Did I fizzle out?

 

 

Today I came across some binders that had been stored for a few years. They reminded me that I once was energetic. In a mental sense. 

They contain notes and goals for several Youtube projects I did. I was pretty well organized. I even had a bullet journal that I kept up. I had design plans and narration scripts. Then I didn’t do any more. Why?  Was I burned out from the effort?  Did I run out of ideas? Did I just lose interest? I did think of more projects and even started a couple of them but never followed up after making a few steps.

I hope that I’ll get inspired by looking at my past work. I hope that I’ll be able to pick up where I left off on the couple projects that I barely started. I need to get the juices flowing again.  I’ve been mentally sedentary for too long.

A De-cluttering Milestone

 

Some milestones are smaller than others.

I had gone through the pantry and removed the things I am unlikely to use – much of it was for Neal only. It’s all been sitting on the dining table for weeks now because I cannot carry heavy things down the stairs and no local food pantry has anyone who can pick it up. I was stuck for a solution.

There was also a collection of stuff that I wanted to get rid of. Today a junk removal guy came to get the stuff.

The great news is that he also took the food items and will see that they get to a food bank.

I regained some floor space and table-top real estate. HOOORAY!!!

 

 

Grief

 

My husband, Neal, passed last month. It felt as if part of me just evaporated. I have learned just what grief really is. It is not weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.

It is the loss of those common everyday things that I took for granted. I miss his presence of course but it's the loss of the little things that brings on grief: the daily interactions:

·      Did you see the rabbit in the yard?

·      What do you think about the ……

·      I just read an interesting article.

·      Do you want to …..

·      Should we spend the money for ….

·      I’d like your opinion on ….

·      Can you give me a hand with ….

·      Should I do this? Or that?

·      Where should we go?

·      What if?

·      I love you.

These are the things that make up the fabric of a life together. They are gone. GONE

I thank God for the wonderful memories we made together. Neal will always live in my heart.

Revival

I'm reviving this blog to give me the outlet I need right now. Much has changed since my last post.

The DNA Explosion

When did humans first wear garments?  How long ago did humans drink milk? Inquiring minds want to know.

Most of us look to DNA to learn about family and ancestry. But scientists of many disciplines are studying DNA, learning about the past, and making remarkable discoveries  Paleo(fill in the blank) research has found the residue in ancient pottery indicates that we drank milk perhaps 6,000 years ago.

DNA found in dental plaque from fossil teeth can indicate ancient diets and even diseases. Ancient seeds found in the dusty basements of museums are rich in information.

My first thought is that I’d like to be a participant in some of that research, but I’m a big picture person who’d chafe at the slow pace and miniscule details in laboratories. I like being on the outside where I can read the results of research from all disciplines.

Here’s an interesting online article.

Food

Arby’s serves gyros. A local Greek restaurant serves breakfast burritos. The gyros are reminiscent of the real thing. Likewise, the breakfast burritos. Close but no cigar.

Why do people who insist on organic and/or natural food use margarine?  Standard supermarket table butter contains cream and salt. Period. Pretty natural stuff

I simply do not understand fad diets.

On a related note, what ever happened to moderation? It is not necessary for people in good health to avoid ALL fats and salt.  Let common sense prevail.

Innovation and originality taken to the extreme. I am interested by chefs who combine unlikely ingredients. Are they trying to appeal to the pseudo hipster?  I do like adventure in food, and certainly would order some of the unusual combinations I’ve seen but…

 Here’s my contribution:  Octopus sautéed in balsamic vinegar with onions, cantaloupe, nutmeg and celery served on a bed of chocolate sauerkraut. Coming soon to a trendy restaurant near you. If the right people say they like it, it will spread like wildfire.

Disclaimer: this comes from someone who loves dill pickle soup and eats cottage cheese with potato chips.

50 Weird Food Combinations Which Sound Gross But TasteAmazing

Now I'm hungry.

