Relaxing Bliss

Remember when I said we were going to the cabin for a week to let the floors cure?

We did. It may have been the very best week of my life.

We were fortunate to rent a cabin from the family of a friend of Jake's, and it was the very perfect situation. At the end of the road, during the week, not a ton of other cabins around. There was a cabin, a guest house, and the best part - a dock and a deck right on the lake.

For the first 4 days, Jake and I relaxed to the point of barely being able to hold our heads up. In the mornings we went for a paddle or a little walk and then after lunch (and a few Corona's) we'd head down to the lake to sit in the zero-gravity chairs we brought from home (SO WORTH THE TRUNK SPACE!!!!) and read, doze, swim, and snack. We made a pact that we would not use that nasty word that haunted us all summer, that haunts everyone when they have things they need to do, but don't necessarily want to: SHOULD. We did what we wanted, when we wanted even if that meant napping inside instead of in the sun, going to bed at 8:30 after falling asleep on the couch at 7:00 (I did that twice), swimming in the algea-infested water or not swimming in it. We freed ourselves from all obligation and it was exactly what I needed.

Some pictures to illustrate:

Day 1 was a little cloudy, but all that meant was that it was cool enough to nap and not get fried to pieces. 

Good ol' Saturday Globe (still good on a Tuesday!)

The view at supper time. Not bad, eh?

Ahhhhhh

Ahhhhh, x2

We brought out the canoe and went for a few paddles. The only paddles of the summer for me, sadly. Next year we'll make up for it.

Thankfully, the camera did not get dropped in the water.

This is what I looked at all day, in between reading books and talking to Jaker about things other than the reno (another resolve)

We invited some friends to come up and join us on Thursday for the day and over night to Friday. It was very fun.

Heather came and found a wonderfully handy hat to keep the sun off (it was scorching hot)

Rachel used it for its intended purpose.

Loren brought out the windsuffer and conquered the strongest wind he had ever surfed in.

An age-old way of passing the time at the cabin is to try to fetch a frisbee like a dog. Rachel was really good at it.

It looks like all these fine women are really good friends, but really, that is just where the chips were.

Me and Scott, chillin in our stylish hats.

Rachel tried windsurfing and Loren was a very patient teacher.

Did I mention that it was HOT. It was REALLY HOT.

Lori was apparently afraid of drowning. Life-jacket diaper PLUS inner tube.

That's about as far as she made it into the water in that get-up.

Can you guess what Lori and Rachel are doing? Ala Free Willy?

This is one of the many times I (along with others) jumped off the dock without slicing my foot open. Thankfully, that came at the very end of the week.

Maybe these two had a little too much sun?

Not pictured are fantastic events such as 'Chase the Ace' where the bets meant Debby rubbed ketchup chips all over her face, I had to stick pistachios up my nose and Alisa had to eat them AND Heather had to lick the screen of the porch.  The girls also went for a marathon skinny-dip which felt REALLY good including many jumps off the dock. The only unfortunate thing is that on the last jump I stepped on a raised screw (hard) and sliced the ball of my foot open pretty good. It only hurts when I try to walk on it (obviously), but it's gory enough that I'm just hoping I can be back wearing shoes before the wedding. Did you know that they only stich up wounds up to 12 hours after they happen? I did not. So no stitches. Just LOTS of antibiotic creme.

But that didn't put a damper on everything.

Nothing quite like a morning nap on the dock, is there?



Then Sylvie (along with her parents and sister) arrived and everyone perked right up!

All in all, a fantastic week. It feels like we got a bit of the summer down-time in addition to all that relaxing and I am mentally ready to go back to work. Never thought that would happen :)

Another long post with many pictures is coming tomorrow about the house - so much progress we have made, even though I can't walk!