So apparently having a kid living a separate life across an ocean just means that you have to learn to live with a dull ache in your chest. No one told me that, although now that I write it down, it seems more than obvious. But… ooof. I’ll be going along as normal with my day, and then BLAMMO! the recognition of not all of our parts in one place nestles deep into my sternum. Making sure that I outwardly honor that while not letting it override Violet’s experience as a newly-singular kid is my goal. She most definitely misses her sister, but she’s also quite enjoying reseting her daily schedule to shape her new situation. (A girl cut from a similar cloth, loving lists and schedules!)
Yesterday was busy, and also not. My jobs left on the boat are mainly stowing things that are either still in our rental with us, or unable to be stowed until Andy’s final projects are completed. We did have to run a new halyard down the mast, since we somehow pulled one out in the last two years (we didn’t rig the main for our short trip last year, so never noticed). That involved me hoisting Andy aloft, where he dropped a weighted fishing line down the top, which I fished out of outlet hole (I’m SURE there’s a better/yachtier name for said hole, but it’s escaping me now) toward the bottom of the mast. I then rigged a mousing line to the fishing line for him to pull back up. Once he was down, he then ‘chased’ the mousing line with the actual halyard, and bob’s your uncle. (Nothing is easy on a boat, remember?!) While Andy checked the rig on his veeeerrrry sllllooooow trip up the mast, I tried not to have a heart attack from the winching, as those muscles haven’t been used in quite some time, and also I dreamt about hydraulic winches and when I would acquire one.
We launched in the afternoon, checked all of the parts necessary to remaining afloat, and then I left Andy to his projects while I came back to hang with V. We took a beach walk (it’s been overcast and chilly enough to not want to swim yet), and collected sea glass. I should have had her at my side for all of these years- young eyes! We made off with a haul of impressive Day One Collection measures. We then came back to read in the gazebo on the water, before Andy dinghied home from the yard.
Lily was collected by her host family in the afternoon, and while remaining cool about it all (at least via text), it was overwhelming with both the change of scenery, the language, and her jet lag and complete exhaustion from her past three days. (STERNUM CRUSH.) It’s now at least nice to know that when I wake with a start in the early morning hours wondering how she is, I can text her and she’s awake and already bopping about her day.
The weather this weekend doesn’t look TOO conducive for going around the Whale, but Monday the winds shift and things look to be dying down. From there, southbound we’ll be!
