This past week most closely resembled a typical middle-upper class "summer vacation". (I nearly typed "WASP", but does anyone use that acronym anymore?) On Tuesday, I went with three of my work friends to the St. Jacob's Farmers Market in St. Jacob, Ontario. On Wednesday, after recording the broadcast of "This Week in Ontario Edublogs" with Doug Peterson and Stephen Hurley, my husband and I went to Cedar Grove Lodge near Huntsville, Ontario for a 3-night getaway in the same cottage we rented for our honeymoon 26 years ago.
James and I had a delightful time. We went to Cedar Grove in 1997, 1998 and then in 2000 with our then-6-month-old baby. We hadn't been back since then.
My husband has this photo, taken during a "boat cruise" during our honeymoon, sitting on his desk.
I hope you get the sense of the contentment and bliss emanating from both of us.
Here's one of my favourite photos that I took during our most recent visit. No filter. No makeup. Just a quick selfie as we took a hike in the woods (and got nipped by bloodsuckers and we tried to navigate the path unsuccessfully). The sign up sheet boat trip around Peninsula Lake filled up too quickly for us to replicate our 1997 sojourn, but I may use this photo in our annual holiday photo insert for 2023.
Cedar Grove Lodge itself remains remarkably unchanged physically. It opened in 1927 and still has the bird-themed cabins. The communal hot tub has been replaced by a mini-gym and in-house meals have been reduced to breakfast and snacks but it was still perfect for us and our needs.
This vacation forced me to "make time" for various things.
1) Make Time to Read
I tend to overpack when I go on trips. This applies to reading material as well. I asked some friends for title recommendations and brought way more books than I was able to read. That's okay. I started and finished the latest instalment of the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. I have been saving this urban fantasy novel since James bought it for me and I loved reading it. It's funny to admit as a teacher-librarian, but sometimes it's hard to find time to read, especially for pleasure. I have no choice but to quickly read all 50 books nominated for various Forest of Reading awards between October and December because it's part of my job. That intense burst of reading requirement can tucker me out, and then other things (like reading posts by AQ participants) take precedence over other kinds of reading. I've got a good pile, with a mix of all sorts of things (including "good for me" reading that will be linked to professional learning), so hopefully I can make a dent in it before I have to return them. Ironic that on my honeymoon long ago, we bought matching sweatshirts from a tiny bookstore that said "So Many Books, So Little Time". How true that is! (Thanks Tippett Centre and the TDSB Professional Library Department for the loans!)
For the longest time, I used to have a note stuck to the side of my computer, reminding me to devote exclusive quality time to my husband. Why on earth would I need such a written reminder? The truth is, I can get hyper-focused. Other people and events demand attention and it's easy to take for granted the people who are there with you daily. From August 2-5, it was just the two of us. We spent a lot of time together eating, walking, talking, reading and enjoying each other's company.
3) Make Time to Relax
Despite having many time-saving devices and practices (e.g. dishwashers, air fryers, Roombas, microwavable meals or take-out), life still feels busy. Even during the summer, I have my "to-do list" running, with medical appointments to book, grocery shopping / errands to undertake, workshops to plan, skinny pigs to clean, emails to send, and online courses to teach. James has even more duties, since he runs the house and takes care of all the chores, in addition to his writing. I deliberately did not bring my laptop with me on this trip, and only brought my cell phone along for navigation and to contact the kids if necessary. The pace slowed down. Daytime naps are delightful. We didn't HAVE to do anything. We wandered the streets of downtown Huntsville (population 20 000). We watched a presentation on local wildlife. We took our time eating at yummy local restaurants (Huntsville Brewhouse, On The Docks Pub, and Westside Fish and Chips).
4) Make Time to Enjoy Nature
Stop and smell the roses. Touch grass. I'm not exactly the outdoorsy type, but there's something soothing to to soul to be near water or surround yourself with trees and rocks that have been there for generations. I think it's why my friend Diana Will-Stork has said that it's important that when people "do" land acknowledgements at school, they need to see or feel or be near the actual land. It's too easy to become disconnected from the earth. Hearing the loons call on the lake - there's nothing quite like it.
Okay, so it's time to acknowledge some privilege here. This "little getaway" wasn't cheap. As a teacher, I had ample time to put these plans into action. Not everyone has the financial ability or schedule flexibility to stay at a resort lodge. Is it possible to replicate this in other ways, or during the school year, or even at school? My answer is an optimistic "maybe yes". The public library is free. Friends and family can be just a phone call away. If something is important enough, you can try and carve time out for it (just like I ensure I write a blog post every week). Schools have yards and communities have parks or even outdoor education centers.
The trick is to make time.
You ask some really interesting questions at the end. A number of years ago (pre-pandemic) I was listening to a radio call in. It was about whether or not the family road trip was dead. What struck me at the time, is the assumptio that everyone has a car and the money to take it places and the money to pay for food/accommodation. My getaways with my spouse tend to be a wee bit more rustic than yours, usually involving canoes and tents. However, I am privileged to own a Canoe, the required camping equipment, a car to carry it all, a device to book sites on and the credit card to pay for it. When Mr 20 organizes Canoe trips for his crew, our house becomes the outfitter as many of his friends are first generation Canadian kiddos whose families have no frame of reference for this. Thanks for making me think.
ReplyDelete