Tucked Away up North

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

My dad turned 98 in May. Now that is something to celebrate. Ever since my mom passed, my sister and I take him on a short trip for part of his birthday gift. Our husbands are always willing to join in too. While he is doing well for 98 years, we see the inevitable signs of aging and we want to help him to enjoy life as much as possible with the time he has left. No matter what age we are, it is important to have things to look forward to. He has always loved being out in the woods, so we try to go to places surrounded with natural beauty. This year we packed up our suitcases and coolers and headed north to Elkin’s Resort on Priest Lake.

Tucked away up north in the panhandle of North Idaho, not far from the Canadian border, is a charming resort. Elkin’s Resort has rustic cabins that overlook the cool, pristine lake. It is a beautiful, quiet retreat from the hustle and bustle of daily life. And it is a great spot to celebrate 98 years of living.

All of the cabins have a view of either the creek or lake. The cabin we stayed in is on the right side.

The evenings get pretty chilly up north. It calls for building a fire in the fireplace and pouring a glass of wine. My dad surprised us by bringing along a narrative my mom wrote several years ago. It was a short memoir of how they met and their first 50 years of married life. It was full of humor and stories about raising their family of six children. It brought tears to our eyes as we listened to my dad read the story of their lives. It brought up so many good memories.

My dad reading the memoir by the fire in our cozy cabin.

The next morning, we woke up to the sun rising over the lake. The resort has numerous red Adirondack chairs scattered over the property and along the beach. Settling into one of them is a perfect spot to have that first cup of morning coffee.

The perfect spot for a morning cup of coffee.

A little side trip for the day

Later that day my dad suggested we go see Granite Falls. It is about 30 miles north of the resort in the Panhandle National Forest. He thought the water would be flowing hard this time of year. Turns out he was right. It was spectacular… and loud.

Granite Falls.
The power of nature continues to amaze me.

If you hike up past the falls, you find yourself in an historic cedar grove called Roosevelt Grove of Ancient Cedars. When the grove was first discovered in 1919, the average tree was 800 years old, and some were 2000 years old. It is hard to believe that these ancient, large cedar trees come from tiny little pinecones.

Cedar tree pinecone (left) and my BIL standing next to one of the ancient cedar trees (right).
We were up high enough that there were still stubborn patches of snow on the ground.

Because it is cool and moist by the falls, there are lots of ferns growing near it. My dad pointed out the fiddleheads that were forming at the top of the ferns. The fiddlehead is the young part of the fern that is coiled at the very top, just before it fans out. Apparently, several types of ferns have these and some are edible. We did not take our chances on that.

The fiddlehead at the top of a fern.

Speaking of food

Each of the cabins has a small kitchen equipped with dishes, pans, etc. There are also BBQs available on the premises for visitors to use. You need to pack most of your food up there because the grocery store is a bit of a drive. There is a small store at the resort with a few essentials, such as toothpaste and the fixings for s’mores (an essential up here). Or you can opt to eat in their lovely dining room. During the summer you can also choose to eat at the tables in the yard overlooking the lake. Hill’s Resort is just about ten miles south of Elkin’s and it has lovely fine dining and more casual patio dining as well. With such great dining options nearby we decided to eat dinner out both nights.

I had the jumbo scallops. They were served over couscous with bell pepper, cauliflower puree and asparagus. Sooo good. Mr. U and my dad opted for the ribs.

If you are ever up in North Idaho…

If you ever find yourself up in North Idaho, and in need of a retreat, I recommend that you make the trip to either Hill’s Resort of Elkin’s Resort. I wrote about previous trips to Hill’s resort in the posts, Heading to the Hills and Take the Risk. Both resorts offer an enchanting, peaceful get-a-way with cozy, rustic cabins and serene lake views. Walk the paths near the lake, hike up in the woods, go see Granite Falls, rent a kayak and have a morning paddle, or just sit by the lake and read. Be sure to book your reservation early if you want to go during their peak season. Then plan to kick off your shoes and relax for a few days. It is good for the soul.

The serene natural beauty is a balm for the soul.

Signs of Summer

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

And all at once the rain stopped, the mud puddles dried up, and the blossoms opened. People crawled out of their stuffy homes with squinting eyes and exclaimed, “it is finally summer!”

