Mrs. Cookie's Blog

I am writing to you from Lake Brome in Quebec.  Currently, I am sitting on what was doubtless a very expensive couch from Pottery Barn or some such store while look out at the rippling waters of the lake.  Music from my Ipod is playing throughout the house on the built in sound system.  In the corner of my eye, I notice the sauna and hot tub (in ground) that Mr. Cookie and I spent so much time in yesterday.

When Mr. Cookie’s cousin offered us her “cabin” outside of Montreal for however long we wanted it, neither of us was expecting anything quite this fancy.  It’s pretty clear that unless his cousin miraculously has way more time off from work than we know about that this “cabin” has seen the touch of a designer.  It’s beautiful.  The kitchen is about the size of mine but so much better laid out (it doesn’t hurt that the living, dining, and kitchen are on an open layout).  

We’ve both had trouble relaxing lately.  For me, work has been uncharacteristically stressful.  For him, work has been uncharacteristically lacking (I guess that’s what happens when you quit your job).  So, once we got here I made the decision to call in sick for today (oh the horrors!) and make it a long weekend.  We’ve become professional relaxers.  Saturday, we spent a day wandering around Montreal.  If we saw something interesting, we went in.  If we got hungry, we stopped and ate.  We climbed Mont Royal (half in a car, half on foot) and looked out at the city.  We strolled slowly while joggers, cyclists, and parents with active kids and dogs zipped by.  We basked in the hues of the foliage.  At the end of the day we had clocked 7 miles, according to Mr. C’s pedometer.  Not that we had a goal.

Yesterday, we didn’t hardly leave the house.  I had a short workout in the basement, we used the sauna and hot tub, we went for a short drive around the neighborhood and went into a local grocery store (guess what, guys:  Canadian grocery stores have just as much crap food as US grocery stores).  In the evening, we went out for dinner where we tried escargot and duck from Lake Brome.  Verdict:  both were delicious.  I had the pork tenderloin and both Mr. Cookie and myself were stunned when I was asked if I wanted it “rose” (that should have an accent over the e) or well done.  Not in the US!

An evening was spent by the fire that my husband built and we read with big mugs of hot chocolate.  Then, when we tired of reading, we watched a movie and had some wine.  I feel so calm and happy.  Sometimes, it’s so easy to get caught up in the hullabaloo of life and forget to enjoy the moment.  But we’re learning.  

Slowly and surely.

Driving up to Mount Dessert Island, home of Acadia National Park, I was hit by the memories of a time when, as a young and vulnerable child I had my first contact with difficult times.  We moved to Downeast Maine when I was just finishing up 5th grade.  My aunt lived up there and we were excited about the prospect of being close.  It was hard on all of us.  A depressed local economy combined with insular communities and our first contact with public schools made for a tough 2 years for the whole family.  We left that place at the end of 7th grade and life suddenly became good again.  I didn’t realize how much of that pain I had retained though, until driving with Mr. Cookie through towns I hadn’t seen in years.  Thankfully, confronting those painful memories and creating new, wonderful memories mean that I have reclaimed this area for what it should be:  an incredible place to visit.

When asked if we wanted to join our friends and their family on their annual “campetition,” we jumped at the chance.  We knew there would be camping, kayaking, hiking, bike riding, and great community.  We were not let down.    Read the rest of this entry »

You’ve heard about the highlight of our trip, but I thought it only fitting to tell you… the rest of the story.

Those of you who follow me on Facebook are aware that my love for queso knows no bounds.  The means of conveyance is less important.  Whether it be tortilla chips, flour tortillas, corn tortillas, fire hose, as long as it winds up in my mouth I’m happy.  Except for the particularly crappy from-a-can queso we experienced in the Stockyards in Fort Worth.  NOT WORTH IT!

Still, the trip was not only about queso.  In my estimation, we ate Tex-Mex for about 90% of our meals (Mr. Cookie may or may not have approved of that).  But, eating probably only took up oh, say, about 50% of our time (I kid, I kid) so let’s take a look at what else we did while in the great state!

Read the rest of this entry »