Saturday Spotlight | "Death By Adverb" Book Release By Rebecca Douglass

In addition to the usual blog posts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday about our eccentric travel adventures and day-to-day life living aboard a sailboat, I also occasionally post on Saturdays, focusing on things related to writing such as cover reveals, book launches, reviews, interviews with authors etc. So if you're a bit of a book nerd like I am, check in on Saturdays - you never know what might pop up.

* * *

Today we're featuring the release of >>Death by Adverb<< by Rebecca Douglass. This is a delightful cozy mystery which I had the pleasure of reading (see below). Given the fact that I live on a sailboat, I really liked the cover. Although I do prefer my boats without dead bodies. Have a read below for more details about >>Death by Adverb<<, along with an excerpt.

BLURB

JJ MacGregor’s having a rotten summer. Her arm’s in a cast, her jeans are too tight, and her son is spending his vacation with his dad. To make matters worse, her relationship with Police Chief Ron Karlson is up in the air and they haven’t spoken since June. Maybe the only good thing is that she’s got a writing job at last. Wilmont Charleston-Rutherford want her to help him with his memoirs, and JJ doesn’t care if he’s making it all up. All she has to do to make some much-needed money is keep her mouth shut and fix some of the worst prose she’s ever seen.

Of course, keeping her mouth shut isn’t JJ’s strong point. When she loses her temper so does her boss, and she’s back to job-hunting. That’s bad enough, but when Wilmont Charleston-Rutherford turns up dead, everyone remembers JJ fought with him. About the time the police are wondering if JJ might have tried to avenge the English language, her sewer backs up, and the dead man’s missing daughter shows up on her doorstep—only to disappear again before morning. JJ has her work cut out for to find the girl, the killer, and a new septic tank before anyone else dies—but at least the murder has her talking to Ron again.

EXCERPT

"What the—hey, watch that thing!” I yelled as the man in white brought his saw toward my immobilized arm.

Nurse Chu patted my shoulder comfortingly, but she didn’t loosen her grip on the casted limb she held against the table.
 

"Don’t worry, Ms. MacGregor,” she said, “The doctor hardly ever slips and cuts off anyone’s arm.”

 

I swallowed hard, reminding myself that these were medical professionals. Despite appearances, they weren’t planning to torture me, cut off my arm, or damage me in any way. I was in the Pismawallops Clinic getting the cast off my broken arm at last, a happy event.

 

I cringed anyway as the saw started to cut the plaster. “Easy there,” I said, trying to sound like I was joking. “My insurance runs out in a couple of months, and I need to be healthy when that happens!” In fact, I was doing plenty of worrying about insurance. Once my coverage under my ex-husband’s policy ran out, I was going to be scrambling to make payments on even the cheapest insurance. It was worth it, to be free of the man I thought of as pond scum, but I still worried. I fixed my gaze on the educational poster on the wall in front of me, and resolutely ignored the whining saw.

 

Dr. Salisbury finished cutting the cast loose and peeled the remains away. I stopped staring at the poster enjoining me to wash my hands and avoid the flu, and looked at the thing lying on the table.

The exposed arm looked white and dead, and I wasn’t sure it was attached to me.

 

BUY LINKS

Amazon | Smashwords | Goodreads

THE AUTHOR

Rebecca Douglass was raised on an Island in Puget Sound only a little bigger than Pismawallops, and remembers well the special aspects of island life. She now lives and writes in the San Francisco Bay Area, and can be found on-line at www.ninjalibrarian.com and on Facebook as The Ninja Librarian. In addition to the Pismawallops PTA Mysteries (Death By Ice Cream and Death By Trombone), her books include three Ninja Librarian book, tall tales for all ages, and the humorous middle-grade fantasy Halitor the Hero. Rebecca is a long-time volunteer and servant of her local schools, now due to retire (and seek now opportunities to serve). She spends her free time bicycling, gardening, reading, and supporting her grown sons. For a vacation she likes nothing better than hiking, camping and backpacking.

Find out more about Rebecca on her Blog | Amazon Author Page | Smashwords Author Page | Facebook | Goodreads Author Page

The first two books in the series are on sale on Amazon for 99 cents—Death by Ice Cream and Death by Trombone.

* * *

MY REVIEW

"Death by Adverb" is the third in the delightful Pismawallops PTA mystery series which is set on an island in the Puget Sound. Douglass paints a wonderful picture of the small town of Pismawallops in the Pacific Northwest, bringing to life the joys and challenges of living in a remote tight-knit island community. "Death by Adverb" can be read as a stand-alone novel, although, after reading this installment, you'll want to go back and dive into the first two books in the series.

