MERMAID TALES

HEY - I MOVED OVER HERE....

2009-12-31T06:47:00.000-08:00

http://susanthemermaid.blogspot.com

Come on over!

Shoes Optional

2009-10-19T09:51:00.000-07:00

Dreams come true (or not) long before

they can be seen in time and space.

Choose your thoughts wisely!

Desdamona

2009-10-15T09:27:00.001-07:00

What if today was your "last" day,

or this week was your "last" week,

and heaven had 10,000 angels waiting to serenade you, dancers waiting to dance with you, and reporters waiting to interview you?

Is there a grudge you'd still hold? Something you'd still regret? An unhappy memory that would matter more than forever and ever?

Doubt it.

W.I.P. - Jody

2009-09-17T05:09:00.000-07:00

Normally I wouldn't post a partially completed Mermaid, but admittedly I've been slacking lately and my blog's been stagnant. I am known at the marina where I keep my boat as the girl on the sailboat who draws mermaids. I have quite a few of them hanging or laying around on my boat. To be honost, everywhere you look on my boat there are mermaids. Some of them take on characteristics of people I know. Recently people have been asking me to create personalized Mermaids. This one that I am working on is for my friend Jody. One night while thumbing through a notebook full of my mermaid drawings, Jody asked me to draw one for her. She said she wanted hers to have a mermaid tail, feathers and high heel shoes. Hmmmm, it took me a while to figure out how to make that all work.

P.S. Ron, I am already thinking of ideas for yours.

Pure White Light

2009-09-16T07:11:00.000-07:00

May pure White Light surround me,

So that nothing but good can come to me,

And nothing but good can come from me,

For this I am thankful.

Scheherazade

2009-09-11T05:27:00.000-07:00

A story teller extraordinaire – a weaver of tales....the gift for which directly relates to the good head she was able to keep upon her shoulders.

Thoughts Provoked

2009-07-15T17:53:00.000-07:00

When it blows,

how noisy

the mountain wind!

but when it blows not,

where will it have gone?

Zen Waka

Choices

2009-07-14T05:38:00.000-07:00

In my dream I saw two boats on the nearby shore

One boat was heading east and the other, to the west.

I was overcome with the choice that lay before me

and guidance was no where to be found.

In despair I left the shore and walked into the woods to clear my head.

As I pondered my dilemma, I came to a place where there were two paths before me.

I thoughtfully considered the possibilities of each direction

but alas indecision sent me back from where I came.
In the mentality of a spoiled child, I cursed life for its cruelty,

for if life were fair I would not have to choose only one direction.

At that thought, I found the insight that previously eluded me,

for it is the journey that shapes who we are and not the other way around.

With Eyes Wide Open

2009-07-12T16:25:00.000-07:00

The first step for making your dreams come true is to wake up.

Sage Advice

2009-07-08T04:55:00.000-07:00

Something I learned from a wise sailor:

Exposed breasts are very important on a mermaid. A topless woman was the only thing I've ever read from old sailing superstition that could cause perfect winds at sea. There were many rituals that could cause more wind, like whistling or scratching the back stay, but they could go too far and bring on a storm so were considered bad luck. But a exposed breast was always associated with perfect winds. That's why sailing ships had bare breasted figureheads.

Good to know!

Bottoms Up!

2009-07-06T10:12:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday America. You look m-a-r-v-l-e-o-u-s!

Soul Painting

2009-06-30T05:14:00.000-07:00

Every Artist dips his brush into his own soul,

and paints his own nature into his pictures.

H. Beecher

Without Walls

2009-06-29T04:48:00.000-07:00

The water is clear

right to the bottom

A fish goes lazily along

The sky is vast

Without horizon

A bird flies far far away

Hung-Chin

What Do You See?

2009-06-25T05:45:00.001-07:00

What do you see when you look beyond the obvious? When you look up at the sky, do you merely see clouds? Or perhaps you find a dancing elephant in the puffs of white. When you look beyond the obvious, there is a whole world, limited only by the imagination, that is just waiting to be discovered. I am hopelessly afflicted with the ability (or is it a curse) to see beyond. Sometimes I try to capture my mind's eye through art.

