Angie and I just returned from a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with a few friends at the cottage on Lake Huron. Time together there always allows a welcome reprieve and distance from the daily routines and stresses of life. We felt sad as we closed up the cottage this year, as it has been the first season there without Mom. But somehow, the constancy of those beautiful sunsets, and amazing night stars reassures us that there just may be a few things in our lives that will never change. I couldn't help thinking back this weekend to the many wonderful memories the cottage continues to hold, and how its presence has become a very important part of our family story.
Back in the 70's, Dad and I went looking for cottage land and we were very fortunate to find a rare lake-front property just north of Kincardine. Mom and Dad spent every weekend and the summers for the next few years building the cottage and putting the finishing touches on the inside. Both Mom and Dad had busy and demanding careers in Waterloo and the opportunity to get away and shift focus to cottage projects always lifted their spirits and gave them renewed energy. This is one of my favorite pictures of them as it reflects their happy playfulness when they worked together at the cottage.
They aptly called the cottage "Huron Haven" and it became a relaxed and peaceful gathering place for friends and family. The highlight of every evening was watching the amazing sunsets over the lake. The beauty and majesty of this natural wonder would draw us to the beach or to the cottage deck and we would end each day gazing at the ever changing reflections of the sun on cloud, sky, and water.
When I started creating with metal clay, I knew I wanted to work on a Lake Huron Series to capture some of the magic of my cottage memories. First, I started with a very simple representation of sky, sun, water, and sand by making a texture plate using sandpaper and wallpaper textures along with a hole punch to create the circle shape for the sun.
I also wanted to capture the beauty of the trees lining the shore, so I twisted some copper wire into a tree shape and made a mold of the tree with the textures from the domed pendant in the background.
I, then, decided to use some gemstones to represent the sun or the moon over the lake. I've used garnet, oregon sunstone, and citrine to represent the sun, and opal to represent the moon.
I have truly been touched by the response to my Lake Huron series as so many others have shared their special memories of summer days on the beaches and in the cottage towns along Lake Huron.
Dad passed away in 2002 and Mom continued their tradition of welcoming friends and family to their beautiful cottage home for seven more seasons. It is with a mixture of sadness and gratitude that we closed the cottage this fall, ending the first cottage season without Mom or Dad. It is the end of an era. There are so many of us that miss Mom and Dad's kind and generous presence, but I know we feel grateful for their hospitality and the many beautiful memories they helped to create. I know that they will continue to inspire us to take time to enjoy nature, each other, and to end each day looking at the sunset with a peaceful and happy heart! I love you, Mom and Dad!
