When Marcie Swanson first
spotted the inviting Greenbush Township cottage she
and her husband, Rich, now own on Cedar Lake — nestled
between Lake Huron’s sandy shores and the meandering
Au Sable River — it felt like stumbling upon
a perfect bit of peace.
Recently, a gathering of Marcie’s
girlfriends arrived one autumn afternoon with homemade
soups, salads, coffee cake and more, items Marcie
tabs “canoe cuisine.”
On a Saturday at dusk, they sat beneath
a big, old birch tree, looking out across a still
lake, sipping Michigan wines while candles flickered
and wax trickled onto the old table.
Sunday’s itinerary included breakfast
and lunch on the water, and was timed around canoe
outings: Typically, dawn brings a lush sunrise palette
of oranges, reds, yellows and lavenders across East
Michigan’s horizon.
Not that morning: A fascinating veil
of misty, dove-gray hues cloaked the lake, making
it hard to distinguish between sky and water.
“It was sort of like the great
beyond,” Marcie recalled. “But we hauled
out Rich’s Old Town canoe, pulled out some
quirky tables and just shared a lot of laughs among
the trees and shoreline, coming and going in the
canoe.” ≈
Megan Swoyer is a Troy-based
freelance writer and editor.
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Ginger’s
Snap Cookies
(Makes about 3 to 4 dozen)
3⁄4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1⁄4 cup molasses
2 cups flour
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3⁄4 teaspoon cloves
3⁄4 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix top four ingredients together; sift remaining
ingredients together. Mix all thoroughly. Form
into balls the size of small walnuts. Place about
two inches apart on greased baking sheet. Bake
10 to 12 minutes. Roll in confectioner’s
sugar while still warm.
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