Embrace cottage culture; you won’t be lonely long

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This article was published 20/04/2025 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: I bought an old cabin at the end of last summer season. I’m more excited about getting that cabin than I was when I got my first new bicycle at age seven! It needs a lot of work and I’ve been sketching plans all winter, and getting ready to build an addition and spruce the place up.

My girlfriend had been saying she was excited for me and my cabin, but last night I found out it was all a lie. She said she was “sick to death” of hearing about some “stupid cabin in the bush.” It came out that she’s afraid of deep lakes, doesn’t swim well or enjoy boating, and doesn’t like building or doing renovations.

I told her I wasn’t changing my cabin plans, and she said, “Well, that’s it then. See ya later, Smokey the Bear!” She wasn’t laughing.

I’m guessing she thought we wouldn’t last all winter anyway, so all this didn’t matter.

My cabin is in a semi-remote area, not in a cluster of cabins. I love it that way, but I don’t want to be all alone, either! In fact, I had dreamed of exploring everything around it with this girlfriend in my canoe, and making love with her on empty beaches. Now what? I’m all on my own with this project now, and I’m not really a loner. How do I meet a lake-loving woman in a hurry?

— Mr. Disappointment, North Kildonan

Dear Mr. Disappointment: Meeting a new woman in a hurry is a bad idea.

Rather than worrying about that situation, instead think: “This is the year I expand my whole world!” Go off to the lake with a couple of buddies and start on your building projects together.

Be sure to hit the nearest towns to your cottage for your building materials, advice, carpentry help — whatever you need. And don’t treat the storekeepers like city clerks. Befriend them, ask advice, talk about your life and theirs. Also, invite people out to see your exciting cabin project.

When word gets out that a nice single guy and his friends are doing a fun project nearby, you’ll be surprised at the country and cottage people you’ll get to know, as advisers and friends. Maybe you don’t need a city girl as your next love, as much as you need a lake-loving country girl who can swing a mean hammer in the daytime, and hold you close at night!

Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: My past has come back to haunt me. I just heard last week that my ex-husband has come back to the city, and has given up my main competition — the bottle! He had been living out west and has been sober for four years now, according to the gossipy friend who called me to report the news.

The only thing I couldn’t love about him was his relationship with liquor. I decided to call him today, so I did. He told me never to call him again! He said he had to move away and get sober without my help and support, and he has a new lady now.

I couldn’t believe he was so high-handed with me. Deep down I still care, and I was thinking of giving him a second chance. What do you think?

— Shocked Ex-Wife, Winnipeg

Dear Shocked: Your ex-husband is angry because he recognized you were making a pass at him now that he’s sober — and you somehow thought that was fine. You have no idea what kind of hell he went through — losing you, being addicted to alcohol and finally getting sober. To come onto him, when he was finally winning in his life, made him understandably angry. Leave him alone now.

Please send your questions and comments to lovecoach@hotmail.com or Miss Lonelyhearts c/o the Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6.

Maureen Scurfield
Advice columnist

Maureen Scurfield writes the Miss Lonelyhearts advice column.

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