It’s 8 p.m. when my five-year-old daughter, Jillian, spikes a fever of 103 degrees. Her cheeks are flushed pink, and her eyes are glassy pools. Rinsing off the thermometer, I realize I’m not prepared for this. Luckily the friends we’ve invited over for dinner haven’t yet left their cabin. Quickly I dial Jean, an ex-emergency room nurse’s cell phone to see if she has any Tylenol, fortunately she does. Arriving at our doorstep with emergency kit in tow, I’m given a lesson from an expert on First Aid Essentials 101.

Cottages are often miles away from the nearest town. Getting to a drug store is one thing, it being open is another. A well stocked first aid kit will not only save time and money, it could also save a life.

Jean’s kit has several versions depending on the season. There is a mini one for mountain biking and hiking in addition to the main kit. Here are the staple items that no first aid kit should be without.

First Aid Kit Essentials

• Children and Adult Motrin or Advil (pain, fever and inflammation)
• Gravel (liquid and suppositories)
• Benedryl (antihistamine)
• Assorted band aids including: liquid and teflon band aids
• Claretin Tablets
• Kaopectate
• Thermometer
• Nail clippers
• Small scissors
• Rubber gloves
• Lifesavers or gum for distraction - a child can’t cry with a candy in their mouth
• Saline with no preservatives to rinse wounds (Jean loads a squirt gun with it and uses it to flush out wounds)
• Baush & Lomb’s eye wash kit -make sure it contains an eye cup
• Preparation H - cream not the ointment - anti-inflammatory that relieves swelling
• Sliver Kit: Tweezers, needle, magnifying glass, orajel (topical antiseptic)
• Ice packs

Since that night, I’ve come to appreciate the importance of a good first aid kit. Our little green rubbermaid kit goes with us everywhere. Ironically last weekend, I left it behind. The folks we were staying with were both doctors. ‘They’ll be well prepared,’ I thought. When their little guy spiked a fever at 9:30 at night, off to town they went in search of a drug store.

Cheers,

Julie

I have always believed the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. When it comes to love, I have used every trick in the book. I passed my mom’s apple pie off as my own and tricked my husband into marrying me. And then there was the time I backed his car into a tree, we had shepherd’s pie that night for dinner.

While some people rely on aphrodisiacs like oysters, chocolate and caviar (high in zinc, stimulates formation of testosterone), I’ve found comfort food works the best. This year I’m going with a traditional recipe, Beef Stroganoff. You can never go wrong with beef, noodles and cream. And for dessert? Mom’s apple pie.
Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients

1 2 1/2-pound piece beef tenderloin, well trimmed, meat cut into 2×1x1/2 inch strips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1 pound small button mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 10oz cans beef broth
2 tablespoons Cognac
1 1/2 - 2 cups sour cream

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

12 ounces wide egg noodles
1 tablespoon paprika

Directions

Pat meat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat until very hot. Working in batches, add meat in single layer and cook just until brown on outside, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped shallots and sauté until tender, scraping up browned bits, about 2 minutes. Add button mushrooms. Sprinkle with pepper and sauté until liquid evaporates, about 12 minutes. Add beef broth, then Cognac. Simmer until liquid thickens and just coats mushrooms, about 14 minutes. Stir in sour cream and Dijon mustard. Add meat and any accumulated juices from baking sheet. Simmer over medium-low heat until meat is heated through but still medium-rare, about 2 minutes. Stir in chopped dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Transfer to bowl. Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide noodles among plates. Top with beef and sauce. Sprinkle generously with paprika.

Happy Valentines Day.

Julie

On the eve of Valentines Day, it’s only fitting to test one’s knowledge. Today’s quiz will separate the real romantics from those who will be sleeping on the couch with the dog tomorrow night.

Let’s start with roses.

Sending a dozen roses means:

1. There are a dozen ways I care about you
2. They are only sold by the dozen
3. I want to spend the rest of my life with you

A red rose is the colour of love, a yellow rose is the colour of:

1. enthusiasm/desire
2. beauty
3. friendship

Valentines Day originated in the United States by Hallmark Greeting Cards in 1935 True or False?

