Being Mindful of your environment

November 19, 2014

Found this wonderful affirming information in my inbox today and thought I would share.  Written.....by Bhava Ram

Being mindful of what environments you choose to be in and what you expose your consciousness to is essential for emotional balance and wellness. I invite you to explore six simple steps to improve your emotional wellness today.

• Turn Off the Tube: TV invades your consciousness and fries your mind. Click it off. Instead, read an inspiring book, listen to soft music, or choose a creative endeavor that you’ve been longing to try.
• Turn on Nature: Get out in nature more often. Her rhythms are soothing and healing. Try to catch some sunrises and sunsets. Go to a beach, a bay, a park, or take a gentle hike in the mountains. This is how you feed your mind nourishing, natural food.
• Avoid Crowd and Loud: Take a break from noisy, crowded environments. They only clutter and cloud your mind.
• Release Dramas: Try letting go of all the opinions, judgments, and dramas that swirl around in your mind. They don’t change much of anything, but they do stress you out.
• Find Stillness and Silence: Teach yourself to “just be.” Sit for five minutes every day and follow your breath. Notice how it makes you feel.
• Affirm Yourself: Tell yourself you are calm and relaxed again and again. Believe in your capacity to take charge of your emotional life, feed your mind nourishing thoughts, and heal.

Holiday Spirit

November 17, 2014

Yes....feeling Festive. Getting every drip of the Christmas traditions in our home before we have our Cruiser Christmas next year!!!!

1st Ornaments.....their very own picture balls.   Memories.....

   

I know it's before Thanksgiving.....but we have friends who put Christmas decorations up by midnight on Halloween!   So we are coming to the party tardy!

           

I have Adele station playing on Pandora and just FEELING in the moment.

I think we need to host a Dessert and Drinks night soon!

One Year from Now...

November 16, 2014

Today we went to Sandy Point Beach in town and walked down this path to the beach on this chilly day.  

We strolled, picked up rocks and sea glass and brought to the boys attention that one year from now we will all be together on Nemetona in the British Virgin Islands strolling a beach in much warmer weather and crystal clear waters.   

It was a great day of reflection and anticipation of things to come.  Taking this moment NOT to think about all that needs to get done and just share in each others company is...priceless.

Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication. ~Leonardo DaVinci

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Thoughts and inspiration from Mark Twain

November 14, 2014

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do,

than by the ones you DID do. 

So throw off the bowlines. 

Sail away from the safe harbor. 

Catch the trade winds in your sails. 

Explore. 

Dream. 

Discover.

-Mark Twain

You may be disappointed in less than 20 years, so....

 what are you going to do TODAY?

Top 20 cruising realities no-one talks about! by Jackie Parry

A fun article David found on Sail-World.com by Jackie Perry

Here it begins.....

I didn’t talk to my husband for two days when his peculiar answers to my naïve nautical questions reached my bewildered ears. Back then, as a mere fledgling to sailing, my raw researching met brutal honesty. Seeking a sailboat and home, to travel the planet, I tried to grasp the financials and what, exactly, was I letting myself in for. .....

To read the rest click the caption below...

Sail world article

Moments

November 11, 2014

Moments

Got a call while filming a commercial for Kelly Financial on the 28th of October from the Collision Center that the van was brought to after our car accident.  Hoping it was the results from the appraiser, so we know what direction to move in...I checked voice mail.  Apparently the appraiser cannot do his duty without the keys.

So after our shoot was "A Wrap"...I drove from Braintree to Newport to hand over the keys.  First I went to the van and grabbed the 3 bags of clothes and 4 pairs of shoes we were going to drop off at the Big Brothers, Big Sisters of RI, among other items strewn across the Mom mobile.

One item I found in a tiny space was a small shell I picked up in New Zealand two years ago Christmas from the beach in Tuaranga.  It was not in an obvious spot.  When I leaned over from the passenger seat to peer into the little opening near the steering wheel, I saw it and I felt a warmth in my chest and a smile slowly turning up the corner of my lips.

