Month: August 2019

View from our cabin

I spent the weekend in Door County WI.  My parents rented an absolutely beautiful cabin in the woods, about a half mile away from Lake Michigan.  We enjoyed some much needed time away and time together as a family.  Sadly, my son and his girlfriend could not join us and neither could my husband.  They were missed, but they were fulfilling obligations that they had at home.

We spent our first night at the cabin.  I cooked a fish dinner for all of us, ending the meal with ice cream and Door County cherry ice cream sauce.  Door County WI is famous for their cherries, so when in Rome……  I stocked up before we left on frozen cherries, cherry salsa, cherry pie filling, cherry jam and wine (not cherry).

Thankfully, although my dad would disagree, there was not access to local television.  There was a Packer game on Thursday night and he missed it.  Being a native of Green Bay, the Packer games are very important to him, even if they are having a losing streak.  Instead, we played Monopoly, something we haven’t done in years and dear old dad kicked our asses.  A win that he would not have been able to claim had the Packer game been accessible.  He proved that some things never change, his ability to win any board game is one of them.

Door County, like any tourist trap, is filled with shops of all kinds.  We spent our Friday, driving up the coast and stopping at shops at our leisure, mostly browsing, but I did buy a couple things to bring back.  We went to a wonderful fish restaurant for lunch, enjoying a bowl of whitefish chowder.  No, it does not taste like clam chowder, but to have clam chowder on the shores of Lake Michigan would not be very authentic, so whitefish it is!

Every year my mom and I take my youngest to Door Shakespeare, an outdoor theatre that performs Shakespeare in the summer.  Friday night we went again and saw the Merry Wives of Windsor.  It was a lot of fun and the play was hilarious.  They tend to modernize that plays they perform, so while they are using the play that was written, as is, they are set in modern times.  For me, that change makes them easier to follow.  Because let’s be honest, Shakespeare can be difficult to comprehend.

Door Shakespeare Theatre

Our final full day started out with a rousing game of mini golf, another Door County staple.  Since there were 6 of us, we broke up into teams.  I learned that I am terrible at golf, of any kind.  I felt like I was doing ok until my mom told me that all but 2 of the holes were par 2.  It didn’t matter though, we had fun and laughed a lot.  Our day ended with smores in the indoor fire place.

I write about this because time with family is so important.  We get one go around on this big blue rock. We need to embrace all the time we can with those we love.  Personally, I have been trying to be more intentional with family time by accepting invitations when they come my way and by extending them.  It took me a long time to get the point in my life where I truly know that family is everything.  They are always there for you no matter what.

I went to Chicago over the weekend.  My dearest friend from high school lives there and it was time for some girl time.  I can’t remember the last time the two of us had spent a moment together that didn’t include our husbands or kids.  I recall a dinner out, just the two of us after the birth of my daughter 20 years ago.  So, it’s been awhile and long overdue.  I am on the cusp of being an empty nester with my youngest starting her senior year of high school and showing little need for my constant companionship.  My husband and I have reached that stage where we love to be together, but yearn for time apart occasionally, a weekend away provided that.  Her children are at camp for 2 weeks and found that she had the house all to herself for the weekend.  I am optimistic that I will be able to take advantage of more weekends with my female friends as the years go on.

We don’t live far from Chicago.  The drive is 90 minutes if traffic cooperates and since my friend lives in the Northern suburbs, I don’t have to deal with the hell of downtown Chicago traffic.  I left late afternoon Saturday and was happily enjoying a glass of wine (or 2) on her patio by 4:15.  After a couple laughs and some really good cheese (thank you Trader Joe’s), we headed to the train station to take the train to the heart of downtown for drinks and dinner.  The weather could not have been better for an evening downtown.

We went to City Winery which is on the river, put our names on the wait list and bought a bottle of Rose.  For 45 minutes we sat on the river, wine between us and laughed and talked like we hadn’t in a couple decades.  For 24 hours we weren’t parents or wives, we were friends.   After a delicious dinner we headed to the Hancock building for yes, another glass of wine.

We went to the top of the Hancock building which is 96 stories for a very overpriced glass of wine, but an absolutely gorgeous view of the city.  While it nearly killed me to spend $16 on wine (yes that price is correct) I believe it was the cost of being able to take in that view.  From 96 stories up, we were able to see Navy Pier and the fireworks that were going off at Lollapalooza.  I took pictures, but they don’t do the view justice.  I am a terrible photographer and I do not have a phone that is able to take decent night time pictures.

We headed back to her place, via an Uber this time and turned in for the night.  After a cup of coffee and scone on Sunday, we took a walk along Lake Michigan on the Northwestern campus.  I was able to take in a couple more views of the city before heading back to my family to celebrate my husband’s birthday.  It was another fun filled weekend on the books.

As my friends and I continue to march through our 40’s and see our 50’s within a couple years, I think it is important for all of us to hold our friendships close.  So much of our early adulthood is focused on kids, spouses, jobs and just trying to pay the bills.  Our friendships ground us and remind us that we are more than a wife or mother.  We are independent of those titles.  New Year’s is still several months away, but I already know that I am going to focus of friendships more in 2020.  In fact, I think I will make that resolution now.