Around Elk Lake: Find the fun in April

Around Elk Lake: Find the fun in April: Just because it is rainy and the fog is rolling in and out over the lake doesn't mean you have to follow in my dog, Sassy's, foot...

Find the fun in April

Just because it is rainy and the fog is rolling in and out over the lake doesn't mean you have to follow in my dog, Sassy's, footsteps.  Yeah sure, once in a while you can take a day and flop on the couch, but there is so much to do up here around the lake, even in April.  There are two publications that I think are really beneficial to find out what is happening around Elk Lake and the surrounding towns.  They are, "Traverse, Northern Michigan's Magazine" and the "Elk Rapids News".
The "Traverse" Magazine is published once a month and always includes events that are going on in that month along with dining and interesting articles about local people and businesses.  In the April 2017 edition, one of the articles talks about camping in April and the advantages of camping this time of year. 
As a side note, when my son was in high school, he and about ten of his friends talked me into taking them camping for a weekend in March.  I have vowed never to do that again!  However, I believe I would like to try camping in April with a bunch of friends (no more camping with high schoolers!).  In fact just the other day, I passed the campground in Traverse City and there were a handful of campers there.  Maybe they read the article too.
"Traverse" Magazine also often lists classes that you can take just for fun, like gardening, painting and cooking.  Some of the classes mentioned are given by private citizens and local businesses while others are through the local community college.  Taking a class is a great way to meet new people and have fun while you learn.
The Elk Rapids News is a small newspaper that often highlights local people and focuses on what is going on at the schools in Elk Rapids.  It also includes calendars of events, much of which happens in the libraries of Elk Rapids, Bellaire and Alden.  In fact, the libraries in these villages are quite active with not just the usual storytime for children, but also they host activities such as knitting and playing mahjong.
And when you get a weekend like we had his past one where the sun is out and the southerly wind blows across the lake, there's nothing like cleaning out the garden and spying the crocuses and other flowers that are pushing through the soil and heralding the end of winter snow and the beginning of warmer, sunnier days.

 

 

Elk Rapids News. Weitschat, K. (Ed.). Elk Rapids, MI.

 

Traverse: Northern Michigan's Magazine. Fellows, D. (Ed.). A MyNorth Media Publication,

     Traverse City, MI: Prism Publications, Inc.

 



 



Around Elk Lake: The In-Between

Around Elk Lake: The In-Between:               I tolerate the time between winter and full-blown spring.   It’s the “In-Between Time.’   There are days where Old Man ...

The In-Between

 

            I tolerate the time between winter and full-blown spring.  It’s the “In-Between Time.’  There are days where Old Man Winter just won’t let go and the wind blows arctic and the snow flies.  Then there are the days where spring sneaks in and the sun shines and the breeze blows gently.  It’s as if you can watch the trees bud right before your eyes.  But all this back and forth breeds anxiety and yet anticipation.  Sometimes life puts us in the In-Between.  It’s a time where one door has closed and you are waiting for the next window to open.  Maybe you have lost your job; maybe life has taken you to an unexpected place; or maybe you have to put your life on hold in order to take care of a family member.  So what do you do while you are in the In-Between?

            Just as the in-between time of winter and spring often leads to all kinds of mud, you need to avoid the mud of depression, anxiety, a feeling of uselessness, boredom and unproductiveness.  But mud isn’t always bad. A mud pack on your face and body can actually cleanse the skin and draw out the impurities in your system.  Mud can also be fun to play in.  There is something cathartic in making mud pies.  And how about playing a game of soccer in the pouring rain in a completely muddy field?!  That’s abandonment.

            So how do you avoid wallowing in the mud?  For me, I ask God everyday what He wants me to accomplish in that day.  Then I make a plan.  The plan has to be flexible as taking care of my mother does not always go as planned.  The clue is to not go crazy when things don’t go as you want, but rather know that you are in God’s hands and He is in charge.  Try to do something every day that will get you to your goals of where you want to be. It may not be much, but all the little steps will add up.

