Heavy Weather

Count no one lucky until you know how they died.

-- Chinese Proverb


Heavy Weather

Chinese wisdom notwithstanding, I’ve always counted myself lucky in love. Very lucky.

Lately, my luck has been called into question.

Anke fell in love with a friend of ours and, for a while, we considered sailing forward as a crew of three. Extending WAYWARD to accommodate would have been the least of the changes to our lives, however, and our differing styles were hard to resolve. In the end, Anke and I are sailing forward as two, and our friend will remain a friend.

As you might imagine, a turn like this shakes the very foundations. While nothing changed in Anke’s feelings for me, everything changed. Came into question. Plans altered radically. For that time hours, days and nights of our seamless life divided and fell away. Emotions ran high.

I passionately believe that we’re not in control of love. It comes to us - or doesn’t - on its own terms. Can’t be forced. Can’t be denied. We can cultivate it or we can discourage it, and that’s about all.

I passionately believe that, if you truly love someone, it’s for who they are. Not who or how you might wish them to be. Not for what they can be for you. But for themselves… for the fire which they - as they are - alight within you. We sail with them as best we can, out of love, whatever the course.

Love is a gift, and I passionately believe that a gift has no strings. One should never abide abuse, but there is a world of challenge where harm nor pain was ever intended. If there are strings, the impulse is to pull or cut them… and that seems to me neither gift nor love.

So, with love all around, we made it through as a couple. I believe we would have made it through as three, had that been our path. Come hell or high water.

Lucky in love.



*****

PS. Thanks to all of you who wrote with support and good wishes. We both appreciate you so much!

Sewing Kit: A Stitch in Tiny

A penny for a spool of thread,
A penny for a needle...


Sewing Kit: A Stitch in Tiny

A stitch in time saves nine, as they say, and that is never more true than when underway.

On the road, a minimal sewing kit keeps weight down. On board, it helps declutter the living space, since a more comprehensive kit can be stowed less handily but out-of-sight.

This little kitlet shown above has been a companion since my hitching days. It still handles 90% of all the sewing I need do.

Waterproof Matchbox (Coglan's™, among others)
Polyester Thread (Gutermann's™ #10 Black 100m)
2 Needles (One heavy, large eye and one small, fine eye)
Tailor's Thimble (I.e., no cap; sized to index finger)

That open top tailor's thimble is important, as others likely won't fit in the standard matchbox. Stow with narrow end down.

There's a little extra space left in the kit. Consider a sheathed Exacto™ blade for cutting thread, and maybe a Bandaid™?

Another 9% of my sewing is handled by the Speedy Stitcher™ (shown below). This is for heavy duty work, such as leather or canvas, and develops a chain stitch. There is another type with the spool stowed above the handle, in line with the needle. This makes sense, though having tried both, I prefer the in handle variant. Beware of cheap imitations!

I haven't carried the Speedy with me on the road, though it would have come in handy at times, but it  has a place of honor in our middle kit.

Watch out for the pointy ends!

Speedy Stitcher™