I'm beginning to believe I'm cursed. Not in the evil sense, my head doesn't spin, at least not all the way around, but there are powers that like to play with me. Somewhere there is a voodoo doll in my image with a sharp pin waiting.......
I talk a lot about our boat. The best decision we've ever made was to buy that beamy girl, providing a perfect threesome in our marriage. She has enhanced and brought more joy than any single inanimate object, even the houses we've renovated can't top our cottage on the water. The fact that she likes to take the occasional bite out of me is off putting, but considering I'm in a small space, a bit clumsy and being tossed about like a cork in a bathtub, perhaps a few bruises are expected. No matter, I keep giving her my all, making her shine while peeling away the years of use, hopefully she appreciates our efforts.
Since we bought the boat, the focus has been preparing for the Nonsuch Rendezvous, a yearly event where the local Nonsuch boats and owners gather, have a race and socialize and revel in this exclusive club. I might enjoy teak refinishing and scrubbing the bilge, but there was a purpose in mind, make her shine for this event to introduce our girl to the group with her best bow forward. We'd missed last year’s gathering with hubby working in Alberta, but this year being out of work was a plus, we would be there, front and center for the festivities. It was guaranteed!
I'd planned months ago to have that weekend off. Unless we are teaching a beginner class, I work Saturday’s alone so I needed to be taken off the schedule. Deb and Shane were primed and all my ducks were in order. There would be nothing to stop us from being there, come hell or high water, we would be showing off the fruits of our labour and taking our place in the line-up, bow to stern along the wharf. Or so I thought……
A week and a bit before the rendezvous I opened email and found a reminder from the Nicholsville Rug Rats Fall Fling that their hook-in was coming up and would I be there as planned? Surely my eyes deceived me, surely it didn't say September 10th, the same day as the rendezvous? I knew the event was in September and I’d asked for a reminder close to the time but I never thought for a moment it would be the same weekend and honestly my focus was all on the boat so there wasn’t much thought for anything else! The wheels began to grind, the screech matching the groan coming out of me. What could I do? I gave my word which means something; I couldn't let the hook-in down but how could I do it all? How could I be in two places at one time? So I chatted with Deb and Shane and they offered to do the hook-in for me. Hugs and kisses to them both! I would tell them what to expect and I could then go conscience free to the Rendezvous. I asked someone to work the store as I knew I couldn't close it, people would be upset coming from a distance expecting us to be here. All was once again clear sailing. Or so I thought……
Two days before the rendezvous weekend Shane's cat ingested part of a lily. For those that don't know, and we sure as heck didn’t, any part of this plant or cut flower is toxic to a cat. If not caught within two hours, before digestion begins, renal failure is guaranteed. When Shane went upstairs to take his dogs out for a pee, he found Zoe with her face and mouth dusted with orange; she’d stuck her head into the heart of the lily and came out coated with powder which she licked off. He quickly looked it up on the internet and was devastated. He rushed her to the vet who didn't give him much hope. He was beside himself with worry, kicking himself for not knowing there was a deadly toxin in his home. We were on pins and needles as we waited for news while poor Zoe swayed on a tightrope of life or death.
Anyone who knows Shane can vouch that he wears his heart on his sleeve, and is an old softy for the creatures of this planet. He doesn't squash bugs, not even spiders and if he can't help them out the door to freedom, he lets them be. He totally loves his cats, Zoe and Molly and I know how I feel about my pups so I knew the great burden on his heart. As much as it pained me to miss my special weekend, his cat would come first and if the outcome was bleak, I knew darkness would settle on his soul for a long while. If she pulled through, he would be joyous but would have to pick her up on Saturday and they needed one another. Over the next few days, we hung on to hope and felt helpless despair until word came that she would make it. Shane was over the moon and we all breathed a sigh of relief.
