North Haven residents had a rare on-island opportunity in the middle of January. Body pampering, having someone to attend to your muscle twinges and twangs, someone to bring the glow back to your winter cheeks and help to unclench the frozen jaw, someone to speak softly while soothing music played in the fuzzy background — these were the offerings at Nebo Lodge.
Three bedrooms were converted to spaces devoted to helping islanders peel away seasonal ennui, while the common room downstairs offered tea, cookies and water as well as conversation — sort of like a barrel stove with a feminine flavor.
About a dozen people took advantage of the 50-minute-long facials and massages.
Open for a year and a half in its second life (its first life as a lodge ended about 50 years ago, having lasted for a good 50 years), Nebo Lodge’s owners brainstormed about winter events that would be fun for islanders and that would enable them to keep the place open during the winter, “allow it to have life in it,” as one of the owners explained. “We’re looking for events that promote the well-being of Nebo as well as islanders.” Waterman’s Community Center is a beehive of activity year-round, but Nebo is promoting more intimate, more cosseting types of activities. Planned weekend diversions/excursions include a spinning/dyeing weekend, a weekend that will focus on herbs for health and cooking, and further assorted massages now that Nebo owns a massage table. Also in the planning stage is another writing workshop after last year’s successful residency. It brought writers from various parts of the country, but also included aspiring and active island writers.
The lodge also plays a part in the greater community. Early last spring, eight students came from the outskirts of Paris as part of North Haven Community School’s exchange program with L’Ecole la Source. Nebo offered a change of venue from the varied and numerous events that took place at Waterman’s Community Center. For the French students, the rarity of a snowfall that yielded enough white stuff to throw snowballs, sled, and just plain frolic, led to chilled toes and noses. Nebo offered hot chocolate and popcorn in front of a fire for just the right celebratory touch. What promises to be an annual event is Nebo’s open house holiday party for the entire community. This time the theme was once again Scandinavian, and included a variety of samplings from the other side of the Atlantic as well as some more familiar local libations.
The day of massages accomplished the outlined goals — not only did it bring islanders into Nebo to give it life, but the beatific and somewhat zoned-out expressions on the faces of those who emerged from the upstairs provided physical evidence of relaxation and stress relief. No blahs here.