 The main character, JJ, is recently divorced and a mother of a teenage boy. She's trying to figure out what kind of relationship she wants to develop with the new man in her life who just happens to be the chief of police—something that comes in handy when investigating murders. In addition to figuring out her love life, JJ is also trying to figure out how to make ends meet. Her recent employment helping an obnoxious rich man edit his memoir leaves a lot to be desired. When her employer ends up dead, JJ gets drawn into investigating what happened and, in the process, finding herself tangled up with his family and other locals on the island who might have had it in for him.

"Death by Adverb" is another fun read by Douglass with a well-executed plot, interesting characters, and a wonderful setting.

What books have you been reading lately? Have you read any of Rebecca's books? Do you leave book reviews?

 
Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi

 

Flashback Friday | Marina Life

 

Flashback Friday takes place on the last Friday of the month. The idea is to give a little more love to a blog post you've published before that maybe didn't get enough attention, or is something you think is still relevant or even a something that you really love and want to share again.

Many thanks to Michael d’Agostino for starting Flashback Friday and inspiring me to go back and revisit some of our earlier blog posts.

****

This is a flashback to one of the e times we stayed at a marina in New Zealand. We normally prefer to anchor, but marinas were relatively inexpensive in New Zealand so we would stay at them occasionally to take care of life and boat chores. When we were at marinas we would run around like crazy trying to get everything done in order to get the biggest bang for our buck. After all, if we just wanted to sit around and relax, we could do that an anchorage.

{This post was originally published in February 2014. You can find the original post here.} 

****

We’ve actually been spending far more time in marinas then we intended to due in part to the weather and in part to some commitments in Auckland. Fortunately, marinas are relatively inexpensive in New Zealand; otherwise this wouldn’t be sustainable on our cruising budget. For our 26’ boat we pay around NZ$22-25 a night for a fingered berth. From what Scott tells me, marinas in Europe are far more expensive and he’s paid around €100 a night for berths there.

But because we’re cheap and would much prefer to be out there on the water, we try to minimize how much time we do spend in marinas and maximize the number of boat and life chores we can get done when we’re there. You would think it would be relaxing to be in a marina, but a day at a marina for us is often chock-a-block. Here is what a typical stay might look like for us. 

Arrival Day 

10:00 am – 11:30 am 

Arrive at marina and find the office to check-in. Typically, the berth they have assigned you is the furthest one away from the office so you have a bit of a walk to get there. Spend some time filling out paperwork and proving you have third party insurance. Find out where the shower block, laundry facilities and nearest grocery store are. These are three of the most important life chores you need to accomplish – make yourself smell good, make your clothes smell good and re-provision. And because everything at a marina revolves around gold coins (NZ$1 and $2 coins), trade a twenty dollar bill for a bag of coins. Otherwise, you and your clothes aren’t going to get clean. 

11:30 am – 12:00 pm 

Return to your boat and collapse because you’re exhausted from not having slept in days in near-gale force conditions. Try to convince each other that taking a shower really would make you feel better. 

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm 

Hit the shower block. Wait outside the shower because it is occupied. Debate whether to walk what seems like five miles to the other shower block but decide to stay and pray that they person in the shower will come out soon. Finally they do. Except it isn’t one person, it is two. Perhaps they only had one NZ$2 coin and had to share the shower? Either that or they’re newlyweds. Personally, I want all of the five minutes of hot water that my NZ$2 coin is going to give me without sharing it with Scott. But then again, we’ve been married for over 20 years.

Take a shower wearing your flip-flops because athlete’s foot sounds like a real drag. Try to shave your legs in the bad lighting and then give up. Convince yourself that the hair kind of disguises the bruises on your legs you have gotten from banging around the boat when it gets all tippy. Oops, the alarm has gone off and you only have one minute of hot water left! Do one last rinse and then towel off. 

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm 

Go through your current food stores to try to figure out what you need at the grocery store. It seems simple but it isn’t because your food is spread out in several hidey holes throughout the boat, some in very hard to reach places. Give up and just decide to buy a lot of cans of tomatoes and bags of pasta. You can’t really go wrong with spaghetti. 

2:30 pm – 4:00 pm 

Walk to the grocery store. Do your shopping. Have them bag your groceries in plastic bags even though you know you already have reusable grocery bags in your backpack. But you need more plastic bags. When you live on a boat you love plastic bags. And you can never have too many plastic bags. (Or paper towels.) Once you’re done shopping, restow all of the groceries into your backpacks and reusable grocery bags. Lug them all back to the boat because you don’t have a car. Your feet are your car. Tell Scott how strong he is from time to time as he is carrying the really heavy items on his back. 

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm 

Unload the groceries and stow in the various hidey-holes. Try to do some sort of inventory of what you have so that putting the shopping list together next time will be easier. Watch Scott shake his head because the inventory system hasn’t worked the last three times you’ve tried it. 

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm 

Make spaghetti for dinner. Eat dinner. Do the dishes using a decadent amount of fresh water. One of the best parts of being in a marina – all the fresh water you could possibly want. No need to wash the dishes in salt water today. It doesn’t get better than this! Oh yes, when you’re a cruiser, it is the little things that really make all the difference. 