This little snail shell represents an amazing time in my life When connecting with the universe, connecting with others in a deeper way and self exploration was at it's height.  I was exploring being a student of my life and not taking on the angst or emotions of others - which allowed me to explore and be at peace with who I was at that time.

While vacationing with David's family and taking daily strolls on that beach - I found these tiny shells to be prolific along the shoreline.  I picked up as many as I could - I was like a hoarder of shells. Pockets filled and I would come back to the apartment and clean them for I wanted to bring them home.

Not to add clutter to our home in the states, but to remind me of the most peaceful moments that were evoked in those sandy meditative strolls.    I wasn't collecting shells I was collecting Moments.
And it was those moments I wanted to bring home.  Each shell representing a moment.

A moment of simplicity.  A moment of peace.  A moment of reflection.  A moment of sea spray.  A moment of feeling the earth below my feet.  A moment alone.  A moment with family.  A moment to celebrate me.  A moment to share.  A moment to see the excellence within.  A moment to dream.  A moment to realize.   A moment to meditate.  A moment to realize potential.  A moment to be present. A moment.......

As I walked that beach - the peace I felt and the connection I felt with nature - was paramount.  And these shells represented each thought, each moment I pondered as I strolled with the sea mist on my face.   You can add your own moment to that list...it just takes a moment of turning your attention inward.  Thinking simply.

I look forward to the these moments during our year on the boat.

I cleaned and brought home a bunch of them - and handed them out to an amazing group of women who took a chance and ventured on a journey of Extreme Self Care with me.  This gift from nature from a far away land was a reminder to them and to you - that we always have an opportunity to reflect on our own individual MOMENTS!  

What are your moments?

Total Loss

November 8, 2014

Total Loss to some may seem like a negative outcome.   Total meaning complete and Loss is something you will never regain.

In the light of the sky and the beauty of earth, 'Total Loss'  does not mean that at all for me.
It brings a happy heart to say we have recently been told that we have a total loss.

Let me begin....October 25th driving back from our younger son's soccer game we got into a car accident.  (We are all fine!  Even with the air bags deployed, thank god we were all wearing seat belts!)

This even may seem unfortunate to most people and at least a major inconvenience.  As it turns out it has been a blessing in disguise.

We just decided two days prior that we would Sell the minivan prior to departing on our sailing journey.    We did not want to pay the loan, car insurance and taxes on it while we were away not using the vehicle.  So the plan was to sell the car and pay off the loan next September.  Just keeping Dave's Toyota Tundra (which is paid off) to do the grunt work this next year and when we return. (Paying for insurance and taxes for one car is plenty!!)

I am talking hours after the crash, I felt a real calm through my soul with this realization.  Affirmed that this accident was a blessing.  It opened my eyes up to another option:
1.  Car gets repaired.  We sell it. Pay the Loan off.  Buy cheap used car to drive until we depart.
2.  Car gets totaled.  Get check.  Pay the Loan off.  Buy cheap used car to drive until we depart.

This accident led us to a decision we never even considered!  Sell the Car NOW, pay off the loan and live the year prior to departure Car Loan free!  Thousands saved.

As it turned out - this past week we got the official call from our insurance agent that the 2011 Toyota Sienna has been a TOTAL LOSS.

This is how it looked after the assessor evaluated it.  

A TOTAL LOSS.......TOTAL LOSS.

Great, Implement the NEW PLAN.  Pay off the loan, buy a used car to get us through the year.
And BONUS, now we can even keep it while we are cruising, so we do not have to spend the first few weeks when we return looking for a car while unpacking the boat, moving back into the house, getting ready for school.....etc....etc...)

So here we are - the NEW PLAN in effect.  Below is a picture of our wonderful 'new' to us, used car to carry us through this next year and when we return.

2005 VW Passat Wagon

This car reminds me of my first car out of college I paid cash for - a Dodge Colt hatchback, stick shift, Silver.   This car hugs me the way that one did.  (Plus it has Heated seats and a moonroof!  Bonus.)

I (we) could not be happier - the answer to the car question was answered early.
Thank you Universe for providing!!

Family

Looking forward to many nights like this one next year and into 2016!!!!

Love our family with all my heart!

