I'm going to be a grandma!

Marrs loves little babies....

Yes, you read that right!  I'm going to be a grandma!  I'm so excited I can hardly stand it.  But with this wonderful news also comes some sadness.  We will have to put the boat up and go home to Seattle.  When you live on a boat, it becomes part of you.  The boat comes before anything else.  She must be taken care of.  We've owned serveral houses over the years, but a boat is different.  She is special.  But once the new year comes around, we'll be back at it!  Maybe Panama...

Mosquitoes...

Part of life living in the tropics are BUGS!  UGH!  Especially mosquitoes. So, here's a few things that might help...


( An e-mail I received from my dad... )

How to Kill Mosquitoes

You may be aware of this, How to Kill Mosquitos - NOT A JOKE

I was at a deck party awhile back, and the bugs were having a ball biting everyone. A man at the party sprayed the lawn and deck floor with Listerine, and the little demons disappeared.. The next year I filled a 4-ounce spray bottle and used it around my seat whenever I saw mosquitoes. And voila! That worked as well.. It worked at a picnic where we sprayed the area around the food table, the children's swing area, and the standing water nearby.

Now, if you're like me, you didn't get this information until it was too late!  In that case, here's some more ideas...

Soak the bite with vinegar.  Doesn't smell great, but it will stop itching, which can turn into an infection.

Rub the bite with Vick's Vapor Rub, your sheets will be a mess if you climb into bed after, but relief is relief!

Fruit Smoothie...

This is my own recipe... You can change it up, add a little more here, or a little less there... This will require refrigeration and power...


1 cup of plain yogurt OR 1 cup of soy milk
1 cup of cranberry juice OR whatever else you have around 
2 cups of frozen fruit
2 cups of ice
1 tablespoon of cinnamon ( opt )
1 cup of  cold water


Throw everything into the blender and MIX!
Makes 4 servings



HELPFUL HINTS: Buy fresh fruit and freeze.  Cut up pineapple in chunks, peel bananas and break in half, wash and cut strawberries,  peel a mango and slice.  Place in plastic bags and freeze.  Use as needed!  Mix and match!

Simple foods and most things are easy to find, even off the beaten path!



You can also add some RUM to this for a Sundowner Party...


                                                  ENJOY!!!!!!!







                                      

You might be a cruiser if...

There is a growing number of us who live FULL time on our boats.  Some are on power boats, sailboats, trawlers, and mega yachts.  If you've read this blog before, you know we're on a sailboat... So, I was waiting for my laundry yesterday, and I saw this VERY clean couple walk by.  And I thought to myself, "...there is no way in hell they are full time on their boat... their clothes have no stains!".  Then I thought that there must be signs to tell if someone if a FULL TIME live aboard...  

This is what I came up with...

First things first... your clothes have some sort of STAIN on them.  These clothes have been treated with every possible trick under the sun, and yet there are still spots of rust, grease stains, or just a general tear.

You place almost everything you own in a plastic bag.  Space bags, and air tight tubs become a part of life.  And it makes you happy.

You're not sure what day of the week it is... Seriously, it's unbelievable how you lose track of the days!

If someone asks for your address, you honestly cannot give them an answer.  OR you give them your parents address since have lived in the same house since 1971 and aren't moving anytime soon.

Going to West Marine is like Disneyland.

Getting new line is better than Christmas!

The majority of storage is for spare parts and tools.

You sit down with a total stranger in a restaurant and start chatting.  Especially if their clothes have STAINS on them!!

You're cold when it's 75 outside, and frantically looking for something that has long sleeves!




So, I hope you all got a good laugh at this... However funny, it's the truth!

Feng Shui

The first house we ever lived in, I had a "Feng Shui" expert come in and  do a walk through our house.  She gave me advise as to where to move furniture, paint colors, prisms placements, getting rid of dried flowers... It was very interesting and peaceful once I had made the changes she suggested.  Feng Shui, in English means "wind-water".  So, the other day I thought that maybe Marionette needed some 'balancing'.  I started searching for ideas to "Feng Shui Your Boat".  I didn't have much success!  But I did learn a few more things.  Keep things clean, organized, and NO clutter allowed!  A healthy pet is good chi ( energy ) for any place you live.  Have one red something.  Mine is a tassel from China that was a gift from my brother-in-law.  I also have several prisms.  Don't forget that your prisms should not have any cracks or chips in them. 

Here's a few tips!


Keep the kitchen well stocked with food. When we have our cupboards filled with food, we feel more abundant.


Keep brooms and mops out of sight; preferably upside down. This keeps intruders out and prevent from the family's livelihood from being swept away.


Clean out your closets and drawers. Give away, sell or throw away anything that you not longer use or no longer like.


Playing calming music like ocean waves, forest sounds or rain falling to soothe a stressful working or home environment.

Add mirrors to increase the size of a small room. You will create a feeling of more space and also endless opportunities. Remember to NOT face one while you're sleeping!

Always open your bedroom windows at least once 20 minutes a day to allow fresh chi to come in, we do this so that it allows fresh new chi from outside to come into your bedroom, if not you will be sleeping with stale chi every night. And if that happens, then how can you expect your life to bring in more good fortune to come to you? So open that window and never mind if dusts comes in! The great good fortune that you can have will far exceeds the time you take to clean off the dust. 



Now, I'm sure some of you are getting a good laugh, or an eye roll, but Feng Shui can be fun, and really, who's it going to hurt?

How great would it be to FEEL as good as this looks?

Larimar...

 I'm not a big jewelry person. But I have to say after spending some time here in the Dominican Republic, I've come to appreciate the beauty of larimar. It's only found here the Dominican Republic, which makes one more reason why this place is so special. I've seen it mostly made into fine pieces of jewelry. And no two pieces are the same! The colors vary from white, light blue, blue-green, and a deep blue. If you get lucky enough to take a trip here, check out some of the local markets for some great items to bring home as a gift or a treat for yourself.