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm 

Do the laundry and set up a “charging station” in the laundry room. When you don’t have an electrical set-up on your boat, every visit to a marina is an opportunity to charge the mobile phones, the portable DVD player and the computers. So when we hit the laundry room, we plug in an extension cord/pigtail and plug all of our gadgets in to charge. When you have a day in a marina, you have to multi-task – laundry and charging go hand in hand. 

9:00 pm – 10:30 pm 

Get back to the boat and decided to flaunt the marina rules which say you can’t hang laundry up to dry on your boat because their dryer doesn’t work. They call it a dryer, but it is really just a machine that eats up your NZ$2 coin, spins your clothes around for an hour and returns them to you wet.
Watch part of an episode of Battlestar Galactica on the newly charged portable DVD player before realizing there is no way you can stay awake through the entire episode. 

Departure Day 

6:30 am – 7:00 am 

Wake up but pretend to be asleep so that the other person will make the coffee. Continue the contest of wills until someone breaks and gets up and puts the kettle on. It is usually Scott. 

7:00 am – 9:00 am 

Make breakfast and get the boat in order. Complain to each other about the marina rules that make you vacate your slip by 9:00 am. No hotel would make you get out that early. But then again, this isn’t a hotel. If it was, we would have room service and someone would have brought the coffee and breakfast to us.

Top up with fresh water into every possible container you can think of – the normal jerry cans and water bladder, some old plastic soda pop bottles, the solar shower and a container for sun tea. You never know when you’re going to see fresh water again, so if you’re a cruiser, get it when you can.
Untie the dock lines and sail off to the next port of call.

Have you ever pretended to be asleep so that your partner will get up and make the coffee? 

Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - we'd love for you to pop by and say hi!

Wordless Wednesday | Barbed Wire

Wordless Wednesday is supposed to be about posting a photo(s) without any words. But, I'm a rule breaker, so here are a few words:

1 - I don't think I'd want to work in a barbed wire manufacturing plant. Sounds painful.

2 - In the movies, they always make it look so easy to jump over barbed wire fences. Just casually toss your jacket or sweatshirt on top of the barbed wire to protect your hands and effortlessly hop over. If I tried that, I would need a lot of bandaids.

3 - Did you know that there's a Barbed Wire Museum in Kansas? It has dioramas. I love dioramas. I love anything miniature. Except for chocolate bars. Those should be supersized.

What words does this picture(s) bring to your mind when you look at it?

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here. 

Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi!

The Importance Of A Cruising Community When You're Not Cruising

I was having a Facebook conversation with Deb from The Retirement Project the other day about being stuck at Indiantown Marina for the foreseeable future instead of being out on exciting adventures. She reminded me that, if you have to be stuck anywhere, this isn't too bad of a place to be. Being surrounded by a community of cruisers isn't something to take for granted.

Some people are either in the planning stages of setting out to sail and living somewhere far from the water where no one understands their dreams. Others have had to pause their adventures to fill up the cruising kitty and the people that surround them don't understand why they want to leave again.

But when you're stuck at a marina, people get it. They understand your desire to point your boat off to new and exciting ports of calls. Their excitement as they head off is contagious. The stories they share when they come back are infectious. They nourish your dreams. In short, a cruising community is pretty darn important when you're not cruising.

Some people find their community around them and others find it through online groups, forums, and blogs. But not matter how you do it, finding your "tribe" is so important.

Do you have a community of like-minded people surrounding you and supporting your dreams and passions?

Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi!

Saturday Spotlight | Around The World In 80 Books, The Final Update

In addition to the usual blog posts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday about our eccentric travel adventures and day-to-day life living aboard a sailboat, I also occasionally post on Saturdays, focusing on things related to writing such as cover reveals, book launches, reviews, interviews with authors etc. So if you're a bit of a book nerd like I am, check in on Saturdays - you never know what might pop up.

****

Remember when I started that "Around the World in 80 Books" challenge? The one I was so gung-ho about, but then never finished. Yeah, I had completely forgotten about it too until my mother gave me a reminder. So, while we're land-locked and working on boat projects, I thought this would be a good time to start ticking more countries off of the list.

The idea of the challenge is to read books set in 80 different countries, effectively exploring the world from the comfort of your armchair. Since my last update, I've read books set in five more countries – Burma (Myanmar), Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, and El Salvador.

And guess what - that means I've now completed the challenge! It was a long one, but well worth it. I've read so many books that I normally would have never picked up, and learned something about different countries in the process.

You can read more about the challenge here, as well as check out Update #1, Update #2, Update #3, Update #4, Update #5, Update #6, Update #7, Update #8, Update #9, Update #10, Update #11, Update #12, Update #13, and Update #14.