Politics Then and Now – What’s the Difference?

Quick answer: Not much.

Then: Spies, plots, deception, fake news &, execution of rivals

Now: Spies, plots, intrigue, deception, fake news & character assassination of rivals.

I’ve been reading history and historical novels.

Ten Caesars by Barry Strauss begins with Augustus whose reign began in 27 BCE, and concludes with Constantine who ruled from 306 CE to 337 CE.

Roman rulers ranged from reasonably benevolent to tyrannical. A common thread through all was the imperative to gain and hold power. Advantageous marriages, divorces, and courting those already in power were key. Political alliances came and went as power shifted.  Plots, deception, murder, trickery and conspiracy were standard tactics. False stories were circulated to discredit rivals. Rivals and pretenders were executed, forced to commit suicide, or exiled to remote provinces.

Things were pretty much the same in the 15^th and 16^th century reigns of the Plantaganets and Tudors.

Here, too, rivals and pretenders were executed or imprisoned or both. Advantageous marriages were vital to retain control and ensure the desired succession. The Tower of London was either a lifetime prison or the last step before beheading.

Intrigue included spies in every noble household, among merchants, and at every port of entry. A non-technical equivalent of today’s bugging technology. At one point, many nobles had their private conversations only where there was no chance for eavesdropping False stories were circulated to discredit rivals.

So here we are today – from municipal to national politics.  Spies are planted in rival’s campaign organizations, etc. Electronic bugging happens.  False stories are planted in our vast media community.  Assassination today is figurative, not literal, but still destroys rivals.

Today’s politics are just the modern version of ancient Roman, and not quite so ancient, English monarchs.

Only the names and the faces have changed.

One immortal quote from The Ten Caesars:

 “Emperors come and go but the bureaucrats provide continuity.”

Getting to Arkhangelsk (Archangel) Russia (The joy of surfing)

I got there by reading about Soviet deportations of Poles to Kazakhstan in 1940-41 and going to Google earth to see just where that is. Doing some exploring of Russia, led me to  Arkhangelisk (Archangel) Russia.

                                           Archangel: Lat - 64̊ 35’ N, 40̊ 27’ E

The city has a long history. Vikings knew the area around Arkhangelsk as Bjarmaland. Ohthere of Halogaland told circa 890 of his travels in an area by a river and the White Sea with many buildings. This was probably the place later known as Arkhangelsk

In the 12th century, the Novogorodians established the Archangel Michael Monastery in the estuary of the Northern Dvina River.  Wikipedia

It is a thriving city with a population of about 350,000. Arkhangelsk is also home to the Northern State Medical University, Makarov state Maritime Academy, and a branch of the All-Russian Distance Institute of Finance and Economics.

The city’s website is http://www.arhcity.ru/  (Google will translate)

There’s a 24 hour webcam

Here’s the view I had on December 28. 2019

Definitely a place I’d like to see.

Portland, Maine is one of Archangel’s sister cities.

I, Neanderthal

I am pleased to tell you that a DNA analysis shows that Neanderthal genes comprise 3% of my genome.

I am an amateur genealogist. It is difficult to trace my Polish peasant ancestors back  past the 18^th century.

Having some Neanderthal genes binds my heritage to a time beyond that which can be researched and verified.

Who were these ancient ancestors?

Current thinking is that Homo Neanderthalis arose about 400,000 years ago and became extinct about 40,000 years ago. In that span of 360,000 years branches of the species migrated and populated much of Eurasia from Spain to Israel

Recent discoveries and research have been changing the old view of Neanderthals as stupid beasts. There is evidence that they had cohesive communities; they made personal adornments (Jewelry) as well as weapons. They cared for the disabled and buried their dead. They were creative and innovative; they were curious and inventive.

The DRD4 7R gene makes you think like a Neanderthal. If you've got it, you're sensation-seeking, risk-taking, impulsive, and creative.