While walking in Vero Beach, I stopped to admire the moss-hung oaks that graced the ceiling of a tree-lined street. As the moss swayed in the breeze, I imagined that they were mermaids hanging from the tree. Ahhh, at last I understand how mermaids are born. They grow on trees.

Wraped in a Cloak

2009-06-23T08:55:00.001-07:00

With her body wrapped in a cloak of sea water

she passes through the fingers of one wave

and on to the next.

Suspended just below the surface

where her world of liquid meets another of air.

Two worlds separated by a mere thin layer of matter

yet miles apart in a measurement of consciousness.

Wasting Time

2009-06-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

Presently I am sitting here on my boat in Vero Beach Florida looking for ways to waste time.

I've been practicing the art for three days now - not even half way into the time I've set aside. Frankly, I am not sure why "wasting time" has gotten such a bad wrap. I am liking it just fine.

Beautiful Colors

2009-06-05T04:53:00.001-07:00

This morning I passed a shirtless man, adorned with several strands of Mardi-gras beads and riding his bicycle down the sidewalk. Then I saw a man in a suit, sitting on a bus stop bench reading the morning paper. Further along I saw a woman pushing a baby stroller with one hand, while holding a Starbucks' in the other. I saw two young lovers, their bodies entwined in an embrace of passion.

All these people are like the colorful little bits of glass in a kaleidoscope. Each piece of life’s kaleidoscope is unique on its own; however, the true beauty and spectacle can only be fully appreciated when they are viewed together.

Shimmering Scales

2009-06-03T04:58:00.000-07:00

Cast away your shoes

Wet sand oozes between your toes

Wading in sea foam tickles your ankles

Mist and tropical breezes

Ocean's breath warms your cheeks

The sun races into the sea below the horizon

Time slips away

But good luck is in the salt air

This night for you a chance to see

A mermaid

Though just a glimpse of her shimmering scales

Art Immitating Life

2009-05-18T04:51:00.000-07:00

I draw mermaids. It is what I do. I have drawn many, many, many differant versions and they all are unique. They all have their own personality. People have asked me where I get the ideas for all of them. Sometimes, they just come to me. Sometimes I see them in something else.

Yesterday we moved our boat down river to a new marina in Melbourne. En route I noticed thunder clouds building on the horizon. One the the cloud formations appeared to me to be a mermaid, laying in the sand on her side and resting her head on one hand. I filed that in my memory for future recreation. Sometimes when I look at photos of people, I imagine them as mermaids. The mermaid above is just such a recreation. The idea for her pose was courtesy of Jessica in the photo below. Jessica kind of looks like a mermaid anyway so that was not such a stretch of the mind to picture her with a tail.

Sugar Tongue

2009-05-12T10:31:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TyVhPZefCI

I've got the blackest boots, the whitest skin

Satisfy my sugar tongue again

Sing me lullabies, shoe-shine days

Gilded verses for your ethylene

And bring 'em to me free and clean

Drinking tea with milk and Ganjaweed

Pontificate on genocide or greed

With a spoonful of dissent

For the orchestra of need

Is just enough to please this colony

I've got the blackest boots, the whitest skin

Satisfy my sugar tongue again

Bring me lullabies and morphine-dreams

Belladonna with her atropine

And bring 'em to me free and clean

Stay the Course

2009-05-12T05:08:00.000-07:00

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

Nelson Mandela

Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.

Confucius

Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.

Albert Einstein

Beat of the Feet

2009-05-07T05:05:00.001-07:00

Round and round she goes,
The music enters in through her ears and exits out her toes.

Flying hair obscuring her sight,
But there’s no need to see with feet that have taken flight

Two steps forward and twirl around,
Then back one step, while her feet scarcely touch the ground

Round and round she goes,
Only when the music stops, so then shall her toes.

Seeing Without Eyes

2009-04-30T05:43:00.001-07:00

When I close my eyes and think of my favorite things, I see a sailboat skipping along, draped in billowy canvas that pulls her across a stretch of twinkling turquoise water.

I can feel her hull gracefully bowing to each gentle wave that comes to greet her, stirring up a curl of white froth at the place where they intersect.

My ears hum with the monotonous sound of water rushing alongside the hull, broken only by the occasional rhythmic thump as she falls off the face of a wave and is caught by the sea below.

