Category Archives: Preparing to cruise

Notes From the Universe

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A galaxy far, far away.

This Little Cunning Plan is really putting my faith to the test. Not that it hasn’t been tested before. It’s just that at the age I am at now, it seems like time is short to live our dreams, so I feel that sense of urgency; not unlike the feeling I used to get when separated from my babies for too long when I left them with someone else. I’m so irritated at being this old that I forgot how old I was the other day. (Try it. It’s a useful trick.) So the testing I’m going through has this sense of urgency on some days.

Anyhow, back to the Universe, a word which here means God, the great Creator, the Goddess, Holy Father, Unifying Field,  or any number of other monikers people seem to use interchangeably. I generally have a lot of faith in it, whatever it is. And I am practicing waiting patiently, working on enjoying my life as it is, while focusing on how it will be in the future, all at the same time. Sometimes this is a tricky balance, such as when I look around and notice all the work that has to be done around here, or when I get frustrated that our boat hasn’t yet sold. And on those days, I can really use a little encouragement.

That’s where Notes From the Universe comes in. The notes are in the form of little email messages I get daily through a program generated by Mike Dooley, guru of ‘Thoughts Become Things‘. He’s an inspirational speaker, author, and all that, who makes his money doing those speaking and authoring things. His message is simple: that what you think about is what you manifest, what you focus on becomes your reality. It’s a fairly simplistic version of the ‘law of attraction’, pretty ‘New Agey’, not real deep stuff. I’m not particularly recommending his books, as I find them to be a little repetitive and not a lot of substance.  I like more academic works, as a general rule. But I give him a lot of credit for having a clear, unwavering message that is positive and hopeful. He is uplifting to people and that’s all to the good. His ‘Notes’ program, though, I really love.

You sign up with your email address and create a profile that includes your hopes and dreams for the future. The notes are tailored toward that profile. I made mine so long ago that now when I get a note that references ‘blue water voyaging’, it’s a little freaky until I remember that it’s computer generated. Nonetheless, it works. No matter what your goal may be, this little program offers encouragement in a loving way from the Universe. Here’s my message for today:

“Perhaps the greatest of all illusions, Melissa, is that life could somehow be better than it already is. You’ve got it made- The Universe”

How perfect is that? Just last night Mike and I were commenting to each other about how very, very fortunate we’ve been in our lives. Happily married coming up on 30 years, two beautiful children who are successful at life, a nice home, good professions that we’ve enjoyed (even if we’re tired of working) and that have offered a satisfying standard of living. We have so much to be grateful for. And the Universe does a good job of reminding me of that.

If the Universe is intelligent, it understands me better than I do.

Hope ‘Springs’ Eternal!

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I am hopeful for an early spring this year. This hope comes as I look at the temperature outside and realize it’s a chilly 33 degrees Fahrenheit. And that’s without the wind chill and the freezing rain/snow that’s been blowing around all day long. Once this winter storm passes, though, I’m going to hold out for spring to come early and stay. We deserve it. It’s time. And I think I may have evidence of such an event blooming in my yard. Walking the garden, I notice that I have a lot of things blooming much earlier this year.

Of course, I say that every year because it’s about this time that those of us who are the uber-gardeners start chomping at the bit to get outside and put our hands in the dirt. It’s true. I have been happiest with dirt under my nails and leaves in my hair. Fortunately, I married a good man who doesn’t mind a few twigs. In the past this extreme love of the garden has vied for space in my psyche with my love of sailing. I admit that many times I have let Mike go down to the boat by himself, preferring to putter around in the garden snipping this, digging that. My garden is beautiful. I’ve had many years of pleasure creating and maintaining it. Gardens are world’s in and of themselves. Ask any passionate gardener.

Last year I noticed that my feelings had changed. I still loved the garden, but I started choosing to go down to the boat rather than work all day. I allowed once pampered plants to fend for themselves. “Live or die”, I said to them. “You choose.” (Yep, I do talk to my plants.)  The balance was tipping; the downhill slide into full fledged boat craziness had begun. I bought a hammock, put it up on the boat, and commenced laying in it with a good book.

I usually don’t do much in moderation, a karmic lesson that will take me a lifetime to learn properly. So once the balance shifts, it’s a little like riding a freight train. Still, the karma requires that I throttle back the engine some and pay attention to the fullness of my life now, not simply the life I want to lead in the future. So I’m trying. In so doing, I go out to my garden and look at what’s blooming, plan what needs to happen this year; make time and space in the psyche for plants I still love and spaces that still feed my soul.

Here are some photos I took while walking the garden on a sunny day this week. The Hellebores are blooming! I love them because they bloom in the winter, then keep nice foliage the rest of the year. They are no muss, no fuss plants with a lot of impact.  And they don’t need much sun, which is good because I don’t have much to give them up here.

Hellebores, who give up their beauty in the depths of winter, are the promise of the spring yet to emerge for us. They are the hope-keepers of the garden, bridging the memory of gardens past  with the vision for the garden’s future. They say to us, ‘Just wait patiently for the future to emerge. No need to hurry. Appreciate me right now.’ And I love them for it, and try to listen.

Helleborus orientalis, yellow strain

Hellebore 'Regal Ruffles Mix'

Unidentified Hellebore, otherwise known as a "NOID"

A nice color combination in Hellebores.

