Posts Tagged ‘relaxing’

Summertime on Lake Superior

Posted on August 22nd, 2012 by Tonia 4 Comments

This summer has been extremely busy for us, between work and family events and just trying to keep up with the garden and all our projects around the homestead. But every chance we get, we head to the beach to relax and play- usually with the dogs and with friends.

We have a time-share on a beautiful 25′ sailboat with some friends, and we’ve really been enjoying learning how to sail {it’s been on our bucket list for years. When you live on Lake Superior, you need to know how to sail. It’d be like living in Vail, CO and never going skiing!}

On calm days, it’s fun to put her on autopilot and just zone out, letting the waves rock you into a little nap. On windy days, she gives you an exhilarating ride that awakens your senses and makes you feel {lucky to be} alive. We’re so lucky to learn on such a big, safe boat. She’s made to be seafaring, so she can definitely handle anything the lake throws at ‘er.

But small boats have their perks, too. Our neighbor’s father built him a little sailboat as a college graduation gift. She’s light enough to haul behind the truck to the beach {read: doesn’t need to be docked at a marina all summer} but big enough to carry a few friends and a few cases of beer. Pre-tty nice!


We haven’t taken the dogs on the boat with us yet, but Charlie does enjoy riding the stand-up paddle baord with me!

Hooray, hooray, hooray for this gorgeous body of fresh water that we’re so blessed to live right next to. Hooray for the waves of cold, prickling water that wash over you, healing and calming your body and mind. Hooray for boats, dogs, beer, friends. And hooray for the occasional opportunity to forget about the To-Do list and just plaaaay.

Winter Pastimes

Posted on January 14th, 2012 by Tonia 5 Comments

Here we are in that sloooooow part of winter, void of holiday shindigs to look forward to {or dread, depending} and with summer still a long ways away. Although Mike and I are big fans of all the different seasons, there’s no denying that January and February can be really dark and dreary.

So what do we do to keep ourselves in good spirits? Here are some of our favorite winter pastimes {and please share your own in the comments- we’re always looking for new ideas to help speed along these cold months!}:

Move it move it – Moving our bodies and getting our blood flowing is probably the number one most effective thing we have found for chasing away winter boredom and blues.

Co-ed hockey: We joined a league that plays every Saturday night. Full pads, no checking. We look forward to it all week long. It’s a release of energy and aggression that leaves us both feeling much more peaceful and calm afterward. Plus it’s just really super big-time fun.

Modern dance: How many towns of 2000 people have a yoga and dance studio that offers a wide array of classes with a large staff of talented and skilled teachers?? We’re so lucky. I love the Saturday morning dance class for warming up my entire body and allowing me to let loose and stretch my muscles.

Bodyrock: THE BEST home exercise practice I have ever tried. Following their short and intense daily routines has toned my body and developed muscle faster than I thought was possible. I’m amazed and hooked.

X-country skiing: A wonderful activity to do with friends. I love being out in the quiet woods with the stars over-head and the moon as our only light. It’s so peaceful and exhilarating at the same time. And nothing feels better after a ski than a hot sauna. We fire ours up about once a week to get a good muscle-relaxing and body-detoxifying sweat going.

Swimming: My friend Alison and I like to hit the local pool once a week to swim and enjoy long chats in the hot tub. I usually go for lakes over pools any day, but thankfully the Bayfield Fitness Center doesn’t use chlorine in their water, so I don’t experience that skin-tightening dryness that I can’t stand.

Horseback riding: My most favorite activity of all, in any season. I will admit that it’s sometimes difficult to muster up the motivation to bundle up and go to the barn on the coldest winter days, but I never regret it once I’m there. The horses’ company, their smells and sounds, the warmth of their bodies- it’s all very therapeutic and calming for me. My favorite hours of the day are the ones I spend there…freezing fingers and all.

Walking the dogs: Jack loooooves his walks. Charlie chickens out once there is snow on the ground {the poor guy is so low to the ground that really any amount of snow makes him wet and cold almost instantly. And he is much too proud to wear any sort of coat or sweater, so…}, but not Jack. Jack will walk rain or shine or full-on-blizzard. We love the walks too- it’s a chance to chat about life together away from our phones and computers and other distractions.

Relaaaaaaax – Winter provides some much needed down-time with no garden to tend or farm projects to complete. These are our favorite low-key activities.

Movies/TV: We actually only get three channels on our TV, but we use the internet to stream our favorite shows like Dexter, Breaking Bad, and BBC’s Human Planet. Snuggling on the couch together with Charlie wedged between us is an almost-every-night occurrence. Sometimes with hot chocolate and popcorn even.

Reading: Mike and I favor very different kinds of books. I’m a fiction fiend while he can be found curled up with how-to’s such as The Craft of Modular Post and Beam. To each his/her own, I suppose. Either way, nothing beats laying under a pile of blankets next to a roaring woodstove with a really good book.

Music: He plays guitar, I play the fiddle, we both like to sing, and once upon a time we made a very cheesy music video together, which no one besides us will ever, ever, ever see. Anyway, playing music together is a wonderful way to spend a dark winter night.

