Life is Sailing

A place of life exploration, sailing journeys, and piece of thought

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about

I am a woman who loves beauty and fun. I sail, read, play games, learn instruments (piano, flute, ukulele, tin whistle, Scottish drums, harmonica), hike, sing, Pickleball, explore, and write. My greatest joy is playing or exploring with my five children and husband. My greatest peace is at the piano or sailing. At the center and surrounding it all is my Savior Jesus Christ.
  • Today I challenged myself to 365 days of writing for no less than ten minutes a day and to take a picture of the location.

    Leading up to Halloween

    (Oct 30, 2025)

    As we approach Halloween, also known as Reformation Day, it seems like an appropriate time to reflect and remember what is beneficial to dwell on in our minds and hearts. Children are getting excited to dress up. My own children enjoyed pouring candy into a large bowl to get it ready for trick-or-treaters. It is fun to see the excitement and to hand out sweet treats. However, on October 31, 1517, hundreds of years ago, something happened that changed the world forever. Ninety-five theses were nailed to a door. It is worth excitement in our souls, for the reward that came from these 95 thoughts lasts longer than a gob stopper jaw breaker. As frightening as some of hte Halloween costumes and decorations are today, the death that the church taught in 1517 was far more real and devastating to souls. And yet from this darkness, a man was called to share God’s grace from the Bible to the world. The typed word proclaimed His justice but also His merciful provision, without need for intervention or interceding by the church or its rituals.

    So as Halloween celebrations happen, perhaps we will reconsider what our minds dwell upon and choose to “seek first His kingdom.”

  • Today I challenged myself to 365 days of writing for no less than ten minutes a day and to take a picture of the location.

    New Book… Maybe Not

    (Oct. 28, 2025)

    I thought I would try a new book recently, one recommended by a library book club. It was utterly disappointing. The drama and convoluted love affairs and murder seems to communicated the author’s desire to stir up a sadistic delight in broken relationships and sordid affairs with endless lying leading to death. What a waste of time! This book was given a notable book club award. I will be very wary of reading a book with that award associated with it and hope never to pick up such depressing material again. Pardon my point blank review of an unnamed book.

  • Today I challenged myself to 365 days of writing for no less than ten minutes a day and to take a picture of the location.

    Life to the soul

    It’s hitting the yellow ball with the center of the racket,

    It’s rounding the mark so close I could touch it but don’t,

    It’s the hum of the water against the hull of my sailboat as it planes across the bay,

    It’s the sight of a pelican spanning its wings across the surface of the water as it glides along,

    It’s the tender embrace of my son putting his arms around my back as we enjoy a few moments of silence on the pier,

    It’s the sound of two F-22s coming in for a landing,

    It’s being asked to help a new friend with a project she cares about.

    Joy to the heart.

    Life to my soul.

  • Today I challenged myself to 365 days of writing for no less than ten minutes a day and to take a picture of the location.

    Intellectual Swimming

    We swim in a sea of little fish
    Searching for food beside each other 
    A school of hungry, curious minds
    Looking for morsels of knowledge and friendship
  • Today I challenged myself to 365 days of writing for no less than ten minutes a day and to take a picture of the location.

    Money Management Matters

    Teaching children about money management is important and there are so many real life examples of helpful institutions that end up in a bind because of poorly managed accounts and spending priorities. It’s complex, but a bit of planning and forward thinking goes a long ways.

    Two private schools in debt, still bringing in revenue and more students each year but losing money and struggling to maintain their facilities with the budget they have. Prioritizing money management can save a lot of headaches.

  • Today I challenged myself to 365 days of writing for no less than ten minutes a day and to take a picture of the location.

    Singing

    (September 3, 2025)

    Singing helps heart rate go down. I found myself almost late to a Wednesday night sailboat race. It meant a lot to me to get out on the water, but being safe and staying out of an accident meant more. So I started to sing. “Lord, I know you’re with me even if I’m late. It’s gonna be ok, and there will be another day. Everything is gonna be ok.”

    My tight grip on the steering wheel relaxed, my breathing slowed, my tired eyes saw more clearly the traffic around me. Sing those songs that help us relax. It’s going to be ok.

  • Today I challenged myself to 365 days of writing for no less than ten minutes a day and to take a picture of the location.

    VJ Day and a Sting Ray

    (September 2, 2025)

    On this day in 1945, Japan publicly and completely surrendered to the United States of America atop the decks of the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Japan. My family and I have stood on that very same ship, now docked on Oahu, HI, as tourists as well as guests at special events. We have woken to sunrises across Tokyo Bay during a family visit to Japan.

    The Pacific Ocean separates our two countries, but at the same time unites them today. The Polynesian Voyaging Society, based in Hawaii, sent their Hawaiin voyaging canoe Hokule-a to Japan in 2007, as a goodwill gesture and cultural exchange. Victory, defeat. Relief and sorrow. Rebuild, regrow, move forward.

    On this day in 2025, I paddled along a shore. I laid atop my board and watched the striated clouds above, then turned my gaze down into the murky waters. I paddled and drifted. We have been warned here of sting rays in the sand. “Do the sting ray shuffle,” locals urge. I have heard sting ray stings hurt a lot. Until today, I had only seen sting rays in aquariums. They were friendly and liked to be touched on their wings. Their barbs had also been removed, and they could not harm us.

    Today as my black paddle sliced through the brown waters, a two-foot stingray darted away from me, startled by my board. How quickly it may have thrust its barbed tail into my body had I been in the water. Thankfully I was safe atop my paddle board. I am thankful to know these beautiful creatures without their barbs, to better understand their temperaments and how to interact with them in the wild.

  • Today I challenged myself to 365 days of writing for no less than ten minutes a day and to take a picture of the location.

    Young Man

    (September 1, 2025)

    Adventure out, young man
    Ride the waves
    Explore the shoreline
    Strengthen your muscles in physical exercise
    But as you go
    Remember to look back
    For memories guide us and shape us,
    Help us interpret the present.
  • Today I challenged myself to 365 days of writing for no less than ten minutes a day and to take a picture of the location.

    Pain and Sorrow

    (August 31, 2025)

    Our sweet blue parakeet passed away today. The immense sorrow hung over my husband and myself the most. She was a symbol of Hawaii and God’s warm provision for us during our last year there.

    Pain is an interesting beast… but oh, the joy of my youngest son when he saw me hug his stuffed animal that he shared with me.

  • Today I challenged myself to 365 days of writing for no less than ten minutes a day and to take a picture of the location.

    Words

    (August 30, 2025)

    Words
    Potential to open doors
    And strengthen relationships

    Words 
    Full and rich
    Lucious and warm

    Sing words to life
    Whisper them to sleep
    Falling echoes across the world
    W
       O
         R
           D
             S
Leader
Will you lead through the fire?
What when the fire dies?
Who are you leading and do you know your why?
Do you promote yourself above others?
Or do you look and see others, weaving talents together to yield a cloth of multiplied strength?
Deceptive is the idea that the best leader is one most skilled in his craft (be it flying a plane, designing technology, etc).
Perhaps leading others is a skill in itself.  
Look just below the highest performing worker… for the one who watches, observes, encourages, challenges the team to grow.
Can an intrinsically skilled leader of people lead in multiple contexts, regardless of his/her specific job training?
Leader, lead people and know why you lead.