and I need to get up and start the coffee and make breakfast.

My cousin and his girlfriend arrived last night after being on a bus for over 50 hours. It was our first encounter. What a lovely couple! We enjoyed a simple supper together here at the house and to our surprise they stayed up till midnight and shared stories of their adventures here in Canada. They’ve been here since last October but mostly out West.

I was hoping to get out for a run today with Frances. Even though it’s still raining I might brave it anyway. K left for the cottage early this morning (5:30) so that he could build the staircase. He’s usually my motivation for getting out to run.

My weight loss journey has slowed down considerably but I am down another 11/2 pounds for a total of 26 1/2 pounds. I’m not discouraged but I do feel that I have to re-exam my food intake. I love cheese and I think that’s my biggest downfall. Even though it’s acceptable on a low GI diet I think adding the gluten free crackers slows my metabolism and interferes with how fast I lose weight.

Obviously I’m burning more calories than I’m eating and that’s the main thing. I keep moving forward in a positive direction and there’s no looking back.

As I lie here and ‘contemplate life’ I feel that this weight loss journey is different from any I’ve ever been on and I’ve been on many. The difference this time is that I’m not thinking about when this diet will be over. I’m developing habits that will last me a lifetime and I honestly don’t feel deprived. I’m not thinking about going back to my old ways and looking forward to my next piece of cake.

Unlike this little chipmunk from the cottage I’m not constantly thinking about my next meal and scavenging for food 24/7.

Setting Sun Over the Island

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. I love how the sun reflects off the rocks

“red sky at night, sailor’s delight”

Back From Paradise

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. so why would I come back you ask???

I love it at the cottage but occasionally I have commitments back in the city that bring me home for a few days. This time I have a cousin from Germany, who’ve I’ve never met, and his girlfriend coming to visit me. They’ve been in Canada since last October, doing odd jobs in Vancouver and the interior of B.C. and travelling up and down the west coast. They are now on their way back to the east coast to catch a flight back to Germany so that they can return to school. On their way here they made a stop in Calgary and stayed with my baby sister for about 5 days before boarding a bus for Toronto. They should be arriving tomorrow evening.

I’ve been at the cottage for almost a week. The Saturday of the long weekend had to be the hottest day I’ve experienced at the cottage this summer. It was also the busiest. I had 10 guests arrive around noon, 6 adults and 4 very busy boys (ages 5 to 9). My daughter A, and her partner, J invited J’s sisters and brothers-in-law and their children for a day at the beach. They couldn’t believe that they were in Canada when they saw the beach and their apprehensions about going to a cottage without electricity soon vanished. I love guests that pitch in and do most of the cooking and cleaning. They’re welcome back anytime.

J and A with the 4 boys. As you can see they have a hard time sitting still even for a picture.

My husband K and Frances after our company left. Enough said.

Great Day for Running

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. but I’m still holding steady at 25 pounds down

I was hoping to report that I’m down more pounds but I did lose the water weight and that’s it so far.

What I’m happy about is my run today. Yesterday my legs felt like lead and I could barely finish 4 laps at the rugby pitch. K also called it a day after 5 laps. He told me not to be discouraged and that I would probably have a better day, today. He was right.

As we were walking over to the park I was having doubts about running. My tendinitis in my left ankle was bothering me and I was still feeling tired. When I started running I decided to run as far as I could without stopping before walking. Once I got going I couldn’t believe how much energy I had.

I ran a full 500 m (1 lap) before I walked and when I did walk I went 1/4 lap and then started running again for the rest of the lap. In total I ran 5 1/4 laps and only walked 3/4 of a lap for a total distance of 3 km not counting the trip there and home again. I’m feeling very good about my accomplishment and running 5 km without stopping doesn’t seem that far off any more.

Here’s something we haven’t seen for awhile in Toronto…. mud! After yesterday’s big thunderstorm there were actual muddy patches on the field.

I’m heading to the cottage today for about a week so I won’t be able to write anything on the blog for that length of time. As some of you know I don’t have electricity up there so I’ll be channelling my creative juices into other pursuits. I’ll definitely take more photographs, read, swim, run and get out my paints and start or finish a painting.

Stay in touch. Cheers!