The weekend had been structured; kitty first, the hook-in second and the boat last. I missed the Friday meet and greet at the Lunenburg Yacht Club because I had to pack up the shop for an early trip Saturday morning. I did make it to the club for the dinner but couldn't really meet anyone or mingle while stuck at a table. Then at 10:00, I rushed back to the shop to finish the packing and loaded the car. It was midnight before I got home. The stress was piled so high on my shoulders I bent when I walked. Then I tried to sleep but after rushing around like a chicken without a head, it was impossible. No amount of reading could soothe my mind and after I turned out the light my brain blazed as I fretted over the details for the hook-in the next day. Did I forget anything, the long lists of things to take were checked and rechecked in my head, tossing and turning until I fell into a fitful sleep around 3:00, then up at 5:30 to get ready to hit the road by 7:00.
I won’t lie, it hurt missing the Nonsuch gathering but I have a responsibly to the business and to my son. Being a mother, we sacrifice all the time. It's our job as much as putting food on the table and clothing on their backs. Good or bad, it's our lot and at the end of the day, we don’t begrudge any sacrifice that might be made because they come first, period the end.
So I headed to Kingston with my wares while Deborah navigated and my hubby attended the reunion on his own. I tried not to feel bitter, I certainly give my all to rug hooking, have for many years. It's not just a profession, it's my passion, but I need a bit of fun too. It took a good week to let it go, all the while being told there would always be next year, but after missing two years in a row I'm not holding out any hope. Maybe we shouldn't want things so much, leaving the gate open for disappointment to slip in and run amuck. If we don’t have inflated expectations there won't be any disappointments. Putting all my eggs in one basket assured a bit of breakage but when it all boils down, no one died, big deal, get over it.
Once we arrived home Saturday and unpacked the car at the shop I was finished. That final half hour drive to Mahone Bay was rough; I fought to keep my eyes open. Deborah was tired as well but we made conversation to stay alert, I missed a turnoff that took us a bit longer to get home but we laughed with as much enthusiasm as we could muster.
After I arrived home I was too exhausted to drive to Chester for the Nonsuch dinner. I worried that I'd fall asleep behind the wheel. My disappointment was swallowed along with a large bag of chips and a tub of Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl ice cream, two very big no nos for my blood sugar. If I rested and then went down later I could bring pups and breakfast food to spend the night on the wharf with hubby, be there in the morning to chat a bit and feel a part of things with the other folks on their boats before they left for home but I kept yawning and nodding off every time I sat in a chair. I've fallen asleep while driving before and the fear of a re-occurrence is potent incentive to think smart. It wasn't worth the risk, especially with the pups in the car, my maternal instinct was to stay put, lay on the sofa feeling sorry for myself, which I might add, I did with stellar proficiency. I may not be proud of this fact, but I moped for days, inconsolable that I’d missed the Rendezvous yet again!
Maybe if the weekend before, a sail to Carter's Beach that we'd planned since the spring, had gone off without a hitch I would have been less bothered to miss the rendezvous. But the first vacation I've taken in 25 years turned into a disaster, one with vomiting, crying, soiling myself and fear of drowning. No one died, but I thought we all might, so that put a rather large crimp in the fun. I'll tell you about it later, when the pain of it passes and I can laugh without clenching the various sphincters of my body.
So despite the disappointment for missing the Rendezvous, Deborah and I had a lot of fun in Kingston. It's always lovely to see so many familiar faces and admire all their works in progress and the the rug show was once again phenomenal.
I must admit, the turkey lunch served by the Lion's Club men at the hook-in was memorable. The gravy was lip smacking, the dressing divine, the mashed potato and vegetables were all tantalizing to our taste buds, and is there anything better than seeing men in the kitchen wearing aprons? That’s dessert in itself! Not only did these chaps put out a superb meal, they tidied up and did the dishes. Last but not least, the actual dessert was an apple crisp with a crunchy topping and the right amount of tartness. Yum! Quite the spread and well worth attending for.
As we packed up our wares and loaded the car I was asked if I’d come back next year and I said without hesitation "Sure thing!" I won't know the dates for the 2017 Nonsuch Rendezvous or the 2017 Nicholsville Rug Rats Hook-in until next spring but really, what’s the chance the two events will overlap again? What's the chance there won't be another crisis, something to interfere? Maybe I should ask Murphy, he's usually following me around......