The salty sea mist kisses my cheeks and, with a deep breath, fills my lungs.

When I close my eyes again, she is anchored in a quiet, protected cove.

I see tall, cavernous shelves rising straight up out of the water, iced with bits of green vegetation that cascade over the black rock like the long, unruly tendrils of a mermaid's hair.

I can feel her tugging gently on her rode, while simultaneously rising and falling in the current as she playfully slaps each ripple with her stern.

I hear waves crashing on a distant shore and the song-birds practicing their falsettos under the cloak of the dense island foliage.

The moist air is still and the unmistakable smell of fertile earth fills my nostrils.

Most folks see only through their eyes.

A blind man uses his mind to see. Artists see through both their eyes and mind.

A writer sees things that can be seen by no other. Not only does he use both eyes and mind, but every other sense available, and then paints it with the colors of his own perception.

Through the Eyes of the Beholder

2009-04-24T04:54:00.000-07:00

Rumor has it that many a sailor's mermaid sighting was in reality a Manatee. Most certainly these sailors must have been desparate for the scent of a woman because Manatees are not beautiful creatures. Sailors that were out-to-sea for just a little too long, I suspect. Close up, Manatees are prehistoric looking. They really are gentle giants though. Currently there are several of them visiting our marina. One momma and baby pair are particularly friendly and hang out around our dock begging for a sip of fresh water.

Somewhere Between a Rock and a Soft Place

2009-04-23T05:17:00.000-07:00

What would I do if I could do anything I wanted to do?

Would I board a rocket-ship bound for the moon,

or just call in sick and sleep `til noon?

If I could change the way I look,

would I have a tail and hair of spun gold?

or don a slinky black dress and choose a shade of lipstick just a touch too bold?

What would have to occur for this to be my lucky day?

While I admit that thoughts of lottery winnings first fill my head;

Can I count myself fortunate enough that I made the left turn light just before it turned red?

If I could be anyone I wanted to be,

would I breathe life into the sleeping soul of Galileo?

Set off on a sailing ship in search of far away lands that I would beckon from the bow with a gruff "Land Ho."

If I were to confess to you that I would turn down the opportunity to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, opting instead for a leisurely bike ride along the beach - would you advise me to extend my goals a little farther from my reach?

Would you consider it a waste of an opportunity if I were to take the middle road - and the person that I chose to be,

looked an awful lot like me?

Bluebird of Happiness

2009-04-15T08:44:00.000-07:00

I had a visitor at my office window this morning -just prior to which I heard a clatter of chirping in the tree outside. I turned around at my desk to determine the cause and saw a flurry of winged activity in a nearby tree. Yesterday was a gray and stormy day. The wind howled all day and brought horizontal rain and lightening. Today bore absolutely no resemblance - the sun was shining bright and the sky was as blue as a cornflower without a cloud in sight. As I listened to the excited voices in the tree, it occurred to me that they choose a very nice day to practice their chorale skills.

Before I describe this morning's visitor, I should back up a bit. I have had feathered visitors to my office window before. Just last year a bright red cardinal flew up to my window and walked along the sill while peering in at me. I was convinced that it must have been some sort of sign, so immediately I googled the meaning of a red cardinal sighting and read that it was a sign of good luck. Well, after no particular good luck befell me, I must admit to the disappointment I felt.

This morning's visitor was a bluebird. He, like the cardinal, flew over and peered into my window and looked at me - and I back at him. After he had an eyeful, he flew back to the singing tree, and at that moment, I recognized that all the chattering birds were bluebirds. It was a whole tree full of bluebirds.

Now, I didn't need a Google search to tell me that the Bluebird symbolizes happiness. This time, I did receive the gift from the visiting bird - his visit did immediately make me happy. Thank you, bluebird.

Fancy Fish

2009-04-13T09:37:00.000-07:00

While in Vero we saw a school of some crazy, big lipped fish. I have no idea what kind of fish they were or what they were doing. It seemed that they were breathing air as they skimmed the surface and flexed their big mouths. The photograph doesn't really capture the curious moment that inspired my fancy fish drawing.

