Oh the sailor's life is the life for me....

...but i never ever ever do a thing about the weather, 'cause the weather never ever does a thing for me." Or so sings the Walrus in Alice in Wonderland. Sailing, yes... boating rather was my latest adventure, but FIRST.... I have been lazy lazy lazy. I know it, and I'm owning it.

Radiation....ok, I could be all perky and fun in the beginning, until the nuclear effect took it's toll. I'm better now, so I'm at a place where I can be more clear about it. I'm a young, healthy 32 and that thing turned me into a burnt 90 year old without the ability to talk (that's still pending). So I've reatreated to Florida with the family where my only duty is to rest and heal and get better. Being at home was too emotionally hard - so much life and fun going on around me, not to mention the joy of teaching; and sitting all of that out for a season is one thing, sitting all of that out while still being in proximity is another. I've been here (north of Orlando) since early September, taking one three day trip to Knox for a few Dr. appts. And it's quite lovely, but different. I, who usually NEVER sit still and live to go and do and play and just be all over the place.... am now grounded and still, a great deal, and for once, without too much struggle or complaint. I've finally taken this as a spiritual retreat mindset, and being away from the familiar makes that more of a reality. I got to live through the fun of Hurricane Jeanne... fun for us, only because we suffered no major damage.

Not many tales to tell, besides whatever book I'm reading, or the fun of being around my young cousins (who are more like my niece and nephew) as they go about their daily fun of homework or playing or squabbling.

We all did have a bit of an adventure this weekend. Please understand that we were all completely raised with the optimism that there is never a crisis, merely adventure. When I was with my grandparents at the age of five and we were delivering plants from our nursery to a greenhouse in Alabama and broke down in the rain in an old, beat-up truck, before the day of cell phones.... it was not alarming...there was no panic...there was no crisis; merely "what an adventure we are having!" I have been desperately wanting to get out on one of the boats and be on and in water. I have this thing about water and boats... be it the ocean or a lake or a mountain stream.... I am drawn to water and draw such strength from it.

Saturday we all set about to take the pontoon boat out. The battery was dead, so Jim first had to go up to the "shop" (the family business office) and get a charger. Then , from all the storms, gunk had blown up under the tarp, so we tackled the seats with some soapy water and some "orange clean." In my family, where grease and diesel are dominant, NEVER underestimate the power of orange clean. A couple of hours later, my parents got to the house and we had the boat trailer attached to the van and set off up to Mt. Dora. If you're ever in Florida, be SURE to visit this charming old town and get a good glimpse of what Florida, old Florida is about. The funny thing about boats is, if you don't use them a lot, they don't work. (Kind of like the current state of my vocal cords!) We sputtered and died and sputtered and idled all OVER that lake, never getting up to gear. The children were a bit frustrated, as were the men, but I didn't care, I loved it!!! I was on open water, there was a breeze. I had binoculars - and beheld , egrets and cranes and eagles and hawks and a gator or two. Cypress trees met the water, and the Evangeline moss blew in the breeze.

A couple of hours later, we pulled the boat in, she'll be going to have her carburetor looked at this week. I have impishly suggested that we take the ski boat out next, just to make sure that she's working. I realise, as I read over this, it doesn't read exciting or even with a point. Too bad - I'm learning that in life that happens too, and that's ok.