Final weeks in Baltimore, MD

September 30, 2019 - October 13, 2019

Our preparations for heading south are in full swing.  Even though the weather continued to be warmer than usual for the first couple of weeks of fall we have to remember that soon the nights will be cold even if the daytime temperatures are in the 70s.  

We decided to buy the folding bikes we had looked at last week at Fawcett's.  We got the boat show price on the bikes and the bags to store them in.  Once we got them home we made quick work of assembling them and testing them out on the dock.  The next morning we road the bikes into Fells Point to the Pitango Cafe for breakfast. 

 

These bikes will get a lot of use on our trip and here in Baltimore.

On Wednesday the boat ladies breakfast group decided to change things up a bit. We went out to lunch in Fells Point and then to the movie theater in Harbor East to see Downton Abbey.  It was wonderful seeing all the Downton Abbey characters once again.

On Friday afternoon I drove to Delaware for my 50th High School Class reunion.  Before checking into my hotel I stopped at Total Wines in Claymont, DE to buy a case of our favorite wine to take on our trip.  In previous years we have bought two cases (enough to fill the “wine cellar” Bob created behind our settees), but for some reason we haven’t been drinking much wine lately. My sister, Becky, had agreed to go to the reunion with me and she and a friend from high school, Sharon Brinkmann, met me at the hotel later that evening.  On Saturday we had made arrangements to have lunch with our long time neighbors, Linda Taylor Huth and Steve Taylor, and a long time friend, Jeannie Morgan Conte. My younger sister, Laurie, drove down from NJ to join us for lunch, also. The conversation was lively filled with reminiscencing and catching up on each others lives.  That night the reunion was held at the Newark Country Club and was more fun than I could have expected.  It was wonderful seeing friends from elementary school to high school.  We all looked older, but it was amazing how little our personalities had changed. 

Sharon Brinkman, me, and Becky at the reunion

Sherri, my best friend in elementary school, and I

All the members of my class who made it to the reunion

Back in Baltimore we continued to get ready for our trip.  I had some final sewing projects I wanted to complete.  One was getting a good start on the quilt I am making for my second daughter, Rachel.  I sewed the strips together, cut the squares, and began sewing the rows of squares.  I have completed 8 of the 12 rows I need to complete the quilt. I sewed those 8 rows together.  I will complete the last 4 rows by hand on our trip when I get the urge to be productive and then have it quilted in the spring. I did most of the sewing on the boat, but was able to join my boat neighbor at her friends house one last time. It has been fun having fellow quilters to work with.  Since I am still a novice at this craft I have learned much from these friends.

The quilt is made of batik fabrics with
a plant theme. The pattern is called "Shoebox."

Our older cat, Captain Jack, had been losing weight over the last two years. He started throwing up his food or just not eating most days this past month. He was fifteen years old and we made the difficult decision to have him put to sleep rather than prolong his misery.  On our way to the Annapolis Boat Show on Friday we dropped him off at the vet.  It was hard to leave him there and even harder to try to enjoy the boat show, but we are confident that we made the best decision for Jack. 

Jack in healthier times

My next blog post will be about the beginning of our trip south.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Baltimore, MD and Johnstown, PA

September 15, 2019 - September 29, 2019

During the week of the 15th I had a primary care doctor’s appointment, a mammogram, and a dentist’s appointment. Lot’s of fun!

Throughout the week Bob and I took inventory of the supplies we already had on board and planned for what we still needed to order.  We try to be as accurate as possible by calculating how many of certain items we will need for the five months we will be in the Southern Bahamas but with some items it is basically guess work.  Just an example - for cat food packets we use four a day and we will need 150 days worth.  That means we have to take 450 cat food packets with us when we leave Florida. But cat litter is mostly guess work. Cat food and litter are two items that are not always available in the less populated Bahamian Islands.  

On Saturday morning (9/21) I left for Johnstown to visit Jessica and Joe and attend the Queen concert that was being presented by the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra (Jessica is the Executive Director of the Orchestra).  The concert was spectacular with a Queen cover band (Jeans and Classics) the orchestra, and a choir made up of select area high school students.  The concert sold out in three weeks and the audience was a cross section of the Johnstown area community. It was a great success. It was wonderful spending time with Jessica and Joe, as well.

The Sunday morning paper had a front page
article about the success of the concert.

Back in Baltimore, I was able to pick up my quilt from Linda, the professional quilter who did the machine quilting for me, on Tuesday.  On Wednesday, I trimmed the quilt and sewed the binding onto the edge of the quilt.  It then took me several days to complete the hand stitching of the binding and sew a label onto the back of the quilt.  I’ll ship it to Jessica and Joe next week.