The total number of Valentines cards sent each year is:

• Over 5 million
• Over 50 million
• Over 1 billion

Men purchase 85% of all Valentines Day cards True or False?

In Asia, is it men or women who are expected to buy chocolates for their co-workers on Valentines Day?

In 2008, Saudi Arabia banned the sale of all Valentines items, particularly red items, in an effort to avoid temptation. True or False?

The Saint Valentines Day Massacre was staged by which Italian gangster?

• John Gotti
• Al Capone
• Nicky Scarfo

The Answers Are:

1. Sending a dozen roses means “There are a dozen ways I care about you.” Two dozen means, “There are 24 hours in a day and you think about you every hour.”

2. A yellow rose is the colour of friendship, but an orange or coral rose means enthusiasm or desire. Be careful not to get the two mixed up; you could literally be sending the wrong message.

3. Valentines Day has been around a lot longer than Hallmark. The first romantic link to Valentines Day was by Geoffrey Chaucer and English poet. The Brits had been sending Valentines long before the Americans. It was Esther Howland who first mass produced the heart shaped cards in 1847.

4. There are over 1 billion cards sold world wide, making it the second largest card holiday after Christmas.

5. False - Women not men purchase 85% of all Valentines Day cards.

6. In Asia the custom is for women to give chocolates to their male co-workers.

7. True - Saudi Arabia has banned Valentines Day and the sale of any related items.

8. The Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre was staged by Al Capone against Bugs Moran on Thursday February 14, 1929. It seems Moran was muscling in on Capone’s dog track and boot legging businesses. Capone was not actually present for the slaying of the seven mobsters; he was vacationing in Florida.

How well did you score? An eight out of eight might not keep you out of the dog house, but a nice card along with a box of good chocolates will. As an retired florist, I always advise people to avoid roses at Valentines. They are way over priced and seldom last. A huge bouquet of tulips is a better bet, or one of my favourites, an orchid plant - delicate but beautiful.

What was the best Valentines Day card or present you received? We would love to hear about it.

Cheers,

Julie

Over the past couple of weeks I have been researching a story for Cottage Magazine entitled, Horne Lake’s Internet Cafe. The article explores the options cottagers have when it comes to accessing the Internet, particularly for those folks living in British Columbia. Albertan’s, thanks to Bell Canada and the Alberta government, have Internet infrastructure to die for. Sasktel too, has done an excellent job of wiring its province.

While B.C. has breathtaking vistas and glorious mountains, it seems we do not have Internet, at least not outside of Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo or Kelowna. It’s a classic case of the haves versus the have nots. Folks living in rural B.C. are limited to dial-up 56 K modems, and for those who can afford it, cellular data, which utilizes a PC aircard, and a data plan from a wireless carrier like Telus or Rogers.

I too would like to be able to surf the Net at the cabin. Installing an Xplornet satellite dish is probably going to be my best bet, but the dish and installation are expensive, about $1,000. Then there are the monthly fees: roughly $90 per month for 1 Mbsp download and 256 Kbsp upload, plus the annual licensing fee of $75. That’s a lot of money just to transmit some megabytes.

I did, over the course of my research, come across a company called BC HotSpot.com. They sell devices that allow an Internet signal to be extended or “daisy chained.” Their technology has been used to supply campgrounds with Internet.

Why would cottagers be interested in this company? Let’s say one cottager installed a satellite dish. Using BC Hotspot’s Check Box Master, the signal could be sent up to 300 feet. If a person wanted to extend the signal further, a “mesh node adapter (repeater) could be mounted to a tree or pole to keep extending the signal. These adapters can be installed around a lake, thereby providing everyone with Internet. The adapters require 110 volts of power to operate, but Denis Tonn, BC Hotspot’s company spokesperson stated that they can run off a 12 volt battery plugged into an AC adapter.

This would be expensive technology to deploy on a large lake. The Check Box Master retails for $599 and the mesh node adapters cost $399 each. For a lake under six miles it could be cost effective. The signal can also be transmitted across water (up to a half mile), thereby minimizing the total number of mesh node devices required.