We’ve had a busy few weeks with family in town, birthday celebrations and preparing to put our home on the market. We almost missed that summer arrived in the process. Yahoo! Let the blooming and sunshine begin.

I hope that you can take some time to enjoy the pleasures of summer: the first of the garden gifts, baby birds chirping to be fed, firing up the BBQ and having a meal al fresco, or a relaxing sunset at the end of a full day. It is the little things.

“Some of the best memories are made in flip-flops.”

Kellie Elmore

Cheers to the retirement years and the arrival of summer!

Vintage People

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

The Oxford Dictionary describes vintage as “denoting something of high quality, especially something from the past…” It is often associated with a good quality wine that just gets better with age. Vintage items are often valued for their unique style and individuality. The good news is that, like a vintage item, people often get better with age too. Both vintage items and vintage people get a faded patina over time that draws you to them. 

What happens with time that causes this change? The bumps and bruises of life slowly smooth down our sharp, rough edges.  We no longer feel the need to judge others, or ourselves. Because, well… why? We often allow ourselves to become the person we were always meant to be.  The person that could not fully emerge in our younger years because we were too busy, too driven, too worried about other people’s opinions.  We were trying so hard to be successful, to be the perfect mom, brother, friend, employee, or daughter, that we lost ourselves in the process. 

In our younger years, we weren’t ripe yet. Like The Velveteen Rabbit, it takes time to become real. It takes years of living to wear down our rough edges and create us into the person who holds life with a gentle hand, acutely aware of how fragile it is. We recognize that our time here on earth is fleeting, and we need to squeeze every bit of joy out of it. Take the trip, savor the meal, listen intently to others, pay the sincere compliment, stop and watch the sunset, take the risk, live well. Now is the perfect time to fully bloom into ourselves because, like a good wine, vintage people just get better at living as they age.

“Aging is not for the weak.  One day you wake up and realize that your youth is gone, but along with it, so go insecurity, haste, and the need to please… You learn to walk more slowly, but with greater certainty.  You say goodbye without fear, and you cherish those who stay.  Aging means letting go, it means accepting, it means discovering that beauty was never in our skin… but in the story we carry inside us.”

              Meryl Streep

Things that get better with age

Aside from vintage people, many other things just get better with age. Some that come to mind are:

  • An old tome that you have outlined and marked up over the years.  One that you go back to over and over again for strength and inspiration.  “Gift from the Sea” by Anne Morrow Lindbergh is one of these for me.
  • A huge weeping willow tree that branches out providing shade and mystery. Bonus if children have built a fort in it.
  • A well used, cookbook.  One where you can find the best recipes easily because the worn pages are stained and dog eared. 
  • A well-seasoned cast iron skillet that has cooked up hearty family meals over the years.
  • A pair of favorite slippers that are worn in all of the right places. Slipping into them slows your racing heart.
  • A vintage car that has been well maintained and cared for. The value just goes up with time.
  • A long standing friendship that has a history of shared stories and memories.  One where you can totally be yourself and know you will be loved and accepted. 
  • A quality bottle of wine or whiskey that has been sitting on the shelf waiting for the perfect celebration.  Smooth and easy.
  • The red rock formations in Utah and Arizona.  The ones that have been shaped by thousands of years of wind and water. 

Being vintage comes with some scratches and wear

I was at a restaurant recently and an older man and his wife were eating in a booth near us.  When they were ready to leave, his wife was trying to help him lift himself off of the soft, low booth seat, up to his walker.  After a few unsuccessful tries, Mr. U jumped up and helped them.  Experiencing our aging bodies is tough stuff. It is not for sissies.

The point of the above story is that, if we are blessed with the gift of many years on this earth, our bodies will eventually start to fail us.  The first signs of this are a few wrinkles and the occasional gray hair that we quickly pluck away.  But then another one comes up and we realize that if we keep plucking, we won’t have any hair at all. We forget where we set our glasses, or we can’t get that jar open with a quick twist anymore. Our bodies don’t react as quickly, and we are not as balanced as we once were.  We can wake up with aches and pains that we have no fathomable reason for.  How does one hurt their shoulder while sleeping?