****

THE PIANO TUNER by Daniel Mason | Burma (Myanmar)

Imagine being an English piano tuner in the late 1800s and told that you have to travel to the remote jungles of Burma (Myanmar) to tune the piano of an eccentric army doctor and officer. I thought this was a fascinating premise - learning about the history of the area under British colonial rule as well as how to tune a piano that's been affected by the humid climate. I read some reviews that compare The Piano Tuner to Conrad's Heart of Darkness and I can see the similarities.

I now know a little bit more about pianos and the history of this area, including the fact that being a piano tuner sounds painful.

"Now, eighteen years later, she knew where the calluses on his hands lay and what they were from. Once he had explained them to her, like a tattooed man explaining the stories of his illustrations. This one that runs along the inside of my thumb is from a screwdriver. The scratches on my wrist are from the body itself, I often rest arm like this when I am sounding. The calluses on the inside of my first and third fingers on the right are from tightening pins before using regulating pliers, I spare my second finger, I don't know why, a habit from youth. Broken nails are from strings, it is a sign of impatience."

You can find out more about The Piano Tuner on Goodreads and get your own copy on Amazon. 


MEMORIES OF MY MELANCHOLY WHORES by Gabriel Garcia Marquez | Colombia

I was trying to remember whether I had ever read anything by Marquez before. He's a famous dude (Nobel Prize in Literature and all) and I've heard of his books and I felt like I should have read something by him by now. Turns out Memories of my Melancholy Whores was the first one for me. It tells the story of a bachelor on his 90th birthday who decides he wants to sleep with a virgin and the relationship he develops with her.

It was an interesting read. I liked part of it, other parts not so much, and many parts just creeped me out. But I did enjoy his way with words and his style of writing. There were passages that made me laugh, like his reaction when presented with the gift of a cat by his co-workers.

"I have very bad chemistry with animals, just as I do with children before they begin to speak. They seem mute in their souls. I don't hate them, but I can't tolerate them, because I have never learned to deal with them. I think it is against nature for man to get along better with his dog than he does with his wife, to teach it to eat and defecate on schedule, to answer his questions and share his sorrows. But not picking up the typographer's cat would have been an insult."

You can find out more about Memories of my Melancholy Whores on Goodreads and get your own copy on Amazon.  


THE BOY IN THE SUITCASE by Lenne Kaaberbol | Denmark

The Boy in the Suitcase drew me in right away with the title alone. What does a "boy in a suitcase" conjure up to you? Nothing good, I'd imagine. The book starts off quickly with, no surprise, a boy in a suitcase in a train station in Copenhagen. It follows Nina Borg, a Red Cross nurse, as she tries to uncover the mystery behind the boy while trying to avoid the people who are hunting them down. There were some interesting twists and turns in this fast-paced thriller. While I didn't learn as much about Denmark as I would have liked in this book, I did learn about child trafficking in Europe.

It was hard to pick out a quote from The Boy in the Suitcase without having a spoiler. I ended up choosing this one, because who can't relate to being frantic over being stuck on an airplane, although hopefully not for the same reasons as this chap.

"He should have been back home in Denmark more than an hour ago. Instead he sat on what should have been the 7:45 to Copenhagen Airport, frying inside an overheated aluminum tube along with 122 other unfortunates. No matter how many cooling drinks he was offered by the flight attendants, nothing could ease his desperation."

You can find out more about The Boy in the Suitcase on Goodreads and get your own copy on Amazon.


IN THE TIME OF BUTTERFLIES by Julia Alvarez | Dominican Republic

One of the things I've enjoyed about this challenge is learning more about other countries. Like the fact that the States has occupied the Dominican Republic twice - first in the early 20th century (the Dominican's gained independence in 1924) and again in the 1960s when the Americans were fearful of a Communist revolt and the establishment of a "second Cuba." Not only did I learn about that, but I also learned about the oppressive rule of Rafael Trujillo from 1930-1961. 

In the Time of Butterflies is set prior to the second American occupation, during the time of the Trujillo's dictatorship. It's inspired by the true story of three sisters who were murdered for their part in an attempt to overthrow Trujillo. The book alternates between the perspective of four fictional sisters - three who were murdered and one who survives and recollects the family's involvement in revolutionary activity. I liked the youngest sister's account the best, presented in the form of diary entries, like this one about the Feast of Santa Lucia.

"Tonight, we will have the candle lighting and all of our eyes will be blessed on account of Santa Lucia. And guess what? I have been chosen to be Santa Lucia by all the sisters! I'll get to wear my First Communion dress and shoes all over again and lead the whole school from the dark courtyard into the lit-up chapel. I have been practicing, walking up and down the Stations of the Cross with a blessed look on my face, not an easy thing when you are trying to keep your balance. I think saints all lived before high heels were invented."

 
You can find out more about In the Time of Butterflies on Goodreads and get your own copy on Amazon.