In order for cottagers to be able to pick up the Internet signal, their laptops would need a wireless adapter (device that fits into the Ethernet port to pick up wireless signals). Newer PC’s have them built in. I am seriously considering taking this proposal to our cottage association. I realize some people do not wish to have Internet at the cabin, but more and more cottagers are installing satellite dishes on our lake. It might be time to band together and save some money.

For anyone who is interested in finding out more about getting Internet at the cabin, I would encourage you to contact Gordon Sedola of Van Isle Home Entertainment in Nanaimo, B.C. He is an Xplornet dealer and a BC HotSpot distributor, who is very knowledgeable regarding hook-ups and configuration. He can be reached at 250-245-0637 or email at vihomeent@telus.net.

Cheers,

Julie

P.S. The Cottage Magazine article will be out in the edition.

Rarely does a person have an opportunity to see a highway being built. It’s even rarer to see a cliff moved from one side of the road to the other, literally. Driving the sea to sky highway, I am witnesses to massive rock walls being blasted to bits. The bits are then moved to the other side of the road, and poured into forms to create a road literally out of thin air.

According to a recent article in the Globe and Mail’s weekend edition, From Sea to Sky, a Superhighway, there are between 600 to 800 people moving 2.4 million cubic meters of fill. In some areas, the crew building the retaining walls to support the new road has to be tethered like mountain climbers.

Driving a highway which has about 400 accidents a year is daunting. Prior to departing to, or from Whistler, we always wish our friends a safe trip. We know the road and we know what’s possible.

Last year coming home from a couple’s golf weekend, our friends, who left five minutes after us, were involved in a head-on collision. It was a bright sunny day with clear roads. The driver of the other car fell asleep at the wheel and crossed the median. Their car was a write off (fortunately they drove a Volvo), but they were OK, save a few scrapes and bruises.

While there is no doubt the current highway is treacherous for the some 14,000 vehicles that use it daily, I don’t relish the thought of adding an additional 8,000 cars. The road is being upgraded to accommodate more cars at faster speeds. Unlike the 401 in southern Ontario, the sea to sky highway cannot be driven fast, no matter how many lanes they add.

The upside of the upgrade is the road will have an anti-skid surface, improved lighting, roadside reflective paint, and median barriers. Personally, I’d be happy if they just added reflectors and painted the edge of the road. Currently, I follow the tails lights in front of me for direction.

The new highway is also purported to shave 15 minutes off my commute time. While the price tag for the new road is pegged at $775 million, if it saves lives it will be priceless.

Cheers,

Julie

The video screens with their flickering images can been seen through the rear window. It seems more and more people are opting to have DVD players installed in their mini vans and SUV’s. The days of singing and playing I Spy are giving way to video’s and hand- held Game Boys.

I must admit, we bought a portable DVD player for the car/kids four years ago. Bill and I still agree it’s one of the best investments we’ve ever made. It has saved our sanity when a ferry gets canceled or is delayed. Watching a video actually helps our daughter NOT get carsick on the road to Whistler.

We limit watching the DVD player to nighttime. On day trips, we try to engage the kids in meaningful conversations. These dialogs usually last about three minutes. Over the years, we’ve logged thousands of miles, either commuting to Fernie, B.C., or over to Vancouver Island, B.C. and now more recently, up to Whistler, B.C. In addition to sleeping, here are just some of the things we do to help keep our kids entertained on the long commutes:

Car Tricks

Brain Teezers

• Give the kids an answer like Canada and ask what the question is
• One person picks an animal and everyone else has to guess what it is
• Give famous lines from Disney movies or hum the songs and get them to name the movie

Card Games

• Brain Quest - 1,000 questions and answers - it comes in every grade level, and asks questions like, “Which takes up more space: hot air or cold air?”
• Professor Noggin’s Series - we have the Wildlife of North America Card game, but they come in a variety of interests. Example: Barn Swallow - do I eat fruit, insects or seeds?

