Today we said goodbye to our family cabin. We, (my dad, Linda, Adrienne, Elise, Scott and I), have spent the last 4 days rallying between cleaning out the cabin and relaxing. It has been physically and emotionally tough! Today my brother, Linda’s brother and wife and their friends, Dan and Judy, joined us to help finish up. I actually held up pretty well until I went to close the shed door and take one last look at the lake…then I was washed over with the scent of the lake and the beauty of the sand under the water and the tears fell for about an hour.
Tonight as I write this I am still a little teary. Even though I know with my head that this day is necessary, my heart just doesn’t want to let go. My dad and grandpa built this cabin before I was born. I have only good memories of this place. I have so many memories from different stages in my life, and of people here and gone, that in honor of “the lake,” I am sharing my top childhood memories, in no particular order…
-fireworks off the dock
-jiffy pop in the dark
-mosquitos
-watermelon fruit bowl
-slivers from the dock
-lily pads
-turtle hanging in the tree
-lots of family
-great grandma and aunt nora
-swimming after Swappers
-fish fry
-scaling fish
-summer birthday parties
-a little bathroom with no real shower
-snakes on the hill
-turtles crossing the lawn
-gravel hills
-slamming screen door
-being the dishwasher
-the big old white stove
-turquoise chandelier
-carpet that tore up your feet
-fishing when it was too hot
-dad doing the “ape” when he got in the water
-docking the boat
-paddleboating
-the hour glass toy
-banners covering the wall
-salt and pepper shakers
-a fireplace that never worked right
-leeches in the fridge
-pink plastic dishes
-a turquoise divider over the steps
-bumping heads going down the stairs
-cousins hiding to not have to be the dishwasher
-a hot kitchen
-grandma’s dishtowel in the boat
-putting the boat in the water
-trimming the willow tree
-blueberries in the fruit salad
-building a ramp for the wheelchair
-sleeping on the pullout in the middle of the living room
-hot cushions on a floral couch
-weeds
-crystal clear water
-looking for snails
-throwing rocks past the lily pads
-seeing grandma peeking out of the door as we drove up
-throwing fish guts across the road
-deer flies
-deer
-loon families
-“The Fins”
-watching grandpa listen to the fins and translate what they were saying
-mowing at 6am
-“Shhhh! They can hear every word you are saying.”
-line up the toe-heads on the dock and bathe them
-the island and wondering how we could talk anyone into letting us explore it
-the other lake
-the black and white wall paper in the bedroom
-grandma’s desserts
-cupboard doors that would not be quiet
-the bell
-swimming to the middle
-the excitement of going to the lake and the disappointment of having to leave
-double stuff oreos
-blood suckers
-sandy bottoms
-big black inner tubes with red cords hanging down…”What was that? I felt something!”
-sunburns
-swimming with t-shirts on
-moms’ yellow checkered swim suit
-lawn chairs sinking in the sand
-fishing on the dock was never as good as fishing on the pontoon
-gathering everything we needed for a boat ride
Goodbye, sweet lake home... I will remember you.
No comments:
Post a Comment