Let me update you since we arrived home less than 72 hours ago. It is cold here, so I have checked the calendar four times to make sure it is spring and not fall. It sure feels like I should start making Christmas cookies. This is not a complaint just an observation. Today the high will be 47.
The house is a wreck. Some time during today I realized that all the stuff everywhere came from the boat, I don't remember where we put it. I know that when we return there will be less of it, famous last words. I promised I would not go upstairs empty handed, but now it is all in the loft. I will get to it.
I learned on my trip that lots of the people I met didn't understand my sense of humor. If someone was doing something that I liked I would tell them I was jealous. My friends at home know that I am kidding, that is my way of saying that is really special. I can't name all the times that I said something I thought was funny and the looks on their faces were blank. I don't know, do I have to rethink my sense of humor?
The yard is a mess from not doing the garden, but Rob started cleaning it up with the leaf blower working for hours, it looks so nice now.
I think that it is time for me to dedicate this blog to the people that supported my adventure in many ways. I am a tad concerned about naming the people with the fear that I forget to mention someone, but I will try my best.
First, my husband who listened to me during good times and difficult ones, he taught me how to motor a dinghy and start the engines. He taught me about the instrument panel so I don't blow up the equipment. He has so much faith in me that I can do anything, much more than I have in myself. Sometimes we are in tough situations and I want him to take over the helm but he insists I follow though. Remember the time I was crossing the ICW from Fort Lauderdale to Lake Sylvia in a strong wind with intimidating seas and wanted him to take over, especially when he asked WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!!? He still let me figure it out. He is my friend and I love him very much.
Ken, my nephew who was their for me so many ways when my mom died. He said he would do anything. He saw me at my worse in Penobscot Bay when I was hysterical during a time I thought we were going to collide with rock and could not make myself understood, it was not a pretty picture. I was right if we didn't change course indeed we would have collided with the rocks. He scolded me when I petted a strange cat and had a nasty bite landing me in the ER, I knew he scolded me because he loves me. I would like to name all that he did for me but just so you know the list is endless.
Our neighbors, Barbara and Lenny, who visited us in Florida, collected our mail, sent important mail to us no matter where we were. Barbara understood what this was like for me and let me know that in many ways. They texted and texted which meant they were thinking of us. Barbara kept an eye on the deer in our yard and Lenny performed monthly maintenance on the pellet furnace and generator. Here again there is much more to mention. Let me end with saying I loved being at their house for a pre-Thanksgiving dinner with their friends, Ken and Rob and two students from Colby. One student played the piano and the other the violin while singing a song that Julian wrote in honor of a young friend that died in an auto accident. He played it in honor of my loss. I thought that Rob and I might be alone for Thanksgiving but the death of my mother was perfect timing for me to have a special dinner with them as well as my nephew and his family. That was a special night, thank you mom. Barbara and Lenny came to my mother's memorial service even though the ride was very long and Barbara had Thanksgiving dinner to prepare.
My friends Jan and Kathy who listened as I told them about my fears and supported me with phone calls, texting, reading my blog following my adventures.
Susan and I had many phone calls, Susan on her own boat traveling the ICW many times. She will always be a treasure to me.
Sue and Paul who guided us on the beginning of our trip teaching us about locks, bridges, engines and much more.
For Chaz who supported me naming the boat after his mother.
I thank all of you who read my blog and were interested in my adventure and for those that let me know you were on the other end of my ramblings. We will go back next year and start over.
If I have been callous in my gratefulness please let me know. I had so much from so many it is hard to capture it here.
I hope you had as nice a winter as we did or as nice a winter as you could have given the circumstance you are living in.
Here are the photos
April, June or November
Fall/Spring
I really am confused
Hard at work
Side yard
Thank you Rob