The card games are great, but I tend to get a bit car sick reading the questions.

Make Up a Story

• This is still one of my all time favourites - Someone starts off the story and we go around the car with everyone adding to it. The kids really enjoy this one.

Car Bingo

• One of my friends made up her own version of car bingo - it was a binder filled with things the kids would see on their way to the Drummheller Dinosaur museum. Every time they spotted something, they put a sticker on the box. She made one for each of her three sons to keep them occupied on the long car ride. It was a work of art. I should also add she’s a teacher.

If you have any tricks for keeping your kids amused on the way to the cabin or anywhere else, I would love to hear what works and what doesn’t.

Cheers,

Julie

Before heading out to the cottage or up to Whistler, I make sure I’ve packed a bag of road snacks and something to drink. Prechildren the bag consisted of:

• Bag of red Twizzlers
• Big bag of potato chips
• Pop
• Chocolate macaroons

It’s little wonder Bill and I often didn’t feel well by the time we got to where we were going, but eating junk food was just part of our adventure. Now that we have two small children we try not to eat like that, at least not in front of them.

These days I try to pack some strawberries, grapes and apples washed and cut up in plastic containers, granola bars and popcorn. If I have time, I like to make my own road snacks: Spicy Almonds and Nuts & Bolts. These are also great appetizers to serve during happy hour at the cottage.

Sweet & Spicy Nuts (Cottage Life’s Summer Weekend Cookbook)

• 2 tbsp peanut oil
• 2 cups blanched whole almonds (or pecans)
• 2 tsp table sugar
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne or hot sauce

Directions:

Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add almonds, sprinkle with sugar and toss over medium-heat until nuts are a light, even brown. Turn out into a bowl and toss with cumin, cayenne and salt. Spread nuts on a paper towel to cool. Store in an airtight tin. Makes 2 cups (500 ml).

Nuts & Bolts

• 1/2 box cheerios
• 2 pkg pretzels ( 1 bag round and 1 bag sticks)
• 1 box shreddies
• 3 cups peanuts

Combine the top ingredients together. In a separate bowl combine:

• 1 cup of melted salted butter
• 3/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp onion salt
• 2 tsp worcestershire sauce

Using a large roasting pan, combine the dry ingredients with the butter mixture and stir well. Cook uncovered 1.5 hours at 225 degrees F stirring occasionally.

Here’s to a crunchin munchin road trip.

Cheers,

Julie

People often share things with writers that they wouldn’t normally share with others. As a writer I have the privilege of meeting and talking to people who I might not otherwise encounter in my day-to-day life. I tend to be curious by nature, and am used to asking the questions.

It came as a bit of a surprise when Heather Bayer, my fellow cottage blogger, tagged me on Sunday and asked me to write seven strange but true facts about myself.

Ugggggg, I like reading strange things about other people. I am not comfortable disclosing mine to the world, especially with RunningCar in the audience (RunningCar is my oldest brother). I’m experiencing the same discomfort now as I did at my wedding when my family members got up to toast me, the bride. You never know what family members will say at an open bar wedding.

Despite severe misgivings, here are seven strange but true facts about myself:

1. I grew up on a farm in Northumberland County and was a member of 4-H and Junior Farmers.
2. Despite my brother’s urgings, I did not marry a dairy with quota, but a lovely man who’s family immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong when he was five-years-old. My children are a beautiful blend of Asian/Caucasian.
3. I studied violin all through elementary and high school, and played in the Northumberland Symphony Orchestra. I am now taking piano lessons.
4. I used to own a flower shop in Calgary - Anne Paterson’s Flowers. I did not know the names of the flowers or had any previous design experience when I bought the business.
5. I have a Wheaton Terrier named Daisy who sits under my office chair when I’m writing.
6. I do yoga and practice meditation first thing everyday for an hour.
7. I am addicted to sugar, so I do not eat desserts or anything else with sugar in it of any kind. My girlfriends think I’m strange.

O.K. There you have it. I think there are probably stranger things about me, I just can’t think of any off hand and I’m trusting RunningCar not to add to the list. Oh, all right one more - I used to eat cake mixes out of the box.