Old Man Winter

November 2nd, 2014

WOW..Brrrrrrrrr.
Old Man Winter Blew in hard today.   37 degrees F, rain with Snow and we actually had accumulation...(we saw the roof tops as we drove David to the airport on his way to Orlando!!)

Thank goodness we already took the Dodger and Bimini off the boat AND the outboard and dinghy.

Trying to plan ahead, and think about order.  Some type of order.  As we removed cushions, sheets, towels from the boat....we then cleaned and boxed most items and are storing them in order.  (Well trying)!

My mind is a rage of thoughts and it is hard to turn the cognitive machine off at night.  Scraps of ideas written down so I do not forget simple ideas to help ease the transition.  Especially the transition from house to boat a few months prior to departure (with two young boys aboard!)

I need to get as much order in my mind now - Before the 2-3 months of living aboard prior to doing the passage southward.  Think about it - things will be needed, moved and eaten that I will have to replace, repack and put on checklists so that we do not forget anything for the longer trip (when a Food Store is not easy access.)

But, Maybe it will be easy??  Practice makes perfect.  I will get 2 months worth of homeschooling practice before we depart US waters......that's a good thing!  Right.   I can practice putting food supplies in Tupperware without bringing any cardboard onto the boat.....and I will have washer and dryers available.

OK OK I am talking myself off the cliff............see what fatigue brings.  Glad I have a rational mind if I talk things through.  Thanks for listening!

DON'T LIVE SOMEBODY ELSE'S DREAM....by Elizabeth Gilbert

Below are some Words from the wise....from Elizabeth Gilbert who wrote Eat, Pray , Love

Her sentiment I agree with fantastically.  Although some decisions to stay central to who I am are more difficult than others.....she certainly sums it up below.   

Thought of the Day: 

DON'T LIVE SOMEBODY ELSE'S DREAM.

Dear Ones -

I found this picture today that my husband took of me in 2011, doing research for THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS. This photo captures exactly what I did for three straight years. I sat in a chair, reading books about botany, evolution, abolition, women's history, missionaries, Dutch 18th century commerce, and more...in order to fill my brains (and index cards) with enough information to write that novel.

There is no situation in which I could possibly be happier than this — submerged in the vocation that I love, vanishing for hours a day into my work.

Un-showered, greasy hair, eyes tired, totally falling down the rabbit hole of research...this is me, living my dream.

I was thinking today about all the other paths that I did not take in life, no matter how shiny and appealing they may have looked. I've had the possibility of living so many different kinds of life that could have been a dream for somebody else. I never choose those lives. I've never lived the dreams that other people wanted for themselves — nor have I lived the dreams that other people may have wanted for me.

I never had children...because that's somebody else's dream.

I never took the opportunities that were offered to me after the success of EAT PRAY LOVE to have a TV show of my own...because that's somebody else's dream.

I never took a good steady job teaching writing at a nice college...because that's somebody else's dream.

I didn't remain in Bali or Rome, gorgeous as those places are...because that's somebody else's dream.

I turn down 99% of the invitations I get to attend to fancy parties and stellar gatherings...because that's somebody else's dream.

I sold my big beautiful house with its fabulous gardens and lovely library...because one day I looked around at that gorgeous home and realized: "This is somebody else's dream." (Happily, I sold the house to the family whose dream it actually was. So we all win.)

I never hired a team of personal assistants and staff and consultants to help me "grow my brand"...because that's somebody else's dream.

I know what makes me come to life — working on my books — and this picture tells the whole story. Knowing what makes me come to life has helped me to distinguish between my dreams and the dreams of others.

WHAT MAKES YOU COME TO LIFE?

Ask yourself this question, whenever you are given any choice or opportunity. Ask: "Will saying YES to this path bring me closer to the source that brings me to life? Or will it take me further away?"

No matter how alluring, no matter how beautiful, no matter how sparkling and fancy and delicious — do not say YES to other people's dreams.

Do your own thing. Live in your own waking dream. Stubbornly.

Even if it means not washing your hair for a week. (ESPECIALLY if it means that!)

ONWARD,
LG

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