Magnificent Welcome Home
29 May 2016 | 41 24'N:71 25'W, Bristol RI: Herreshoff Museum Dock
Donna
PHOTO: after knockdowns at Cape Horn and heading for Panama WATCH FOR NEW BLOGS : FROM FEB.14- MAR 28�... HANDWRITTEN UNDERWAY AFTER MY COMPUTER BROKE, TO BE TRANSCRIBED AND POSTED OVER THE NEXT SIX WEEKS�... STAY TUNED!!!
The last few days are like a dream. Having so much of my family here, as guests of Halsey Herreshoff, has been the most amazing Welcome imaginable�... to see so many friends and feel the intensity of all the energy flowing toward me is so encompassing. The entire property of the Herreshoff museum and docks has been an open playground for all of us here, from the moment I saw the beautiful SV Rugosa heading toward me on the water, the rails lined with the yelling young voices �"NONI, NONI, YOUR HOME�"!! from my grandchildren�... doing pass-by after pass-by of the docks as I waited for my Mother to arrive to see me sailing�... the first steps on the dock; love was flowing everywhere. We have all enjoyed the blessing of the graciousness of Halsey to allow my kids, and family to stay on property these last two days, Inspired Sanity, blissfully bobbing at the dock as folks come to see this mighty little ship that has sustained two world circumnavigations plus tens of thousands of other coas tal miles�... even a �'visitation in the night�' in Duck, NC�...
There are no words to express my thanks to those who have managed the ground team, creating a magical welcome home. It started with a press interview in Newport arranged by Will Barbeau and just grew as Bonnie Blue put 1000% of her creative energy and celestially inspired spirit into making the day so special for me and my family�.... Bubbles and hoola hoops for the kids, globes and stickers, a magnificent wall painting�...and a poem that flowed so through her being that it was nearly penned in completion without even a moment for her pen ink to stop flowing. Halsey gave us a wonderful vision of my journeying sail from a perspective only he could express. Tim Murphy graced us with a song �"Let�'s go out to the sea again�"�... an original jewel. Keel was snapping photos�... and more photos. The Welcome home presentation was not complete without a final toast from the heart of Bob�...my Bob�... as he shared the words he had penned on my sail before I left, �"Dear Donna, The sea calls and you answer; The wind speaks and you listen; You take my heart with you and I keep yours close to mine�... I love you�...Bob.�" Tears flowed everywhere as he wished me congratulations from all.
We all enjoyed a magical shake down sail on SV Rugosa the following day�...(yesterday). It was incredible to have three of my children all there (we were missing Kristy with all our heart), and their amazing kids�...and my brothers�... and be able to sail on Rugosa. They have all sailed with me at different times but never all together, and with Halsey, it was a fast and exciting sail as the winds gusted into the 20�'s and all the �'first time out for the season�' details were straightened, lines re-lead as needed, and rigging tweaked to bring her into �'fine tuning�'. Exhilaration has a whole new meaning as we all helped to put Rugosa to bed for the afternoon after the sail.
It was so deep, the longings that I had felt to hold my grandchildren, kiss my children, my Mother who has been the foundation of support through my sailing. To finally have them in my arms, to play with them, watch them so freely enjoying the waterfront, the sailing, the kites and each other, filled my being with so much pride, so much gratitude�... and when they had to go home, one by one, rolling up their car windows after one more hug, one more kiss, not wanting to let go now that we are near�... an incredible sense of being torn from them came�... it was too soon, though we�'d had the most packed exuberant experience together. I am so longing to hold them again�... and we will be seeing each other soon. Thank goodness. I miss them so already.
Even as we were tiding up Rugosa, amazing friends, Dottie and Bart arrived yesterday on SV Ananda, bringing those who got this whole circumnavigation started with Bob and I together�... the energy from our very first chat as near strangers�... soul mates in the eternity of time revealed in that moment�... when we both knew in the same instant that it was time for me to set off and solo the world nonstop as I knew I wanted to do�... but at that moment, it became a reality. We all embraced on the dock as we considered all that had transpired to bring this amazing culmination to be. What hugs we shared, life energy channeling holes in the ground it was so fluid�...
Scott and Kitty arrived on their tail (blog buddies!!), mutual friends, and dinner was a blessing treat with Halsey as our spontaneous Guest�.... Long embraces and great fun�...the reason we all sail. The camaraderie found midst the sailing community is a life changing experience. We are all looking forward and making plans to continue to enjoy that community through the summer as it rolls through Bristol and all of New England.
Thank you to all who continue to come down the dock and say hello�... those who have followed along on the blogs or heard of my journey from the amazing articles in the local papers�...thank you Bruce Burdett and Rich Salit.
Facebook has been buzzing with so many, many, many wonderful photos�... Please Jay Nellie�... we would love to have copies of your photos�... please email them to my Hotmail�...or maybe we can set up a drop box�... wowowowowowowowowowow�... donnalange@hotmail.com
Oh What FUN!! And the creative unfolding is just begun�...it is unfathomable to me�... I am not even going to try to imagine�... I just don�'t have that good an imagination!!!
Keepin On Sailin On Caring�... Love is CREATED NEW EACH MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!!!
Fairest of winds and the love of the oceans Only Gratitude Donna