How can you live in a shell?
This was my mom’s question after she had a visit with us over the summer. And I ask: why do children like to walk on the edge of a fountain? why do people like to go to a sports bar to eat and be surrounded by loud televisions from every corner? But even though it is a shell according to my mom, she enjoyed a sail to Ockracoke island and I must admit she is very supportive of our life changing decisions. Meanwhile so much work has been put in into the boat until now, and more to come over the next six months. The generator was almost completely rebuild. Lots of work was done on gages pumps, pipes, electronics, floors. Our time and effort has been divided between life on land and on the coast. It is like having another life. A life that is full and rich. My husband and I came to the conclusion that we work in symbiosis because wherever we go with the boat, I find galleries and make friends with people that love art as much as I do. It turns out that many sailors are in fact artists, especially on the coast. We left Norfolk in summer and finally the boat is closer to us, which makes it more convenient as a lot more work has to be done. I am talking about major work like changing the rigging, sanding and painting the bottom of the boat, not to mention other smaller details that are time consuming like documentation. A lot of research is also necessary, I left this part, mostly to my husband and I will eventually catch up. Oh well, my house is in a constant mess because I work full time (Ok that is an excuse). There are lots of gadgets in the house that I am starting to get rid of, and it feels great! Some things I don’t even put in place anymore, because frankly they don’t have a space in my reality. Truthfully some facts of life have completely taken another course on its own. And the further along we are in our plans, the plans start to evolve like a canvas with beautiful colors. My shell is who I am, and I will even hang tiny little pretty curtains, on my tiny little boat windows per my mom’s wish.
