Who sails your Boat? And are you lost?

I learned to shoot a sextant and reduce a site to latitude and longitude co-ordinates from Bob Stimson, a sailor friend. He was preparing me for my first (and only to date) blue water crossing which was to be from Florida to St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. It was the early days of GPS, and we hired one for use on the passage, a miracle of a black box that could tell you exactly where you were in the middle of the ocean. Bob told me, learn to navigate the old ways with sextant, sun and stars, keep track of… Read more

Ribbon Candy Theory and the Art of Nexus

Ribbon Candy Theory and the Art of Nexus So they’re back to school, our darlings in NZ. I hope you had a fabulous summer. Even if it didn’t necessarily feel like it in every moment, “Mum, I’m bored”, looking back, we did right by our kids. We had heaps of sailboat, travel and surfing time, and wonderful visitors that made evenings long and slow on the back deck. We also had the biggest month for Goodbye Sandfly we’ve ever done (that’s 15 years of building up to the January we just had). Seems all of NZ was out having fun… Read more

Burning Seeds and Sowing Seeds: A Story

Burning Seeds and Sowing Seeds: A story Since I last wrote for The Nourished Life a month ago, I got sick with my old childhood “friend” strep. I was so sure it was time to put this to rest without the use of antibiotics, and the process was fierce. It not only brought up childhood demons, it brought up a memory from EXACTLY 7 years before. I had bronchitis when Isaac was 39 weeks in my belly, coughing blood and peeing a little bit every time I coughed, which was alot. It had been coming on for more than a… Read more

And then there was you

And then there was you This weekend I drove down to Auckland to help my mother-in-law begin the move from her own home into a small managed apartment. It’s been a move that’s been a long time coming, and is (as all truly meaningful changes can be) fraught. We’re in new territory, and as graceful as we’d like to be, it’s not graceful. But it was perfect. In truth, I got to be the daughter Mum needed me to be. For this I am ever grateful. It was the clearest love I could reflect while sorting through 6 years of… Read more

Peace, Sandfly

Peace, Sandfly How’s the 21 Days of Peace going? Within 30 minutes of sending the last post to you, in my new promise of peace, I could not get the motor started to go home. I felt kind of stressed, my mind began rabbiting, then I thought, oh, that’s right, I’m not fussing about this. So, I did my new practice, and tried a few things with the motor, and eventually got it going. Roll forward to Day 7, and I find myself saying in my most powerful voice (Not yelling, quite), “get out of the f—ing house” I’ll save… Read more