3..2..1..... . . .wait
Week 34
Chris~
Chris is pulling overtime today doing some unexpected repairs to the front end. He’s been busy wrapping up jobs all week and doing dirty work in the engine room.
He will return next week.
Crystal~ Sunscreen
We have been 10 miles from the Atlantic since the first of the year and haven’t seen it. We LOVE the beach. But we’ve been so tethered to boat work six days a week that by the time our day off comes around, we don’t want to do much of anything but rest. This past week, our dear friends, the Piljays, invited us to join them on a daytrip to Fernandina Beach. It was a no brainer.
We had a great time! The kids will tell you more on that. But, they got absolutely roasted! We sunscreened, I hounded the kids incessantly about keeping sun shirts on. But by the next day everyone was pretty miserable. They are still peeling but finally not feeling assaulted by accidental shoulder grazes.
As I was thinking through what I should write this week, I tried to consider what we all need to hear more of. The old Baz Luhrman song came to mind in light of our recent overexposure and it made me laugh. It’s got some good stuff to it. So here’s to copping out on my blog, in a way. Enjoy it anyway ;)
Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '99
Wear sunscreen
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it
A long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists
Whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
Than my own meandering experience, I will dispense this advice now
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth, oh, never mind
You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth
Until they've faded, but trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back
At photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now
How much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked
You are not as fat as you imagine
Don't worry about the future
Or worry, but know that worrying
Is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing Bubble gum
The real troubles in your life
Are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind
The kind that blindsides you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday
Do one thing every day that scares you
Saying, don't be reckless with other people's hearts
Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours
Floss
Don't waste your time on jealousy
Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind
The race is long and in the end, it's only with yourself
Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults
If you succeed in doing this, tell me how
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements
Stretch
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life
The most interesting people I know
Didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives
Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't
Get plenty of calcium
Be kind to your knees
You'll miss them when they're gone
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't
Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't
Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the 'Funky Chicken'
On your 75th wedding anniversary
Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much
Or berate yourself either
Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's
Enjoy your body, use it every way you can
Don't be afraid of it or what other people think of it
It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your own living room
Read the directions even if you don't follow them
Do not read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly
Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for good
Be nice to your siblings, they're your best link to your past
And the people most likely to stick with you in the future
Understand that friends come and go
But a precious few, who should hold on
Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle
For as the older you get
The more you need the people you knew when you were young
Live in New York City once but leave before it makes you hard
Live in northern California once but leave before it makes you soft
Travel
Accept certain inalienable truths
Prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too, will get old
And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young
Prices were reasonable, politicians were noble
And children respected their elders
Respect your elders
Don't expect anyone else to support you
Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse
But you never know when either one might run out
Don't mess too much with your hair
Or by the time you're 40 it will look 85
Be careful whose advice you buy but be patient with those who supply it
Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past
From the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts
And recycling it for more than it's worth
But trust me on the sunscreen
Other thoughts from Crystal this week-
- I put my trusted Singer sewing machine to the test- repairing sails is a full body workout and requires more patience than I have but we got through it. Our tattered mizen is patched, reloaded and ready for wind.
- I’m really excited to see what this new month brings! By the end of it, I will be 41 and hope to be living in a sailING boat!
- Welding is happening as I type. This is a huge deal- I feel like the movers have shown up and we are getting ready to leave home again (not that we hired movers). This will be a catalyst for getting in the water! Pray all goes well!
- Anchor locker is DONE!
- we found our “stolen” drill, turns out the boat ate it :)
- God is so good. SO good.
****edit****- welding did not go as planned (silly us, expectations are for newbs). I had that quitting feeling well up but Chris held it together and made a plan to fix the problem. Side steps but falling forward.
Ellis~ Not For Everyone
I’ve asked a few of my friends if they’d ever think about moving onto a sailboat and most of them surprised me by saying no. I guess I always used to think that living on a sailboat boat was everybody’s dream. Most of them said that they’d miss friends and family and that they’d get bored. Missing friends and family is valid for sure but as for getting bored, I suppose it depends on the person. As a family, we are real easy to please. We’ll make a good time out of most anything. Personally, I’m pretty excited to get a more regular workout and music schedule going once we get on the water. We brought jump ropes, bands, and all of Mom’s dumbbells and Agnes has a pretty generous deck space as far as boats go. Also the dinghy davits, which is this stainless steel frame on the back of the boat for pulling the dinghy out of the water, doubles as a pull-up bar which I’m real excited about. Me and Conrad were all worried that this whole boat business was gonna kill the grip and upper body strength we got from climbing. And then as for music, we brought a ridiculous amount of music equipment. I’m looking forward to learning and hopefully writing a bunch of songs and then maybe busking in the Bahamas or something. Maybe living on a sailboat boat isn’t for everyone, I definitely don’t recommend boat yard life, but I’m excited to try it out on the water!