I talk a lot about our boat. The best decision we've ever made was to buy that beamy girl, providing a perfect threesome in our marriage. She has enhanced and brought more joy than any single inanimate object, even the houses we've renovated can't top our cottage on the water. The fact that she likes to take the occasional bite out of me is off putting, but considering I'm in a small space, a bit clumsy and being tossed about like a cork in a bathtub, perhaps a few bruises are expected. No matter, I keep giving her my all, making her shine while peeling away the years of use, hopefully she appreciates our efforts.
Since we bought the boat, the focus has been preparing for the Nonsuch Rendezvous, a yearly event where the local Nonsuch boats and owners gather, have a race and socialize and revel in this exclusive club. I might enjoy teak refinishing and scrubbing the bilge, but there was a purpose in mind, make her shine for this event to introduce our girl to the group with her best bow forward. We'd missed last year’s gathering with hubby working in Alberta, but this year being out of work was a plus, we would be there, front and center for the festivities. It was guaranteed!
I'd planned months ago to have that weekend off. Unless we are teaching a beginner class, I work Saturday’s alone so I needed to be taken off the schedule. Deb and Shane were primed and all my ducks were in order. There would be nothing to stop us from being there, come hell or high water, we would be showing off the fruits of our labour and taking our place in the line-up, bow to stern along the wharf. Or so I thought……
A week and a bit before the rendezvous I opened email and found a reminder from the Nicholsville Rug Rats Fall Fling that their hook-in was coming up and would I be there as planned? Surely my eyes deceived me, surely it didn't say September 10th, the same day as the rendezvous? I knew the event was in September and I’d asked for a reminder close to the time but I never thought for a moment it would be the same weekend and honestly my focus was all on the boat so there wasn’t much thought for anything else! The wheels began to grind, the screech matching the groan coming out of me. What could I do? I gave my word which means something; I couldn't let the hook-in down but how could I do it all? How could I be in two places at one time? So I chatted with Deb and Shane and they offered to do the hook-in for me. Hugs and kisses to them both! I would tell them what to expect and I could then go conscience free to the Rendezvous. I asked someone to work the store as I knew I couldn't close it, people would be upset coming from a distance expecting us to be here. All was once again clear sailing. Or so I thought……
Two days before the rendezvous weekend Shane's cat ingested part of a lily. For those that don't know, and we sure as heck didn’t, any part of this plant or cut flower is toxic to a cat. If not caught within two hours, before digestion begins, renal failure is guaranteed. When Shane went upstairs to take his dogs out for a pee, he found Zoe with her face and mouth dusted with orange; she’d stuck her head into the heart of the lily and came out coated with powder which she licked off. He quickly looked it up on the internet and was devastated. He rushed her to the vet who didn't give him much hope. He was beside himself with worry, kicking himself for not knowing there was a deadly toxin in his home. We were on pins and needles as we waited for news while poor Zoe swayed on a tightrope of life or death.
Anyone who knows Shane can vouch that he wears his heart on his sleeve, and is an old softy for the creatures of this planet. He doesn't squash bugs, not even spiders and if he can't help them out the door to freedom, he lets them be. He totally loves his cats, Zoe and Molly and I know how I feel about my pups so I knew the great burden on his heart. As much as it pained me to miss my special weekend, his cat would come first and if the outcome was bleak, I knew darkness would settle on his soul for a long while. If she pulled through, he would be joyous but would have to pick her up on Saturday and they needed one another. Over the next few days, we hung on to hope and felt helpless despair until word came that she would make it. Shane was over the moon and we all breathed a sigh of relief.