Moss Mermaids

2009-04-01T04:35:00.000-07:00

We got a slip in the Vero Beach Municipal Marina for a few days. Directly in full view of our slip was a magnificent old Oak tree. Its twisted branches gracefully supported long tendrils of Spanish Moss. We watched the moss sway in the breeze. The tendrils took on recognizable forms of dangling mermaids. They were holding onto the boughs by their arms, while their tails whimsically swayed in the wind.

Reflections of Me

2009-03-26T07:10:00.000-07:00

I see my reflection and wonder “who is that staring back at me?” Her outline is familiar but do I really know her? When you look at me, what do you see? Do you see my exterior flaws, or do they fade into your peripheral as you look deeper?

Monsters of the Sea

2009-03-18T05:05:00.000-07:00

Peering over the toe rail and into the bottomless depths of the sea below, I wonder what lives down there - What creatures call the seafloor home? I have seen glimpses of its occupants – a shark rising up and skimming the surface, a ray jumping through the air, the bobbing heads of sea turtles.

I have snorkeled since I was about 11 years old, and always wanted to learn to SCUBA, but for one reason or another, never have. At the Miami Boat Show two years ago I bought all the equipment. Neatly arranged on the top of my closet shelf sits a BC in its plastic bag, an octopus/regulator/dive computer contraption and other assorted dive paraphernalia. Looking up there at the stuff last week I thought, that is stupid for it to be sitting up there collecting dust, while I wait for the "perfect opportunity" to get certified. No more stalling, no more excuses. This spring my son and I are going to get certified. So, hopefully, it won't be long until I will no longer have to wonder about what lurks below.

Irish Blessing

2009-03-16T06:15:00.001-07:00

May the road rise to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face.

May the rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Down Under the Sea

2009-03-13T04:51:00.000-07:00

Down under the sea,

Where the dolphins swim free,

And the sand and the sea grasses sway,

Where the starfish shine bright,

And the dog fish don't bite,

I ride my seahorse all day.

Down under the sea,

Where the whales sing and dive deep,

We chase and rope sharks, Until it gets dark,

Then the waves gently rock us to sleep.

Down under the sea,

My seahorse takes me,

On a journey through coral and caves.

We'll round up fish down there,

Rescue mermaids so fair,

And ride away on the crest of a wave!

The Gift of Hope

2009-03-12T04:51:00.000-07:00

One day, a bright red bird flew over and landed on my window sill. As he peered in at me and I out at him, I thought “what does it mean?”

On my birthday a glorious full moon graced the sky. I could scarcely contain my anticipation - surely this was a sign of something great.

Reflecting back on those events, the red bird flew away, and the moon set as if it were any other night. These things that I had placed special meaning and significance upon disappeared into obscurity.

Where were the rewards promised to me? How foolish I felt for allowing myself to be led astray -- For holding out hope.

Looking deeper and past my disappointment it occurred to me that the gift I thought I wanted may not have been the gift I needed. Perhaps hope itself was the something great.

Again I felt foolish, but this time, for a different reason.

Springing Forward

2009-03-09T04:58:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung. The smell of fresh cut grass is in the air. Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth. A time for moving foward.

Thursday Susan-isms

2009-03-05T05:08:00.000-08:00

Live gracefully and with a gentle soul. Tangible things are fleeting. The most profound legacy that one can leave is to be remembered fondly.

Culture your spirit so that it captivates those who cross your path. A pearl begins its life as a grain of sand – a tiny and insignificant irritation to its host. Through perseverance and continual refinement it gradually builds its luminosity and beauty.

Indulge in the ability to feel deeply, a trait that can only be gleaned by a full existence. A life insulated by bubble wrap will yield a flat soul. It is only through experiencing both the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, the yen and the yang, that one builds a character with the capacity to visit the entire sensory spectrum.

