Many moons ago, I rented a cottage on lake Minocqua. I set off with three little children.
Our wee cabin came with a row boat. A note of instructions was taped to the door.
Must wear life jackets.
So off we went. A momma and her three little babes. In the row boat.
With the orange life jackets firmly in place.
Along came my big sister Nancy and her son. We were rowing along just
20 feet from shore and apparently we were a sight to behold.
It seems one does not really need to be wearing the life jackets.
They can sit on the bottom of the boat and don't actually need to be worn.
Nancy and Charlie laughed and laughed at the silly sight.
I can only imagine what we looked like to them.
(mainly me)
The following summer Sue and Cindy found a cute little orange life jacket ornament and gifted it to me.
I attached it to my purse and kept it there until it wore out.
Because if you can't laugh at yourself....
Rule Follower,
Donna Elsie
That's funny! Except I wouldn't have been brave enough to take three kids alone to the cabin, much less in a BOAT. We would have had them on, too! We're heading to one of those classic old resorts up near Phillips at the end of the month [oh man I cannot wait!!!!] and I expect to find some vintage kitsch, too. I'll be the one singing 'Join hands and hearts and voices, voices hearts and hands! At Kellerman's the friendships last long as the mountain stands'. :)
ReplyDeleteApparently Baby won't be in the corner of the resort you're visiting ;) Sounds like fun!
Delete:-) good one Julie!
Deleteregarding life-jackets:
I would have had 'em on too. we ALL would have had 'em on!
Steph, hope you have The Time Of Your Life :-)
DeleteA vintage resort family trip sounds awesome! Away from the hustle and bustle of everything. Enjoy!!
DeleteMary Z
"Need help."
ReplyDeleteI should have that picture hanging on my wall! Perfect.
I have a few family members who have a hard time laughing at themselves...I would go crazy if I couldn't laugh at my shenanigans.
Love,
Di
I love ornaments that reflect on the story of our lives. And stories that reflect the ornaments of our personality. Happy day, Miz Booshay!
ReplyDeleteMine would have had them on too, Heck, a kid can drown in a mop bucket. I fully expect Holly Lobby to be filled with Christmas Ornaments very soon. I love them too.
ReplyDeleteGoing to get my eyebrows "threaded" today. I am so behind times, I had never heard of this method. My new Granddaughter-in-law told me of her salon. Sounds better than waxing, as I have been burned by hot wax.
Boo-----I am a rule follower too. Always have been. Never a rebel. I have always blamed it on my early religious upbringing. Oh yeah--truth be told---I am going to let them do my chin and upper lip too !!
Threaded?!?! Never heard of it. Am brow challenged.
DeleteDid it hurt?
DeleteI wear a life jacket in water I can stand in...and then think of all the crazy things that can happen, as in "what if the boat tips over and I bump my head on rocks below and die"..does anyone else think this way? UH...probably not. lol.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI'm with you gina. I always use one because I am a lousy swimmer. I blame it on growing up in Alaska.
DeleteI don't even trust myself taking 2 kids to the pool. with lifeguards. we would have all been wearing the life vests too. and I would have been a crazy freaking out yelling mama with 3 kids in a boat. Did you know I have a fear of drowning? Even of other people drowning. tiny blow up pool in the backyard for us this year (plus who wants to get their post baby self in a swimsuit this soon?).
ReplyDeleteI don't even trust myself taking 2 kids to the pool. with lifeguards. we would have all been wearing the life vests too. and I would have been a crazy freaking out yelling mama with 3 kids in a boat. Did you know I have a fear of drowning? Even of other people drowning. tiny blow up pool in the backyard for us this year (plus who wants to get their post baby self in a swimsuit this soon?).
ReplyDeleteBetter safe that sorry; I'd have had the vests on too! So glad you can laugh at yourself. If I didn't laugh at myself, there would be precious little laughter some days.
ReplyDeleteDon't you love gifts from people who "get" you? The little things really do mean a lot; I'm sure you remembered your fun time at the lake as well as the laughter you shared with your family each time you saw the ornament.
I fear drowning... In the car. This is why I don't want to wear a seatbelt. I need the tool to break the window.
ReplyDeleteI worry about this, too. With four little kids, how on earth do you save them ALL from drowning if your car goes under?? I'm sure it's extremely unlikely to ever happen, but still. There was a case recently in Minnesota where the family SUV broke through thin ice and sunk, and the father dove three times trying to get the toddler unlatched from her car seat and he couldn't work the buckles and she ended up drowning. I have three in car seats and the thought of trying to get them all out in a hurry is frightening.
