Shoes...

I've never been one of those girls that were "into shoes".  Now, Levi jeans is another story, perhaps for another day!  Most of the time we don't wear any shoes at all.  Barefoot is fine while you're just chilling.  However, when you're out sailing you really should have some protection for your feet.  Our boat, "Marionette" has all sorts of things for someone to stub their toes on, slip, or trip over!  What I like are my "Sperry" boat shoes and my slip-on, no lace Sketchers.  Good boat shoes are really a must.  Go for the darker colors, they show less dirt and scuff marks.  The Sketchers can be thrown in the wash, so I have a pair of white ones.  Besides white can be worn after Labor Day in the tropics!  I do have a pair or two of flip-flops.  They're cheap, easy to wash off, and quick to dry.  But they are NOT your friend.  I can't tell you how many times I've slipped, tripped, and nearly fallen  flat on my butt or face!  Protect your feet and face, and buy some 'good' shoes!!

Happy Birthday Brett!!



Brett's first birthday!!

His all time favorite... MEXICAN food

Horseback riding lessons

Wanting to take a moment and wish my son a very happy 22nd birthday!  If you were here Brett, I'd buy you a bottle of rum!!  There was a time that I thought you'd never grow up... only because I thought of killing you!!  LOL!  I hope you have a great day my special son!  I love you so much!!

Brett and I hiking in Costa Rica

He got his mom's hair

First Easter

Brett hiking at Yellowstone Nat'l Park

Rice 'n Beans...

This comes from my dear friend Linda on S/V Troubadour... I hope she doesn't mind that I posted this!  It's so yummy, I must share it!

RICE n BEANS!!!


1 tin of beans ( black or red ) 15 oz size
2 cups of water
1 ( or two ) bouillon cubes ( chicken or vegetable flavor )
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder ( I use a bit more because I like it spicy )
1 teaspoon cumin
1 small onion ( diced )
3 cloves of garlic ( peeled and chopped ) I like garlic, you can add less if you want
1 cup of white rice ( uncooked )
2 Tablespoons olive oil


Drain and rise beans
Mix water and spices in a bowl
Saute' onions and garlic with olive oil
add rice to garlic and onion mix stir about 3 minutes
( I use a sauce pan to saute' the onions & garlic so I can add the rest of the ingredience, then only using ONE pan!! )


Add water & spice mix with rice and bring to a boil
Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes ( no peeking! )
Stir in beans and serve hot


This is a  typical Caribbean side dish.  You can add just about anything to it!  More veggies, such as steamed carrots or corn.  Mix with cooked chicken or sausage if you so desire.  Or use as a MAIN DISH!  It's pretty simple and clean up isn't too bad...

Off to the beach...

Marrs checking to see if anyone will notice if he jumps in!

Near Johnny Depps' private island, Staniel Cay

Costa Rica

Spanish Wells

When I lived in Seattle, going to the beach was about a twice a year event. And that's it! If you've never been to Seattle, the summer months last about 3 days! So, when we first hit the Caribbean, I was in SHOCK! Sunshine, WARM water, white sand... absolutely breathtaking! I try not to miss one day without heading to the beach. It's never far away, no matter where we are! But along with those beautiful beaches, comes some serious FRIGHTENING WEATHER! And here I thought Seattle was bad!

Hurricane Irene from the North Coast of the Dominican Republic 2011

Hair...

My mother always said that your clothes can be wrinkled, you can have no make-up on, but as long as your hair looks good, you can pull it off!  Of course, my mom's hair always looks GREAT, she has a stylist on call, and doesn't have to worry about tropical humidity!  I did get her WILD & CURLY locks, thanks mom if you're reading... So, I tried a couple of different things living on the boat.  First I tried growing it out.  Now, I've had short short SHORT hair for a lot of years, this was no easy task!  But I did it!  Was able to pull it all back in a pony tail, and off my face.  Then I started shedding... I don't know who lost more hair, me or Marrs the Wonder Dog!  It started to clog drains and make a mess... So, off it went... Then I decieded it was too much work to keep it looking nice... so I grew it out again...  Once again, I have cut it short, and it seems 'fairly' ( term used VERY lightly ) controllable.  I have VERY VERY thick, curly hair.  The humidity reeks havoc on it... I do use Aveda products that seem to work very well for me.  Also cheap 'hair wax'...yes, I said HAIR WAX!  I could probably be mistaken for Tina Turner, circa 1992 without it... Or maybe Marge Simpson... No I am not kidding!!  Big hair was great in the 80's, not so much now!  So, the best advise I can give is to cover it up!  Hat, bandanna, silk scarf... Unless you're one of those lucky people with nice STRAIGHT hair!  In my next life, I'm going to ask for long legs and straight hair!  GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!!

Really, I'm not joking!!

Feeling blue...

Well, you ask yourself, "...what do you have to be sad about?"... I KNOW!  Silly question, but even us who "live outside the box" in this LAVISH LIFE OF LUXURY, get into a funk once in a while.  Being so far away from family is a tough one for me sometimes.  My kids and parents are about 6000+  miles away!  And a 4 hour time difference!  I took full advantage last night of calling my daughter at 1:00 AM my time.  She was just getting off work... Usually it's either too EARLY or too LATE!  *sigh*  So, there's a few things I do when I'm feeling down; write in a journal, then HIDE the journal, there's always a good hiding spot on the boat!  I also get out and start moving, in the words of Johnny Cash, "When you get the blues, c'mon and get rhythm...", I even hum the song in my head!  Get some sunshine is another one; take a minute with your morning coffee or tea and be grateful for all those beautiful palm trees, or the sunrise.  Talk to someone; sometimes my hubby isn't the best guy to 'talk' to, so if you can find another cruising lady, she might 'get it' more than those who are close to you.  Whatever you do, don't laze around and sulk!  It only makes things worse...  So, if you're feeling bummed take a minute and remember how far you've come since your last journey! 