 I loved creating this quilt and have already started
my next quilt which is for my second daughter, Rachel.
I think I have been bitten by the quilt bug

Bob and I test drove a foldable bike that was on display at Fawcett’s this week and were very impressed with it’s construction and ride.  The bike is designed to take up as small a space as possible on the boat (we are planning to store them in the quarter berth) and to withstand the salt air environment we will be using them in.  We are seriously considering buying them.

More next time…

Thank you for reading my blog

More about Baltimore

September 7, 2019 - September 15, 2019

When it’s our birthday, Bob and I always celebrate for the whole week so this past week has been more about me than usual.  On Saturday we started the day with breakfast in the boater’s lounge and chatting with our fellow boaters.  Afterwards I went across the street to have a pedicure, next a haircut by Renee, and then a trip to urgent care.  The day before, after taking the cats to the vet, a very traumatized Lola needed a bath (she made a big mess in her carrier).  She wasn’t very happy about the bath and it was basically a wrestling match between the two of us.  She finally got her head free and bit me at the base of my left hand.  Bob and I cleaned up the bite, applied neosporen, and bandaged the wound.  By the morning I had red streaks starting up my arm hence the trip to urgent care.  I started immediately on antibiotics and began to improve slowly.  My hand was swollen and painful for several days, but by Sunday it was almost healed. For lunch on Saturday we went to Mamma’s on the Half Shell for a delightful lunch.

 Mama’s is one of our favorite Canton restaurants.
 It’s right on the square and has outstanding crab cakes and oysters.
Besides, I like their logo!

On Sunday we attended the  Madannari Festival in Little Italy (just west of Fells Point).  The artwork was amazing and, our lunch at Amicci’s was delicious.

Little Italy closed a street for several blocks
to allow artists sponsored by Baltimore businesses to
 create outstanding art on the road surface.

The theme of the festival was courage.
This artist choose a portrait of
Martin Luther King Jr. to exemplify courage.

Artists were still at work on Sunday afternoon.
Notice the knee pads!

Here is an over view of part of the festival.

Theses portraits are more examples of courage.
Do you recognize them?
(hint: football and women's soccer)

On Tuesday I worked in the boater’s lounge.  First I sewed extra pieces onto the batting for my quilt to make sure it was wide enough for the long arm quilting machine, sewed the velcro strips onto our cockpit back rests, and started working on a shower tote. 

I used textilene and soft leather like fabric for the tote. 
Here it is completed and filled.

Wednesday started out with the weekly boat ladies breakfast and then after lunch Mary took me with her to Linda Buck’s (a professional machine quilter) to deliver our completed quilt tops to be quilted.  Linda had a display of fat quarters, jelly rolls and half yard pieces of quilt fabric and while Mary was choosing how to have here five quilt tops quilted I picked out fabric for my next project.  I can’t wait to see my quilt completed and to start on my next project.

I think this is how my husband feels about my new quilting hobby.

This is definitely how I feel about quilting.

I scheduled a lesson, on Thursday morning, at the shop where I purchased my sewing machine to help me  learn all of the features of my new sewing machine .  I got all of my questions answered and learned about features I didn’t even know to ask about.  I also found out that every Thursday the shop has a “free sew” day where you can bring your machine and your sewing project to work on in their work room.  Since I live on a boat the large tables with rotary cutter mats and large work tables will make my projects go much more smoothly.  I'm looking forward to taking advantage of this perk from buying my machine there.

I did some sewing over the weekend while watching college football with Bob (Penn State beat Pitt 17-10).  I completed a top I had cut out and a dress I was hoping to wear to my 50th class reunion.  The top looks great, but I am disappointed in the dress. We will see if Jess can help me fit the dress next weekend when I am in Johnstown for the Johnstown Orchestra Queen concert.

Thanks for reading my blog. 

Baltimore, MD

August 19, 2019 - September 6, 2019

Over the weekend when I was filling the water tanks, Bob noticed the bilge pump running several times. He removed the settee cushions and the wooden platform to check the water tank below and discovered that it was leaking badly at the vent fitting.  Consequently Monday morning was dedicated to resolving this problem.  We took the settee cushions and the platform off once again (Bob cut the platform in two pieces so we could replace it much easier) and hauled the water tank out onto the deck and then transferred it to our car.

On Tuesday Morning we took the tank to Maritime Plastics in Annapolis and they spun welded a new fitting in place while we waited.  The rest of the day was dedicated to errands and a nice lunch.