Another pretty yellow. I put in lots of yellows one year. Now they are getting big.

Hellebore 'Kingston Cardinal', one of the best.

 

 

I Guess We’re Safe Now

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John Rousmaniere talks about doing equipment checks.

Another beautiful day with sunshine and wind, contrary to what the weather guy predicted, and yet another day spent sitting inside somewhere rather than out practicing our ‘heavy weather’ sailing techniques. This time, at least we were attending the Safety At Sea Seminar, sponsored by The Sailing Foundation. We figured we’d take the class as it would help us feel as though we were preparing for our voyage, even though it’s still several years in the future. After all, it’s marketed for both experienced and novice mariners. So we figured, “That’s us!” What they don’t really state, but what I could have figured out had I read between the lines a little more, is that their target audience is racing sailors. That’s why it’s conveniently timed to coincide with the Vic Maui and Pacific Cup races. And, after all, it’s designed to satisfy the US Sailing requirements for sailors in offshore races. Duh. Why didn’t I notice that before we signed up?

The day started off pretty cool with all the big names that were there to share their wealth of information and experience: John Rousmaniere, Chuck Hawley, Carol Hasse, Paul Miller. What a line up of speakers! I had stars in my eyes, imagining asking for autographs. The morning was spent listening to them talk about how to avoid conditions that lead to accidents, communications at sea, storm sails,  in-water safety equipment, losses of masts, rudders, and steering, and how to organize your crew and establish watch schedules. It was during this last session that I realized they weren’t really talking to me, with my ‘crew’ of just myself and Mike. They were talking to the racing sailors. Oh. Still, good information for the most part, especially since things learned in the world of racing have a way of trickling down to the cruiser/voyagers among us.

Carol Hasse talks about storm sails. Wish she had had more time.

Toward the end of the morning, I noticed that many of the presentations seemed rushed, like the presenter had to talk fast to get it all in. And no one had an opportunity to go into much depth on their presentation. Between 8:30 and noon, we had six different presentations. My mind was a-whirl. My head was heavy with words. I didn’t have anything to rest my head on. The room was so crowded Mike and I were sitting in chairs by the wall with no table to use.  All students know the importance of a desk.  It gives you something to keep your head from bumping your knees when you begin to fall asleep. I was ready for lunch.

The afternoon included examining recent fatal accidents in the racing sailing community, heavy weather boat handling, man overboard prevention and rescue, assisting other vessels, and medical concerns. Does that sound like way too much to cover in an afternoon? It was. By 2:00 I was falling asleep, and it wasn’t from low blood sugar. It was from the sheer number of words entering my brain as one presenter after another rushed through topics. It was also from sitting in an overly crowded room that was hot and stuffy.  I barely made it through the medical presentation, and I had been waiting for that one. Good thing the doctor who presented basically just read his slides to us. We can find them on the seminar website. So I didn’t really have to listen after all.

Paul Miller talks about what makes a good ocean boat. He's a good teacher. I would not be bored in his classes. I learned more from him than from any other speaker.

So if you are cruisers who would like to take a voyage across the sea someday and you haven’t taken this class, here’s my recommendation: this is really designed to satisfy an education requirement for sailors who sign up for these big ocean races. There is nothing wrong with that. And there is still a lot of useful information that we can all relate to and use.  But if you want to really hear what these speakers have to say, and learn more than just the bare minimum about any of these topics, this isn’t the venue for it. Go hear them talk somewhere else where they have time to do their topics justice and share some of their personal experiences. I wanted to hear their stories. Pretty much anyone could have delivered the information they provided, because they didn’t have an opportunity to really flesh out the details from their personal experiences. (Except for Paul Miller, who is a professor, and a really good teacher. He was able to tell all kinds of stories to get his points across.)

I guess the real lesson of the day is that there is plenty of opportunity to spend a lot of money taking classes that have to do with sailing. Not all of them are going to be worth your money as a cruising sailor. We paid $250 for both of us to attend the first day of this seminar, and I came away with precious little learning of new things. I don’t begrudge the amount because I know these things are very expensive to organize. However,  I already know how and why I should use my PFD, safety harness, and jack lines. Likewise, I already know it’s easier to prevent falls from the boat than it is to rescue someone once they are in the water. I’m already well aware that sleep deprivation and long watches make for bad company and even worse mistakes. I know there is no shame in heaving to in heavy weather, and I know how to do it (at least around here). I’ve been a firm believer in ‘preventers’ (that prevent booms from swinging wildly and killing people) ever since I knew they existed.

So did I get 250$ worth of learning? Nope, I did not. But I did get to see some pretty famous people in the sailing community. I also now understand why having someone like Carol Hasse come and assess our sail plan and make recommendations would be money well spent. And, I will probably find a first aid class for cruisers as I learned just enough during the doctor’s presentation to make me a danger to self and others.

In the end, I’m glad we didn’t sign up for the second day, which would have cost even more. That’s the day where people get to jump into the swimming pool with all their foul weather gear on and practice getting into a man-overboard raft. I think I already did that back in 1974 when I was training to be a lifeguard. We don’t need the certification offered by this seminar in order to go voyaging. Maybe we’ll figure out some other way to get wet and cold and swim around in our clothes. Lesson learned.