Suspended...

Adventure...?

Take the picture!! It's time for ice cream!

I started out the weekend packing, not just for me but for Buddi, too. Don't know how I managed to forget that I needed to bring Buddi with me. Packing for the bird meant her travel cage, a bag with her pellets, seed, treats, toys and "happy hut:" two trips to the car. Then I packed my big book bag with library books (seven for Anna alone), paper, "workbooks," dry erase board, crayons, markers: trip number three. Duffel bag with clothes, toiletries, medications and a couple of things on hangars for church on Sunday as well as a few non-meat items to satisfy my vegetarian diet. Trip number four. One person and one small bird...ridiculous!

Anna & Gracie cook breakfast; Levi tastes.

The kiddos are a bit out of sorts what with Mom and Dad away for a long period and different sets of adults, with different rules bossing them around in different ways! Still, the girls pitched in preparing and helping to prepare many of the meals...without complaint, I might add. They are really good cooks! The boys did their jobs when asked to on Saturday and when the weather turned nasty we hunkered down with a couple movies and some computer time as well. I felt obliged to reprimand three of the boys at one point for what seemed to me to be nonstop physical battles. The older one told me, for the umpteenth time, that's just what boys do and it's FUN! I found myself repeating my mother's words: sure, it's always fun until someone gets hurt. Which by the way, was occurring with regularity. Guys, I told them (not quite that calmly), you can beat each other silly when your parents are here but kicking, punching, pounding the snot out of and, yes, biting each other are not allowed on the Mimi's watch.

Caleb climbs the stairs...his way.

I didn't win a popularity contest but I think everybody had at least SOME fun this weekend and, except for littlest guy who runs everywhere and bumps into everything and got a couple of knots on his head, everyone survived the weekend relatively unscathed. I think next weekend we need to spend less time working and more time having fun; I'm thinking roasting hot dogs over the fire pit and nighttime hide and seek.

A different kind of adventure...

The whole clan (minus the Captain)

I will be spending this weekend - and the next four weekends - with seven grandchildren and their "other" grandmother, and, for part of the time, their grandfather and Aunt Katy. Their parents have traveled to the Ukraine to adopt two more children (no, that's not a misprint) and they took the current baby, who just turned one. Friends will be doing middle of the week duty with family members responsible on the weekends. I think "babysitting" is not an acceptable term when some of the children are into double digits, so let's just say we will be sharing space and doing a bit of supervising.
There are all kinds of adventures and while I am anxiously awaiting my move back to Mexico and Milagro, while I can't wait to see a whole whale (not just the tail), while I look forward to exotic people, places and food...this is quite an adventure, too.
So check here early next week to discover all of the exciting - or not - things we have done. And please pray that the predicted rain goes elsewhere!
P.S. We'll miss you Teena!!

Finally.....

Happy together...

The long wait is over. All systems are go. For some time now Larry and I have considered the idea of my rejoining him on Milagro. It's hard to believe that we now have a tentative date and are making very specific plans.
We are both excited about this move but are aware of the obstacles to be overcome. Now it's time to shake off the past, enjoy the present and look to the future.
Larry is completing work aboard Milagro and I am committed to helping take care of 7 grandchildren as their parents and baby sister travel to the Ukraine, once again, to adopt. I'm still working on making sure Buddi can get into Mexico and then back into the States; Larry is having  the settee and chairs reupholstered (yaaaaaaay..) I exercise daily and am working hard towards regaining my health and strength.
A dream come true....We've taken a roundabout route but the end result is worth the trouble. I am happy to report that soon we'll begin Milagro's New Adventure.
Hope you'll join us on the journey.

Passport for Buddi

Love and trust...

As Larry and I prepared for our first move to Mexico we had the usual division of labor: he did the outside, heavy-lifting sort of jobs and I was responsible for tasks within the house...with the exception of figuring out how to get our sun conure, Buddi, into Mexico legally. That was an assignment both long and tedious and fell to Larry. He conferred with a local avian veterinarian who instructed him to call the Dept. of Fish & Wildlife; he'd call, get a recording, leave a message and wait, call, get a recording, leave a message and wait and wait.......It took several months to get papers in order for "importation" of our "exotic" bird but with everything finally arranged we were able to cross the border and proceed through enumerable checkpoints with relative ease.