Homo Sapiens (modern humans) emerged at approximately the same time as Neanderthals.  They did not migrate into Europe until about 45,000 years ago.

The two species had about 5,000 years to co-exist in the same places. Research supports the idea that they met, interbred, and even exchanged toolmaking techniques, and other ideas.

Both species have a Hyoid bone and the FOXP2 gene, both of which are required for speech and language.  Neanderthals probably had at least rudimentary language. Would modern human language have been more than rudimentary 45,000 years ago?

Could a Neanderthal pass as human in today’s world?Judging from some people I’ve seen, the answer is yes. 

Is this guy just a rugged looking man who happens to be the great great grandfather of the young people in the photo? I just may claim him as my most distant ancestor. This photo is from the Neanderthal Museum in Mettmann, Germany. https://www.neanderthal.de/en/home.html

This image shows 4 rugged looking men.

There are similarities among them all. One is a Neanderthal.

I wonder if we’re related.




Much as been written about Neanderthals lately. This is an interesting website:

 https://www.ancient-origins.net/

And here’s one of the many YouTube videos.  Neanderthal Misconceptions

Here is some recommended reading.:

 Café Neandertal; Beebe Bahrami, 2017

The Neanderthals: changing the Image of Mankind

Erik Trinkaus, ‎Pat Shipman, 2008

Neanderthals Rediscovered: How Modern Science is Rewriting Their Story

Dimitra Papagiani, Michael A. Morse - 2015

Squall Line

Standing outside the front door watching a storm approach from the West.

The clouds flash and the thunder rumbles in the distance.

Wind rises.

And my heart swells with ….

With what?

Awe?  Wonder?  Amazement?

We are so insignificant compared to the wonders our planet and universe.

It’s a squall line. A cold front.  It will pass quickly.

And I’ll miss it after it passes.

Chemo is Forever

I’m done with chemo, but it’s not done with me. It’s been almost three years since I finished chemotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer. But the effects linger on.

I don’t really mind the hair thing. Before chemo my hair was fine and straight.  Now it is extra fine and a little wavy. That’s good. It is also very thin which is not so good but it is livable.

What really irritates me is the lasting effect of Taxol on my taste buds. My sense of taste has never got back to where it was.  The worst part is that there are some days when everything tastes bitter – all day.  Bitter breakfast cereal is a bummer. Some days everything is pretty bland. What I don’t understand is why this comes and goes. 

Obviously this is not truly a problem; it is just an irritation that I want to rant about today.  I’ve been cancer free for three years so I can’t complain, but it does bug me so I kvetch a little.

End of rant.

Grow Up!!!

That’s my response to Trump protesters.

Setting fires and breaking things won’t change anything.  You don’t like Trump as president?  Throwing a tantrum isn’t the answer.  Do something positive.

Make a plan.

Take civic responsibility.

Be attentive to government.

Write reasoned and rational letters to your legislators.

Get involved in or establish a reasoned and rational political movement.

Remember the old slogan from the ‘60’s?

If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.

Changes in Latitude; Changes in Attitude (Love ya Jimmy Buffett)

I’ve lived in the North most of my life: Chicago area at 41^◦ 55’ N or Twin Cities at 44^◦ 56’ N where the winters were cold and nights were long.  My favorite day of the year was the Winter Solstice because it meant that we’d begin getting more daylight again.  I’d watch the weather almanac to see just how much more sunlight we’d be getting each day.

So now I’m in Vero Beach, Florida “Where the Tropics Begin” (local motto) at 27^◦ 38’ N, just a little over 1,000 miles south of my northern former homes. That’s a significant change in latitude.

The first few years were great, but the last two summers have been HOT HOT HOT with a capital Hot.  My attitude is different here.  Hooray for the Autumnal Equinox!  Less sunlight each day means that temperatures will begin going down. Here it is: late September and we’re still hitting 90 degrees every day. C’mon November!  I’d never survive in Phoenix or Las Vegas.

