Celebrating in Style

By Lora Langowski

FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, MY FAMILY HAS BEEN CELEBRATING THE DAYS PRECEDING AND FOLLOWING NEW YEAR’S EVE AT OUR LAKE CABIN. NEARING THE END OF 2020, IT SEEMED ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO CARRY ON THIS TRADITION…

Late in the afternoon on December 30th, my husband, our daughters and I packed up our truck with food and supplies (and our dog) and headed out to our cabin on Eagles Nest Lake #3. Luckily, our cabin is only a short 35-minute drive from our house, but oftentimes it seems a world away. All of us were very excited to get out to the lake and enjoy our annual end-of-the-year celebration.

We arrived at our cozy little cabin a short time later and got to work. Because we shutter our cabin for the winter, we needed to heat up our fireplace to warm things up and turn on the propane and power. We don’t have running water over the winter months, so my husband also sets up a makeshift outhouse…FUN. However, the most important task in my mind is stoking the sauna stove! Being a true Finnish girl, I believe we can’t have a celebration without a good, hot sauna.

That evening, our girls skated outside on the lake while I stayed inside and made dinner. We’re lucky in the fact that every year my father-in-law (grandpa) works hard on creating an ice rink in front of our cabin. It’s always the

biggest hit of our celebration. The kids spend hours skating and playing on the rink; and occasionally the adults do too, and that evening it was no different. After enjoying skating, dinner and a nice hot sauna, we all settled in for the night, dreaming of the fun and food we would partake in the next day on New Year’s Eve.

I awoke the next morning to the smell of bacon and eggs sizzling on the stove and my youngest daughter chatting to her father in the kitchen. My oldest daughter, being a typical teenager, was still sleeping. I always love waking up at the lake and realizing there aren’t as many daily distractions and that we have more time to connect as a family. I get to simply sit on the couch and look out at the beautiful lake before me, enjoy my cup(s) of coffee and discuss with my family what to do (or not do) for the rest of the day.

As the morning drifted into the afternoon, my brother, sister-in-law and my nieces and nephew arrived at their cabin. We are blessed in the fact that my brother’s cabin is directly across the road from our cabin. Our children are all roughly the same age, and they all get along. It makes time at the lake even that much more special.

Throughout the day, the kids played and skated on the lake; my husband put out a line for ice fishing, and I went for a long walk on the lake. Later in the afternoon, we gathered items together to start our annual fish-fry. This year, we decided to prepare our catch two different ways — beer battered and baked. We also added french

Creating strong bonds through an annual family tradition

According to VeryWell.com, people create and maintain family traditions because they bring meaning to celebrations and foster special bonds. More importantly, traditions create positive experiences and memories for everyone by nurturing a family's connection and giving them a sense of belonging.

Benefits of Family Traditions

• Make memories for families that last a lifetime

• Provide children a sense of security by providing continuity

• Give family members a strong sense of belonging

• Help pass on family values including cultural and religious heritage

• Keep generations connected and give them a family history to share

Food, laughter and conversation tend to bind families together, and it did this year as well…

fries, onion rings, fruits, veggies, dips and salad to the menu.

Normally, we celebrate with our extended family, neighbors and friends. However, due to Covid-19, we decided on a smaller gathering. Nevertheless, we all still had a great time. Food, laughter and conversation tend to bind families together, and it did this year as well, even if it was a bit different from previous years celebrated.

After our big fish dinner, the kids joined together to play board games and get in some more skating. The adults sat around the fireplace and talked about the new year to come and the passing of the current year, and once again we stoked the sauna stove.

The old year quietly passed into the beginning of the new year with not one of us being able to stay awake to midnight. We all drifted quietly into sleep by 10:30 p.m. It was actually quite nice to have 2020 pass quietly into the night and just fade away.

We awoke to the new year with a beautiful bright shining sun and warm weather, and we fell into our morning routine again. The kids hit the skating rink, and my husband and I were able to enjoy a nice long walk. It was truly wonderful just to enjoy the slow pace of the day and marvel at the beauty of the landscape and wilderness surrounding us. I am extremely grateful that my family and I get to enjoy this time together connecting; it is a true blessing.

Looking back, although the COVID-19 pandemic may have made it harder to honor our family tradition— especially with extended family—I am grateful to be able to spend time enjoying the outdoors and my family, and I can’t wait to do it again next year. Cheers! Here’s to a very healthy and very happy 2021.

Lora Langowski is a creative designer and freelance writer living in Britt with her husband Harold and two daughters.

Parmesan Crusted Walleye

• Walleye Fillets • 2 Eggs • ½ Stick Butter • ½ cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese • 1 cup Italian Bread Crumbs • Garlic Salt • Pepper • Fresh Lemon Wedges • Tartar Sauce

Preheat an oven to 425F. Grease a 9x13 glass baking dish. Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl until smooth; set aside. Combine the bread crumbs and ¼ cup parmesan cheese in a separate bowl until evenly mixed. Dip the walleye fillets into the beaten egg, then press into the bread crumb mixture. Place into the prepared baking sheet. Season the fish with garlic salt and pepper to taste. Spoon melted butter over the coated fish. Sprinkle the fish with the remaining ¼ cup parmesan cheese (adding more if you like). Bake in the preheated oven until the fish is opaque in the center and flakes easily with a fork, about 20 minutes. Serve baked fish with lemon wedges and tartar sauce.