Time Flies....

The new year started on the shore of Lake Huron with my trusted companion, Jackson. The wind, the waves, the crisp cold air, the sand underfoot…a perfect way to kick off 2022.

Now, almost a year later, time has flown by in an absolute blur. We’re warned that as we get older, time seems to go by more quickly, but my god, I didn’t expect it to feel like this!

These two love the snow and cold weather. They both had a challenging summer having been diagnosed with environmental asthma, thanks to the hot, dry, ragweed-filled summer months that we had. Never would I have thought I’d be buying a Costco membership for Reactine for my horses, but with Bruno taking 36 a day at one point (remembering he’s an almost 2000lb draft horse) and Lightning not far behind that total, it was the only option. All of the various treatments we tried, unfortunately, didn’t seem to help all that much, so I was so relieved when the cooler weather set in and their breathing returned to normal, their noses stopped running and we could back off the meds. They’re now back to being the wooly mammoths they turn into in the winter months and are as content as content can be.

I wandered through the field of lavender at Baroque Botanicals ,then back through the wheat field and forest trails and completed my visit with their beautiful Friesien horses and amazing owners. I look forward to their open house and it’s a favourite way to spend a summer day. They make the most luxurious products from their lavender and I swear by their facial oil, lip balm, candles and room spray. Honestly, all of their products are fantastic!

Jackson and I spent a very relaxing few days at a friend’s cottage by Parry Sound and it was just what the doctor ordered. Sun, reading, more sun, lounging on the dock, a few bevies and lots of time with the fur babe. I think he was just as sad as I was (if not possibly more) when it came time to say good-bye. Jacks is a whole other dog when he gets into the countryside. He’s almost always ‘on guard’ at our house, but when he gets outside the city limits, I can actually see him physically relax and he becomes so at ease. Warms my heart!

It was a year full of beauty, from that gorgeous bouquet from my friend, May Moon Flowers, to some absolutely stunning sunsets and finding my furry pots of gold at the end of that rainbow. I will always be amazed and absolutely appreciate the wonders of the outdoors and what it provides for us.

I look back on this year with gratitude and while it feels like it was just yesterday that I was standing on the shore of Lake Huron, ushering in 2022, at the same time, it feels like it was so long ago. From road trips with friends, to days at the farm or the Country House, encouraging myself to always take the back roads/scenic route (and finding your dream farm for sale but unfortunately not winning the lottery to be able to purchase it) and my ever evolving City Cottage, this year has been filled with many lessons and I’ve learned much more about myself for many reasons. I look at the little world I have formed around me and can’t help but smile and feel a sense of calm in this rather chaotic world. Cheers the the year that has passed and I look forward to the new year ahead. I have a really good feeling for what’s to come in 2023 and thank you to you all for coming along for the ride both in the past, today and in the future.

RR

It's Been A While.....How Are You...No Really...How Are You?

It really has been a while….Almost 10 months since my last post.

If you had asked me what 2020 was going to look like when I wrote my post on March 8th, never in a trillion years would I have been able to begin to fathom what the year was going to bring to us all….to our entire planet. When you think of it that way…our entire planet….it gives me goosebumps, but for all the wrong reasons.

I was able to sneak away for a weekend to a friends cottage this summer and as I sat on the dock and looked up at the stars one night, I was reflecting on a number of things and that’s when it truly hit me…That sense of ‘the entire planet’…..It was enough to bring tears to my eyes and made me take a few deeps breaths to collect myself.

Noting all of our lives have literally been turned upside town, twisted, shaken and triple lutzed (yes, I was a figure skater back in the day) how are you? And I mean REALLY…how… are...you?

I truly hope you are doing as well as you can. I’m absolutely certain there are days that are better then others and I hope you are finding ways to get through the more challenging days in a healthy and mindful manner. I appreciate that it can be difficult to do so, but if there is one thing the last 10 months have allowed for is the ability to take a step back and really come to realize who and what is important in my life. Who has been there to talk to, what has brought joy, what has brought sadness or disappointment, who has disappeared from my life….I hope that if there is one positive thing that has come from 2020 is that you have been able to examine your life and bring close those people and things that bring in goodness and let go of those that don’t. It sure has for me!

