Editor's Letter
ote! Vote! Vote! V Yes, vote in our “Best of…” contest. Have a favorite burger? Where’s the best farmer’s market? Most slammin’ sushi? And So. Much. More. Vote online at lakelifemagazine.com. ay THANKS to S someone for being an amazing human. Send your person’s name (no need to explain why) to sue@lakelifemagazine.com. And hey, thank YOU. (See pg. 54 for June’s Gratitude List.)
There was a day before microwaves and microwave popcorn. During said Prehistoric era, Dad had a stainless steel plug-in popcorn maker. It had seen far better days—so Dad dedicated an entire afternoon to fussing, scrubbing, scraping, and cussing it clean. Once finished, the home’s air was cleansed of further expletives, and the result? One very shiny, pretty popcorn popper. And one satisfied dad. Then his daughter very innocently made popcorn on a Friday night. As one might predict, expletive-laden air re-emerged into his home, this time accompanied by a tattle-tale stench of burnt popcorn, and a booming, “Sooo-zanne!!!!” Yeah, so I got in trouble for that one. Apparently, waiting for a commercial break (to check on my popcorn) wasn’t a good excuse. The punishment of RE-scrubbing said machine was just as dissatisfying as the absence of my popcorn whilst lovingly mesmerized by Erik Estrada’s white teeth. CHiPs without popcorn just wasn’t the same. I also learned (after an afternoon of scrubbing) that ‘stainless’ was not synonymous with stain-free. I never did remove all the burnt marks. #lessons. Yes, Dad loved his popcorn maker. He liked his cheese burnt, his horseradish spicy, and tee-times were “not negotiable.” #morelessons. Fluff, frills + bling played no part in his life, but no one wore a tux with as much class, or danced with such effortless charm as did my dad. He was quick to anger, yet offered the most calm, tender, and present company when drying a brokenhearted gal’s tears. He served this great country, and resented those who tore it down. In other words, he was like many dads in the day. And maybe like yours today. Yes, it’s June, the month of dads and official arrival of summer. It’s when we honor dads for who they were, who they are, and as they aspire to be. We say thank you. We appreciate you. We respect you. In June, we jump into the summer month of warm sunshine. It’s time for waterside tunes, smokin’ hot grills, boats humming across the water, amazing sunsets + blazing bonfires by night. June is when we inhale fully, and exhale with contented appreciation for this moment right here. Right now. Yes, it’s the moments—and the people with whom we share them that fulfill. And that’s the theme of this issue. To enjoy and remember each and every darn moment possible. From celebrating the allure of wooden boat ownership to know-how on bass fishing, outdoor kitchen inspiration, making your own refreshing lemon shandy, grabbing some barbeque + brews, where to hit the links, and so much more, just keep turning the pages. It’s all here. And all created for you. So, give Dad the big piece of chicken. Pour him a beer. Embrace his quirks, give him a smile, and wrap him in a hug. Appreciate the small stuff—because like burnt popcorn in a stainless steel pot, it’s the small stuff that sticks—and it never really fades. Warmly,
Sue Executive-Editor-Who-Prefers-Popcorn-The-Old-Fashioned-Way-And-DoesIndeed-Miss-Her-Dad
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LAKElife Magazine June 2022
