This is not a sail blog, just a sailor’s blog. We left Trinidad two weeks ago and flew directly to Fort Lauderdale to visit my parents. It is tough to watch parents get older and become limited in what they can do. My mother is wheelchair bound and has care attendants 12 hours a day. Dad is like a Timex; he keeps on ticking (remember that commercial?). Mom’s care attendants are wonderful ladies who are kind and respectful to her and give her excellent care. Dad has not forgotten his wedding vows and spends most of each day with Mom. Dad had a list of chores for us that ranged from accessing a computer program to upholstering eight chairs with fabric that I had purchased in Trinidad. He was grateful for the help with his chores.
It feels like we have been away from the boat for more than two weeks. I am still overwhelmed by the selection of food in grocery stores and feel the luxury of long showers and unlimited ice cubes. Also, in the category of cheap luxuries is the ability to open the refrigerator door and look on shelves and see the stock of food. The efficient refrigerator that most of us have on sailboats is a chest type box that you have to hang over and reach into to obtain the food. There is no “shopping” in the fridge. The other luxury, yes this is a big luxury for us, is high speed internet.
We are enjoying bike riding in the hilly terrain of the Berkshire Mountains, doing many house chores and I am hoping to catch up on a few writing projects.
This is a photo of Dad on the 4th of July.