Most people would think “economic value” is the most important factor to protect the family cottage. Common “emotional value” has proven time and time again as the most important motivation behind developing a cottage succession plan to protect the family cottage.

Yes, it’s true when they say, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” and it’s especially true when thinking of the family cottage. Whether the family cottage is a family retreat in some stunning mountain region, or a luxurious custom built retirement home on one of the Great Lakes touching Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, New York, Ohio, Indiana or even Canada, or a small rustic cabin on a pristine lake or stream, it’s not “economic value” that is the most important factor to protect the family cottage, it’s the “emotional value.”

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The Mouse Adventure with The Cottage Cat “Spike” at The Depot

We became owners of a fluffy 20 pound orange and white barn cat name Spike. Spike lives in The Depot- the northern Michigan offices of The Penning Group, and formerly the law offices of Stuart J. Hollander, attorney author of “Saving the Family Cottage – A Guide to Succession Planning for your Cottages, Cabin, Camp or Vacation Home.”

Spike loves to wander around the office and visit the desk of cottage law attorney Dan Penning. He tries to grab a snack of a muffin and just sprawl on Dan’s desk top. He loves to lounge underneath the potbellied stove in the cooler winter months. He gets so close that my husband thought he might catch on fire. With all that fur, how could he possibly be anything but cold. He enjoys greeting clients when they come in and he truly does like to ‘meow’ to say hello. Spike wags his tail out of love. He struts around like he owns the place. I wonder if he isn’t part Ragdoll?

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Repeat after me I feel fabulous, I feel fabulous! I am terrific! I am terrific! There- I just powered you up for the day. Better yet get in front of that mirror and say it ten times over. Your family will think you are weird and your spouse might think you lost it but that’s ok- you’re doing this to increase your creativity and get excited about your day and your future. Now I want to challenge you to get up every day and look in that bathroom mirror and say hello you good looking thing you. You may get a good laugh but you are beautiful and you have great gifts to offer this world. So go with the positive side of life. See yourself with that victory. Every one of us has gifts and talents to soar to a new level. Get rid of that negative mindset. This is not part of your vision- besides it will only bring you down and others around you down. Take good care of yourself. Author Debbie Mandel in her book “Addicted to Stress: A Woman’s 7 Step Program to Reclaim Joy and Spontaneity In Life” says that people need to keep themselves in balance by making good choices with a healthy diet and exercise. ” Something as simple as walking will help.” Make sure you get plenty of sleep and if you are in a bad mood, call someone who isn’t. Instead of bringing others down, let someone lift you up. Download some uplifting music and by all means dance- it will lift your soul. Your friends may think you are strange but you just keep that positive spirit going. Who knows you may show up on YouTube as a dancing sensation. If you have never watched the “Ellen Show” take a few moments. She is always dancing and her merriment puts a spring in your step. Debbie Mandel also states to “Activate your sense of humor. We all take ourselves too seriously. Our friend Tommy is always having a good time, I can hear his laughter even when he is not around. Find someone like this who will get you laughing, and put joy back into your step. Marla Sloane, Ph.D.’s positive affirmation tip states “Happiness doesn’t mean everything is perfect, it means I look beyond the imperfections.” Nobody’s life is perfect and yes we all have those disappointments and down and out times. It is what you do with them, and your your reactions to them that counts. Find hope and joy. Quincy Jones, who is 77 years old, tells USA Today that music is culture’s most essential art. He states that his dream is to see hip-hop some how incorporated into education. “It’s the only one that engages the left and right brain simultaneously, the motion and intellect. “it’s the voice of God.” How amazingly well put. Jones just released “Q:Soul Bossa Nostra,” a sound track disc featuring A-list stars interpreting songs. I wonder what the world would be like if we all found music we enjoyed and turned that TV off. Right now Casey is singing to that song “All the Right Moves” by One Republic. He truly was blessed with a gift of song. He has great talent and he is healing his left and right brain by engaging in emotion and intellect. When you sing there is no stress. Music lifts your soul!