Snakes, Seagulls, Surf, Sunsets and Scrabble

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. I didn’t intend to create an alliteration when I took these photos

This week at the cottage I was presented with some interesting moments for taking pictures. The first happened when my friend D was leaving my place and noticed a garter snake slithering along the ground at the bottom of the deck stairs. She suggested that photos of this little guy might make an interesting contribution to my blog. Check him out!

The next day the winds came up and we were treated to huge and powerful waves on the the bay.

Later that evening, the wind died down and as I was walking along the beach I witnessed this beautiful sunset.

One of my favourite games to play at the cottage is good old fashion Scrabble. I have to admit that I wasn’t very good at it the first few times I played it but my good friend D gave me a few pointers (which I’m sure she’s regretting) and I’ve been on a bit of a winning streak. Notice the word ‘zooid’. A good one to remember.

Oops! I guess the word ‘zooid’ was on the previous board. Anyway it’s a biological term meaning ‘a cell capable of spontaneous movement’. The word on this board that may be new to you is ‘natron’, meaning ‘a mineral, hydrated sodium carbonate’.

The picture below is of me and my Scrabble buddies, D and her daughter, Dy.

You can thank your lucky STARS that it was overcast last night so that I wasn’t able to take pictures of the night SKY and that I wasn’t interested in taking pictures of the SHOWERS today. Maybe next time. I’m home for a few days. I’ll post my weight loss progress tomorrow. TTFN

My Abundant City Garden

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….lost all track of time while I worked in the garden yesterday and my plans to head up to the cottage vaporized

I love the garden but it is a huge commitment and requires love, care and TIME.

I had packed my clothes, shopped for the necessities to bring back to the cottage BUT I needed to do one more little thing in the garden before I left…..

Well that ‘one little thing’ turned into many little things and before I knew it I was on a roll and couldn’t stop. It felt good to tidy up the weeds, trim the hedge (again!), cut the grass and pick the ‘fruits of our labour’. That evening I sat outside with my husband enjoying a lovely dinner of grilled vegetables and salmon fillets. Looking over the garden from our deck gave me a great deal of satisfaction and a feeling of pride.

This morning I walked around the garden and took pictures of the flowers and some of the vegetables that will be ready for harvesting in the coming weeks. If you remember my post from May where I showed you the beginnings of this garden I think you’ll agree that it’s come a long way. NOT BAD for a garden in the middle of Toronto.

Raised vegetable bed, ready for planting, May 21, 2012

My Garden in the Morning, July 22, 2012

A Charm of Hummingbirds

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Mama Cormier

One of life’s little pleasures is watching hummingbirds visiting the feeders strategically hung around the cottage. Actually hummingbirds are very aggressive and they routinely dive bomb and swoop down on each other and they seem to have no fear of humans. Many a time I’ve had to duck to avoid being charged by a hummingbird. I’ve had visions of a hummingbird being lodged in my forehead.

Today I was experimenting with my simple digital camera and got some amazing shots of my speedy little friends.

Morning at the Cottage….coffee, views of the beach and a ladybug

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….morning is my favourite time at the cottage

Sleep! I sleep so well at the cottage. I think it has to do with the darkness, the silence and the fresh air. I rarely stay up past 11:00 and I sleep soundly for 8 to 10 hours.

I love mornings. I make coffee, prepare a simple breakfast of cereal and berries, sit in the sun on my deck and leisurely enjoy eating my morning meal, all while I’m still in my pyjamas. Often I read a good book and relax with a second cup of coffee.

Currently I’m rereading Half Blood Blues. I’m pretty sure I didn’t finish it the first time. Most of the ladies in the book club really liked this book. I’m giving it another go. Much better, so far.

Everyday since Sunday I’ve been walking along the back road or on the beach. Today I decided to go for a long swim. I can honestly say that I have never had such a great swim and it’s the longest distance I’ve ever covered. The conditions were perfect.

I look forward to going back on Saturday. I’m sharing some of the views I see when I’m on the beach at the end of our road. The beach looks out over the north bay of the island. It was an exceptionally beautiful morning and as usual it was quiet and under used. Weekends is another story.

Normally this thorny thistle is an unusual and somewhat unwelcome addition to a sandy beach; however, upon closer inspection I discovered a lovely little ladybug nestled on one of its spiny branches.