However...when we tried to depart Mexico with Buddi last summer it was a different story. At the border in Tijuana we were stopped, our passports and visas were taken, and we were told to park and "remain in your car." I felt quite the criminal! It seems we neglected to check Buddi out of the U.S (uh, nobody told us about that part!) and the end result of that grievous error was a  $300+ fine, the indignity of having Buddi swabbed by an Agriculture vet, the confiscation Buddi's food

Mmmmm...pancakes and maple syrup

and the quarantining of our beloved pet for 30 days. The final insult, the most absurd part, was when a N.C. Dept. of Agriculture vet came to our daughter's house where we had been staying to check Buddi out after the 30 days. "Shall I take her out of her cage," I asked? "Oh no," she said; "I just have to make sure she's alive.
Well this time, as the current U.S. resident, it will be my job to make the contacts, see that Buddi's existing passport is up to date, get her a medical clearance and try to figure out the current laws. I am able re-enter Mexico and get a  six months visa just by asking for it; Buddi's re-entry will be a bit more difficult.
It's a good thing we love that bird!

Morning coffee with Dad

Four Seasons

I moved into my apartment in Cary, NC in July. The rains had been kind to the area so everything was green. Having lived in a desert region the past year I was captivated by the landscape along with the haze that lingers in the hot summer months. Friends and family complained about the heat but I found temperatures to be comfortable, despite the humidity.

With the advent of Autumn I reveled in brisk cool mornings with pleasant afternoons. It was great to be outside in this weather! Between the beautiful foliage and pleasant temperatures I enjoyed many long walks on the well-planned greenways and in local neighborhoods. A friend and I spent one gorgeous Sunday afternoon wandering among lovely fall gardens, all part of the Fuquay Varina Garden Club Tour.

With winter came near freezing temperatures and a humidity I now found bothersome. Only once did snow dust the ground. I admit to feeling that childlike delight in waking up, looking out my window and seeing huge flakes in the air and snow building up on the ground and the bare branches. But I never got used to the cold...and me a New Hampshire girl born and raised! I was most comfortable under the electric blanket Larry bought me in December.

Spring made an early visit. So many plants and trees were flowering in February. I was delighted to see the early arrival of blossoms and to feel the sun on my face. There is something about the arrival of Spring that makes one glad to be alive. The renewal of the earth brings an interior renewal. I couldn't stifle the urge to deep clean my apartment!

And so the cycle continue. I have always felt the passage of time through the changing of the seasons, no matter how subtle.  Perhaps having an opportunity to feel that passage more intensely during my stay here was all part of the plan.

Deja vu

Looking forward to the cross country trip

The fact that I have "been there, done that" doesn't make the idea of moving to Mexico, once again, any less daunting. But there have been lessons learned:  I now know that I do not need a closet full of clothes. Because drawer and closet space is tight Larry and I tended to wear, and wash, and wear again the same 5 or 6 outfits!
 I've come to accept that my beloved cello is just too bulky to bring aboard a boat. Oh it will fit, but the act of getting it out is such a hassle as to make the playing of it less pleasurable.
 Cooking will nearly always be a simple affair on board a sailboat (at least our sailboat) so only the basic tools are needed and I will skip packing some of the extras.

Got to have the bird!

My Kindle replaces heavy boxes of books; can't live without it and because of its diminutive size I won't have to.
However our sun conure, much like a baby, will require a larger inventory: two cages and a back pack as well as toys (yes, toys) and a large supply of food.
Other than the bare necessities I will pack bottled water, books on CD and a bag of fruit for the cross country trip. That will do nicely, thank you. I just don't need a lot of stuff. The next time I make this trip I will pack lightly...very lightly.

Gorgeous NC autumn

The hardest part will be saying goodbye - again. I have so enjoyed the company of both adult children and grandchildren,
not to mention the friendship of  my son-in-law's mother. Even the daughters who live in Philadelphia and England have been more easily accessible. I will most assuredly miss the increased closeness of family.

Happy together...

