Gotta Love Holiday Week-Ends

Tonight is K-5 graduation and then we are off to the lake in the morning! I am so looking forward to sitting on the porch in the mornings with my coffee and a light blanket and just looking at the water. At that time of day it is usually very quiet except for the occassional fishing boat.

I know these pictures are both of sunsets, but that is just my favorite time of day at the lake. So serene and the sunsets always seem to be so much bolder over the water than here. When I was little and spent the Summers at the lake with my grandparents, my grandfather and I used to go and sit on the glider rocker every evening and watch the sunset off the porch. I loved to see the gold streak of sun down the lake. It looked so bright and blinding. I remember asking my grandfather one night what it was (this is obviously before I had an understanding of what reflection was....). He told me that once a day for only a little while, the sun spilled out liquid gold onto the water and that if you went out with a pail, you could actually scoop up the gold. I was just amazed. I know the reason I love the lake so much is because of the memories I have there with my grandfather. He took me fishing, told me stories about the Indians and put arrowheads where I would find them on the shores. He was the only one who would sleep in sleeping bags on the porch with me at night because I thought it was cool to sleep outside. (That was always after our nightly bowl of ice cream- usually Heavenly Hash or Black Cherry flavor.) I started skiing at age 3 and was driving the boat by age 11. I see my girls getting the same love for the lake that I have and that is so exciting for me. My grandfather is really sick now, and on hospice. He has had alzheimers for about 20 years and end-stage Parkinsons for about 8 years now. His lakehouse is in a bit of disrepair and will be left to my cousins- which is fine. We have our own place now- plus it is just not the same for me to go back to my grandfather's lakehouse without him there. I have so many great memories with him and I get to revisit those each time I go to the lake- no matter which lake or which house. I plan to spend a lot of time there this Summer since the girls love it so much and they are a little more independent now. I am truly excited about building the new house this fall/winter, though. It will be nice not to have to worry if the house has slid down the hill or if it will fall in when the girls jump around!! (Yes, Chris- thank goodness for shems.) Hope everyone has a really great week-end and takes some time to relax- if even for a small moment! I'll be back Monday........