It's All About the People

Since we've been incarcerated staying at the marina waiting for our boat to be made whole again, we've been on the receiving end of a lot of caring and kindness.

When we had to move because of the crowds expected for the bikini contest (don't get me started), we moved to the side where it is quieter and the view is of the marsh and its denizens.  

Within an hour of our tying up, we were greeted by Jack, who is a liveaboard.  He welcomed us as part of the "community."  We met his dog, River, who is a gorgeous Australian shepherd.  Jack introduced us to Corlita and her partner Glenn, who live on the next boat over from him.  They've all been wonderful, especially when it comes to food (my favorite).  We've been to Corlita and Glenn's boat for dinner.  They've invited us to partake in the weekend breakfasts served up by the Kent Narrows Yacht Club.  

At the start of the season through to the end, which is Labor Day, the volunteers prepare a great buffet of food:  boiled eggs, single servings of greek yogurt with granola and many different fruits for toppings, bagels, toasts, muffins, doughnuts, cereal, oatmeal, and the best--make-your-own waffles!  There is no cost for this breakfast; the way they make back their money is by selling raffle tickets to win t-shirts, jackets, and other yacht club tchotchkes.  They've been doing this for 31 years and we actually met some of the people who've been helping out every one of those years.

Corlita won the raffle on Sunday and instead of picking out something for herself, she chose a windbreaker for Elliott.  Glenn, who is a former commodore of the club, asked Elliott to help take down and fold the flag on the last day of the season.  When we thank them for their generosity, they say, 'We're all family here."

Elliott goes over to their boats to play games on the computer and hang out with Jack's grandson when he is on board.  Elliott knows more folks around here than we do; he's great at socializing and he also likes to help out with the lines when people are coming into their docks, so he chats up the folks then, too.

For me, I'm still relying a lot on my relatives and friends back home.  Because of our new-found situation of only being two hours away, I sometimes sneak home for visits. I try to see my girlfriends and I always make sure to visit as much family as possible.  One friend, especially, has been amazing; she sends me cards, notes, and calls to check up on me.  That extra effort really lifts my spirits.  Does it make it easier to be away?  Well, not really.  Maybe I miss them more, especially after a phone call with my daughter that ends up also being a conversation with my grandson, who is chatting like a pro now.  Leaving my kids and their families has been the hardest part of all of this; I wish I could be two places at one time.

We also had a great visit with a classmate whom I didn't really know well in school; he lives in Delaware now and stopped by to say hello in person on his way back from a trip to Fredericksburg.  Ronnie is a great guy who served our country well and was injured, but his enthusiasm is contagious.  Met his fiancee, too, and she and I are now battling it out in Words with Friends.  We are planning an overnight trip to the beach soon with a stop at their place for a longer, more relaxed visit.  We are always open to having visitors!

Gearing up in my mind for longer trips away makes me a little anxious.  Technology will help with kind of bringing us face to face, but I'll always be missing my people.  Thankfully, where we'll be going, there are lots of folks that I've already made contact with via a Facebook forum (there it is again!) called Women Who Sail.  We have our own burgees that we can fly so that when we pull into a marina, we can recognize group members and say hello, socialize, and maybe have a meal together, or even better, some Margaritas!

Some people may think that what we are doing is getting away from it all, and granted, some parts of the trip may make us feel like we're in the Amazon, but mostly this is a trip that will bring us together with like-minded people who love what they are doing and love sharing their adventures with us.  That will keep the positivity flowing!

Up Next:  And Then There are THOSE People . . . .