Not enough time

Aboard Milagro

The next six days went by way too quickly. Still, it was good to have some time to discuss future plans without distractions and other responsibilities and obligations. I had been certain that I was doing the right thing by giving Larry the freedom to follow his dream, to sail around the world or at least to New Zealand. A year ago I simply could not see myself sailing for weeks or months, perhaps being sick much of the time, facing wild storms or doldrums, always at the mercy of the sea and weather systems. I knew that lack of honest enthusiasm on my part would diminish Larry's pleasure in the adventure  And quite honestly I had been missing the family connection: I watched grandchildren grow up in pictures on facebook, unable to be present at special moments in their lives. I wanted to leave some positive mark in this world and I was pretty sure it would never be  as a world-class sailor! At the time it seemed the proper choice for both of us and we were at peace with the decision for me to return to the States and him to return to the sea.
I believe I can speak for Larry when I say that although we went our separate ways for awhile we both came to the same conclusion: we belong together.
 So we talked and in between talks we worked on a few projects that needed our attention. Larry fixed the shower sump and I polished steel above deck and teak below. Occasionally we played hooky and watched a movie in the middle of the day. And we managed to make time for some great meals, time for good friends, and especially, time for each other.

Mike with his auto harp

On Tuesday evening we invited a fellow cruiser, Mike, for dinner and music. Mike was to have 6 teeth removed by a local dental surgeon on Wednesday and I thought it would be nice to distract him with a home-cooked meal and some entertainment. Larry grilled steak and vegetable kabobs and we had baked potatoes and fresh steamed broccoli and some of those delicious bakery rolls one finds in the larger groceries. After dinner we went up on deck, Larry with his guitar and Mike with his auto harp. My cello was back in the States, but I was looking forward to being a listener. We were soon joined by several other cruisers and the guys played well into the night. Our new friends and and next boat neighbors, Kim and Harvey, joined us and Harvey borrowed

Harvey plays and sings a beautiful song in Russian

Larry's travel guitar. He was apologetic about his musicianship but surprised us by being excellent player with a fine voice. The music ran the gamut from Woody Guthrie to the Eagles. Larry had a new favorite, a Gillian Welch tune called "Dear Someone," which he played (for practice, of course) each time a newcomer came aboard. We all laughed when he offered to play the song for the 4th or 5th time but it was truly beautiful.

Even the dog was appreciative

We had a splendid evening and  parted after 10:00 with a promise to take Mike to his appointment the next day and to meet Kim and Harvey for dinner later that week.