Just a thought… Nature, time, and patience are the three great physicians. [Chinese Proverb]

A very happy and peaceful Easter Monday to you and thank you for coming by.

I’m home and, unbelievably, I’m still sick, as whatever this is has inexplicably moved into my joints. Apparently it’s a thing. My voice is still raspy after the cold that hit me nearly three weeks ago (!) and won’t leave, as you’ll hear on this Thursday’s Ep 171 at gracefullyandfrankly.com.

Thankfully, there’s a lot of rest in store for me this week as Rob heads back to the “big island” (as we call Vancouver Island) for appointments and meetings. Rob picked me up from Victoria International Airport on Thursday (after I enjoyed the company of Olympic rower Silken Laumann for the flight – details in Episode 171). Fifteen minutes after I got my one suitcase, Rob, Dottie and I we were in the car line for the 45-minute ferry ride to Pender Island.

The visit to Ontario was lovely, including my road trip with Mike Cooper. Once in Ottawa, I had some quality time with Colin and Jane, who are both anxiously awaiting the start of their respective baseball seasons. Mom and Dad will be co-coaching this year, so the whole family has found their groove, their people and their joy. It makes Rob and me happy to know that, as much as we miss them.

Some have asked me on Facebook about the cabin that we bought. Why might be a good question, in that we just moved from a large house to a single-level condo on the ocean in Sidney, a bucolic but bustling little town about 25 minutes’ drive from the provincial capital of Victoria. The answer is many-layered, but “escape” is one of my middle names.

Maybe grief makes me look to fill a hole (as someone with addictive tendencies does), but when we found ourselves without family nearby and a yearning for small, wooded spaces – a love we rediscovered on our Alberta road trip last year – island cabins beckoned. And so we found one. Here’s where it is.

At a cozy 700 sq ft in size, we have named it “Wedgie” after the house we had on Hedge Road in Jackson’s Point, Ontario that we called “Hedgie.” Wedgie is literally a cheesy name, perhaps reminiscent of underwear being pulled too far up, but since this place is also a tight squeeze, it’s only perfect.

With a compact wood stove, modern appliances and conveniences, plus lots of windows and natural wood, the cabin – not yet 20 years old – is perfect for us. We have an open loft bedroom, but for the rare visitor there’s a Murphy bed hidden in a cabinet on the main floor.

First thing Rob did upon taking possession during my winter absence was arrange to have a tiny washroom put in on the upper floor. At our age, getting downstairs when nature screams at 2 am is not an attractive prospect. So YAY! He (and our friend, former CHFI producer Chris Shapcotte) did an incredible job of moving us in and making it perfect for my arrival.

The absolute best part about Wedgie is we are literally surrounded by nature. Yesterday I awoke to three deer sashaying across the yard in front of our window.

In fact, the view from my spot in bed shows one squatting (it’s in the top of the lower centre pane).

We can see glimpses of ocean through the trees, and the only sound we hear has been the occasional woodpecker or other bird on the myriad boughs surrounding us. Rob has turned an old outhouse on the property into his workshop (don’t ask me how, or what it’ll look like, ‘cause I’m NOT going in!) and this is a place of peace, of healing and of enormous gratitude.

I even found a bench to sit on during my walks with the dogs, where I can be with Lauren.

Could anyone ask for more? Enjoy this week and I’ll talk to you Thursday. And thank you for coming along, as always.