THE HEIRESS OF WATER by Sandra Rodriguez Barron | El Salvador

The Heiress of Water takes place in New England, where the protagonist, Monica, lives and El Salvador, her birthplace and home until the death of her mother when she was a child. The book follows Monica as she travels back to El Salvador and tries to piece together her family history, while at the same time investigating the medical applications of a venomous cone shell. It's part thriller, part mystery, and part self-discovery. It didn't end the way I expected to and left me wanting more, which can be a good thin in a book.

While there were lots of interesting quotes about El Salvador I could have shared, I chose this one because the sailboat vs. powerboat comparison made me laugh. So true.

"But Will didn't share Eddie's distrust of non-Hispanic New Englanders. Will proudly flew the American and Puerto Rican flags on his boat alongside the nautical ensign. Besides, in his experience, boaters were part of a subculture that transcends ethnic divisions. Many of them saw landlubbers as alien creatures. Beyond that was the separation between the 'purists' - the sailboaters - and the 'vulgar' powerboaters, whose mega-engines' consumption of gas was rivaled only by their owners' consumption of beer. All 'real' sea folk were members of a sacred tribe, and sailors were special to one another. Might as well be related by spit and blood."

You can find out more about The Heiress of Water on Goodreads and get your own copy on Amazon.

****

If you're participating in the challenge too (or any other reading challenge), I'd love to hear what you've been reading. Even if you're not doing the challenge, let us know what books you've been enjoying lately.

COUNTRIES READ DURING THE CHALLENGE: Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Canada, China, Colombia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, England, Estonia, Ethiopia, Egypt, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Korea, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Kiribati, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Slovenia, Spain, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United States, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Wales, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.

Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi!

Smiling During The Crappy Stuff

I don't have time for a long blog post today because I've been so busy lately. Not busy with anything that's going to make the world a better place, or at the very least keep our portlights from leaking when it's pouring down rain.

Nope, just busy with working on marketing and publishing stuff for my book, which I'm sure you don't want to hear about. Unless you find book formatting fascinating, in which case, talk to me about bleed in the comments.

For the rest of you, I'll tell you about someone at the marina who smiles even when he's working on crappy stuff. Seriously crappy stuff. Like driving a golf cart with a container of stinky stuff around the marina. Gross stuff that gets pumped out from people's holding tanks. You don't need any more description than that, do you?

So, there I was, walking back from the shower inhaling the not very pleasant smells that accompany this golf cart wherever it goes, when I heard the guy driving in it, call out, >>Pea soup. 50 cents a bowl for pea soup!<<

I laughed so hard that I had to gasp for breath. Which really wasn't a good thing because I got another giant whiff of that "pea soup" in the process.

I love that this guy has a sense of humor even when literally doing one of the crappiest jobs at the marina.

If he can have a smile on his face while pumping out holding tanks, then I sure as heck can have one on my face while I deal with something as trivial as book cover bleed.

By the way, I'm so busy that I haven't proofread this post at all. Did you laugh out loud when you read that? Me too. I never proofread these things, as you probably know already.You'll be glad to know that I have an editor for my book.

When you have a crappy job to do, do you manage to keep a sense of humor? If so, how do you do it?

Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi!

Wordless Wednesday | Nautically Themed Roman Mosaics

Wordless Wednesday is supposed to be about posting a photo(s) without any words. But, I'm a rule breaker, so here are a few words:


1 - We have tons of pictures of Roman mosaics. It was hard to pick just a few to share, so I went with those that had a nautical theme. I think my favorite is the one of the dude with crab claws coming out of his head.

2 - Would you ever have the patience to place a gazillion tiny tiles to make a picture? It's truly impressive.

3 - Scott took some of these pictures at the Bardo National Museum in Tunisia. I was amazed at all of the Roman mosaics they had in their collection.

What words does this picture(s) bring to your mind when you look at it?

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here. 

Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi!

Hablas Español? | Blogging From A to Z Theme Reveal

I like challenges. Although, I'm  not sure why as, more often than not, I'm a complete and utter failure at them. Especially anything having to do with giving up sugar.

 
But I have succeeded at a few challenges - like NaNoWriMo, Around the World in 80 Books, and the Procrastination Thru Internet Surfing Challenge. {I totally made that last one up, but if it really existed, I'd nail it.}

One of my favorite challenges is Blogging from A to Z. Probably because I managed to pull it off twice. The idea is to write a post every day during April (except Sundays) that relates to each letter of the alphabet. A on April 1st, B on April 2nd, C on April 3rd and so on.

The first time I did the challenge in 2015, I just blogged about a bunch of random stuff. The next year I went with a theme - Nancy Drew Investigates the Case of the Missing Anchor. I decided to go with a theme again this year - "Hablas Español?" Or, "Do you speak Spanish?" 

We're hoping to point our sailboat toward the Western Caribbean next year and it sure would come in handy if one of us spoke some Spanish. Somehow, I got nominated for this particular task. I actually got nominated for it a couple of years ago, but have learned "nada" in the meantime. 