I also confess that while I love warm weather it has been a true pleasure experiencing four seasons. ...But oh my goodness, I miss my husband and the life we had together in Mexico.
Should I have stayed there in the first place? That's a moot point. I promised myself - and Larry - no regrets, no recriminations.
So for now both of us are working hard on opposite sides on the continent to put things in order. I'm making lists, deciding what goes where and divesting myself of those items I probably never needed in the first place. I am also in spring cleaning mode so its not pretty around here.

It's a cliche, I know, but life really is full of surprises and there are no guarantees. So I write these plans in the sand - at low tide! - knowing any one of a million things could happen to change those plans, but trusting this time we'll  get it right.

Happy Easter

My Easter chick

Today I will be attending services with family, then gathering at the home with the most children for the big dinner. This is a bittersweet time for me. I love the gathering of the clan. The kitchen is filled with glorious aromas, the house is chaotic with running of little feet, the laughing of the children, the murmurings of the adults. Some members of our blended family will not be present; distance and other complications make the weekend assembly of the entire group impossible for some. But those of us who can make it will have a delightful time.
While I will enjoy those who are here I will miss the presence of those who can not make it. Some live thousands of miles away in other countries, some have other commitments. Whatever their reasons for not being with us, their absence means the gathering is not quite complete.

The family...at the time!

Many years ago I managed to surprise Larry on a special birthday; I coaxed the entire group of children to come to Florida. On the day of his birthday (which also happened to be Thanksgiving that year) the children and grandchildren trooped in, one by one and family by family. Larry was overwhelmed and it was a wonderful celebration. In retrospect I see that gathering was as much for me as for him. I treasure the picture taken that day in spite of sweaty faces and squinty eyes.
It will no doubt be a "happy Easter" today, but I'll think of - and miss - those not present. I just hope they know that.

Mistakes

By the time you get to be my age you should have a pretty fair concept of your own personality flaws. For example (and this is only one of many), I find it extremely difficult to make mistakes, or even worse to put myself in situations where I might make mistakes. This flaw has prevented me from attempting -and thus possibly succeeding- in any number of endeavors throughout my life. I admit that I hate, truly hate, making mistakes.  Even the smallest blunder can cause my face to turn red: I loathe feeling foolish.
I have fought this propensity since childhood and as the years have passed I have come closer to accepting the idea that life is more about enjoying the playing of the game and less about "winning."
 Still, when I was seven, I chose to play in the outfield (it really was a big field and I really was waaaay out there) rather than miss the catch or throw the ball to the wrong base and thus incur the jeering of my older siblings and cousins. As a tween I elected to compete in local, rider friendly, shows so I wouldn't make an error in the ring and bring my horse in third place or worse yet, with no ribbon at all. I left nursing school after a year (even though I had straight A's) because I was afraid of making a mistake which could prove deadly to a patient in my care. I then majored in English which was my strong suit instead of biological sciences which I loved but found more challenging: I didn't want to make a mistake.
What does this have to do with, well, anything you might ask? And if you did I might answer: it is entirely possible that I have at this late juncture made the most colossal mistake of my life. And the most peculiar thing is I thought at the time I was being very gutsy, truly stepping outside of the box. I left my husband in Mexico. Ostensibly the reasoning behind the decision was well thought out. He wanted exciting, adventure-filled sailing; I was a bluebird sailor. I wanted to save the world or at least a part of it; he wanted to do something for himself after years of working hard and being responsible for a large family. There were no bad guys here. But that decision turned out to be a serious error in judgement. Larry hasn't done a great deal of sailing and I haven't even saved a stray dog, and that decision, which was solely mine, placed our marriage in a  vulnerable position. Separation, even for the noblest of motives, opens up the proverbial can of worms; being apart only complicated our lives.
But there is a big life lesson here for me and I have to ask myself if this was really a "mistake?" True I have spent any number of sleepless, lonely nights, but I have also had opportunities to be with children and grandchildren in both joyful and difficult times. I got to see Belize before Larry (tee hee).  I was even able to be on my own and make mistakes!  Larry confirms he has learned a thing or two as well.
I have spent too much of my life planning my future, both immediate and long-term. My take-away lesson?  I am now able to acknowledge that I really don't know what the next hour will bring, let alone the next year. But I look forward to living the remainder of my life without fear of making mistakes....at least most of the time!

