View of the lake from shore at Tofte Lake Center.
It’s day 5 of my 2012 Creative Space Retreat for women, held for 3 years now on the beautiful Tofte Lake outside of Ely, Minnesota. The location couldn’t be more perfect: an old fishing camp (Norm’s Fish Camp) turned into an artist’s retreat center on a quiet, Boundary Waters lake. Little cabins strung along the lake shore like little pearls, all fixed up with a woman’s thoughtful eye to comfort and coziness; secluded work spaces tucked in the trees or overlooking the quiet lake; kayaks and paddleboards sitting at the shore, ready to be used when the moment calls; loons, osprey and other critters calling to us or circling overhead. We come together for a casual morning yoga practice and meditation; we enter the day with an inspiring word, gather for breakfast and then go our separate ways to do our creative work or read, walk, swim, paddle or nap. Sometimes we call to one another to join in on an activity, and sometimes we go solo. Lunch is a drop-in affair – a kettle of hot soup ready on the stove to be eaten when hunger strikes, for example. Afternoons are similar to the mornings, and by dinner time the group gradually gathers in the kitchen to come together for an evening meal. We plan something special every evening, and tonight it will be a campfire sing-along led by one of the women playing her ukelele.
Throughout the day wonderful things are happening: paintings are being painted; songs can be heard drifting out of windows; words are being written or read and best of all, our inner spirits are being heeded as they call to be lifted away from daily city life and fall into the natural rhythms of the day.
We’re having a lovely time. Wish you were here.
~ The ladies of Norm’s, 2012