This year, it's going to be different. I'm going to use this challenge to focus all of my limited attention span on learning Spanish. Each day, I'll feature a different Spanish word and a few random thoughts which pop into my head. Kind of like my Wordless Wednesday posts. Some of the words will be related to boats and sailing, some will be related to living aboard a sailboat, and some will seem utterly random (like "pinguino").

Some of my Spanish reference books and dictionaries.

Check out the other people participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge theme reveal here.

Have you studied a foreign language? Are you participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge this year?

Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi!

Morning Coffee | Random Thoughts & Oddities

Paul at Lat43 does these hysterical Morning Tea blog posts which are a brain dump of whatever pops into his head while he's writing them. I decided to steal his idea. Except, I'm drinking coffee while I write this and he drinks tea, so it isn't really stealing, is it?

So, here we go - all of the random nonsense floating through my head while I sip on my morning coffee.

• I got a little bit of boat envy the other day after taking a tour of a Westerly Seahawk 34 that some friends just bought. It's the same size as ours and also has a center cockpit, so it was interesting to see how the layout differs. Pretty similar except it has amazing headroom.

• I wonder why I referred to their boat as an "it"? Everyone knows that boats are girls.

• This is the second boat they've owned (I think). We're on our second boat. I wonder if we'll be content with this one or look for another one someday?

• Whole wheat pasta is terribly disappointing. Sure, it's higher in fiber and good for you, but it tastes like limp cardboard. I finally got rid of the whole wheat rotini that I've been storing for eons that will never get eaten. It's freed up valuable storage space for more important things like cocoa powder.

•  I love getting emails from blog followers! A guy recently sent a note saying that he's read all of our cruising in New Zealand posts and just bought a Raven 26, which is the same type of boat we used to have when we lived there. It was so nice to hear from him and know that he's having exciting adventures in  our old cruising grounds.

• Joker valves are aptly named. The joke's on you when you have to change one. Don't know what one is? Consider yourself lucky.

• Wunderground is a big fat liar. We had a lot of wind here the other day. You could hear it blowing through everyone's rigging creating that chorus of noise that lets you know you're in a marina. Wunderground and said the wind gusts were 11 mph, when we all knew that they had to be closer to 25.

• So much nicer to be in a marina when it's blowing a gale out there. You can actually sleep at night and not worry about the anchor dragging.

• Sailors often suffer from sleep deprivation.

• I don't like to be deprived of sleep. Happy to be deprived of whole wheat pasta, but don't rob me of my Zs.

• Did you ever go out someplace in the morning and start to worry that you forgot to brush your teeth? Or is that just me? Please tell me someone else worries about this sort of thing.

What did you think about over your morning cup of coffee, tea, or other beverage of your choice? Did you brush your teeth this morning?

Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi!  

Wordless Wednesday | Old Signs

Wordless Wednesday is supposed to be about posting a photo(s) without any words. But, I'm a rule breaker, so here are a few words:

1 - I wonder how people decide what to name their businesses. Like the Sunshine Cafe & Bar. Were the original owners super cheerful people? Does it never get cloudy in this neck of the woods?

2 - I can't figure out what the gold circle on the Whirlpool sign is all about. It looks like some sort of halo. I asked Mr. Google what he know about it and he wasn't very helpful. Although, he did direct me to this cool site with old Whirlpool advertisements.

3 - What did we do before Mr. Google when we wanted to know something? Oh, yeah. We looked things up in the encyclopedia. 

4 - I'm starting to sound like an old person with my reminiscing about encyclopedias. {Sigh}

What words does this picture(s) bring to your mind when you look at it?

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here. 

Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi!

Boat Cards & Memories of Meeting Fellow Cruisers

I was doing some deep cleaning the other day, which primarily involves taking things out of cupboards, reorganizing stuff, and wiping everything down with vinegar to keep the mildew at bay. {Mildew is one of the issues you face when you live on a boat in a warm, humid climate.}

Next to a plastic container full of bullion cubes, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, I found a ziploc bag of boat cards that we've collected over the past few years. Boat cards are kind of like business cards of the cruising world.

Although, unlike the rather dull cards I used to hand out in my days working in corporate la-la land, which had my name, job title, company, and contact details, boat cards are far more fascinating.

Instead of a company logo, they have a picture of a boat, often anchored in an exotic location. Job titles are interesting, such as Captain, Admiral, or Chief Bottle Washer. Not something stuffy-sounding like General Manager, Organisational Development. Children and pets are proudly listed. And when you do see a picture of the crew, they look relaxed and happy. Social media links are common, so that you can stay in touch after you've headed off your separate ways.

It was fun looking at our collection of cards and remembering when and how we met, and thinking about what they're up to now.

