Romancing The Fish

Nothing beats the serenity of fishing on a quiet lake with your favorite fishing partner.

Fishing is good for your physical and mental health but I have seen how fishing can strengthen bonds of friendship, love and romance. When I was young and spent my summers on a lake, I witnessed my aunt and uncle leaving early in the morning for a fishing trip in a small aluminum row boat. Aunt Ann packed a picnic lunch and Uncle Charlie took a special cushion for her to sit on. Hours later, they'd return with a few fish and smiles.

Hubby and I took the row boat out in our early years. A few years later, he took our boys out when they were small to teach them the basics of fishing. 

Family Fishing Fun

I managed to cast the line during our vacation but enjoyed sitting back and watching the others fish. My heart filled with warmth seeing them horse around when a "grass pike" was caught then become serious when hubby had a bass on the line.

Son #3 really took to casting.

Fishing requires lots of focus and awareness. This takes your mind off internal conflict and stress, similar to meditation. As a result, it helps to reduce anxiety, fight off depression, and promote relaxation. Studies have shown that fishing lowers your cortisol levels (otherwise known as the stress hormone).Jul 12, 2020

Health benefits of fishing - Parks Blog - Ontario Parks

www.ontarioparks.com › parksblog › health-benefits-fi..

Love, The Next Generation

As they grow, children look at their parents as an example of how balanced love is. 

Parents fight but they also make up.  Parents disagree but also respect each others opinions. Parents experience sadness and show how they comfort each other. Parents continue to have fun and laugh. Parents show their kids, that no matter how old they are, they can still be romantic. 

Being on vacation with our adult children has shown me that we've done a pretty good job setting an example of love for our boys. I've seen snippets of our romance in them.

My son and his wife of less than 2 weeks, enjoyed quiet time reading together. 

Son #2 and his love are the picture of silly romance, 

they have a lot of fun simply being together.

When you go on vacation with adult children, let the love flow. 

Cabin Comfort Food

A cold rainy day calls for some old fashion comfort food for the crew.

Trevor brought some summer squash from his garden. I diced it up and put it in a pan with some olive oil, a dash of cloves and cinnamon to give a little warmth to the dish. I added a couple ice cubes and a dash of garlic salt then covered the pan to let it simmer. 

Slow cooking a smoked ham in the oven warms to a kitchen. A cabin's open layout lets the wonderful scents to travel throughout. Cinnamon and smoky clove waif through the rooms. Waiting for dinner to be done, is a perfect opportunity for some cuddle time.

Three boxes of Mac-n-Cheese were needed to feed my gang. 

By the end of the  meal, everyone was warm, comforted, and full. At least for a few hours.

What comfort food do you make while on vacation?

Morning Meditation with Mother Nature

Vacation Day #2

Cool temperature with a breeze from the north.

Mood is "chillax".

Communing with nature is a great way to start the day.

Doing yoga next to water is an amazing experience. 

It good to break up your routine of being inside.  Breathing in clean air cleanses the body and opens the soul. Some may think practicing yoga outside not only develops your inner strength and stability, it aligns you with nature. Yoga outside can boost your self esteem and the dose of vitamin D from the sun will help fight depression. Even if you practice yoga in the shade like I do, you'll still get those "feel good" vibes.

Loons calling to each other  replace the sounds of the city. 

My only observers were seagulls.

The breeze caressed my skin like a lover's touch. 

If you get the chance, step outside.

Close your eyes and take a few slow, deep breaths.

Take a moment to listen; focus on nature sounds.

Hear the birds?

Feel the breeze?

Sunsets and Family Time

Vacation Day #1 part 2

Evening is calm, quality togetherness time.

Mood is relaxed.

Ending an evening surrounded by the beauty of nature reminds us of the romance humans have with wonder of the wild. Mother Nature provides us with beauty, comfort and joy. Little things we often take for granted in life or completely ignore. Looking at a sunset, our reflection in a lake, or closing our eyes while sitting next to a bonfire will quickly take us to a calm place and fill us with love.

The evening is spent fishing. 

Relaxing around the bonfire was interrupted when the sprinkler system turned on.  Laughing, we dried off and still enjoyed the fire after the water stopped.

All smiles, all night long.

Staying cozy with each other.

Being together outside with nature is great bonding time 

to strengthen family ties which is important when a family grows.