The weekend had been structured; kitty first, the hook-in second and the boat last. I missed the Friday meet and greet at the Lunenburg Yacht Club because I had to pack up the shop for an early trip Saturday morning. I did make it to the club for the dinner but couldn't really meet anyone or mingle while stuck at a table. Then at 10:00, I rushed back to the shop to finish the packing and loaded the car. It was midnight before I got home. The stress was piled so high on my shoulders I bent when I walked. Then I tried to sleep but after rushing around like a chicken without a head, it was impossible. No amount of reading could soothe my mind and after I turned out the light my brain blazed as I fretted over the details for the hook-in the next day. Did I forget anything, the long lists of things to take were checked and rechecked in my head, tossing and turning until I fell into a fitful sleep around 3:00, then up at 5:30 to get ready to hit the road by 7:00.
I won’t lie, it hurt missing the Nonsuch gathering but I have a responsibly to the business and to my son. Being a mother, we sacrifice all the time. It's our job as much as putting food on the table and clothing on their backs. Good or bad, it's our lot and at the end of the day, we don’t begrudge any sacrifice that might be made because they come first, period the end.
So I headed to Kingston with my wares while Deborah navigated and my hubby attended the reunion on his own. I tried not to feel bitter, I certainly give my all to rug hooking, have for many years. It's not just a profession, it's my passion, but I need a bit of fun too. It took a good week to let it go, all the while being told there would always be next year, but after missing two years in a row I'm not holding out any hope. Maybe we shouldn't want things so much, leaving the gate open for disappointment to slip in and run amuck. If we don’t have inflated expectations there won't be any disappointments. Putting all my eggs in one basket assured a bit of breakage but when it all boils down, no one died, big deal, get over it.
Once we arrived home Saturday and unpacked the car at the shop I was finished. That final half hour drive to Mahone Bay was rough; I fought to keep my eyes open. Deborah was tired as well but we made conversation to stay alert, I missed a turnoff that took us a bit longer to get home but we laughed with as much enthusiasm as we could muster.
After I arrived home I was too exhausted to drive to Chester for the Nonsuch dinner. I worried that I'd fall asleep behind the wheel. My disappointment was swallowed along with a large bag of chips and a tub of Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl ice cream, two very big no nos for my blood sugar. If I rested and then went down later I could bring pups and breakfast food to spend the night on the wharf with hubby, be there in the morning to chat a bit and feel a part of things with the other folks on their boats before they left for home but I kept yawning and nodding off every time I sat in a chair. I've fallen asleep while driving before and the fear of a re-occurrence is potent incentive to think smart. It wasn't worth the risk, especially with the pups in the car, my maternal instinct was to stay put, lay on the sofa feeling sorry for myself, which I might add, I did with stellar proficiency. I may not be proud of this fact, but I moped for days, inconsolable that I’d missed the Rendezvous yet again!
Maybe if the weekend before, a sail to Carter's Beach that we'd planned since the spring, had gone off without a hitch I would have been less bothered to miss the rendezvous. But the first vacation I've taken in 25 years turned into a disaster, one with vomiting, crying, soiling myself and fear of drowning. No one died, but I thought we all might, so that put a rather large crimp in the fun. I'll tell you about it later, when the pain of it passes and I can laugh without clenching the various sphincters of my body.
So despite the disappointment for missing the Rendezvous, Deborah and I had a lot of fun in Kingston. It's always lovely to see so many familiar faces and admire all their works in progress and the the rug show was once again phenomenal.
I must admit, the turkey lunch served by the Lion's Club men at the hook-in was memorable. The gravy was lip smacking, the dressing divine, the mashed potato and vegetables were all tantalizing to our taste buds, and is there anything better than seeing men in the kitchen wearing aprons? That’s dessert in itself! Not only did these chaps put out a superb meal, they tidied up and did the dishes. Last but not least, the actual dessert was an apple crisp with a crunchy topping and the right amount of tartness. Yum! Quite the spread and well worth attending for.
As we packed up our wares and loaded the car I was asked if I’d come back next year and I said without hesitation "Sure thing!" I won't know the dates for the 2017 Nonsuch Rendezvous or the 2017 Nicholsville Rug Rats Hook-in until next spring but really, what’s the chance the two events will overlap again? What's the chance there won't be another crisis, something to interfere? Maybe I should ask Murphy, he's usually following me around......
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