Some folks have stopped cruising, sold their boats, and "swallowed the anchor." Others have bought new boats and are planning new adventures. Some intrepid souls have left their home ports with plans to cross oceans, maybe even circumnavigate. Others alternate cruising with working, in order to keep their savings topped up.

While their journeys may all be different, they have two things in common - boat cards and a sense of adventure.

You can see our boat cards and read more about getting them ordered here.

When cleaning or organizing, have you ever run across something that brings back memories?

Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi

Saturday Spotlight | Sailing Book Reviews

In addition to the usual blog posts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday about our eccentric travel adventures and day-to-day life living aboard a sailboat, I also occasionally post on Saturdays, focusing on things related to writing such as cover reveals, book launches, reviews, interviews with authors etc. So if you're a bit of a book nerd like I am, check in on Saturdays - you never know what might pop up.

****

Today, I'm featuring reviews of three sailing-related books....

HOW NOT TO BUY A CRUISING BOAT | by Deb and TJ Akey

>>How Not to Buy a Sailboat<< is a great resource for anyone who is thinking about buying a cruising boat. The authors candidly share their experiences, both the good and the bad, so that aspiring cruisers can benefit from their hard-earned lessons. I've followed Deb and TJ's blog for years and always admired their practical, down-to-earth, and accessible writing style, which is also reflected in their book. You'll feel like you're sitting down with them over sundowners while they share their adventures and misadventures and give you tips and advice on what to do and, more importantly, what not to do when looking for a cruising boat.

Deb and TJ take you through the nuts and bolts of the buying process from considering a “for now” boat to learn on; identifying what type of cruiser you are; what to look for in your cruising boat; dealing with brokers, sea trials, and surveys; maintenance considerations; and when to walk away. They also share some of their favorite blog posts which give you insight into the personal realities inherent in the cruising lifestyle. 

Find out more about Deb and TJ and their book at Amazon | Goodreads | Website  

GET RID OF BOAT ODORS | by Peggie Hall

There are a lot of challenges involved in boat ownership, one of which is getting rid of the stink that can often emanate from the head (bathroom). >>How to Get Rid of Boat Odors<< is a comprehensive guide which covers the ins and outs of marine sanitation systems, including how to get rid of those unpleasant odors. 

I have the dubious honor of being in charge of our marine sanitation system (we have a Jabsco manual twist and lock toilet and a 25 gallon holding tank). To date, I've only had to deal with minor issues, like replacing joker valves, but, inevitably, something is going to go terribly wrong one of these days and I'm sure this book will come in handy. The author covers a wide range of topics including what's legal in terms of marine sanitation systems in the States; different types of systems; installation of a new system; common issues and troubleshooting; maintenance; and, of course, how to deal with those pesky odors.  

Find out more about Peggie and her book at Amazon


VOYAGING ON A SMALL INCOME | by Annie Hill

Once upon a time, we stalked Annie Hill. Okay, it wasn't the real kind of stalking, you know the kind that gets you a restraining order. We knew that Annie had a sister ship to the boat we had in New Zealand (a Raven 26) and when we were making our way to Whangarei, we spotted her moored on the river. We waved like crazy people at her and she was kind enough to wave back. 

Here's what her boat, Fantail, looks like. If you look closely, you can see that she's converted it to a junk rig. After reading >>Voyaging on a Small Income<<, I want a junk rig too.

>>Voyaging on a Small Income<< does exactly what it says on the tin – if offers practical tips and real-life examples of how to live and cruise on a sailboat on a modest budget. But it also does much more, providing insight into Annie and (her then husband) Pete's early days in their marriage and cruising life in Britain, the building of s/v Badger, and their day-to-day life on board her.

Annie shows how it is possible to have a rich and fulfilling life while living frugally. She covers a range of topics including a frugal mindset and philosophy; provisioning and cooking; different types of rigs; organization of space in a floating “tiny home”; anchoring and more. Although >>Voyaging on a Small Income<< was first published in 2001, the lessons Annie shares on simplifying your life while cruising are timeless.

You can read more about our adventures making our way to Whangarei here. 

Find out more about Annie and her book at Amazon |  Goodreads | Website

Note: I won copies of >>Voyaging on a Small Income<< and >>Get Rid of Boat Odors << courtesy of Saving to Sail (a site dedicated to learning how to make money online, while sailing the world) and voluntarily chose to leave an honest review. 

****

Image via The Graphics Fairy

Have you read a good book lately? One of the best ways you can thank an author is to leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. One of my New Year's resolutions is to try and be better about leaving reviews, especially for indie authors.

What books have you been reading lately? Have you read any of the sailing books featured here today? Do you leave book reviews?

Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi

Indiantown Marina From The Air | Fun With Drones & Aerial Photos

Our friend, Tech Tom, came to visit the other day. We call him Tech Tom for a reason - he's a gadget guy with the uncanny ability to fix almost anything electronic. So when he showed up with his new toy - a drone - I wasn't really surprised.