Crafts/art: Sewing, knitting, painting…these are the artsy hobbies we barely ever have time for, and it’s so fun to get to explore that side of ourselves. We cover the whole kitchen table with newspaper, spread out our paints/supplies and go to town. Mike is a much better painter than I am, which is annoying…but his dad is actually a painter, so I guess I understand.

Socializing – Getting out and about in the community keeps us from turning into hermits in the winter when the urge to just hunker down and never leave the warm house is strong.

Folk dancing: There is a great monthly dance with a live band at the college in the next town over. Lots of folks packed into the dance hall means that the room is nice and toasty warm. It’s really nice to be able to run around in a t-shirt, meet new people, and have physical contact with other people. Swinging, waltzing, and sashaying all over the place.

Packers games: We wait all week for Sunday. The tradition is to meet our friends at the bar in town, order food and beer, and hang out there pretty much all day. It’s a great bar- they serve the beeeest Bloody Marys I’ve ever had EVER, and they give free shots to everyone in the bar every time the Packers score.

Pot-lucks: Nary a week goes by around here without someone hosting a pot-luck. Great conversations, delicious food, and laughter equal the perfect recipe for chasing away the winter blues.

Volunteering: Giving back to the community in a way that is specific to your skills and talents is a wonderful way to pass these slower, less hectic months when many of us find ourselves with a little extra time on our hands. I have been helping out with an equine therapy program for disabled and at-risk youth once a week this winter. I love it and the kids are awesome.

Book Club: A friend of mine started a ladies’ book club that meets once a month. It has always been my dream to live somewhere where people do quaint, sweet things like book clubs together. I have arrived!! It’s fantastic. All of the ladies are so well-spoken and thoughtful. And we eat the yummiest treats…

Maker’s Club: And while the gals talk books, the guys make shit. Really. They hang out in the garage inventing stuff out of junk and drinking beer. Alrighty then!

I hope you get some good ideas from this list for ways to enjoy winter instead of wishing it away! I’d love to hear what you do to pass the time as well. Have a wonderful weekend…GO PACKERS!

Fika

Posted on November 18th, 2011 by Tonia 4 Comments

…The Swedish word for time spent drinking coffee with something sweet.

Don’t mind if I do.

Flognarde, also known as clafoutis, is a traditional French dessert made of sweet batter poured over a layer of apple or pear chunks and baked in the oven. You can eat this dish as a hot pudding or a cold dessert.

Ingredients {serves 6}:
3 apples
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups {350 ml} milk
½ cup {90 g} sugar
½ cup + 1 tbsp {70 g} flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil {or any neutral oil}

Preheat the oven to 400ºF {200ºC}. Peel and core the apples then cut into chunks.

Grease the tart tin with butter and sprinkle some flour. Place it on a baking sheet. Spread the apple chunks evenly in the tart tin.

Gently heat the milk until warm. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until blended and foamy. Add the sugar, flour, oil and whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in the warm milk.

Using a ladle, carefully pour the liquid batter over the apple chunks in the tin, filling up to the rim.

Bake for 30 – 45 minutes until the flognarde is puffed and golden.

Make time for “fika” with someone you love this weekend.

Fall Reading

Posted on September 22nd, 2011 by Tonia 10 Comments

Tea-time, sans crumpets. I prefer homemade bread smeared with dolce de leche.

This book has been on my “Need to Read ASAP!” list for, like, ever. It’s one of my dad’s all-time favorites and I’m a sucker for human-dog-relationship stories, so I knew I would love it. I’m almost done with it and can’t help but slow down my reading pace to try to savor the ending. It’s one of those books that you wish would never end. And it makes you want to name your first-born son “Francois” and your daughter “Nonnie”.

One of my favorite parts of the book is towards the end. Nonnie, a young girl being raised in the middle of no-where in Africa by her stern and widowed British military officer father and her Portuguese nanny, has gone completely horse-crazy {I can relate!}. Her father just upbraided her for wasting precious time and paper sketching horses, and her deeply religious and dramatic nanny goes off on a sullen tangent about girls and horses.

“Dear Mother of Christ, Good blood of the wood, why must it always be like this? I know they all must grow up, but why should they always begin by falling in love with horses? Her sainted mother was exactly the same… “

Hilarious and true.

Fall is the most delicious season for curling up with a good book, no? Maybe with a fire blazing in the woodstove. Maybe with a quilt your Grandma made for you when you graduated high school across your lap. Maybe with a wiener-dog named Charlie curled by your side. And definitely always with tea.

Last time we shared our reading lists, you guys suggested so many good ones! Have I told you all lately how FUN it is to have readers that are into all the same stuff as me?? Gardening, reading, living simply, etc. Could you BE ANY COOLER? No.

So anyway, my “NRASAP!” list is so long right now, I’m not sure how I’ll ever get to all of them! I’m almost scared to ask again, but I really wanna know: What are you reading right now?