This is normal aging, and it is not something any of us look forward to.  We can eat healthy, exercise regularly and yet, eventually our bodies will rust out. But one thing we can control through the aging process is our attitude. Age can turn some people into themselves where their pain and sadness live. These older people have allowed the bumps and bruises of life to make them angry and unhappy with themselves and life in general. We have all met them. I don’t want to be that person. There is enough sadness and negativity in the world without me adding to it. That is why I try to keep this blog positive. So, I am here to tell you that there is also some very good news that comes with aging.

“The gift of aging is walking more slowly knowing you are enough, letting go of what matters least and holding space in the midst of chaos.”

              IG:  Agingdisgracefully

The best things about being vintage

One of the things I particularly like about this phase of life is that I am much more willing to roll with the punches. I have time and space to stop and appreciate the glimmer of sunshine on the water, the wonder of the cloud formations, that first cup of coffee in the morning, or sit and watch the entire sunrise without feeling like I need to jump in the shower and get to work. I am more accepting of others. I realize that perfection is an illusion that I don’t want to chase anymore. I am much clearer on what makes me feel alive and have the time to invest in those things. There is a less of a need to control things, or worse yet, to try and control people. I realize that life is short, and I don’t want to waste it being critical, holding a grudge or wallowing in self-pity.

These are the best days of our lives.

I am in my 60’s and loving this phase of life. Retirement is fun! We have more time and financial resources than we ever did. We are able to enjoy our family and relationships with less borders around them. We loved raising our kids, but parenting takes a lot of your time and energy. Now we reap the benefits of that by enjoying time with our wonderful adult children. Bonus that we still get to experience the childhood phase through our grands, without the responsibility of raising them. (My greatest admiration goes out to grandparents that are raising their grandchildren.) If it wasn’t for the occasional health issues that keep popping up, it would be the perfect time of life. So, take time to slow down and appreciate these bonus vintage years.

Cheers to the retirement years and vintage people!

“Aging is an extraordinary process whereby you become the person you always should have been.”

David Bowie

Free Range Children

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

Free range animals are said to produce much better, healthier meat, poultry and dairy products. These animals are not constantly kept in cages or overcrowded conditions. They are allowed to run outdoors to exercise and play in the sunlight to build their muscles and lung capacity in an open environment. If free range is healthier for animals, it stands to reason that it is better for humans too. I grew up a free range child.

Water, dirt and nature. Those are the secret ingredients that create a happy, healthy childhood. They are the stuff that free range children thrive in. Adults too. My siblings and I grew up in the country where a creek fed into a small lake in front of our house. There was a lovely, inviting woods across the road that we played in for hours. Of course, you had to traverse the scary cattle chute (Portal to the Imagination) to get to it. We were feral children, running with the sun on our shoulders, the wind in our hair and a smile on our faces. It was childhood at its best.

Free range play creates peace and calm in your soul.

What free range kids do with their time

We grew up in a home that my dad and grandpa built. It was a 1400 square foot, three-bedroom, one-bath log house and it sheltered six children from the bumps and bruises of life. By other people’s standards it was very small, but they did not know the joy behind those walls. While we did not have much interior space, my parents more than made up for it with love, security and their presence. And we had the space and freedom to roam the countryside free range style. We were blessed.

A few weeks ago, my wonderful sister gave me a small bag of pine nuts that she had gathered from the pinecones in her yard. She knew that it would ignite a delightful memory for me of when we were growing up. She and I would gather pine nuts out of cones that had dropped from the pine trees in our yard and then we would feast on them wholeheartedly. Little did we know that we were ahead of our time and that pine nuts would eventually be an expensive gourmet food. We also pulled the pitch off of sappy trees and chewed it like gum. That never became popular… understandably. It is a wonder we lived through our free-range eating experiences.

A wild Easter Lily just like what my sister and I picked as kids (left). A few pine nuts (right).

Growing up free range meant that my siblings and I could play outside for hours letting our imaginations lead us. We explored every inch of our property finding the best places to make forts or walking along the water’s edge pulling over rocks to catch crawdads. We had bullfrog races and made mud pies. Sometimes we would throw our fishing lines off of the dock and catch perch and sunfish that we would generously bring as offerings for my mom to fry up. She held firm though when we wanted her to cook the caviar eggs from the perch. We had to fry those ourselves. Another modern-day delicacy of sorts that I must admit I never liked.

