Wednesday, August 30, 2023

it is a little planet, but how beautiful it is.


Though nature may not be my favourite...it sure does looks nice.  As you may recall from a recent blog post here on the creation of beauty is art. my family spent a week at a cottage a couple of weeks ago. This has become a bit of a tradition in the last couple of years. Originally, it was the result of the pandemic and not wanting to travel too far away from home. Now? My family just seems to enjoy the experience. I am not exactly Team Cottage (bug bites, spiders, no computer...oh my!) but I always try my best to make the most of the time away. There were some low moments, like several mosquito bites on my chin and face, and some high moments, like doing some local shopping and seeing a movie at an interesting theatre. In this post, I will be sharing some of the highlights from the cottage vacation as well as a few photographs from the trip as well. Here goes...


Each year, we visit a different rental cottage, but all have been in the same general area. This time, we stayed close to Fenelon Falls. This suited me just fine because we visited there during previous years and the shopping in town was excellent. The cottage itself was nice this time, but it felt a bit squishy for so many people! For most of the vacation, it was me, my husband, my parents, my brother, my sister, her partner, and her child. Talk about a full house. On the days where my sister was visiting, my husband and I had to sleep in the bunkie outside. Let me just say I did not like that. There were all kinds of creepy crawlies in there. I definitely had a breakdown or two...but cottage life went on. My husband loved being able to take the boat out and fish. He is a real nature lover, so he certainly made the most of the time away. My brother went kayaking a lot. My dad read books. My mom worked on diamond paintings. My sister spent time with her family. And I devoured cozy mystery novels. 


The weather was very hit and miss during the week. Some days? Grey and cloudy. Then lots and lots of rain. Then sunshine and blue skies. It made it difficult to know what to plan for the day. Despite that, there was time for board games, going for walks, lawn games, movies, and stops into various small towns. We all went to a restaurant in Fenelon Falls for dinner one night, got ice cream at a dessert place, and then my husband and I wandered around. On other days, my mom and I did shopping there, checking out all of the antique stores, thrift stores, and used book stores. We also went to Bobcaygeon and spent time in my favourite store, Kicking Cowgirl Designs. Another outing was made to Lindsay, where we visited the local mall. (There was a Winners there that blew my mind.) Though I do not necessarily love cottage life, shopping always makes me smile. 


One of the more unusual and exciting things that we did on this vacation was head to a really unique movie theatre in Kinmount called Highlands Cinemas. I hadn't heard of it before, but someone recommended it to my dad. So, my mom, my brother, my husband, and I all went to see The Haunted Mansion one night. The theatre was tucked away and you had to park up a hill. There was a cat sanctuary outside with all of these tunnels for the cats that live on the property. On the inside? There were a few very small theatres (they were about a quarter of the size of the movie theatres that I am used to) and an incredible museum. The museum had all sorts of movie props, old projectors, antique pop culture items, and movie posters. It was hallway after hallway of stuff. As someone who loved movies and popular culture...this was everything. I was surprised to see that some of the displays had items that were in my own home! Like a Pee Wee Herman doll that I purchased from an antique store several years ago and other such treasures. It was so much fun to watch The Haunted Mansion (the movie was really good but definitely would have been better suited to a fall release) and check out all of the fantastic items on display at the theatre. It was certainly a one of a kind experience and was the highlight of the cottage vacation for me. 

Another summer almost done and another cottage vacation over. Though I would much prefer to be at home in the air conditioning...there were certainly some highlights. I enjoyed spending time with my loved ones, shopping at antique and thrift stores, eating Kawartha Dairy ice cream, and checking out some unusual places. There were memorable moments! 

Have you ever been to a cottage? How are you planning to spend the last days of summer?

18 comments:

  1. Your cottage vacation sounds delightful!
    The tranquil water and country road each bordered with evergreen trees look idyllic,
    you and your husband look very happy by the whitewater overflow from the dam and the pretty flowers,
    and your visit to the Highlands Cinemas and museum sound both educational and like a lot of fun!
    The end of summer is approaching so fast that I have not adjusted to the idea yet!

    My most recent post: https://full-brief-panties.blogspot.com/2023/08/national-underwear-day-2023-is-it-time.html

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    1. Thank you very much for your comment! There were definitely some nice moments and lots of pretty scenery <3

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  2. Bug bites, spiders and no computer LOL. Yes good in small doses. But it is nice to get away from the hustle and bustle and spend some time in nature. I think you should keep up the tradition!

    Allie of
    www.allienyc.com

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    1. I'm not sure if we will, but I'm glad the rest of my family enjoys it!

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  3. Da hattet ihr ja wirklich eine tolle Zeit. LG Romy

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  4. This mascara is really good, I tested it on the Gamescom and it kept the whole day while sweating :D Oh yes They're Real mascara from Benefit is also pretty nice.
    Thanks a lot =) I had a really incredible time in Cologne and at the Gamescom. Time flies and I can't wait for 2024.
    The cactus blossom smells so good, I want to use it for me and not the dishes :D My weekend was good but too short. But the next weekend is near
    Oh yes this soft pretzel was so delicious <3 I loved it.
    Thanks a lot =) I like my new stuff. Oh yes it's really hard to resist cute pyjamas but I have to :D The Stitch towel is my favourite <3 :D
    Thanks a lot =) It was a really nice time in Cologne with so much fun and new contacts there. Yes the return journey was horror, I was so stressed and everything hurted xD

    Nice post =) It looks so much fun. I would have a breakdown too about the crawlies but they have also a right to live - but please not to close to me :D We had a lots of rain here too, I think summer is over. You both look super cute =) I've never been to a cottage but it would be very nice. My last days of summers I will go to the city like yesterday and just relax a few hours =)

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    1. Ha! Exactly! The bugs can exist...but just stay away from me! That's all I ask! I hope you enjoyed the last days of summer <3

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  5. Hello my dear!
    I like to go on vacation, but usually we rent a room somewhere in the center or close to it. I live in the countryside, so I like to go to the city :) I love nature, I could admire it all the time!
    Greetings from Poland!

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  6. So awesome to read that you had a great time, Shannon...despite the creepy crawlies at night. Girl, I cannot sleep outside so kudos to you for being able to do that! And yay for shopping and going to used book stores...these kinds of vacay are seriously the best:) We're planning to go cottaging next summer so fingers crossed everyone's schedule works out!
    Have a great Thursday:)

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    1. I am not an outdoor person at all! But shopping and reading is nice!

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  7. Although I do love nature, I am definitely with you on the creepy crawlies and insect bites. For some reason, the insects always choose me as their favourite snack :-) Loving the sight of that movie theatre museum! xxx

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  8. Nature is my fav and spending a weekend at a cottage would be a great idea.
    https://www.melodyjacob.com/2023/09/my-favorite-white-flowy-long-sleeve-maxi-dress.html

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