I know that by mid-December I’ll be tired of the long nights; but for now I’m cheering for Autumn.

One Down – One to Go

Thank goodness that the primary elections are over. In my area we had a huge number of people running for everything from US Senate to State Legislature to local School Board.

Everyday our mailbox was crammed with campaign flyers. Full color. Glossy Paper. So large that they barely fit the mailbox.  Not to mention the lawn signs.

What’s amazing is the thousands of dollars some people spent trying to get a part time job that pays $35K per year.

Public Service?  Yeah, right!

How about public payroll?

How about the huge retirement benefits of public office here in Florida? That’s my bet.

I’m not looking forward to the next level of campaigning.

Dark Skinned People – Are We Coming Full Circle?

When I was a kid, dark skinned people were commonly called “colored”, officially called Negro.  Over time the term changed to African American, then to Black and most recently to “People of Color”.

How long before “People of Color” gets shortened back to just “colored”?

It will be interesting to see the next stage of this terminology.

Stormy Weather

Why do I find storms to be so stimulating?  I’m not talking major storms. I’ve never experiences a tornado and I hope I never do; but I’ve been in two category 1 hurricanes and I don’t want to see anything any stronger than that.

But I love the standard garden variety storms.  Lightning, thunder, rain – sometimes heavy- and wind gusts. 

For some reason they make me feel more alive.  I get to experience a power far beyond our puny human efforts control our world. It puts things in perspective.  I feel that I’m part of the natural world not just our man made society.

Glad it's over

These days, I’m relieved when the holiday season is over.  That’s quite a change from the past.

In my working days, I truly relished the holiday season.  Christmas shopping was fun and we’d go all out on gifts and wrapping.   The days off from work were savored.  New Years day meant the end of the fun and heading back into the usual workday grind.

Retirement put a different face on it.

Christmas on the boat meant scaled down celebrations because we had no space for a Christmas tree; nor did we have space to store frivolous gifts that we might have given one another in previous years.

Now that we’re back living on land, we find that holiday season has taken on yet another character – for many reasons.  A small condo means that we can’t have a huge 12-foot Christmas tree.  In fact, a real tree is very impractical.  Living on retirement income after the recession means that the gift budget is tight so we can’t indulge in the excesses of the past.

We did have a great holiday season.  We were able to roast a turkey again for Thanksgiving.  We did have a very pretty artificial Christmas tree decorated with the ornaments that had been in storage while we were cruising.  It was fun unwrapping them after so many years.  And we exchanged gifts as usual and revived our old tradition of a whole ham for Christmas dinner.

But since every day is a day off, the sense of “specialness” (I know that’s not a real word) was just not the same.  Maybe we should have made a point of participating in more holiday events.  We’ll give that a try next year.

As it is, I’m just glad to be rid of the holiday advertising and hype and junk mail from every store in town.  Glad to get back to normal, whatever that is.

 

Happy New Year!

 

Tempus Fugit

Wow!  It looks as though I haven’t had any thoughts in more than two years.  I guess some people would say that’s not a big surprise.

Much has changed since that last post in March, 2010.

In June of 2010 we sailed to New Bern, NC because we’d never been there. The plan was to stay the whole summer instead of heading to New England as we usually did.  It was fun because New Bern was celebrating its tri-centennial and there was a lot going on.  It’s a great little town and we had a good time.

As we were preparing to head back to southern waters in November, Neal had a freak accident.  Trying to get the dinghy in place on the foredeck, he was knocked overboard when the dink shifted.  It’s a long story, but I’ll cut to the chase by just saying that he was rendered unconscious due to ESD (Electrical Shock Drowning) – a phenomenon that occurs in fresh water when there’s stray AC electrical current in the water. I was able to reach him and when I got his head above water he was not breathing.  The rescue squad arrived and got him to the ER. He spent a few days in the hospital.

It was a long recovery and there are lingering after effects. 

