Tuesday evening

I'm home and back into the routine of work-life. I saw Dr. M today and he pronounced me "doing fine." My next appointment with him is November 30th! He seems to have very strong belief that I am (truly) "well" and, seeing that belief etched in his expression and tone of voice, gives me confidence. September should be a doctor-free month. Then in October (the 1 year anniversary of my surgery and cancer diagnosis), Dr. R and ... de dum ... first "real" CT scan (real in the sense of not immediately following 4 months of chemo/radiation/chemo).

My vacation was good. The Lofting class was a challenge but good. The instructor was really excellent. I learned a lot. I was able to go sailing one afternoon in a very small little boat - a lot of fun. Camping was good. The weather was warmer than either of the past 2 summers, and had been dry, which kept the swarms of mosquitoes to a minimum. I saw a toad, a bat. I heard about porpoises in the cove where the sailing class sailed daily, and seals, but did not see them with my own eyes. It was particularly good to disconnect from almost all "connections" - no TV, no radio (except NPR for literally 3 min four times a day when I drove from the camp site to the place where breakfast and dinner was served), no internet. I brought my work mobile phone and talked to David very briefly every day; that was the totality of my "contact" with the non-Wooden Boat School, non-Maine world. One cool morning with silvery dew still thick on the long grass of the meadows around the camp site, I wandered down near the water of the cove and did T'ai Chi in the wet cool long grass. It was a good vacation (and I stopped at LL Bean and found a pair of blue jeans that fit! Another important accomplishment as any middle aged woman who has tried to find jeans that fit will attest.)

I will try to post a few photos. One of the "shop" where my class took place (we were in the "loft" upstairs). A couple of the actual "lofting" - the 4-1/2 foot by 16 foot whitewashed plywood board on which we drew the full-size lines of the 3 dimensions of the boat we "lofted" - a Whitehall pulling (rowing) boat. And one of me sailing that someone in my class took. Let's see if I can get the pictures here




The shop. The "loft" is up the stairs seen in the foreground.







Now, evidence of actual "lofting" (I drew some of these lines!): the "profile" view of the Whitehall (e.g., looking from the side), showing a detail of the "stem" (part of boat running down the bow/front at the center):


One more of actual "lofting" (these are pencil lines on white background; not sure if they will show up here at all):












Finally, me sailing the Nutshell Pram on a sunny warm Maine afternoon just before sunset. Mmmm. Good.





Vacation is good. Everyone should have vacation. I suppose first everyone should have a job. A job that pays a living wage. And then - everyone should have vacation.

Peace. Peace. To far and near.