This week we have said Hello to 2007 and Good-Bye to 2006. This past Monday, the 1st, we said Good-Bye to Hukilau, our family cottage in Michigan. On Sunday, in two more days, Donica and I will fly to Germany and say Hello to Hannover.
But first, let's say Good-Bye again to Hukilau since we won't see her now until July.
On the one sunny day we had, I'm standing on the beachfront with my back to the lake, looking up at the cottage, with the deck on the left. My sister, Nancy, donated the money to build that deck a few years ago when a dear friend of the family, Esther, died from breast cancer. The cottage, BTW, is deceptive from this view. When you drive in from the back, it seems huge with its 2 stories. In the summertime, of course, those glass windows are replaced with screens, making the porch our favorite room of all.
During the winter the chairs on the deck are sparce because they're used only at night if/when a fire is lit. One night I sat out there with Dennis and Amy (their feet in the pic below) and my brother and SIL. Cozy conversations happen in that setting!
The boats and dock hibernate on the beachfront during the winter months because usually the lake freezes. Hmmm. Is it possible the lake will NOT freeze at all this winter? If so, my heart is saddened. That means global warming is really taking its toll.
Good-Bye, Hukilau. And now, Hannover, here we come. Hello, Uschi and Wolfgang (our landlords). Hello, Christina. Hello, horses (from the horse pastures). October seems a long time ago since we were last there. But surely we will simply pick up from where we last left off.
Since we're just barely one week in, Happy New Year, again!
Since we're just barely one week in, Happy New Year, again!
Hello, hello! :-) Can't wait to see you. We'll be in touch when you arrive.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos, as always. It must be hard to say goodbye to a place like that but you'll be there again soon.
Have a safe trip to this side of the world!
ReplyDeleteChristina: October seems like a long time ago, doesn't it! Now we have the holidays behind us. I look forward to seeing you again soon.
ReplyDeleteDennis: What a perfect time to say Aloha, yes! Thanks for the reminder and thanks for your best wishes for our travel.
Dixie: Thank you, dear Lady. Any chance of you meeting up with Christina and me?
I especially love the last photo here. Yes, how strange without the ice. You are fortunate to go to a new scene that you love and revisit your haunts in Hannover. Travel well!
ReplyDeleteGinnie,
ReplyDeleteWhat does SIL stand for?
I've seen it elsewhere and am not familiar.
The cottage looks beautiful!
ReplyDeleteFunny how your trip to Hannover was postponed to almost the same date we returned from Canada!
ReplyDeleteHave a safe flight and read you again in the same time zone ;-)
Ruth: The "no ice" part is really starting to concern me, especially now that I'm hearing many places are starting to sprout as though it were Spring. UGH.
ReplyDeleteI am very fortunate, I know, to have such a full life in places I love. Thanks for your travel wishes.
Susan d: Oh, I'm sorry! MIL, SIL, BIL, etc. refer to the in-laws! SIL is sister-in-law! I remember when I first saw it and didn't have a clue! Thanks for asking. I'll try to be better with that going forward.
Tim: It's beautiful to us in its own special way. Thanks! :)
It seems you have found your Summerparadise in the middle of plain Michigan nature and a charming Lake just on your doorstep.
ReplyDeleteI've been around in SW MI and I like the charming waving landscape.
But now: Welcome to Europe, the warmest winter ever to be remembered.
And Have a Great New Year
Lovely view of the lake, a beautiful place.
ReplyDeleteI was curious about the name of your family cottage...
Hukilau n. (hu•ki•la•oo) - “huki” in Hawaiian means “to pull” and “lau” means “leaf”. Literally, to “pull the leaf”. Sharing the catch, and also ...
hukilau
hu key lau)
Definition: to fish, especially with a net
Is this the origin of the name, or is there some other meaning?
Happy New Year to both of you again too :)
Tor: Thank you so much for your lovely comment. It really is our paradise! And thanks for welcoming me to Europe (I leave today and arrive tomorrow). We'll be just a hop, skip and a jump away.
ReplyDeleteDW: You are quite the research lady! Spot on with the second definition of fishing with a net and then having a party! We do NOT know how the cottage was named Hulilau before we acquired it. But interestingly, we have all loved the name, and now that Dennis is coming into the family, with all his Hawaiian "roots," it seems appropriate. We all even have T-shirts with Hukilau on them. :)
I can't wait to see more photos from Hanover. Those Eurpoean photos I first saw a few months ago really captivated me and returned me to your blog over and over again.
ReplyDeleteI hope the trip was safe and not too uncomfortable!!
Happy New Year to you and Donica, Ginnie. When I look at the picture of the cottage I think back of the cottage of our friends in Canada at Lake Craig. Simply beautiful to spend time in nature and enjoy its silence.
ReplyDeleteHope your trip has been good! I'm way behind here as you can see. But the pics are so beautiful! You might be experiencing global warming but wow the place still looks so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to hear of your adventures this week and see more pics.. =)
Susan d: Well, I'll have to see what I do about more Hannover pics! I'm quite sure I'll be finding old pics to fix up for my Shutterchance blog--ones I've put on here from a long time ago. But hmmmm. I'll definitely have to work on it! Thanks for welcoming me here!
ReplyDeleteO-X: I think we all need those hide-away/retreat places where we have memories to go back to. It means the world to our family, I know. Thanks for your New Year's greeting!
ET: It's gonna take me awhile to catch up myself but thanks for your lovely comment.
Better late than never, I suppose...but I still wanted to comment that I'm enjoying your photos of your family cottage and love that it's named Hukilau.
ReplyDeleteSafe travels and Happy New Year, too!
You're a sweetheart, Mad. Thanks ever so much. Happy New Year again to you. I've been missing you, both on Blogger AND on SC.
ReplyDelete