I've never actually seen a drone up close and personal. They're both fascinating and scary. The thought of anyone being able to zoom in and see what you're up to is a bit frightening. But, on the flip side, the footage they shoot is pretty cool.

I extracted a few photos from the raw footage. I'm not sure if extracted is the right word, but I'm not very technical, unlike Tom.

You can see our boat in this photo. It's the sailboat with the gray tarp over the boom in the corner. It has one solar panel on it. Our friends next to us on Wind Spirit have three huge solar panels. They have no shortage of electricity on board, which is probably why they can operate an ice maker when out cruising.

Here's one taken from much further up. I think at one point Tom said the drone was flying at 500'. You can see some boats on the hard in the parking lot. At the height of hurricane season and for many months afterwards, there were lots of boats where you would normally find cars. Indiantown is considered to be a hurricane hole (as much as any place can really be considered to be safe during hurricanes these days) and boats come here to hide out from storms.

This is a view to the west. If you follow the canal, you eventually hit Lake Okeechobee. If you go the other way you end up in Stuart.

In this photo you can see the marina off to the left and the boat storage yard and work yard off to the right. We have a Ladies Walking Posse that walks up this road in the mornings.

Here's another view of the canal. See that dark cloud on the left? That's from the burning of the sugar cane fields. When they burn, ash flies everywhere and ends up on your boat. Sure fire way to make sure they burn the fields - wash your boat. Next thing you know, there will be ash everywhere.

This is a picture from the drone landing. This must be what the world looks like from a cat's perspective, down low to the ground. Tom asked me if I wanted to fly the drone. I wisely said no. The last thing I wanted to be responsible for was crashing an expensive gadget into the alligator infested water.

Have you ever flown a drone? Have you ever seen what your house/boat/RV looks like from above?

Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi!

Celebrating With Star Trek & Dead Lizards | IWSG

The Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) is a place to share and encourage, where writers can express their doubts and concerns without appearing foolish or weak. It's a great place to mingle with like minded people each month during IWSG day.

Every month there's an optional question which may prompt folks to share advice, insights, a personal experience or story. Some folks answer the question in their IWSG blog post or let it inspire them if they're struggling with what to say.

This month's question is:

"How do you celebrate when you achieve a writing goal / finish a story?"

Check out how people have answered this month's question, as well as the other insecurities and writing topics they may have shared by visiting the IWSG sign-up list here. If you want to see how I answered the question, have a look below.

****

After pressing send and e-mailing my manuscript to my editor, I stretched my arms over my head and shouted, "Whoo-hoo!"

A large gray cat peeked out from behind a throw pillow and glared at me. "Hey, keep it down lady. I'm trying to take a nap."

My happiness over finally completing all the edits to my cozy mystery and being at the stage where I was ready for an editor faded.

"What are you doing here? I evicted you last month." Simon growled. "Don't give me that," I said sharply. "Things have been so much more pleasant without  you around. Nobody making snarky comments and demanding saucers of milk at all hours."

Simon hopped onto the table, knocked my pens onto the floor, and sat on top of my laptop. He slowly washed behind his ears, then said, "You can't evict me if I pay rent."

"Rent? What rent?"

Simon rolled over on his back. "Go look on your bed. Then come back here and rub my belly."

I got a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach. Simon looked too innocent. And we all know that Simon is never innocent. I hurried back to the aft cabin to see what Simon had done. Then I screamed.

Simon padded into the room. "What's all the fuss about, lady?"

"Why are there dead lizards on my bed?"

"I told you. I'm paying you rent now." He jumped onto the bed and tossed one of the unfortunate critters around. "If you're lucky, maybe I'll bring you a bird or a mouse next month."

"Simon, get these things off my bed now!" I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed. "I was planning on celebrating sending my manuscript to my editor by sitting here and watching Star Trek: Discovery on my computer."

Simon batted one of the lizards onto the floor. It landed on my foot. I stifled another scream and tried to remember where I had put the bleach. I shook my head. "Now I have to wash the sheets and clean all of this up. Some celebration this has turned out to be. Thanks a lot, Simon."

Simon lay down on the bed. "What a stupid way to celebrate. There aren't any cats on Star Trek: Discovery. Just some stupid tribbles. Now, go get me some milk."

****

It was kind of exciting (and a bit scary) to hit a big milestone last month - finally finishing my first cozy mystery, >>Murder at the Marina<<, and sending it to the editor. After binge-watching Star Trek: Discovery, I started to think about the eventual release. Should I go ahead and publish it once it's finished or wait until I have other books in the series ready to go.

I asked folks what they thought about stockpiling books on the IWSG Facebook group and got some great advice, tips etc. If anyone else has any thoughts on writing and release strategies for series, I'd love to hear from you in the comments.

How do you celebrate when you accomplish a goal? Do you have a cat that brings you "presents"? Thoughts on stockpiling books?

Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - we'd love for you to pop by and say hi!