Overall, I’d say that I’m doing alright. I have a lot to be grateful for and I really try to focus on that on the days that seem a little extra crazy. I honestly have no idea how it’s December this week and I truly feel that 2020 has been a bit of a blur at times. I started a new job…twice…yes, twice during this time and wow, has onboarding been quite the unique experience. Meeting new co-workers over virtual meetings, learning the ins and outs of an organization via a computer and phone calls and working from home full time (which I am immensely grateful for, though there is something to say about human connection). I work in a field that thrives on human connection, being able to speak to people in person and face to face, to be able to read body language, have deep, meaningful conversations and all of that has been put to the test during this time but overall, has been a success!

And speaking of connection….I think you all know how much I love animals and feel that having a connection to them is extremely healing and cathartic. Well….as of April, I added a third fur babe to the family. If you follow me on social media, you would have already met Jackson and learned how I am officially a ‘foster fail’. This smart, sweet and loving pooch came to me via Fur-Ever Able Dog Rescue and it was literally meant to be. He has been such a wonderful companion through all of this for many reasons. First and foremost, he has the sweetest personality and to see him come out of his shell has been so inspiring. We still have some work to do around socialization, which has proven challenging during this time of physical distancing, but he has come such a long way and made great improvement. He’s a great motivator to get outside and be active as we both need to work on our conditioning this days! Overall, having the stars align to have him come home has been an extremely bright light these past months. Having him around to bring a smile to my face and to literally make me laugh out loud has been so fantastic!

I will admit, that laughter has been very helpful as there are times I feel as though I’m living in the movie Groundhog Day (and I’m sure that this is a feeling a lot of us share). I’ve gone from being on the road almost everyday with work to not having had an in person meeting in months. It sure has been a shift. One thing I have come to realize, mainly on my trips to the farm to see the two big fur boys, is how much I enjoy driving. How much thinking I do when I’m driving and how it allows me to clear out some room in my headspace. Those trips to and from the farm are really most of the driving I do nowadays and I’m grateful for that time to turn up the music, get behind the wheel and think….process…and clear my mind.

Another thing that has really been reinforced is the comfort of home. If you’ve followed my journey the past 10 years or so, you’re well aware of the fact of how I value and find the importance of making a house truly your home as an extension of you/your family. To make it that extension of you and your family, so that when you are within its walls you feel like you are in a comforting cocoon it takes being surrounded by not only the people but pieces, colours, textures and momentos that you love and are, in a way, an extension of you. I often write about how creating this type of space and environment takes time. To fill your home with what you love, what inspires you, what brings a smile to your face can take years and that’s truly what this past year has helped me realize even more so. I look around my home and I see a gallery wall of memories from trips that let me travel back to those experiences via those photos. I see a piece of driftwood from an afternoon at the beach, a piece of pottery from a local artisan, my table and desk that mean so much because my brother created and built them for me, cozy pillows and throws from a small business here in town and the list could go on and on. I’m grateful to have a space that I truly do feel at home in. A home that is an extension of me and what I love and I will admit, having that feeling in my 800sqft lil cottage has had an incredible calming effect this year.

Another thing you know if you’ve been ‘a regular’ to the blog and my social media (especially Instagram - Rustic Retrievals) is how important supporting local and small businesses is to me. If there is one silver (and maybe even golden) lining of 2020 is the positive spotlight it has shone on the importance of shopping locally and supporting our friends and neighbours and their small businesses. It has broken my heart to see shops/businesses close after years of their owners dedicating their heart and soul to their passion project. I have witnessed first hand how friends and family have had to constantly shift gears to stay afloat during these times and I cannot applaud them enough for doing so. One thing that has warmed my heart, however, is how the year has strengthen the sense of community, at least in the ‘town’ I live in, Guelph, Ontario. Yes, we have seen businesses close, yet we have also seen businesses start and thrive during these times. I regularly ‘shout out’ via my Instagram stories my favourite local businesses and small businesses across Ontario and I encourage you to do the same. Yes, if we can purchase their products, that’s amazing and supportive, but even sharing their accounts and stories through your own social media platform can go a long way as you never know who may see what you’ve posted and that person could turn into a new customer for that shop or business. I have promised myself I will blog more as I really enjoy the craft of writing and I will be sure to share many of my favourite small and local businesses in posts to come…so stay tuned. And in the meantime, keep watching my stories on Instagram to get your fill of small business goodness!

I could keep going and going as this sunshine really has me inspired today…but…I’ll leave it here.

I wanted to check in to see how you truly are doing provide a bit of an update on the year that has been 2020 and alllll the craziness that it has brought along.

I wish you all good health and please, be safe. We’re all in this together…we truly are…and we’ll all get through this if we keep that sense of community well being alive and well.

