Working Under Stress

We lead busy lives. We show up for our kids at their recitals and sports events. We volunteer and we work. Sometimes one activity gets in the way of another, but we’re smart. We figure out how to squeeze in as much as we can without collapsing. When emotions are involved it gets harder. We … Read more

When Life Kicks You in the Teeth

By now we’d planned to be on Sea Bear, our 32-foot boat, getting ready for our summer cruise in the San Juan and Canadian Gulf Islands. The boat has a fresh coat of paint and new rub-rails. The new slip at Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes, Washington, is ready. Fate had another idea. I’m writing … Read more

Hole in the Water

Boats have inspired a lot of lofty quotes. “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead” and “Don’t give up the ship” are two that come to mind. But the not-so-lofty quote foremost in my thinking right now is “Boats are holes in the water you pour money into.” We had hoped to take up residence on … Read more

Shakespeare on the Road

Heading north to Washington we’ve ran into a glitch. Our boat—our home for the next four months—was not ready for the water. Now a bright fire-engine red, the hull still needed its white stripe painted, new rub rails installed on each side of the hull, and it’s rudder checked for electrolysis. What to do? We … Read more

Cookies for Breakfast

Blog posts are supposed to inform or entertain or inspire. Mine tend to be confessions. Here’s one. I had cookies for breakfast. They weren’t even homemade. They were thin broken Oreo type cookies that must have been put in the grocery bag first, with the half gallon of milk on top. Combing through the package, … Read more