While I was in Johnstown with Jessica we stopped at a Joann’s Fabric Store and picked out the fabrics for the quilt I wanted to make her.  When I got the fabrics home and reexamined them with the help of my expert quilter neighbor, Mary, I decided I had made some mistakes in the fabric selection. Mary invited me to go along with her to the best quilt shops in the area to purchase some more appropriate fabrics for my daughter’s quilt.  It was one of the best outings of the summer and I found exactly what I needed with Mary’s help and the help of some very knowledgable sales clerks. 

Lining the fabrics up in the shop and stepping back to examine
them helped me make my fabric decisions. (Mary’s advice of course)

Back on the boat I cut small pieces of
the various fabrics to form this
mock up of a finished square.

Mary, also, invited me to come to her friend’s house in Cape St. Claire to work on the quilt.  By getting the strips cut out at Dianna’s (Mary’s friend) and working on sewing the squares on the boat I was ready to start putting the overall quilt together.  I spent another whole day at Diana’s and by the end of the day I had the quilt top finished. 

The quilt is a King size but I draped it over this full size
bed to get an idea of how it looked.  I’m thrilled.

Now all I have to do is finish the backing and deliver it to Linda (a professional machine quilter) to have it machine quilted.

Between sewing quilt squares I also helped Bob with some wiring projects and in planning for the provisions we will need for our trip.  I also painted the dinghy bottom.

We painted the dinghy on the pier and will let it dry
for a day or two before putting it back in the water.

 Bob worked diligently on refinishing the companionway
stairs and replacing the treads.  Looks great!

Labor Day weekend had great weather.  I spent Saturday at my niece, Sarah’s, house for her annual summer party.  It was wonderful to see everyone from that part of my family and spend some time with my two sisters, Becky and Laurie.

This past week we have been following the destruction of hurricane Dorian as it decimated one of the most beautiful groups of islands in the world, the Abacos.  My heart hurts every time I see pictures of the destruction.  We have donated to funds which will help the people of the islands rebuild, but wish I could do more to help.  We will see what opportunities arise.

Hope Town, Bahamas before Dorian.
I took this photo from our boat in the
harbour the first time we visited Hope Town.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Baltimore, MD and Johnstown, PA

August 4, 2019 - August 18, 2019

Back at the boat it was business as usual - boat projects.  While I was in Bethany Beach Bob worked diligently on installing the water maker in the compartment under the starboard settee.  This involved creating supports to hold the water maker in place.  Due to the curvature of the haul and the bottom of the compartment this was not an easy task.  He also created a mount for the control panel and installed all of the valves that will be used in running the water maker.  I was amazed at the amount of work he completed in that week.  We spent a couple of more days working on hooking up all of the hoses and running the wires for electricity.

Job well done!

On Friday afternoon (8/9/2019) I rented a car and left for Johnstown, PA.  I arrived at 8:00pm and Joe and Jessica weren’t due back from a dinner until 8:30pm.

They left the front door unlocked for me and
greeted me with these items on their front patio.

Jessica and Joe gave me the grand tour of their (new to them) house.  It is beautiful inside and out.  We enjoyed the patios and porches so much during the weekend. At night we had a fire in the fire pit and Joe cooked hamburgers on the grill.  I loved the guest suite on the third floor - couldn’t have been more comfortable.

The exterior is all field stone and the interior is filled with crown molding,
 glass doorknobs, built ins, hardwood floors,
and many period features plus it has been
nicely updated in the critical areas (kitchen and bathrooms). 

The landscaping is magnificent with flower beds and brick pathways.

I brought them the mail that had been delivered
to their apartment in Baltimore.  One of the
items was this cozy cat carrier modeled
by Joe and Violet.

On Saturday we drove to a nearby town for their antique festival.  There were vendor booths all through town.  We found some lovely items to buy, but it was  fun just browsing.

The courthouse square housed the bulk of the vendors
 with nearby parking lots also full of booths.

On Sunday we went to Bedford Springs for some spa treatments and a lovely lunch outside the main restaurant. On the way home we stopped at the incline for views of the city and some ice cream. 

I found this plaque in one of the gift shops at Bedford Springs.

This is a view from the top of the incline with the town in the foreground
 and the Allegheny  Mountains in the background.  If you look closely
you can even see two of the three rivers in Johnstown.

 Jess and I at the incline

 I’m so glad Jess and Joe have found such a lovely spot to settle for the next few years!

