In the Navy...

October 29, 2014

So we have a friend who is retired Army and teaches at the War College here in Newport.  

He so lovingly pointed out during our annual Cub Scout Halloween party this evening, that the trip for our boys is akin to a 'Tour of Duty'.

We have effectively recruited two young men, who will be deployed for 10 months aboard Nemetona, serving in the Caribbean waters off of the British Virgin Islands southward.

Then he went on to quote a few lyrics from the Village People.... for those of us more excited about reading this post, check out the official music video!   

To see the Music Video - In the Navy....click here

You just Gotta Love Jon Scott!!

"In the Navy"

Where can you find pleasure
Search the world for treasure
Learn science technology
Where can you begin to make your dreams all come true
On the land or on the sea
Where can you learn to fly
Play in sports and skin dive
Study oceanography
Sign up for the big band
Or sit in the grandstand
When your team and others meet

In the navy
Yes, you can sail the seven seas
In the navy
Yes, you can put your mind at ease
In the navy
Come on now, people, make a stand
In the navy, in the navy
Can't you see we need a hand
In the navy
Come on, protect the mother land
In the navy
Come on and join your fellow man
In the navy
Come on people, and make a stand
In the navy, in the navy, in the navy (in the navy)

They want you, they want you
They want you as a new recruit

If you like adventure
Don't you wait to enter
The recruiting office fast
Don't you hesitate
There is no need to wait
They're signing up new seamen fast
Maybe you are too young
To join up today
But don't you worry 'bout a thing
For I'm sure there will be
Always a good navy
Protecting the land and sea

In the navy
Yes, you can sail the seven seas
In the navy
Yes, you can put your mind at ease
In the navy
Come on be bold and make a stand
In the navy, in the navy
Can't you see we need a hand
In the navy
Come on, protect the motherland
In the navy
Come on and join your fellow man
In the navy
Come on be bold and make a stand
In the navy, in the navy, in the navy (in the navy)

They want you, they want you
They want you as a new recruit

Who me?

They want you, they want you
They want you as a new recruit

But, but, but, I'm afraid of water.
Hey, hey look
Man, I get seasick even watchin' it on the TV!

They want you, they want you in the navy

Oh my goodness.
What am I gonna do in a submarine?

They want you, they want you in the navy

In the navy
Yes, you can sail the seven seas
In the navy
Yes, you can put your mind at ease
In the navy
Come on be bold and make a stand
In the navy, in the navy
Can't you see we need a hand
In the navy
Come protect the motherland
In the navy
Come on and join your fellow man
In the navy
Come on be bold and make a stand

(Way more lyrics than I ever thought!!!)

Food Saver

October 28th, 2014

Ok you may think I am ridiculous.........but I love my Food Saver.  

And no this is not an ad for the product but simply a raving review of a kitchen appliance I love (soon to be a Galley appliance I love).

Not only do I use it when I make 6 pounds of breaded chicken breasts (like we just did yesterday) but this little air sucking device is going to come in VERY handy on our trip.

Our friends who did the Caribbean trip would catch some of the most amazing fish while trawling to their next destination.   And they used their Vacuum Sealer a lot.  

Not only will it keep our deep freezer from smelling, it will ultimately save space.

Think about that for a minute.....we need to save space.  

Space is a VALUABLE commodity on a boat.  And even if you find space - it may not be in the shape you are looking for.  Some of the smaller compartments are oddly shaped or tucked in an un-accessible space.

Which brings me back to another common theme...STUFF.  I wish we could Vacuum seal all the stuff we are leaving behind so we did not need to rent a storage unit.  We do plan on down sizing and ridding ourselves of everything but the absolute essentials.

For we do plan on returning to RI when our adventure comes to an end, but while we are away we need to rent it out....hence our need to put things in storage.

I have to say I really do look forward to this next 'year of the purge'!  

No better motivation to clear out the clutter than the opportunity to spend many months with the family you love, with ONLY the things you absolutely need.