DeleteI tell ya. The crazy things moms find to worry about! :)
In MN you would have been completely within the law wearing those life jackets. Any child 10 or under must wear lifejackets while a boat "is underway". And it's safer to wear them anyways. :)
ReplyDelete~Lola
Ha haha DOnna! Im a rule follower too. Imagine this.....I'm out ice fishing on a FROZEN lake In January in Chicago...and I'm wearing my life vest....
ReplyDeleteand everyone ice fishing with us is laughing the entire day at me!
And that's why I love ya kathyb :)
ReplyDeleteThat is such a cute story!! Also, it sounds like you need a replacement ornament for your purse!
ReplyDeleteI have anxiety every time I drive across a bridge. Especially the very long ones.... Maybe I need to bring an orange life vest along for the next road trip! :)
Mary Z
ME TOO. Got stuck driving to Charleston SC last summer. Oh my. That's a LONG bridge.
DeleteI have a fear of drowning, too. I have had nightmares where my family and I almost drown in our car. Oh gosh! I can feel the fear setting in....
ReplyDeleteNext subject.
I would have wore the life jackets, too, Donna. : )
Cute story. Thanks for sharing. I love the fact your sisters got you an ornament. That is great!
In my family...you must be able to take a joke. We all love to laugh!
Sarah P. from a rainforest in Iowa
Boy, do I fit in well with today's discussion. I have a fear of drowning in a car (my worst nightmare), always wear a life vest in a boat, and have anxiety going over really long bridges like Mary Z. (my husband just shakes his head). I blame it on my parents who never took me swimming when I was a kid, mainly because my dad had developed a fear of water when he was kid. And so it goes. I do absolutely love to go to the ocean, but have no desire to get out and jump in the waves. Undertow, dontcha know. : )
ReplyDeleteDebbie Z.
My Husband can't swim and feels like he really has missed out, makes me that more determined to have my kids become strong swimmers!
DeleteMy kids wear their life jackets in boats for sure... and I am a stickler for swim lessons, my 8 year old can dog paddle but really struggles with a fear of the water, swim lessons are excruciating for him but i persist, I have a feeling my 5 year old is gonna catch up to him soon in lessons and he isn't gonna be a happy camper, but its not an option my kids will do red cross swim lessons until they finish them all (my 11 year old niece finished last summer)!
ReplyDeleteMy 8 year old bypassed my 10 year old last summer. He's reluctant, and she's a fish. But I'm that mom who insists on lessons for all the kids because my mom did, and she was right. I just want them to be comfortable enough to be safe if they fall in!!
DeleteAnother rule follower here and I think you were doing the right thing having the vests on everyone. We wear our vests in our canoe and had a near disaster once going over some tiny little rapids. We slipped over and I was so glad I was wearing the vest since I am not a strong swimmer. We laughed about it later, but it was scary at the time. Our priest talked about worry in his sermon last Sunday. He said his grandmother always said, Worrying is like rocking in a rocking chair all day. You spend a lot of energy and don't get anywhere." :-) I still worry (it goes with being a mother/grandmother), but now I pray when I wake up worrying about something. Prayer helps the worries go away, so I can get back to sleep. Love and prayers, jep
ReplyDelete{{{LIKE}}} :-)
Delete{{{HUG}}} Hope today has been better for you. jep
DeleteHi jep - yes it was - thanks! Hugs to you too :-)
DeleteAll I can sing is "hello Madda, hello Fadda, here we are at, Camp Granada". Karen F.
ReplyDeleteKaren! I had a Ronco K-Tel record with that song on it and I played it over and over!! Then, I would sing it over and over every summer at camp... thanks for dredging that one up!
DeleteDonna, I love all of your recent canoe/log/life jackets pictures! I love the colors and the sky and the water, and the... lovely and happy!
I think you should get all of your kids with you and take a family picture of you in life jackets and send it to family as your Christmas card!
have a great day, y'all!
E.
I know it's funny, Donna, but I grew up in MN and in Northern CA near the Deltas where we were always in boats and all kids about 10-12 and under absolutely had to wear a vest.
ReplyDeleteThe adults, though, they got to wear the sexy flotation devices that went around their waists! How I wanted one of those while on water skis! (And this is funny--note this is in the 70's--: My best friend's mom had a sexy vest with, uhm, let's say "anatomically correct" breasts. I will never, ever forget.)
Wendy,
DeleteI need to wear one of those every day!! Where do I get one??
TMI.
Sorry.
E.