My sister and I cannot see a wild Easter Lily without remembering the bouquets we would gather and bring to my mom on Mother’s Day and her birthday. What mother’s heart doesn’t melt when her child offers up a grubby little hand filled with flowers and says, “I picked these for you.”

Opening the gates for children now

It is more of a challenge to let kids run free range these days in our unpredictable world. Parents have to make a conscious effort to allow their kids opportunities to explore outside without an adult managing their time. It takes effort to pull them away from the T.V., Nintendo, and structured activities but it can be done. It was easier growing up in a tech-free world. The U.S. Forest Service has even declared a “National Get Outside Day” to encourage families to spend time together reconnecting with nature (Coast To Coast National GO Day Events Occurred In Support Of Let’s Move Outside | Home). While I applaud their efforts, there is also a part of me that is sad we needed to declare a day just to get kids out in nature. What ever happened to free range children?

Fortunately, they still exist. We just have to make the effort to get out there. Running around outside to explore is necessary for adults and children alike. Even in retirement, I need to spend time outdoors to free my soul. I see my grandkids frequently getting these very opportunities and it makes me smile. We had my 21-month-old granddaughter over the other day. When I asked her what she would like to do, the first thing she said was “outside.” I am grateful for another generation of free range kids. It will help build imaginative, healthy and holistic adults that will lead our world long after we are gone.

An addition to the free range flock

Speaking of the next generation, we have exciting news on the home front. Son #3 and his lovely wife had their second child last week! This precious little bundle is such a blessed addition to our free range flock.

The newest addition to our family.
Sons #3 and #4 are twins (fraternal – just because everyone always asks) sharing this precious moment together (left). Moi with my new grandson (right).

When Life Gives You Lemons – Make Posset

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

We were in Arizona several weeks ago and the citrus fruit was in season – colorful, fresh grapefruit, oranges and lemons. I add lemon slices to my water and squeeze the juice to use for salad dressings and on fish. But what do you do with an abundance of lemons? I thought about lemonade, but that is an awful lot of sugar to drink. Then I remembered a recipe I came across a while ago for lemon posset.

Posset is a British dessert, made with heavy cream. No extra calories in that… ahem. It is silky smooth with a delicate flavor, somewhere between a custard and a mousse. It makes a cool, tasty, light dessert that is perfect for summer. Bonus that it can be made ahead and kept in the frig overnight. Double bonus that it is super easy to make – only three ingredients! Now that is my kind of recipe.

I had never made posset before, but I did have some at a friend’s home a few years ago, and it was so, so good. I had saved a recipe for lemon posset from an IG account I follow called My Little Houseboat. (If you do not follow her, I highly recommend it. It is a joyful little space on the internet.) I saved it mostly because of the presentation she did by serving it in hollowed out lemon halves. I am a sucker for food decor. After all, presentation is half the taste.

There is nothing quite like lemons fresh off of the tree.

Lemon Posset Recipe

This recipe is from the IG account, My Little Houseboat. I modified it slightly by using all lemons instead of a mix of lemons and limes, as she did. The lime in it would also be really good, but I did not have any on hand and I had an abundance of lemons to use up.

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/4 cups whipping cream
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 5 Tbs. fresh squeezed lemon juice (or half lime)

Topping:

  • 1 tsp. grated lemon peel (or lime)
  • 1 tsp. sugar

My Little Houseboat

I juiced the lemons and then hollowed them out with a serrated grapefruit spoon. Easy peasy.

Bring the cream and sugar to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Put in a big enough pan that it does not boil over.

Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Cool 10 minutes. Stir mixture again and divide into 6 ramekins, hollowed out lemon halves or any fun serving piece. Cover and chill until set. This should be at least 4 hours or overnight.

Mix the lemon peel and teaspoon of sugar together and sprinkle over the top of the set posset.

Presentation is everything

I made the lemon posset a couple weeks ago and it was so easy to do. Half of the fun was deciding how to serve it. I put some in the hollowed-out lemon halves and the rest in delicate, antique stemmed glasses. My friend came over for lunch and I served the lemon posset for dessert with honey/vanilla tea. In keeping with my commitment to use my wedding china more (see previous post, Downsizing Dilemma: The Wedding China) I served them using my vintage china dishes. It was sooo good. I will definitely make it again. Matter of fact, I want to try some other flavors of posset now. It could be a high fat summer ahead!

The lemon posset was so delicious and pretty!