SIMPLICITY.

The Best Costume Ever

October 27, 2014

OK - Can I say I feel Lucky to have married a multi-talented man?  Well I AM LUCKY!  

We only knew each other months before we got engaged and nearly 1 year to the day after we met, we got married.  
In between that year, he traveled all around the world doing regatta's and then went back home to New Zealand.   Now much of the time spent together we traveled; Boston, Newport, RI, Washington, D.C. and of course New Zealand.    He being Itinerant and I still living with my wonderful parents after college it was not your usual courtship.   

He had a sailing career and I had many fulfilling jobs I was doing simultaneously.  Following my spirit where it led.  High School Girls Soccer Coach, Certified Massage Therapist, Film Production company in NYC, Acting, and part-time bookkeeping.  All things that kept me fulfilled and kept me busy.  Whether or not it paid big bucks did not matter - I was living a very fulfilled life!!  

We wed in June 1997 and moved to Connecticut.  A nice 2 bedroom apartment sufficed and we started married life.  All yardwork done and major repairs were part of the cost of the apartment complex.  Then we moved to another apartment in Auckland, New Zealand for the 2000 America's Cup while David worked on America True.  Then we moved back to yet another apartment in CT.  All of which did not require much in the way of maintenance.

Where am I going with this you ask?  Well...It was not until we purchased our first home in CT that I found out what an amazing craftsman my husband of 4 years really was.  We did maintenance and remodeling to this house that was envisioned by him.  We worked very well together.  And to my surprise - he was a gifted craftsman.  Not a surprise like "I can't believe it"...but a Pleasant surprise for I never even thought to have that on my 'check' list of what I was looking for in a spouse.  I had asked him some questions in the first month after we met like "Have you ever been arrested?" or "Are you a serial rapist hiding in America running away from authorities in your own country?"  You know crazy questions like that.  (By the way neither of those apply!)

So to add to this wonderful, juicy side of my husband.....I was thrilled to see him this year help me sew together a Halloween costume for our oldest son.  The simplicity of the gesture, of something he knows so well from being a sailmaker, and bringing it INTO the house for his sons to see. Words cannot express!

One of Dave's many talents

He sewed with speed and accuracy "THE BEST COSTUME EVER!" (Words out of Liam's mouth).

I know part of Dave's reason for taking on this task was to keep me from spending 4 hours doing it while we COULD have been snuggling on the Bean Bag couch with me instead.  

His selfish reason turned into one of sheer emotional connection to him.  He sewed while I made the hat and button for Liam.  We were in the same place, at the same time, doing a common task.  This is a RARE occasion with two very busy boys in sports and scouts with business travel mixed in.  I can truly say this MOMENT has made the reason for this trip even Clearer!

Liam is Ash Ketchum from Pokemon

I truly look forward to Many, Many more of these moments when we are on our Caribbean adventure and we spend those COMMON MOMENTS WORKING TOGETHER on the 

SAME GOAL in SINGULAR FASHION!

Obstacles & decisions

Sunday, October 26th, 2014

Whip Lash aside we are ok the day after the car accident.  

We had our last sleep over of the season and woke this morning to a beautiful Blue Sky!   This will be our last as we removed all the bedding, mattresses and cushions to prepare for winterizing and the installation of our last few items for our long haul trip next year.  

It is such a thing to decide, do we remove all this stuff or keep it on board.  If we leave it and deal with the constant moving of stuff in the middle of winter (brrr) to access the areas we need (while cursing under our breath) to hook up the many parts of the water maker and the 2nd macerator.  Hmmmm....it probably took more time contemplating this decision than actually getting on with it.  And for the minimal effort it took to remove I think it was a wise decision.    All smiles (even with an ice pack on my neck from the accident yesterday)!   



October 25th, 2014

Cheers....
to all the obstacles we will face in the next year......and to OVERCOMING them!!!