Off to the Wilderness

Posted on July 8, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….makes me laugh when I say it because there’s more wildlife here in the city than at my cottage!

We don’t have these at the cottage!

I won’t be posting for a several days because I have no access to electricity. There is electricity on the island just not at my cottage. If K has his way there will never be electricity in our cottage unless we invest in a renewable energy source. More on that another time.

I’ll be at the cottage by myself. I’m hoping I’ll have time to reflect, re-energize and refocus on my weight loss goals. I’m holding steady at my 20 pounds plus weight loss but I need to move forward for the next 20 pounds. Long walks/runs on the beach, swimming, raking the lot and cleaning the cottage should help with the fitness goals. I’m bringing my kettle bell as well.

Cooking for myself and not worrying about other people’s dietary needs is helpful as well. The only problem is I tend to forget the time up there and eat at odd hours. I’ll be fine as long as I get in my three meals before it gets dark. I also have to make a concerted effort to stay hydrated. The spring water we draw from is excellent but it wasn’t working when I opened the cottage last weekend so I’ll be bringing large bottles of water just in case.

I do have a phone at the cottage and a battery powered radio so I’m not completely isolated from the rest of the world. And before you think I’m living the life of a hermit I do have neighbours and there’s always someone close by.

I need to get a move on. I still have to buy the water and propane to run the fridge and BBQ. Looking forward to a few days of R&R.

Cheers!

The Cottage is Open!

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….. very little evidence of mice or water damage.

Every year I dread opening the cottage because I don’t know what lies before me. In years past I’ve had coolers full of water and dead floating mice or acorns strewn all over the place because squirrels had inhabited the place over the winter.

For that reason I don’t like going up by myself to open the cottage. Since June was so incredibly busy at school and with my aunt being in the hospital, I didn’t have a chance to get to the cottage earlier this year.

My good friend L, drove up with me on Saturday. I picked her up before 9:00 in the morning and we arrived at the ferry dock by 11:00. The drive across the island was uneventful and we saw little evidence of new cottages going up. The lot next to ours has been leased for 3 years now but building hasn’t started.

The outside of the cottage looked fine. The lot needs to be racked and a few branches need to be cleared from the winter fall out. After we removed the plywood that covers our main door we carefully entered cottage. Surprise! It was exactly as we had left it. There was very little evidence of mice. I forgot that we left cloves all over the place so initially I didn’t know what I was looking at. Apparently rodents don’t like cloves and will avoid the areas where they’ve been left out.

I think some water may have come in after the snow melted off the roof but the bowls and coolers that we left out were empty. So far I’ve found no dead anything. L and I moved the propane fridge outside (I don’t trust it), set up the BBQ, emptied the water barrel, swept the deck and the outhouse and took all the cushions out of the plastic garbage bags and set up the couch.

When we had finished all of this we had a nice picnic lunch on the deck and then we headed for the beach for a nice swim. The weather has been so warm this spring and especially in the last 2 weeks that the water was actually swimmable. Georgian Bay is such a large body of water that most people don’t go swimming until August because it usually takes that long to warm up.Yesterday the water was refreshing and a nice break from the sweltering heat. It was difficult to pack up and leave.

Did I tell you that we only went up for the day. We caught the 4:00 ferry back to the mainland and drove back to Toronto so that we could attend our book club meeting.

A Moveable Feast: the Restored Edition

The book that we were discussing was Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast. Most members in the club hated the book and rated it very poorly. L and I, on the other hand quite liked the book and had a completely different perspective. As it turns out, the two of us read the restored edition that was published in 2009. This new edition had new chapters added, chapters moved around and sections of the book were replaced with Hemingway’s original drafts that the editors in the past had changed.

This restored edition is apparently how Hemingway wanted the book published. During our discussion it became clear that the two books are considerably different or at least different enough to give the reader a completely different perspective on the man himself. L and I quite liked the Hemmingway we read about and the rest of the group despised him.

Earlier in the year we read The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. I loved the connections I could make between the two books. McLain’s book is historical fiction and based on Hadley’s and Hemingway’s marriage and life together in Paris. In the restored addition of A Moveable Feast, it was abundantly clear that Hemingway truly loved Hadley. The group that had read the original version did not share the same conclusion.

I rated the restored addition of A Moveable Feast 3 1/2 out of 5.