A DAY AT THE LAKE- HOW IT ALL BEGAN | Beatrice Bradley

Spring Fed: Life Lived with Unusual Adventure and Grace

As a little girl, I developed a wonder of all the Nature around me, in a small, Wisconsin town where I grew up. We lived near Turtle creek, and it was a source of wildflowers, tadpoles, a meadow, and lovely trees. I spent a lot of time outdoors exploring and discovering the attractive ecosystem that lives by the water.

Every Summer, our family made a pilgrimage to Pelican Lake in northern Minnesota, a ten-hour trip by car. The drive itself gave me hours of imagined adventures. I would sink, behind the driver’s seat, and lay on the floor, listening to the rhythm of the car on the road. I pretended to be on the Orient Express train, off to seek adventure in a faraway land. And then we arrived…..

Pelican Lake is a fantastic boating, swimming, and fishing lake with crystal clear water. The lake is Spring Fed, meaning it has small holes in the sandy bottom, which continuously help replenish the freshwater. As a child, I would dive down to the bottom of the lake and move across the sand, feeling the “puff” of cool, fresh water against my skin. In this small moment, I got lost in the feeling of Nature’s “renewal,” all the world’s problems slipped away. Then late in the day, the magnificent fireball of the Sun started to set towards the horizon as dusk crept in and from my vantage point on Sunset Beach, where I also saw the Sunrise, the daily Circle of Life completed its cycle.

Armchair Travel

All of us need to find a place in life where you can go to renew and rejuvenate. A place to let Nature and the surroundings envelop you and make you forget all that is weighing you down, causing you stress. You may not be as fortunate as I am to have had a grandfather with a vision to buy a lake place for a unique family retreat—a retreat which he purchased in 1946 with all the money he had. You can, however, make your special place wherever you are, wherever you travel. Take time from your busy schedule and seek Nature in a form that makes you forget your troubles and entices you to explore.

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Look to this blog, Spring Fed, for imaginative and unique suggestions of places to travel, to seek out beauty and solace. I also want to publish content about beauty, fragrance, and skincare, which are fascinating to me. We should discuss new foods to try or new things to come home and cook, and explore ideas on wonderful shopping experiences. Embrace adventure and Be Fearless.
Today after years of traveling for business, I have been graced with seeing many places in the world which allow for similar “lost in the moment” feelings. As I take in the surrounding natural beauty, noting flowers, smelling fragrances, counting beautiful butterflies, or birds fly by, I can let go of my worries. I urge you to seek your special place(s).

I have created the Beatrice Bradley brand of accessories to help women organize, to put lovely “looks” together, and to travel well if they choose. Casual beauty comes not only from outward appearances but also from inner joy, peace, and happiness found while exploring life and Nature.

The woman who most helped me have the courage to travel on my own into unknown places (India, Thailand, China, and many more) was my grandmother Beatrice Bradley. My brand is an homage to her fearless attitude. And to all the women mentors who pushed me to create my own business and press on even when times were tough. Stay tuned for lots of new adventures. Please comment on this or other blogs, let’s start the dialog.