Or so I've been told...

Some people are always angry and unfortunately it rubs off;  they love the drama and will manufacture it if it doesn't already exist. Stay far, far away.

Plans...they're just things you write in the sand at low tide.

It's not just a pretty saying:  "If you love something, set it free; if it comes backs it's yours, if it doesn't, it never was."

 It's true, the best things in life ARE free.

"You can either give negativity power over your life or you can choose happiness instead." ~ Anais Nin

Don't poke the bear!

You can cry in your beer if you like;  just know that after a while friends will start drifting away. Family would if they could, but they're stuck.

"Home" at last

Milagro, with captain and  crew aboard, is once again tied up in Marina Palmira. I can't wait to see pictures and hear more stories; I understand there were many whale sightings. And there is a possibility, wait for it, that the captain will author a posting to go along with the pictures.
I hope to be there for the next trip and be able to write a first person account. As nice as it was to be getting the SPOT messages it would be even better to be sending them.

Good SPOT, Good SPOT

Just received an O.K. message; on going to the tracking chart I see another message from 5 hours ago. Maybe there were problems with whole GPS system rather than with our individual SPOT transmitter.
Anyway, Milagro looks to be north of Isla Ceralvo and pointed towards the San Lorenzo Chanel. They still have 5 or 6 hours to go but at least they will be entering La Paz in daylight.

Good news.

Bad SPOT, Bad SPOT

I checked for SPOT messages at 7:00 a.m. today. Unfortunately there are no O.K. messages since last evening and apparently SPOT stopped transmitting around 9:00 p.m. MDT last night. I can see that Milagro had made a turn to the west immediately after last night's dispatch; so while I don't know where the boat is I do know it was at least headed towards it's destination last night.

Hoping the sailing is going well and the only problem aboard is that SPOT is not performing its duties....and that I will have news before the day is over.

Another mmmmmmm......

As I look at the "check-in" positions on the map and then mark and follow Milagro's "track," I begin to wonder what sort of winds are blowing in the sea. In order to reach her initial destination Milagro's course should take a westerly turn, but the track shows her moving north/northeast. It is possible that the destination has changed; however I think it more likely that the winds have caused the captain to sail in this direction then tack back towards the east.  Pure guesswork on my part and it will be interesting to see what has really happened.  Anyway, the all O.K. message came through  about 9:00 EDT and that's good news.

-_-

Received a new O.K. message. I'm guessing it's 12 -14 more hours 'til landfall.

I can hardly wait to hear the captain's voice. And I promise to wait for him to get rested up before asking for pictures of Mazatlan and the crossing.

O.K !

SPOT check-in at 7:00 a.m. Milagro time. Good to hear from her.
As of today Baja Mexico goes on daylight savings time making east coast U.S. time two hours ahead of Milagro's, although I doubt that anyone aboard is concerned about the time difference.
I hope the sun is shining, there is a good brisk wind from the right direction and the seas are comfortable in the Sea of Cortez.

Mmmmmmmmm.....

I wonder. It's doubtful that the man who has always needed reminders for birthdays of children, grandchildren and even close friends has noticed that today is April Fools Day and decide to play a prank on me. So when I awoke early this morning and grabbed my laptop I was surprised - and a little bit concerned - to see that SPOT had not issued an O.K. message in more than 12 hours. I enumerated the possible reasons in my mind: the captain was sleeping off his cold and thus not taking a night watch, it was a beautiful night and the entire crew was enthralled by the night sky, for some reason SPOT was not functioning properly....because surely, Milagro, captain and crew were sailing contentedly and safely somewhere in the Sea of Cortez. Then I remembered (forehead slap), I now have tracking capability.
I immediately went to the SPOT website, entered my user id and password, and began the tracking. And there was Milagro, a teardrop shaped dot, and she had obviously progressed nicely during the night.
I'm still looking forward to the O.K. message I'm sure will come soon, but the tracking information has eased my mind considerably.
How nice it will be to be aboard and know exactly where Milagro is and where she is heading.