Christmas is not just a Day on the Calendar

I love Christmas time.  I take Christmas music in my car and start to play it the day after Thanksgiving.  That’s saying something as my music of choice is classic rock ‘n roll.  I shop for Christmas all year long.  When I hear one of my family members say they would like something, I save it in my memory and then when I come across that item, I buy it, even if it is April.  I love to bake Christmas cookies, cakes and pies and getting together with family is fun-mostly, there is always that one family member.  But you determine to tolerate him/her for the day because, well, they are family.

Flexibility has had to join the Christmas spirit as well.  Since my son works for a TV station, he  often has to work on Christmas Day.  I know people in the medical profession, police, firemen, and the armed forces to name a few often need to work on Christmas as well.  It becomes difficult as well when family lives out of state.  Because of this, our family had Christmas in Battle Creek at my sister’s which was a somewhat middle ground meeting place for my father and me at Elk Lake and my son and his wife in Louisville, Kentucky.  We really only had the chance to spend one day together.  It was fun as it was a white Christmas, cold outside, but warm inside.  It was fun to talk to my family in person instead of texting, calling or even facetiming. Everyone left the next day to return to their homes, and once everyone had texted that they were safely home, we all sighed a sigh of relief and crashed in our own beds.

My family’s Christmas is over for this year. It wasn’t about the presents, it was about spending time together, seeing each other, joking at the dinner table, and spending time with Mom at the home, even though she had no idea who we were.  Christmas, though very different from years past, was good because of the love we share for each other and because of the love God has shown us by sending His son for us.

I wish all of you a special, safe, peaceful, joyful and merry Christmas!

                                                 Nat King Cole sings Christmas Song

Unplugging the Family

Do the Millennials spend as much time outside as people in their 50’s and 60’s?  Timothy Egan (2016) discussed that the younger generation is predicted to not visit the National Parks like the Baby Boomer generation.  In an article in the October edition of National Geographic Magazine, Egan talked with Jonathan Jarvis, the director of the National Park Service, who stated, “Young people are more separated from the natural world than perhaps any generation before them (Egan, 2016, 38).”  One of the reasons he gives is that they are distracted by technology more than ever before.  This is not just a National Park issue.  For Elk Lake and Northern Michigan in general, the same problem exists.  Many Millennials are too busy staying up to date on social media to stop, put down the phone, and breathe in the experience that nature provides.

So how do we help our children appreciate nature and all it has to offer?  For beginners, have a time each evening, or at the very least, once a week where the electronic devices go up and you do something together as a family.  This may be working on the house together, playing games, talking, singing, dancing and various other activities.  Be creative! If you have time, go on a short vacation, up North to Elk Lake and the region is an excellent place to unplug.

Elk Lake is a great place for families.  Whether you want to rent a cottage hotel or you like to camp, this is the place to make unforgettable memories.  Even though getting internet connection is no problem, you’ll want to have a put the phones and tablets up rule because family fun on the lake is way better. 

During the summer, there is nothing better than swimming in the lake and playing in the waves.  If you have small children, Elk is a good place to teach the little ones to swim.  In most places, the lake gets deep gradually so you don’t have to worry about any sudden drops in depth.  This way the children can play with their toys on the beach or in shallow water, without the parents worrying.

For older children, there is kayaking, wakeboarding, paddle boarding, fishing and hiking.  Boating on the lake is a must and gives everyone in the family time to talk and just be together.  This is the time you can connect with your children.

In the fall, hiking in the myriad of parks around the lake is fun and absolutely gorgeous as the trees peak in color.  The cooler temperatures make hiking comfortable.  Be sure to layer clothing as you tend to get hotter the longer the hike.  A good place to go is the Sand Lake Quiet Area.  There is also backcountry camping there as well.  Another place to camp is right on the lake down Park Road.  Here there is a campground, hiking trails and a boat ramp.

During the winter, skiing and snowboarding are in order at the several resorts nearby.  You can visit Nub’s Nob, Boyne Mountain and Crystal Mountain just to name a few spots.  Once the lakes freeze over safely, there is ice fishing and of course one of my favorites, ice-skating.  My grandmother lived on a lake in the southern part of Michigan.  It froze over every winter.  This is where my sister and I learned how to ice-skate.  It was such fun to have the whole family out on the lake, bundled up and skating together-even grandma.

This year with all the snow so far, Elk Lake or Traverse City would be a fantastic spot to have a White Christmas.  In fact, the snow has been falling the past couple of days.  It is a wintry wonderland with the trees snow-covered, the hills bleached white with new-fallen snow and the lake slowing down as it gets ready to freeze.

I encourage all to have a family time when being unplugged is looked upon as fun and memorable.  After all, seeing nature online is not actually experiencing it.  In fact it pales in comparison.  Teach your children that nature needs to be experienced in person, and not just documented on electronic devices.  A healthy natural experience is a legacy that we can leave the younger generations.

Egan, T. with Egan, C. 2016. Unplugging the Selfie Generation. National

     Geographic, Oct. 2016., Vol. 230, N. 4, National Geographic Society.