Here is the most recent....setback.... which kept us from getting boat related items done earlier in the day.

Looks worse than it is, we are all fine, no one hurt. But this little fender bender definitely helped temper the enthusiasm and yet gave me the broader perspective and reflection that .... we are going to have other moments like this coming up in the next year, the year on the boat and always throughout our lives. 

And it all goes back to that saying:

"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." - Charles R. Swindoll

I think I am the type where it is 90% SILVER LINING or 90% glass half FULL!

We were actually just talking about what we were going to do with the van when we leave, for we cannot afford to continue making payments on it while we are on the water.
Hmm........if the universe had something to say about it, she sure wasn't quiet! Time will tell and it will all work out the way it is suppose to be. 

The road we travel...

October 22, 2014

This past week has been the do or don't time. We actually sat down and looked at budgeting.....this time last year our hopes of leaving Fall of 2014 were dashed at the realization we did not have enough clams to make the trip happen.This week, once we realized we are our own 'cerebral obstacles', we embraced the thought of actually having the funds to get there! Sheer Excitement!

Needless to say there was a lot of joy behind this page. Now to decide if we will go 'all out' with our own webpage, just a blog spot or simply FB. Decisions, Decisions....I might as well enjoy these simple decisions before the really hard and or complicated ones arise in the next year before departing!

We just have to remember to CELEBRATE all of life's choices......even the hard ones. YOLO

You Only Live Once!

October 23rd, 2014

You know you are a sailor going on a long trip when you get SUPER EXCITED to hear....."Just ordered the water maker......we are definitely going now!" WOOHOO!
Solar Panels and water maker.....looks like we can get off the grid for a wee while. 

October 24th, 2014

Duffel Bag and a Bike.

Sounds simple right. Not much to it. 

Well, this is all that David came to America with 20 years ago.

Flash forward to now...and anxiety fills the air over the amount of STUFF that has accumulated. A house full of it. So much stuff that 2 days ago it almost derailed our Joy of going on this trip.

When we started discussing renting the house out for a year the thoughts of emptying the house shot a crippling bolt of lightning down our spines. 

There is a saying "What enters into everyday life, soon becomes an unnoticed part of it". Well it is so TRUE!

Just looking in each room at the things we have gotten use to surrounding us, all of a sudden seemed like a terrible burden. 

This fear hit David hard. The proof of that came while I was at Cub Scouts Leading my Bear Den. I came home to 3 bags of clothes David sorted out of our closet as donations! (Note the Joy meter started to rise again). Phew.

I had not felt the depth of despair David felt that night - for we have an amazing friend who also happens to be an amazing organizer. 2 years ago she transformed my thinking and our house by digging into the depths of my mind and clutter. She gave me the time, love and guidance I needed to jump my own 'mind laden hurdles' and get on with IT! She helped un-clutter my kitchen, linen closet, storage room, Clothes closet, junk drawers (all 7) and most recently my office. 

https://www.facebook.com/erica.a.conway?fref=ts

Thank you does not come close!

So I have to say, David's purge has inspired me to go through my clothes again! And helping my parent's in September unload 46 years from the house I grew up in for their move to Florida, has inspired me to just GET RID of the Minutia! Now I just need to find the time...for my mind is READY!

Donation pile going to Big Brothers, Big Sisters

Summer of 2014

This year we made plans to See if we could manage aboard Nemetona for one month.  Of course - this is a true test for our bigger dream of a year away aboard our lovely Sacred Space!

Happy to say in hindsight....it was a Marvelous Success!

I will add more to this when time permits..just know this is leading to our Bigger Dream come true!

Snuggle time! 

Baby Shark off 3rd Beach!   

 Casual Cal

 Captain Dave!

 My Lovely, wonderful, compact set of Pots and Pans for our boat!  I am in LOVE!

My house never looked so organized!!!   

I was trained well and have a wonderful example in my friend Erica!