Lutsen

Jeff and I spent a beautiful weekend at Lutsen, soaking up the sunshine and the sound of the waves lapping at the shore. I find that there are few things in this world as soothing as a large body of water to gaze across. During times of great sorrow, the vastness of a sea, or an ocean, or a great lake has the power to calm racing thoughts and smooth the jagged edges of the heart. Sitting at the edge of Lake Superior, I was finally able to think about my dad without the sensation of being choked by scrabbling fingers of grief clawing at my throat. The expansive beauty of the North Shore gave me the space I needed to think, and I had only to open my eyes to be startled into a sense of wonder…a bald eagle flushed from the brush at the edge of the lake, sweeping by our heads…an endless blanket of stars wiping the sleep from my eyes at three in the morning, peeping through my window and beckoning me onto the balcony, whispering stories of mystery and time and the expansiveness of the universe.

The weather over the weekend was glorious -- warm, sunny, and calm.

At night we watched the moon dance over the water




and in the morning the sun rose over the lake in a puddle of gold and blue.




We started each day with breakfast at the Lodge



And then headed into Grand Marais. We found a local music festival





and then headed home to cook up dinners at our cabin.

Steak with aspargus risotto, brats and sweet corn, then evenings by the fireplace, listening to music and talking softly in the dark.