Take good care and keep your eyes open for more posts to come….I’m back at it and can’t wait to share so much more with you! :) xo

RR

Post R&R....

I am going through withdrawl.......

Withdrawl of the feeling of sand between my toes, of morning walks along the shore, of campfires, of lounging & reading in the sunshine and most of all...this view!

It was THE perfect gals week at the cottage (cooler weather and gale force winds included) and I have again confirmed that I could be a beach bum 365 days a year for the rest of my life! Now...where did I put that lottery ticket?!

You arrive at the cottage, walk around the side and come face to face with this....I can honestly say that I felt every ounce of stress and worry leave my body at the sight of this.

You wander down the path towards the lake and are greeted by this.....

A private sandy area with floating decks and through this gateway that separates the cottage area from the public beach, you see this.....

And this.......

Oh...and from one of the floating decks.....this was our view....

As you can see from the photos, we really had quite a mix of weather. Saturday and Sunday were everything you could want in a beach day and more. Monday got a wee bit chilly and Tuesday & Wednesday were windy, chilly and reminded me of Fall. But, it's the cottage...you make do with whatever Mother Nature throws at you, whether that means bathing suits and sunscreen or sweatpants, sweaters and blankets (note the goosebumps on my legs...that was an evening that really did call for long pants). The waves were mesmerizing and one afternoon, we decided to jump in and throw ourselves into them! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time...nor had I had such a good workout either as the undertow was incredibly strong. It was a battle staying on our feet at times in the shallower sections.

Seeing as we were about 5 minutes south of town, we decided to head in on Tuesday to do some shopping. Yes...it's shocking...a gals week and shopping is involved ;) I'd be much more shocked (and concerned) if there hadn't been any!

Welcome to Sauble! I hadn't been there in well over a decade and I felt old highschool memories come flooding back. 

We 'walked the strip', popping in and out of stores. We went to one called The Patch (there's one in Guelph too!) and as you walk in, there's a huge wall of friendship bracelets...so of course, in all the charm and cheesiness that comes with gals in their 30's away for a week of fun and frivolity, we got ourselves friendship bracelets! 

All that shopping (and walking into the wind) sure made us hungry, so we headed to Mars Cosmic Fries for this.....

THE MOST AMAZING POUTINE I've had in a veryyyyyy long time!! And...the lady that sold us these oh so yummy morsels assured us that calories did not count on Tuesdays (*wink wink*)! Whoot whoot!!

I don't know if I should admit this or not....but we went back Wednesday too....and ordered a smaller portion...a barely smaller order of fresh cut fries, covered in ooey gooey cheese and scrumptious gravy.. I am practically drooling as I write this just thinking about them!

Yes, we did treat ourselves, but we actually made most of our meals at the cottage. We all took turns making dinner and the night we decided  to make chicken kebabs on the BBQ, was very...how do I put this....entertaining!

We opened the BBQ and noticed there was 'stuff' on the grill that needed to burn off. So, we lit it and carried on with dinner prep as per usual while it warms up...

A few minutes later, we look at the BBQ and see this....

Flames shooting out the back!! YIKES!!! After a moment of panic, we shut off the propane and let it burn itself out. Was that grill ever clean after that! We proceeded to make the kebabs without incident and had a very scrumptious (and healthy) dinner.

After our dinners every night, weather permitting, we'd head down to the beach to watch the sunset and have a campfire...two of my favourite things to do while at the cottage.

We sure had some amazing sunsets while we were there!

The campfires were key, as the evenings were quite chilly and of course, what would going to the cottage be without s'mores?

Our final morning arrived..... I couldn't get over how quickly the 5 days had gone by... I had my morning walk on the beach and took these shots...

We packed up, tidied up and did one final walk to the lake and then back through the charming, rustic cottage we had called home for the past few days. It felt like stepping back in time when you were inside the cottage....Almost every detail was original, from the solid wood doors, to the trim, to the floor, the fireplace and the windows. It reminded me a lot of our cottage/'camp' we had growing up. I had to snap a photo of the view out of one of the front bedrooms, through the wood french doors..it captures that 'feeling' I'm talking about... We also found an old photo of the cottage's exterior in all of its original glory!

It was such a great time....full of laughs, chats, sunshine, sand, fun, great food/drink and of course, rest & relaxation! Thanks so much gals for making our week away together one to remember! Now...Let's get planning next year!

RR