I had a plan. It was a good plan too, but life stepped in and all bets were shot to hell. More than once, I reminded myself that living aboard could work out very much the same way, which is - NOT AS PLANNED! This mindset helped me keep perspective over the next 2 months.
We started my retirement by running the Wineglass marathon in Corning NY. It was my first marathon since I broke my heel. In a way it was a test of perseverance and stamina. Dave and I ran a bit slow but we both finished with a smile! We had a great time with friends and family from across the US who gathered for this gorgeous run through the Finger Lakes region of New York. It will always be one of my favorite marathons because of the memories we created.
We started my retirement by running the Wineglass marathon in Corning NY. It was my first marathon since I broke my heel. In a way it was a test of perseverance and stamina. Dave and I ran a bit slow but we both finished with a smile! We had a great time with friends and family from across the US who gathered for this gorgeous run through the Finger Lakes region of New York. It will always be one of my favorite marathons because of the memories we created.
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| Chance meeting with Paul & Chris |
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| At the starting line with our friend Yolanda Moody |
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| At the finish with a smile |
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| My new friend Garrett from VA. |
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| With Anita Kaiser, celebrating a good day on the run! |
Upon our return to Minnesota, I learned that a family member in Connecticut was ill; I needed to go, right away. When I headed East I had no idea that I would be gone from Minnesota for as long as I was. I often find it interesting how life unfolds, in it's own way. The reality is that if I had not retired when I did, I would not have been able to spend so much time with my family during this emergency. Once again, it seems like I'm being reminded of what matters most. Health and family top the list!
When I got back to Minnesota in December, I was NOT in the holiday spirit. I was stuck between my life in Connecticut and my life in the Midwest. My first task was creating a Christmas card. I went through our 2015 photos and found the perfect picture, one I took at Siskiwit Bay Marina in August.
I had propped my camera on a picnic table, set the timer, then hopped aboard Mystic before the shutter clicked. The photo made me smile and reminded me how lucky we are to have a dream that is coming to fruition! We had a fabulous time in Corney! It was a trip filled with the unexpected. Our Cornucopia experience is documented in my blog post called 'It's the Little Things'.
Next on my list was shopping. As I began to peruse my Christmas list, I was overwhelmed with the idea of bringing more stuff into our home. We have been downsizing this past year; or at least we've tried. It seems like yesterday we were starting out together with very little possessions, newly married with a Christmas baby under the tree. Now, we are at a point in life where we are very aware that we have more than we need. Our new mantra is, 'You can't take it with you'. Knowing that storage space aboard Mystic will be limited, I just couldn't fathom spending a ton of money on more STUFF! Just the idea of it stressed me out. In the end, we decided to buy each other snowboard pants. After all, it is snowboard season. Our old pants are 15 years old and stained from oil dripping off the ski lift onto our laps. It's a splurge, but one that seems practical and useful. It's a gift that will last a long time. Dave in his infinite wisdom, did mention that we could use them aboard Mystic on cold Lake Superior sails. Gotta love a sailor's perspective!
There are things we still need to purchase for the Mystic voyage. A dodger, solar panels, a rain shower kit and everything else on Dave's mental list. We'll be doing the rest of our Christmas shopping in the spring; we're excited to make those final purchases. If life cooperates, our big gift will be launching Mystic for the epic voyage. The real gift is TIME and the journey which we will fill with experiences and memories to last us the rest of our lives.
I had propped my camera on a picnic table, set the timer, then hopped aboard Mystic before the shutter clicked. The photo made me smile and reminded me how lucky we are to have a dream that is coming to fruition! We had a fabulous time in Corney! It was a trip filled with the unexpected. Our Cornucopia experience is documented in my blog post called 'It's the Little Things'.
Next on my list was shopping. As I began to peruse my Christmas list, I was overwhelmed with the idea of bringing more stuff into our home. We have been downsizing this past year; or at least we've tried. It seems like yesterday we were starting out together with very little possessions, newly married with a Christmas baby under the tree. Now, we are at a point in life where we are very aware that we have more than we need. Our new mantra is, 'You can't take it with you'. Knowing that storage space aboard Mystic will be limited, I just couldn't fathom spending a ton of money on more STUFF! Just the idea of it stressed me out. In the end, we decided to buy each other snowboard pants. After all, it is snowboard season. Our old pants are 15 years old and stained from oil dripping off the ski lift onto our laps. It's a splurge, but one that seems practical and useful. It's a gift that will last a long time. Dave in his infinite wisdom, did mention that we could use them aboard Mystic on cold Lake Superior sails. Gotta love a sailor's perspective!
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| Our Brielle - Christmas 1987 |
There are things we still need to purchase for the Mystic voyage. A dodger, solar panels, a rain shower kit and everything else on Dave's mental list. We'll be doing the rest of our Christmas shopping in the spring; we're excited to make those final purchases. If life cooperates, our big gift will be launching Mystic for the epic voyage. The real gift is TIME and the journey which we will fill with experiences and memories to last us the rest of our lives.
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