Conrad~ Nearing Completion
Recently, it feels like we have been working on some of our final projects. This week we have done a lot of work in the engine room, trying to do some general fix ups. Ellis installed a couple of hatches at the back of the boat, and Mom has done a bunch of work on our sails, which needed a little love before they could be used. By the time you are reading this, we will probably have welded the front of the boat where the front sail attaches and some bolts for zincs on the keel.
Another thing that we did this week was building a new floor in our room. I did most of the work but Dad did have a couple of ideas and made a couple of cuts. One of the hardest parts about building on this boat is that there are no right angles or level surfaces. The hardest part of making the floor was finding angles and drawing the desired shape onto the wood. Varnishing also took a while but did not need my devoted attention.
Next week all I can think of that we need to do before we splash (get put in the water) is putting the boat's front back together, a little bit of painting on the underside, and bolting on some zincs. We also need to empty our trailer all the way but that shouldn't be hard. We are so close to leaving the boat yard, we just have to hold on a little longer.
Oliver~ May the Paint be with You
It’s May! That sounds really crazy to us. It’s about time to build your mom a cake or something…
Today is day 122 since I started doing a piece of art per day. Unfortunately, I did miss a day in April. Anyway, at this point I have sold a decent number of paintings. I have also given quite a few pieces away.
This week I painted the boatlift for Asheton, who has bought 4 different paintings from me. I also did one for Kyle; he has been a huge help to us. I also just played around with the new metallic watercolors I got. Those are pretty fun.
If you would like to request/buy a painting, please leave a comment. Happy May!
Jasper~ Kraken Beach
This past week has been pretty uneventful, but the events that have happened shall be recorded in this blog.
Last Friday we went to a coffee shop that’s called Kraken Coffee. We got a few drinks and finished our homeschool. We used the internet to download a few things: books, music, movies, etc. Once we finished, we went back to the boat where we worked until dark. Then we watched a movie and ate ice cream.
On Saturday at around 10:30 we left the boat yard. We had been planning a beach trip with the Piljay’s. We stopped at Walmart for some food then we went on until we got to the beach. We put on sunscreen and waited. We didn’t have to wait long because the Piljay’s car drove up not 7 minutes after we did. We walked down the beach until we found a suitable place to be. Then me and Posy ran to the water and jumped in immediately, people gradually joined us until everyone was playing in the water; some playing frisbee, other’s, tag, other’s playing both. Then we ate some turkey rolls and veggies, and some returned to water while others played in the sand. Then the Piljays had to go, so we didn't stay much longer after they left.
Those are the main two events of my week. So, goodbye.
Posy ~ Splash, You’re it!
On Saturdays we try not to work. So we went with the Piljays to the beach and as soon as we got there, we went in the water and played water tag! It was soooo fun. We danced, splashed, jumped, dove, swam, and had fun; I said “I never want to leave,” probably with a giggle. Soon afterward, we ate lunch while getting sunburned. Dad told Ellis if he caught a seagull he would get us Frostys, so he laid under a towel and put food on his belly to lure the seagulls in. Me, Dad, and Jasper went back to the water and played some more Conrad and Oliver joined in for tag after the Piljay’s left. Then we left as well. The next few days were painful with sunburns, but it was worth it.
I’m still doing bug paintings for $10. If you want to see what they’re like, look in recent blogs and if you want to buy one, I’ll mail them. I’ll paint any bug for you.
Oliver I LOVE your metallic watercolor test doodles!
I have a request for anything that makes you happy using those new metallic watercolors
Posey, do butterflies count as a proper insect subject? If not, I will be very happy with anything you choose!
And please let me know how I can send you the payments
Take care,
Nancy
Hi! I’m really enjoying hearing all about your projects and your progress💕
You’re getting soooo close!