Bananas are a serous fat-burner. They have potassium and B vitamins. Enjoy that easy portable fruit. It comes already in its own protective skin. We keep this as a snack to go at the family cottage. Try a Conor favorite- one of our teens; a peanut butter sandwich with banana. It will give you the fuel you need to get all those to-do-list chores done. A great cancer fighting drink for this time of year is hot cocoa. This chocolate drink has more phenols and flavonoids than a glass of red wine and 1 cup of green tea. So say hello to hot coco! Chocolate is rich in antioxidants. Drink up for your health. Just one cup of hot coco has less than 1 gram of saturated fat! Remember to find the positives in life. Don’t feel bad about gossiping. In a British study (you have to love those British studies) gossiping makes you feel supported. They also discovered that whispering good things can boost yourself esteem. For example “she looks fantastic.” Don’t forget everything in moderation- you don’t want to be known as the town gossip. Stay hydrated with plenty of H20- drier air can lead to dehydration so don’t forget to stay sipping. Keep on believing in yourself and stay fantastic at the family cottage.

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They like their dishes really clean

Oops I missed a spot!

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With summer approaching to the end, so do the long lazy days at the family cottage. The walks on the beach, the summer sunsets, the icec ream trips into Suttons Bay, the fireflies, the hiking of Pyramid Point all seem like a summer wonderment.

Summer seems to go by so fast but remains a glorious memory. It seems like we just peeled off sweatshirts and jeans at the family cottage. There are no long homework assignments or projects to supervise. Adventures and swimming come to an end. Summer friends head away from the family cottage vastly going in another direction. The cottage dogs are lazily snoozing on the couch. The cooler mornings take over. Soon the school buses will start taking up their lane of traffic.

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Do you belong to the circle of kindness? This means, to belong, you do something kind for someone. Kindness costs you nothing. It is a friendly gesture that you don’t think twice about. There is no ulterior motive. You never know when you are going to make a difference in someone’s life.

Remember that people won’t remember what you say they will remember what you do. If you belong to the circle of kindness you don’t run around with a badge or a sign saying, “Look what I did for so and so”. You just do your thoughtful gesture because you want to.

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The family cottage sets in motion vacations to remember. At the family cottage you relax, unwind and nurture yourself. It is a wonderment and an oasis of peace on the water’s edge. It doesn’t matter how you spend your day off from work or household chores. Enjoy nature whether you bike, boat, hike, or simply take a swim. My teens and my husband Dan enjoy swinging a club or two at the golf course. Even if you enjoy watching the world go by, it is just fine.

The best memories at the family cottage are the incredible family stories, whether you believe them or not. We vacationed at the “big lake” as my kids used to call Lake Michigan. My husband and I had a wonderful bonfire with our boys and family friends who stayed with us at the cottage on Good Harbor Bay. We all went to bed after saying our goodnight’s, but Dan decided to stay at the water’s edge with our yellow labs Bailey and Callie.

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The family cottage is a fabulous place for new beginnings and perfect endings. August is National Picnic Month. There is no better way than celebrating with family and friends – birthdays or holidays – at the family cottage, than with a picnic. So pull out your blue and white checkered table cloth (or red and white checkered) and a wicker picnic basket.

I grew up with Yogi Bear and he loved pic-a-nics. To Yogi every day ended in a fabulous picnic filled with jelly sandwiches. (My teens do not even know who Yogi Bear was.)

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Summer began as usual at the family cottage. The dogs, our chocolate labs Jake and Ginger, and our two cats Max and Joey and the three teen boys plus a friend were all settled in for a glorious summer at the cottage.

A few days later we discovered that our pets were not the only critters at the summer cottage. We had a family of skunks living under the shed in the back of the family cottage. There were 5 skunks to be exact. A mother skunk who was not happy we had invaded her space and her 4 babies. I did not want her spraying the dogs. We had that happen before to our very first dog Baily, a yellow lab. It was awful -the smell smarts your eyes. I believe we used tomato juice and hydrogen peroxide to get rid of the smell. I absolutely did not want her spraying the boys.

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A cottage in northern Michigan is a way of life. It is a place with a purpose. It awakens the heart. There is passion and dreams at a cottage. There are water bays, beaches, bonfires, friends, family, pets, and vineyards with great wineries. A cottage is a feeling of peace. This becomes a beautiful place to be, especially when you don’t want to be anywhere else.

Cottage-law stands for:

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