I got back to Baltimore before lunch on Monday.  It is always good to get home.  We had an easy week with boat projects as both of us were tired of working so much.  On Wednesday we attended a concert in Bristow, VA at the Jiffy Lube Amphitheater featuring the Doobie Brothers and Santana.  Although it was very hot the music was outstanding.  I have always loved both groups.  Santana had a fantastic visual feature with their show.

This colorful poster was displayed
at the entrance to the venue.

The Doobie Brothers performed first to
get the crowd ready for the feature act.

The venue can seat over 2000 people
with the bulk of them on the lawn.

The lyrics for one of the songs Santana performed
said "All you sinners, turn your lights on" and
the crowd responded with turning
on the lights of their cell phones.

On Saturday, one of the marina workers, Lee, threw a crab feast at our pool area to honor his birthday.  This party has turned into an annual event with Lee supplying the crabs and attendees bringing all the side dishes.  Delicious.  Bob and I didn’t stay long once the band started playing because it was so hot. We retreated to our air conditioned cabin as did most of our marina friends.  

It’s been a busy couple of weeks!

Thank you for reading my blog.

Our Haul Out - Baltimore - Bethany Beach

July 8, 2019 - August 3, 2019

Before our haul out we spent 5 days in Annapolis moored at Annapolis Landing Marina (the marina where we lived aboard before and where our canvas makers have their work shop).  We had a good time swimming in the pool, taking the dinghy into city dock (Annapolis), and relaxing.  Our canvas makers were able to install the dodger windows and the connector and measure for the side windows while we were there.  The canvas looks great.  The side enclosure windows will be delivered later.

On this hot day the sailors were in the water cooling off.

We spent the week of our haul out at a cottage at Hartges Marina while our boat was at Hartges Yacht Yard.  The work on the boat went smoothly as we weren't having any major work done just yearly maintenance. The work was actually completed a day earlier than expected.  At the cottage Bob and I worked on altering the starboard side water tank to allow our new water maker to fit in the compartment under the settee with it.  Bob did most of the work, but I helped with the less skilled tasks.  Mostly, I sewed during the week - cutting out several garments and and sewing a few (what fun!). On July 21 (the day we planned to leave for Baltimore) I drove up to Baltimore to help Joe and Jess load a u-haul truck to take many of the boxes they had packed to their new house while Bob single handed the boat from Galesville to Baltimore.  All went well for both of us that day.  Jess and Joe closed on the house on the 22nd and dropped off the boxes to their new house.  On the 22nd I was back at their apartment meeting the piano movers.  The movers really knew what they were doing!

 First they wrapped the piano body in a canvas cover, 

removed the legs and turned it on it’s side onto a dolly.

Next, they guided the piano out the door, down the ramps and into the truck.  

They had moved nine pianos that day. Impressive.

I had a week back at the marina in Baltimore before leaving for Bethany Beach.  Bob’s next big project was installing the water maker.  In preparation for the installation (which he did while I was at the beach) we revamped some of the plumbing under the head and galley sinks and ran water hoses into the water maker compartment.  As you can see this is a gargantuan project.

Bob planned out the plumbing and had lists of what
 parts were needed from Fawcett’s.

I was also able to attend my great niece’s graduation party at the Granary in Georgetown, MD.

Nancy, Laurie, and I got to catch up on our lives since the

 last time we were together last summer.

On Saturday, July 27th, I met Becky and Al at a seafood market in Glen Burnie for our trip to Bethany Beach.  The Bay Bridge traffic was backed up and it took us 2 hours to go about 8 miles.  We got to the house around 4.  The house was a perfect fit for our family (Becky’s four daughters, son-in laws, and ten grandchildren; me, my younger sister Laurie, my daughter, son-in-law and grand daughter; another grandmother, sister, and friends - 25 in all.) The house had eleven bedrooms with eleven bathrooms, two powder rooms, a huge kitchen, a huge dining room, a huge living space, a smaller living room, and several porches and balconies. It was a fabulous week which I will record in pictures.

It was so good to see Lili, Juan, and Rachel again.

We had great weather all week and spent most days on the beach.

Lili (my granddaughter) enjoying building
sand castles with her cousins.

The boy cousins enjoyed covering people in sand.
They gave Lili a mermaid tail.

All of the cousins in matching shirts!

One night we all went to Rehoboth to ride
the rides.  I took Bella and Lili around.

We enjoyed the crab feast sponsored by Becky and Al!

The jigsaw puzzle masters are at work.

One day the bravest among us went on a deep sea fishing trip.
Here are Bella and Rachel.

It was a wonderful week with family making memories that will last a life time!

Thank you for reading my blog.