At the cabin (Bump and Nana’s cabin in Northern MI)
June 2013
At the cabin, we eat too much. Way too much. Some of our
meals, dinner and breakfasts, probably include 2-3,000 calories in the adult
version. You kids are given chocolate
milk in the morning, and snacks throughout the day, mostly sugar. As I write
this, I see the following things on the table under the stair while nana keeps
groceries: Cinnamon toast Crunch Cereal, Honey Nut Cheerios, Pop-Tarts,
Cheeze-Its (Nana Crackers,) Fruit Snacks, Oreos, Tostitos, Potato Chips,
Chocolate Chip Cookies. Oh, and because I asked, there are also whole grain
saltines and 2 bags of apples. Mom is lame, I know, but not lame enough at the
cabin, because vacation is half over and these things are untouched.
But also, at the cabin this year, there is a Nutribullet,
and we make fruit and veggie drinks with it.
Nana, Amy and I drink them daily, and Bump makes them really well, but
he doesn’t drink them- not this week.
Marcus, Eldon and Peter share mine with me sometimes, when they are not
already eating gummy worms.
At the cabin, there is dust and pollen everywhere when it
is dry (and it is dry this year.) Our
hair is gritty, and we smell like dust and bug spray. All children (even the
girls) have filthy hands and feet, and dirt splotches on their faces that
sometimes look like beards. To clean off, we swim in Nana’s pool or at the
lakes. Last night I tackled you each with wet wipes before bed. The night before that I ended up in the tiny
pool with Lorraine, Aggie, Remi and Theo. I think my girls are getting too
strong for me!
At the cabin, when I was little I had my two wheel bike
with the banana seat. That bike is still
here for you, but my parents have become grandparents, and there are more fun
things. There is a small red car that zips around, two electric scooters, and a
golf cart that they even let Lorraine drive!
And there’s a big lawn where the trees of my childhood lived, where I
built the lean-to. And there’s a nice path all the way back to dad’s deer
blind. They let you take your toys all the way back there.
At the cabin, we sleep in the pop-up camper and we worry
about bugs and bears. Aunt Amy and Uncle Theo saw a bear yesterday, but we
didn’t tell you. Nana and Bump take
frequent “garbage runs” on the golf cart- they take all food scraps far out in the
woods away from the cabin, so that they bear will not be attracted here. Yet,
we grilled twice, and I would think he’d like those smells.
At the cabin, we stay up late listening to Bump play his
guitar around the campfire. This year daddy brought his mandolin, too. It was perfect- a piece of the south (because
we feel like Southerners living in Southern Indiana now!) added to our up-north
ritual.
At the cabin we swim in different lakes: Cadillac (where
the playground with the ‘boat’ is), Crystal lake (a tiny lake with lots of odd
locals and goose poop all over the t-dock.) and Lake Michigan (my favorfite
place on earth.) This trip we went to
Manistee to swim in Lake MI, and also near sleeping bear dunes. My parents never drove around this much when
we came up here when I was little, so I love exploring with you.
At the cabin, there are turkey feathers on the wall, and
lots of deer antlers. And here, we get out the bow and arrows, and the BB guns
and even mom practices with the hand gun (with dad and uncle Theo)
At the cabin, Bump watches TV- a huge TV, and it is very,
very loud. He watches Foxnews mostly, and golf, but he also share with you.
At the cabin, the pole barn is new, but the fridge is
old. An entire shelf and all its
contents might fall on you when you open it.
At the cabin, the water pressure is wonderful, but the
showers are short and we must clean up quickly before it gets cold. And Aggie likes to sing and sing and sing in
the shower.
At the cabin, you sleep in the loft sometimes, and we keep
our clothes there. Looking over the edge is fun, and sometime you watch TV from
up there (just like I used to.) Nana and Bump are jumpy about the stairs and
the edge, especially with you youngest ones!
At the cabin, we wear sunglasses when we say goodbye.
(Mom and Dad and Amy- what else would you add?)
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