            Don’t be so anxious so that you can’t enjoy the In-Between.  Look for ways to better yourself.  This can be through reading, going back to school, starting a work-out routine (or just actually doing the one you’ve meant to for years).  If it’s one of those days where spring sets out the sun and the warmth feels like you’re wrapped up comfortably in your favorite quilt, take a long walk, pack a sandwich and eat it while sitting by a lake or river.  Reflect on what you have accomplished and dream of where you want to be.  Do not be afraid to dream, even when our dreams aren’t realized right this minute, half the fun is in the journey of accomplishing our dreams.  Don’t have tunnel vision.  Be open to going in a completely new direction that you did not expect or even conceive of going.  These unexpected trips are often the most rewarding.

            Plan an event of abandonment ever so often.  This could be going to a movie, going to a play, walking along the beach and then swimming with all your clothes on. Try something you have never done before.  This may mean working at a job you never thought about.  Or maybe you get a job that is temporary to support yourself in the In-Between.  Be humble and learn from a 16 year old.

            When you are out of the In-Between, and life has again found an even keel, you will be able to look back with no regrets on what you did in the In-Between.  Hopefully this period of your life was a time of growth, reflection, and maybe, just maybe the exhilaration of a roller coaster.

           

Sunrise over Frozen Lake

For now Elk Lake is still frozen.  If this warm weather continues, it won't be for long.  Yesterday I was out with the dogs when Nature opened up the day with this beautiful sunrise.  I really don't have much to say for this blog except that sometimes it pays to get up early and watch the sun rise. 

Frozen not Dead

        When the lake freezes over as it is now, my mom always said it looked dead.  She didn’t like it.  But it’s not dead.  I was reminded of that yesterday as I saw two guys ice fishing on Elk Lake.  True, the fish slow down to conserve energy.  They digest their food slower and they go into a hibernation-like state.  But they’re not dead, just adapting to the colder environment.

        This makes me think of those who are suffering from Alzheimer’s – my mom included.  As we have dealt with this disease for over ten years now, it has shown that my mom’s brain may be “frozen” but definitely not dead.  The diagnosis was the scariest for mom as she is a retired nurse and knowing how she would slowly loose her mental functions was devastating.   However, we still had many good years together, years she no longer remembers, but I do. Just as the fish slow down in activity, mom’s capacity to function daily also slowed down. 

        However, people who suffer from Alzheimer’s are often portrayed as mentally stunted, or as almost in a zombie-like state – that their brains just don’t function anymore.  As we have experienced nothing could be further from the truth.  Mom’s brain has gone through severe changes physically which has led to mental changes as well.  She is no longer living in the present, but quite often is in the past.  Frozen in time.  However, this does not mean that she is mentally dead.  In fact I have learned quite a bit about her childhood and how she felt as a child by talking with her when she is in the “past” times.  Even though it is difficult for her to express herself verbally these days, we can still communicate and I am able to get a picture of my mom in earlier periods of her life. 

        Just as the ice on the water ebbs at the shore and water appears until the next cold spell snaps, there are times of clarity when mom knows who we are and we have a conversation as of old.  These times are becoming fewer, so each moment of clarity is like a diamond on the water when the sun shines on the lake.

        Through this horrible experience though, mom’s personality has shown through.  It’s as if even though the lake is frozen, anyone coming up to the lake knows that it is a lake, just in a different state of fluidity.  The same is true of Alzheimer sufferers.  It may be in the way they tilt their head, their laugh, their smile, or as in my mom’s case, how she still likes to have her hair colored and her nails done. 

        Mom may be frozen right now, but she will be active and free again when she is a citizen of Heaven. 

Around Elk Lake: A Ton of Little Parks

Around Elk Lake: A Ton of Little Parks: What is so nice about this area of Michigan is all the little parks.   It seems that all you have to do is turn around twice and you are...