Cheers,

Julie

If today’s title doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, you’re likely over the age of 35 and are accustomed to writing and speaking in grammatically correct sentences.

If you want to find out what it means go ask your teenagers, that is if you can pry them away from their cell phone long enough to answer your questions.

It seems every generation has their own unique way of communicating. Email is still my favourite, while my nieces and nephews hang out on MSM Instant Messenger. Good luck getting them to talk on the phone; we have longer text messages than we do face-to-face conversations.

Learning how to text message can save time and money. Texting is much cheaper than chatting, especially if you’re calling long distance from the cabin. Cell phones are equipped with SMS - short message service. Instead of hitting the dial key, I hit the SMS key and enter my text message, hit send, and voila, my message is sent. I don’t need to know a person’s email address, I just need to know their cell phone number. I find it more reliable than email, because most people carry their cell phones with them.

Texting does come with it’s own language. Learn it and you will be able to talk to your children, and you’ll also know what they’re up to.

For example:

P911 - parents around, change the subject KPC - keep parents clueless MOS - Mom over shoulder

420 and LGH - let’s get high B/F - boyfriend SPN - Spend the night

I have found some that I think would be useful for the cottage:

FUBAR - fouled up beyond repair FYA - for your amusement G2G - gotta go

GGP - gotta go pee GTSY - great to see you IOH - I’m out of here NAC -not a clue

LTNS -long time no see AYV - are you vertical?
and my personal favourite reserved for my DH - dear hubby BYKT - but you knew that

If you want more abbreviations, here are a couple of website you can check out: Techdictionary.com, and Webopedia, which also has icons if you want to get really creative with your messages.

If you have any of your own you want to share, please leave a comment. It would be really GR8 to come up with a list just for cottagers.

CUL8R,

Julie

PS - this one is for Running Car - IKYABWAI

Today’s Blog comes from Deborah DaSilva, a cottager and mortgage agent with Mortgage Intelligence. It has been edited slightly for content and sizing requirements.

All across Canada we’re seeing the recreational property market continue to go through the cedar-shingled roof. Industry experts predict another year in which buyers seeking a property may outnumber the recreational properties available.

Traditionally financing a recreational property is more challenging than funding a principal residence. Lending institutions typically find second homes a much less desirable investment. Purchasers are often advised to take out a home equity line of credit or a second mortgage on their principal residence in order to buy the recreation property.

For example, when we purchased our cottage in the Haliburton Highlands in southern Ontario, we used a home equity line of credit from our principle residence - 25% as a down payment and the remaining 75% we used a line of credit based on the value of our cottage. We actually financed the entire purchase.

When people inquire about financing options, my first question is usually, “Is your home free and clear?” Taking out a line of credit on a home’s equity versus adding a second mortgage is much easier. People can have it for a fixed term with 25 year amortization payments. They can also allow the interest rate to float or lock it in, but the fixed rate on a line of credit is the same as a five year mortgage rate.

The added benefit to using a line of credit is as you pay it down, more credit becomes available that can be used to perform renovations. A line of credit is not for everyone. If people are not disciplined in their spending and keep using up the line of credit, then this is not the right instrument. I recommend my clients use it only to increase of their property or to maintain it.

We are also beginning to see that some lenders have developed flexible new mortgage products and policies that are specifically designed for the recreational property/second home market.

Previously vacation properties that were on seasonal roads, only accessible by boats, did not have central heating, or built on cinder block foundations were previously considered ineligible for financing. Now these same residences can be financed. While the rooms do not have to be separate, the property still has to have a kitchen, bathroom and common area.

It is wise to do your homework first. In today’s heated recreational property market, some purchasers have an edge in the marketplace because they are cash buyers. Buyers who are financing their purchase may want to consider talking to a mortgage professional to determine approximately how much they qualify for before launching their search.

Thank you Deborah,

If people have questions or would like additional clarification, I invite you to visit Deborah’s website at www.yourmortgagesource.ca.

Cheers,

Julie