Conneaut Lake in the Early Morning Fog – Summer 2019
Confidence.
Let your confidence
be so apparent
and so clear
it can be seen
and carry you through
even the thickest fog.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Confidence
Conneaut Lake
Your Own Special Place
A Spider’s Home, Conneaut Lake, PA – June, 2019
Your Own Special Place.
Everyone has
their
own
special place
and time
and purpose.
Respect
each
others’.
Cherish
your
own.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Open
View from our window Sunday morning at one of our favorite “retreats” – Conneaut Lake, PA June 2019
Open.
Open your eyes
to the beauty of a new day.
Open your ears
to the music of nature.
Open your mind
to others’ ideas and beliefs.
Open your hands
to offer support and kindness.
Open your heart
to love and be loved.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
A Krautfest Rhyme
A Krautfest Rhyme.
Once upon a time
in a neighborhood by a lake,
a group of friends gathered.
There was saurkraut to make.
500 pounds of cabbage
was cleaned and quartered and chopped.
Then young and old, expert and new,
sliced it down – they couldn’t be stopped.
Once sliced it went
to the station to be weighed.
Salt was added.
It’s how you make homemade.
Into crocks and buckets
it went to be pound.
It starts the fermentation
and keeps it safe and sound.
No krautfest could ever
be quite complete
without hugs and laughs and games
and plenty of treats to eat.
There was a tub of apples
waiting for kids to bob.
While others were pressed into juice,
which many found to be a fun job.
After working and eating and drinking
away the day,
evening arrived,
and instruments were brought out to play.
Singing with friends,
(only some truly in tune)
is surely the best way
to end a krautfest afternoon.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Thanks so much and mostest
to our amazing hosts and hostesses.
Love you Joyce and Rob and Nikole and Michael
for continuing the annual krautfest cycle!
If you would like to see previous years’ Krautfests, feel free to click HERE and HERE and HERE.
Christmas Light Reflections after Braving the Wilderness
Conneaut Lake, PA Christmas Light Tour on the Barbara J
Christmas Light Reflections after Braving the Wilderness.
This past weekend was a gathering of The Best Book Club Ever, where we talked about one of my newest favorite books, “Braving the Wilderness” by Brene Brown.
So I already told you how much I love this book. Remember?
I couldn’t wait for our book club discussion about it, and it did not disappoint. In fact, it empowered. It really connected me with a special group of family and friends in a meaningful way.
There is so much I could say about it…
About how I connected right from the start when Brene talked about “not belonging” to her own family.
This paragraph sucked me in:
“Even in the context of suffering—poverty, violence, human rights violations—not belonging in our families is still one of the most dangerous hurts. That’s because it has the power to break our heart, our spirit, and our sense of self-worth. It broke all three for me. And when those things break, there are only three outcomes, something I’ve borne witness to in my life and in my work: 1. You live in constant pain and seek relief by numbing it and/or inflicting it on others; 2. You deny your pain, and your denial ensures that you pass it on to those around you and down to your children; or 3. You find the courage to own the pain and develop a level of empathy and compassion for yourself and others that allows you to spot hurt in the world in a unique way. I certainly tried the first two. Only through sheer grace did I make my way to the third.”
But there is so much more…
About authenticity, vulnerability…
and dehumanization.
About the paradox of things like love, the NRA, politics and religion (just to name a few).
And though there was and always will be great differences in opinion among the group on these important issues and values, everyone respectfully listened to each other share, and we grew closer for it.
So after three or four hours of powerfully connecting conversation and breakthroughs in belonging, our gang bundled up in parkas, knit hats and woolen mittens and boarded the infamous Barbara J Paddle Wheel Boat on Conneaut Lake to set sail at 10pm and spend an hour touring the lake and the homes surrounding it lit up with Christmas trees and colorful lights.
25 degrees. Snow flurries. Dark night. Bright lights. Even brighter spirits.
These are my Christmas light reflections after Braving the Wilderness.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Seeing the Weeping in the Willow Tree
Weeping Willow Tree, Conneaut Lake, October 2016
When the physical things of this world
blur and fade through the lens of our eyes,
A different kind of vision
grows stronger and clearer…
The ability to see the weeping
in the leaves of the willow tree,
The arms that extend and embrace
in its branches,
The foundation that centers and steadies
in its strong, solid trunk.
