Retreat and Reconnect

Howdy, Neighbor. People have been telling Phil he’s a good storyteller for a long time… so we are trying something new and pretty-much non-sales Just sharing occasional sweet stories, tall tales, and life lessons learned around these parts. Northwoods Notes are a new, semi-bi-irregular peek into the heart and mind of Phil Frasier… you can read or listen… whichever you prefer… and you are receiving a copy because you’re a current customer of Frasier’s Plumbing and Heating, Inc. We think you’ll like them, but you can unsubscribe any time by clicking on the link at the bottom. But we hope you give us a chance!

Listen:

Read:

When I was a kid, I hated writing out valentines and handing them out to classmates at school.

I mean, the candy was good and the messages were funny. But the cards and the hearts? Ugh. No way. As a young man, I wanted nothing to do with Valentine’s Day.

Then, I got married. And February 14^th became a little more important.

I remember one Valentine’s Day when Joanna and I were still newlyweds and attended our first ever marriage retreat.

It was the stupidest thing. They just hung sheets between all the couples’ beds… and the beds were BUNK BEDS.

If you taught a class on how NOT to do a marriage retreat, this would be lesson number one.

That was the first and last “official” marriage retreat we ever attended.

But we’ve enjoyed many of our own marriage retreats ever since. Just Joanna and me. That’s the way we like it.

This year, we went to Little Palm Island Resort & Spa in Little Torch Key, Florida.

It’s designed with one thing in mind… to unplug and reconnect.

No cell phones. No TV. No internet. No laptops at the pool. They won’t even let you use your phone in public.

You just let life happen as it happens. And you do it together. On island time… with no clock.

We kayaked. Sat on the dock. Ate whatever we wanted to eat. Watched sunrises. Watched sunsets. Took naps. Whatever we wanted to do, that’s exactly what we did.

We also each enjoyed some me-time. Joanna got to sleep in and went to the spa. I sat on the dock, smoked a cigar, read, and fished.

It’s important for us to be together, but it’s also important for us to have time alone.

These retreats are our Valentine’s Day gifts to each other… whether it’s February 14^th, July 22^nd, or October 1^st.

We’ve done everything from a cabin without power in Northwest, WI to our little island somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic.

But you don’t have to travel north or south to enjoy some time with the love of your life. You can find your own little getaway right here in the Northwoods. Whether it’s one of our own resorts or a tent in your own backyard.

I hope you and your Valentine can retreat, recharge, and reconnect.

Just don’t expect any of those dumb little classroom Valentines from me.

Take care, neighbor. Take good care.

P.S. from Joanna – Don’t let Phil kid you. He always picks an awesome card and knows exactly what to write inside. He also gives me a different beautiful flower every year. So, yeah, he’s a big softie. But you didn’t hear it from me.