After two years living in the marina in New Bern, it was clear that Neal no longer has the stamina for offshore cruising.  We decided to find a home on land.

So we’re now officially CLODs (Cruisers Living On Dirt) and settled into a condo in Florida.

Neal has resumed his cooking adventures. I’m back into my genealogy projects.

 

With any luck I’ll have some more thoughts before another two years passes

The complexity of simplicity

This is aimed at land based readers. Our fellow cruisers are in the same boat – so to speak. It was inspired by one of John D Cook's blog entries

We lead a very simple life. Or do we? Living on a sailboat, we’re off the grid. No car. No cable. In fact, we do not own a TV. We don’t own a land-based home. We’re free to travel the seas as we please. It sounds sort of like a simple life. Some people who do this truly do simplify their lives. The purists enjoy the challenge of leaving technology and convenience behind.

I thought it would be a simpler life, and in some ways it is; but we’re not as tough as the purists who get their fresh water by collecting rainwater, go to bed when the sun goes down, use the sun to heat water for showers and do laundry by hand. The true purists don’t even have marine toilets on board – they use a method called “bucket & chuck it".

Budgetary issues dictate that we must be very prudent about when we splurge by tying up at a marina slip. We anchor whenever possible or tie up at a mooring ball.

Rather than living the easy middle class existence we’d had on land, we now live a more complicated existence. We rely on laundromats – hauling laundry and supplies back and forth. We’re thrilled when we’re at a city that has good public transportation. The grocery shopping list is limited to what we can carry.

We make our own electricity. And we’re both electricity hogs. We use our computers to get news, stay in contact with friends and family, and for some entertainment. We stay up and read. We have solar panels that do a good job, a wind generator that needs repair just now, and a portable Honda generator for which we have to haul gasoline.

Our fresh water tanks hold 150 gallons. When we run out we can either head for a marina fuel dock where there’s water available, or haul our 6 gallon jugs in the dinghy to a water source. Four 6 gallon jugs at roughly 50 pounds each (because we overfill as much as possible) make a water run a bit of a workout. No we don’t fill the tanks to capacity – we just get 4 jugs of water at a time so we’re doing 1 water run each week when we’re at anchor or on a mooring for any length of time.

Our two 10 pound propane tanks (for cooking) last a long time but when they need refilling we can’t take them in either a bus or a taxi. Replenishing propane means either getting a ride from someone or renting a car.

Except when we’re at sea, the toilets drain into holding tanks. Some places have pump-out boats that will come to us, but when that’s not available it’s a trip to a marina dock that has pump-out.

And then there’s mail. We use an excellent mail forwarder so it’s not an issue but just one more thing that’s not as simple as on land.

Ah, the simple life. Last Fall when we were taking a vacation, my daughter said “But you’re always on vacation!’ Yeah, right.

But I’m just explaining, not complaining. Some day we’ll be ready to become CLODs (Cruisers Living On Dirt) but not just yet.

Accepting Reality

It is pretty clear that we'll stay in Vero Beach again this year until it's time to head north.  Bad colds and the lingering coughs took a good two weeks of feeling completely whipped.  But we're still in slug mode.  There are lots of things we need to do but neither of us has gotten our act together enough to do them.  If we're not careful, we won't be ready when we need to be.

I really wanted to go to the Bahamas again this year.  It's too late to go now.  I'd thought for a while that it would just be great to go someplace else.  But where?  Florida south of us hasn't had much warmer weather than we've had.  Not worth the effort. And we heard yesterday that the train of cold fronts we've had here have affected the Bahamas, too.

I guess the upside is that I've tried a few new recipes that turned out pretty well.  Always nice to add some variety to the menu.

At least with the full enclosure around the cockpit we can sit outside and read.  On a fully sunny day it gets like a sauna up there.

So how do we get ourselves motivated????  Maybe by beginning to plan where we'll stop when we leave here.  Time to get out the guide books.