This blog post isn't about cruising. It's not even about sailing. But as all cruisers are acutely aware, life events lead to detours at any given moment in time.

To begin with, there is this thing called Covid. I know there are many people who are out there cruising, racing, and enjoying dinner with friends. All seemingly fine. (Of which I am very glad.) Then I read about the numbers of people who are contracting Covid. I read about overloaded hospitals and bodies filling up morgues. I am so confused.

Jay and I continue to be cautious. We are staying close to home and following the suggested guidelines. (Although I am threatening to break free this spring. We shall see.) We miss the warmth of the Mexican sun. We miss our sailing community. And, of course, we miss Cadenza. Yet, "when one door closes, another one opens."

Jay's son got a fantastic opportunity, working for a government contract company in the DC area. Relocating his family of six from California to Virginia is no small feat. Since he didn't know the area and is required to partake in three months of intense training, we offered our house for our daughter-in-law and four grandsons during the transition. This will give Scott time to scout the area before committing to a lease. What that boils down to is some very special quality family time that is rare these days. So, when we were vacillating on whether or not to venture south this year, it became clear staying at home in Martha's Vineyard was the better decision.

Christmas is always better spent with children and this year was no exception. Their excitement and joy filled our house with smiles and laughter. It has long been quiet. Maybe too quiet.

The boys, ages eight, two eleven-year-old twins and one teenager at fourteen, are all formally enrolled in our local schools - attending remotely. Afternoon and evenings are spent playing games and taking long walks. Saturday we went on a four-mile hike in 32-degree weather. It was cold. Especially when we got to the cliff overlooking Vineyard Sound. The sky was covered with a thick cloud bank except for a slight window of blue sky and sun off in the horizon. We could hear the coastal roar of the surf as it made its way to the shore. The wind was fresh and cold, leading us to quickly turn around and head back. Still, the scene was beautiful, cast in a stark and gray light.

Friday night was a meatloaf smack-down. Team Terri & Jason won against Team Gina & William. No still photography but the boys created a documentary video of our home cooking - such as it was. All gathered in the kitchen, helping and stealing ideas. It was a fun evening with the promise to do more cooking smack-downs. Mac and Cheese next? Who knows, we just may come up with our own cooking show to pitch to the Cooking Channel.

And Sunday - music lessons given by Papa J on trumpet and piano.

Does it get a little crazy and noisy with four energetic boys? Of course, and so what. Honestly, these four are so helpful and polite. It is refreshing.

Oh! And did I mention a dog came with the family? Harley is a King Charles Cavalier. She is the sweetest dog. And now we get our dog fix! We just love her.

All things considered; we are good. We miss the rest of our family and are looking forward to the day we feel we can travel safely. Meanwhile, we are enjoying getting to know our grandchildren.