Paisley's First Christmas

Merry Christmas to all! Love, Paisley

December boat trip

Another trip to the boat, more cute Paisley photos! It was pretty chilly, but we did make it out to motor around one day to exercise the engine and practice our docking skills. Had one of our best experiences docking yet. Next trip we hope to raise Logos' sails again.

After I came back to get to the office, Barry stayed a few extra days and did some boat -improvement projects, including adding a fan and new LED light to the galley. Those will be welcome additions on hot days and at nighttime. Finally, here was a nice sunrise we saw one morning when we got up early to walk Paisley. The sun rises behind Logos, which is always a nice sight in the morning.

Missing Dad

Today, Pearl Harbor Day, would have been, should have been, my dad's seventy-fifth birthday. I would have been calling him, maybe right about now, to wish him a happy birthday. Hearing his familiar voice would have made me smile, and hearing his "I love you" at the end of the call would have warmed me inside, like I'd just been hugged. My dad was a man who meant what he said, and when he spoke, I felt it. When he was taken from us in a car accident on October 28, 2005, and for a long time after, the pain I felt was searing, the grief as hot as a fresh burn, all raw and oozing, and just as unforgettable, even for a moment. It was always there, stinging and tormenting. Tears were my nearly constant companion, and even when I felt so tired when I turned out the light at night, my mind couldn't rest, couldn't forget the horror that my father, my beloved father, was gone. Snatched away in an instant, when the cold crush of metal hit warm flesh. It just couldn't be so. I didn't even get to say goodbye, dammit. Sometimes I still can't believe he is gone. Three years later, the sadness is a dull ache that flares from time to time but doesn't sting with the viciousness of before. Still, it's there, and some days I feel it much more than ever, like on the anniversary of his death. And like today. From one of the many books on loss of a loved one I read after Dad died, this line stuck with me: "You don't get over it; you just learn to live with it." True, true. There is no getting over the loss of a parent, but eventually it becomes a part of your life, your story. "My dad did...", "My dad was...", "My dad taught...", that's how I start talking about him now. In the past tense. And yet, I'm not to the point yet where I speak that way about him without noticing it. I am not sure I ever will. Or that I want to. Losing my dad changed me in ways I didn't anticipate. Suddenly I felt a kinship with my friends, co-workers, and acquaintances who had lost a parent. I wanted to hug them whenever they mentioned the loss of their own parent (sometimes I did). I also felt especially appreciative of older people, as if talking to someone my father's age or older would somehow bring him closer. There is one particular neighbor, Jack, a man quite a bit older than Dad, whom I love to talk with. Just hearing his voice and watching him laugh comforts me in a way I can't really explain. Perhaps he reminds me of the man I think Dad would have been if he'd lived to be Jack's age, eighty-eight. LIke he should have, like I always thought he would. I thought there would be so much more time to laugh together, to talk, to say the things that I never got to say. I also notice now that whenever anyone my age or older speaks of their still very-much-alive father, my immediate reaction is envy. How can they still have a father when I don't? How can a fifty-five or sixty-year old still have a living father? It's not fair! I still want a father too! Yet after my brief selfish reaction, I find myself feeling happy for them, glad that they still have a dad they can spend time with; and relieved for them that they haven't had to experience what I've been dealing with for the past three years. And if they complain about their father for any reason, I urge them to try to understand, to see his side, to appreciate what they have. Even when it is challenging, even maddening, having a father is a gift. I am blessed that even though my dad wasn't here for as long as I expected or wanted, he left me with many, many gifts. Thank you, Dad. I love you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a nice visit in Ohio with Barry's parents and a very nice Thanksgiving meal. Paisley, visiting Ohio for the first time, was fascinated by their black cat, Zorro; however, Zorro was not quite as enthusiastic.

Our first night in Ohio - Zorro and Paisley stand-off

By our third and final night there, Zorro seemed bolder and more interested in investigating Paisley from less distance, so I think if they'd had just a bit more time together, they might have made peace. As it was, we kept Paisley on a leash whenever Zorro was around, to prevent her lunging and chasing him.

By our last night, Zorro is definitely warming up to Paisley

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving in the company of friends and family!

Wordle

I read about this on a women's cycling forum I subscribe to and thought it was kinda neat. You input a URL of your choice (or just a bunch of random words), and it creates a collage from the most common words in it, with the various sizes representing how often the word appears. You can then change the colors, layout, font, etc. I input this blog, and here's the result (it's small, so click on the picture for the full-size image):

Check it out here:  http://www.wordle.net/

November boat improvements

The weekend after the (most excellent) election day found us down on Logos enjoying unseasonably warm weather and working on our endless project list. I had to come back to work to deliver a training class, but Barry and Paisley stayed all week and completed a big project -- well, mostly Barry did that, with minimal help (but many interruptions!) from you know who. He added three additional batteries (one starting, two house) and a new battery charger, which will give us more capacity for anchoring out. This is important when your boat has refrigeration, as ours does, since it uses a lot of amp hours. (Can you believe I even know what amp hours are now? The things a boat teaches!) He also added a carbon filter for our drinking water, so we won't have to carry a cooler full of bottled water to the boat from home every time. Nice. And we re-installed the teak handrails on the deck after refinishing them. Also fixed a few deck leaks by rebedding some very large bolts. Here are some photos of our time on Logos - enjoy!

The battery box Barry built (and epoxied). It weighs a ton!

Emily polishing the brightwork

Teak handrail refinished and rebedded (removing the blue tape and excess adhesive around each rail was a "fun" task for me -- unfortunately we forgot to take a photo after that.) Where's Paisley? Hmmmmmm..... New battery switch on electrical panel The pampered pooch Suspended "Kitty" proves a new challenge (and gives Barry a chance to get some work done!) Several anchored cruising boats near our marina

New batteries installed in box A very professional wiring job by Captain Bear. Logos has never had it so good!

I just wanna be warm...

While I realize that my blog has become awfully Paisley-centric, I just can't resist posting these recent photos. As you can see, comfort and warmth are two of Paisley's very favorite things. As the temperature has fallen, she's discovered that the hearth in front of our woodstove is a wonderfully cozy place to be. And while visiting my mother's mountain home recently, she wasted no time in getting comfy near the gas logs and on a pretty red fleece blanket on the sofa.

More sleeping Paisley photos

Another weekend trip to the boat brought a few more "cute Paisley" photo ops. Even though it may appear that she sleeps all the time on the boat, that's not really so; it just seems to be when we have the camera ready and catch her in cute sleeping positions. She can make a comfortable bed just about anywhere! We went out for a nice sail last Sunday -- and Paisley is awake! Barry saw a nice sunset after I headed back home. He and Paisley stayed a few extra days so that he could work on his new battery project. Much work still remains to be done on the next trip, but he made a good start.

My Assistant

Barry took these photos one week apart when I was working from home. I have always wanted a lap dog, and I have one now! She's a fine little assistant...

A nice day in the yard

Today we spent time outside cleaning up from Tropical Storm Hanna (leaves and sticks down) and graveling the new small walkway behind the fenced-in area Barry built for Paisley. I took photos of the finished area and thought I'd share them here. Enjoy!

(click on the photo for a larger view)

New fenced-in area off sunporch Closer view from same side - new walkway bends off to the right New walkway behind fence edged with rocks from our property Area viewed from other side

Newly rerouted staircase with new landing

Side view showing lattice below and new walkway to left Just threw this one in -- rosemary and butterfly bushes on east side of house

Pretty petunias