I'm thankful for my boys...  RIP Squirrel!!!

I always look forward to a "No one around" anchorage!!

Happy Valentines Day...

Okay, so I'm not into many Hallmark-Holiday's... but here we are again, February the 14th.  I hope that everyone who enjoys those expensive roses, and fattening candy enjoy the day! 

A nice way to start the day!!

I could use one of these cookies however!!

Grrr... Work!

Pete in Miami doing payroll....

This is NOT me, but this is what I use to do... 911 Dispatcher

Well, I don't really "work" anymore.  I help Pete out with his company that continues to run in the States, and I help our friends out at their pub as a "Bar Wench" here in the Dominican Republic.  Other than that, I really don't do much to earn money.  I do however work my butt off cleaning and keeping up on everything that needs to be done on the boat.  Wiping saltwater off of everything everyday, laundry, meals, washing up dishes, cleaning dog hair, grocery shopping, getting a tan... oh wait, THAT might not count!  We both work hard in keeping the boat clean, and keeping the business afloat from so far away.  Which Pete has on another blog, if you're interested.  Just remember there's more to life than how much money you make, but your still have to eat, buy fuel, and fix your boat ( A LOT )....

This is what I like to do now!!

"THE WATER ISN'T WORKING!!"

I think this says it all!!

We, here on board the Marionette, have a love-hate relationship with pumps. I want to turn the faucet on, and have water come out. I want to flush the toilet and have the water GO AWAY. Am I asking too much? Apparently, at times, I have... So, when you take off for your great adventure, be sure to bring extra water pumps and macerator pumps, maybe more than two each! And don't be cheap about it! There are some things that money CAN buy, and good pumps are one of them!!

Squirrel thinks that the toilet water should GO AWAY too!

Special thanks!

Christy Texting while sailing

Christy & Christopher in Palmetto, FL

A special thanks to my dear friend "Christy"... She has been a rock for me for so long now, I can't even remember not knowing her!! She works as a 911 Dispatcher, Public Education for calling 911, a single mom, and a Beach Body rep. And she still finds the time to e-mail me nearly everyday. We never seem to run out of things to chat about. So, here's to you my wonderful friend who's always been there for me! Love you, crazy gal!

Christy & me 

Christy & Me in Florida

Christopher getting ready for a day sail

Chris chilling while sailing

Christy, Christopher, & Pete

Christy & Pete

Christopher giving Squirrel love

Fans...

I know my family gets tired of hearing me say how darn hot it is down here.  Seriously, it's REALLY hot!  Yes, it's paradise, but it's hot.... Did I mention that it's hot??  So, what do we do to keep cool?  We have about 5 fans in various parts of the boat.  Three in the main living quarters, and one each in the bedroom.  We also have the luxury of air conditioning!!  I LOVE A/C....  Too bad for us, we can only use it when we're at a marina, since it uses a ton of power.  The fans we like are Hella Fans.  They run on 12 volt, so even if we're not in a marina, we can still use them without draining our battery power. They are very quiet too!!  I think they're a bit pricey, but worth every penny!!  Also we drink about 1/2 gallon of water a day each.  It's important for you to keep hydrated.  Sun stroke is nothing to fool around with.  If you weigh 100 pounds, you should drink 50 ounces of water.  Double that water if you're living in the tropics!  Or go for a swim, a hike where there is some shade, bicycle to town to get a breeze going, or buy a bigger boat that has a gen-set that will run your air conditioning unit!!  

Being organized...

Moving day onto Marionette...

Perfect size for putting used plastic grocery bags in



Great for battery storage!

Okay, I'm a total freak about things being put away!  Ask anyone that knows me... Living in a house and being organized isn't too difficult, but living on a boat is a whole different ball game!  First, everything turns to rust; clothes, hatch springs, dishes... it's crazy!  I'm still learning tons of new stuff every time I talk to another "cruising lady".  My sister-in-law told me to use Mason jars to store items!  Great idea!  Buttons, flour, tiny parts that I'm sure I'll need later... The lids are tight and no rust!!  Another item I use is lock 'n seal plastic containers.  Again no rust, and also, NO BUGS!!  We have a 44 foot boat and most of the available storage is dedicated to spare parts and large tool boxes.  While spare parts are important, us ladies still need to have a bit of space for our 'stuff'...  Before we bought a boat we traveled by RV from Seattle to Maine to Florida.  So, I learned quick that your microwave can also be used to store bread!  Your oven for that awkward pan that doesn't seem to fit anywhere else.  I also love baskets!  If you travel the Bahamas you can find nice ladies that make them by hand!  They're beautiful and sturdy.  So, be sure to stock up on various plastic containers before you take off.  And never throw out any containers with air tight lids...



Storage for our friend "Rock Star Capt'n Chris"

Don't forget to write the date on your canned foods