Suffice to say I could easily qualify for entry into a 55+ nudist colony, if invited! Not that I might be inclined, right now...but you never know!!! This is Florida, after all!!! Just as an aside...there was an item on the local TV news recently about a former Marine with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (THAT isn't funny!), who 'found himself' when he joined a Florida Nudist (Naturist) Village for Seniors. I was quite take with this, obviously. He apparently is now able to sleep at night and doesn't have stress related headaches et al! Good for him!!
Back to the Ruminations....
I have to say that I am more GRATEFUL now.
To be alive, to have great love and companionship.
I am grateful for the opportunities that we have taken with both hands and as a result are able to do something life-changing. Yes, it might be all for US, at this stage , but we are good at 'paying it forward', too.
I am grateful that my children are employed and happy in their work and home lives. I appreciate them supporting their mother in her need to keep exploring the world and accepting new challenges. I hope they too will feel the need to do their Bliss, one day.
I am grateful to Waz for taking me soooo far outside my comfort zone (I am essentially an earth-based life form), to learn new skills and a different way of life. His incredible patience with me is worth special mention, here....I have everything to learn, about a boat! It is a wonder his eyes aren't pointing skyward permanently:). I have to also say that his communication skills improve daily!
It isn't totally a one way street!
I am grateful to my sister for her support here in the USA, and to my brother and his family in NZ, who took over the care and physical needs of our mother.
I am also grateful to my sister-in-law for taking care of the needs of 92 yr old Poppa, and being our NZ contact. We cant do this without their help. It is great comfort to know family members are healthy, safe and supported. One can never underestimate the importance of that.
I am grateful for the many friends we have made along the way, in the past 10 months. From the Seabrook Marina staff and fellow boaters in Texas to the fellow boaters elsewhere who have so generously given their friendship, expertise and knowledge. Thank You!
I want to say a special thank you to our hosts in Port Charlotte who not only let us interrupt their view of the neighbors across the canal with our vessel, but made us welcome as family and allowed us to share the joy of new life, with the birth of their little girl, recently.
There is a pause in the gratitude , here....
I am being given the nod to get the shopping expedition underway, so will leave this here for now...I might ruminate more later, lol:)
Later...like, 2.45pm.
Shopping expeditions take a while, when boating. It isn't like we can just hop off the boat and go shopping. It involves a whole other set of circumstances.
We decided not to take the bicycle with us, as we knew ahead of time that it was only a short one mile walk to the Publix Supermarket. We did take the red cart with us...and just as well...it was a large food shop!
I always like to look back at the boat...as I said recently, just to make sure everything looks good from the outside. We live on the inside, so sometimes we need to get away from here to study the outside. We sometimes do a circuit around her in the dinghy, just to check things out.
We blatted across the main channel (we are in the North Fork of the Harbor) in choppy water...didn't get wet going over, but...see photos later...
This is the Sunset Marina where our first choice boat was docked, in Feb 2013, when we came over to survey her...along the right side of the little hut. That is the fuel dock on the left...Diesel is $3.99 here, today.
Around to the right of the mooring field at Sunset Marina, is this public docking facility, around to the left, there.
Waz is locking up the dinghy and the motor, before stepping off the boat.
Cart and bags out on the dock ready to go. See how compact the cart is? all covered up.
Waz pulling the cart...just as well we decided against bringing the bikes, coz the sidewalk was VERY close to the road, and very uneven...and the cart was very heavy filled with our groceries.
Wendy's on the right, and further up the road, PUBLIX supermarket...around that curve there.
Waz had quite a load to pull, including the groceries, two rain jackets, two life jackets and the cart bag.
All aboard!
Just as we were about to cast off, the pump-out guy came alongside. We had called for our free pump out last night, and again this morning. He made all kinds of excuses about working instead of answering his phone, but....we will let him off this time...as he has vowed to come by in the morning to service the boat.
All ready and on the water again, making our way out to the mooring field and into the main channel. The water was pretty choppy, so we didn't go very fast.
No matter that we were idling along with a boat load, we still got water over the side, until Waz could get us out of the chop and wind and into the North Fork where the boat is parked, and there was sme more sheltered water there. We ended up a bit wet...so did the groceries! god thing they were waterproof, for the most part:)
Coming back to the boat there is sunshine. I wanted to show you how close to shore we are...about 200 feet from the sea walls ahead of us.
Waz got more waterlogged than I did, and he had to do a total strip, buy the look of the laundry line:)
All in all, a most successful shopping expedition...at least it got me out of the rumination mode!
Lets just say that as we get older the only things that really change, are the fashions, the wrinkles on our skins, and the accumulated wisdom. We remain boys and girls underneath it all...I for one will be a bit of a lass for the rest of me long life...all going well!
I will now go and read a book...it is raining again, so that was good timing. We need to turn the internet jet pak off, and conserve some internet bytes.
Ciao for now.
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