The weeping willow
is crystal clear
in our heart
and soul
and mind.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Krautfest 2016!
This past weekend was one of my favorites of the year! Time for the annual Brugnoli Family and Friends Krautfest Party!
Those of you who have been hanging around here awhile, might remember Krautfest 2015 or even Krautfest 2014.
The festivities kicked off this past Saturday in the beautiful Autumn weather at Conneaut Lake, PA with our dear “Oh Rob” welcoming guests and instructing newcomers on the sauerkraut-making process.
It starts with cutting…. 800 lbs of cabbage cutting!
The cut cabbage goes to the shredders, where experienced cutters teach newbies on equipment passed down through generations from grandparents…
and taught to new generations – where Moms teach sons…
and sisters show brothers….
and families do together.
It then gets measured,
and salted,
and pounded…
while friends and family chat,
and laugh,
and hug.
Old friends meet up after decades.
and new relationships bloom.
There is plenty of fun for kids of all ages!
From Jumbo Jenga…
to pick up sticks…
to lawn bowling,
and searching for bones and candy and money in hay.
There was pumpkin painting…
and t-shirt painting.
There was apple picking…
and apple pressing.
The kids loved learning how to turn apples into fresh apple juice!
and so did some of the parents and grandparents!
There was lots of food.
I made Grandma’s halupki – another Krautfest tradition served up next to hot dogs and kraut and homemade pierogies and cheesy polenta and fresh smoked ham and lots of other yummies.
There was an entire dining room table filled with desserts.
and of course plenty of wine.
There was tire swinging,
and bonfire-building.
There was Marty (hubby – on the left) and Martin.
There were quiet moments from afar,
and lots of singing and music after the sun went down and drew us indoors.
Even dogs of all sizes made friends!
Can you imagine a better time?
Thank you Joyce and Oh Rob! We love you! We ALL do!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Lake Park Bash 2016
Happy Fourth of July to the USA!
We are relaxing today after a fun-filled weekend
at the Second Annual Lake Park Bash
hosted by the the best ever “hood”
in Conneaut Lake, PA…
Look at this crew in their red, white, and blue
from Lake Park Way!
Whether by land or by sea…
a fun time was a guarantee!
A photo booth welcomed guests
and hosts alike.
Some of us were silly…
an others were very pretty.
Friends and family
and my most specialiast of all ladies. ❤
There were refreshing drinks
because the cutest mixologists/most generous hosts/sweetest family ever made sure!
There was food galore…
with lots of meat…
and of course there were also
plenty of treats!
To work play it off
there where games a plenty… Like Twister
and life-sized Kerplunk
and Jenga
and corn hole
and Bocci Ball to name a few.
There was also music
and young ones to make life bright.
All were winners
on a gorgeous Saturday.
And when the sun set
the bonfires lit and the sparklers twinkled
while fireworks glowed and banged and shined.
And then since one day was just not enough…
there were bloody marys and screwdrivers with the next morning’s coffee
and a shared breakfast of pancakes with blueberries and chocolate chips
and scrambled eggs and bacon and sausage.
The Lake Park Bash was a real holiday treat! Thanks to all that made it so sweet!
Hope you are enjoying –
wherever you are –
the special moments to cherish.
Reach for a star!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Conneaut Lake Snowy Sunrise
My sweet buddy, Oh Rob, recently posted a beautiful photo of his morning view waking up at Conneaut Lake, PA on his Facebook page. It really drew me in, as it is one of my favorite places to be, mostly because it is with him and his sweet wife Joyce who are very dear to us.
I tried painting it in watercolor. Need to loosen up more. But I had fun thinking of them and this beautiful place on earth. There have been so many beautiful pink skies this winter. Am I just noticing it more, or is there more than usual?
Wishing you beautiful sunrises.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
The other side of the fog
When life gets foggy,
thick and blurry,
and you can’t see as far ahead as you would like…
When there is no other direction to go
except through it…
do it!
Things are clearer
once you get through it…
on the other side of the fog.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
the creative life in between 