National Adult Literacy Database

September 5, 2011

This week, we have a story written by Angela Jane Reed Hopf, from Picton, Ontario.   Angela is a student at Prince Edward Learning Centre (PELC) currently working on portfolio writing. PELS is an adult training and literacy/basics skills agency.

My Life at the Cottage

by Angela Jane Reed Hopf

My name is Angela Jane Reed Hopf. I was born in Listowel, Ontario and raised in Dundas, Ontario. Our family moved to Orono, Ontario and our father worked for Ontario Hydro for 36 years. When we went to the cottage during the summer, we had to pack our clothes; our bathing suits, towels, sheets, blankets, and food

Our cottage is on Parr Island.  My father tore down our first cottage when we were kids. Our cottage was the colour of a Zebra, pink and black. Our cottage was a two bedroom with a pull-out couch. We had an ice-block fridge, and an old stove called an Electrolux, with three burners.

Dad decided to build a swiss chalet type cottage, with 3 bedrooms upstairs and a 1 ½ washroom, and a spiral staircase with wooden pine stairs.

On the main floor is pine flooring with vanish to protect it.

The railings, the cupboards, and the cutting board are varnished black cherry wood . The main floor is open concept .There is a 3 piece washroom, a washer, an open kitchen and a open living room. The charcoal barbeque sunroom is closed in, where you can read and watch the other boats and people, who fish or canoe by. We have a workshop below. Above the workshop is called the owl nest. It has two beds, and a 1 ½ bath. The stairs are very old and ready to come down.

When dad was alive, we would play bung with toothpicks, 31, or crokinoles with all the gang.  We also played 15, hearts, Euchre, and old maid, but only when it rained.

When it is sunny we head for the lake with our water shoes on and go swimming, wake boarding, or waterskiing, and if you didn’t get up the first time you would try again. Tubing behind the boat, is fun too.

At night we would have a bonfire to do Smores. You would roast a marshmallow on a stick. You use a whittle to fix the end of a stick for the marshmallow, then add graham wafers with a piece of dairy milk chocolate in the middle. At night you would have to spray yourself with insect spray or you would get eaten alive by mosquitoes.

My father would call everyone for happy hour. All cottagers, had a choice of drink, served with crackers and cheese, lettuce, and shrimp with cocktail sauce.

We would have a dart tournament. We would get all families together and decide who is on what team. The winning team would get a tee-shirt, or something to remember their achievement. All of us children would play flashlight tag at night. It was fun.

We were close with all the families on the island. Now, children have gone different ways, and most families are experiencing a loss of a father or mother. Although it’s harder we still try to keep in touch.