Jelly Fish

2009-03-02T04:33:00.000-08:00

As a kid growing up in Southern California - one who was lucky enough to have been born to parents with a trawler - I got to see a lot of jellyfish. They reminded me of floating brains. On calm crossings to Catalina Island it was not uncommon to travel through large schools of them. I would lay on my belly, head resting on the bow toe rail, and search the water below for jellyfish. I would find myself mesmerized as hundreds of floating brains, large and small, disappeared under the bow. Most of them were whole and intact, with translucent globe and wavy tentacles that resembled mermaid hair. Others had been visciously chopped up into pieces and parts - by the props of boats I suppose. Their vibrantly colored veins in hues of blue, red and purple appeared electric in the sunlight. I watched them propel themselves along the surface of the vast ocean with their translucent jelly domes that flexed in and out in graceful ripples. I wondered if they knew where they were going - if they had a particular destination in mind. Perhaps they just floated to wherever the winds and currents took them.

Deep Greens and Blues are the colors I choose...

2009-02-27T05:41:00.000-08:00

Won't you let me go down in my dreams?

All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.

T.E. Lawrence

Rx for Adventure

2009-02-25T04:54:00.000-08:00

Every morning I get out of bed, shower, drive to work, work, come home, go to bed only to do it over again, and again, and again. I am in perpetual ground hog’s day. Every action I take is merely a reaction. My cruise control is set and I am in overdrive, along for the ride. Clinically, I think the diagnosis is “being in a rut.”

I am bored with being stuck in auto pilot, and the only remedy I know of to treat my condition is to have an adventure. I want to take the wheel, chart my course, and find my own way. Maybe take the boat to St. Augustine, or perhaps south to Peck Lake? The gray of winter is beginning to give way to the light of spring. The days are getting longer. I can smell an adventure around the corner. It's time to move towards the light in search of the cure.

Beautiful Words

2009-02-24T04:43:00.000-08:00

Tell me beautiful words;
whisper them into my ear like a guarded secret.

Touch me softly,
as if I were a cherished and fragile work of art.

Dance close to me,
so close that our bodies find a rhythm that is neither yours nor mine alone.

Kiss me passionately;
I want to taste you on my lips.

Look deeply into my blue eyes,
until you see through to my bare soul.

Furmaids

2009-02-23T04:44:00.000-08:00

These are my furry little boat friends, Coco She is convinced that she is a princess) and Toto (who thinks his name is "bad kitty!"). While it is true that cats don't like water, these cats love to be on the boat. They love to explore and hide in all the little hidey holes - we are always finding them insides the cupboards and lockers. They also enjoy hanging out in the cockpit and walking/stalking the decks at night.

Along for the Ride

2009-02-19T04:58:00.000-08:00

My commute to work takes about 30-45 minutes – time which is generally spent kick starting the gray matter. This morning I pondered the complexity vs. the simplicity of life. How much of our lives are really under our own control? How much is the product of our interaction with other’s lives? Driving my car along the road I have the power to speed up, change lanes, whatever I want to do so long as it does not interfere with the rest of the cogs in the wheel. That seems simple enough. The complicated part is how all the individual pieces fit together in the big puzzle of life. If the car travelling in the opposite direction were to come across the median into my lane of traffic – our individual worlds would collide. In some respects it would seem that we are all living our lives on parallel universes, and that our actions belong to each of us individually. In a micro-view of the world, that may be true. On a bigger scale, our actions do affect those around us. I am a small cog in the big wheel of life – insignificant, while at the same time integral. Am I in control of my own cog individually, or am I turned by the other cogs that are intertwined with mine? Alas I must acknowledge that for the most part I am just along for the ride in the big wheel.

Powerful Advice from Zoltar!

2009-02-16T04:45:00.001-08:00

I consulted with Zoltar the Magnificent at the Miami boat show - and by "consulted with" I mean that I stuck my dollar into the slot, and watched Zoltar's robotic eyes and mouth move as he delivered my fortune. He is very wise indeed. He counseled me on the foolishness of wasting time, and that squandered time cannot be reclaimed. Specifically, he said "A wave which has passed cannot be called back, nor can an hour which has gone be returned. Your time will come by and by; there are great things in store for you."

Trying to find Comfort...

2009-02-13T04:59:00.000-08:00

in an uncomfortable world...

Thirsting for peace in a sea of angst. Searching for harmony where discord is rampant. Seeking wisdom and understanding from the ignorant.

I looked to Buddha for inspiration this morning:

"Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue."

“In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.”

“It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.”

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.”

A friend of mine, an affluent and “successful” business man, just had a heart attack. He was 55 years old. Our bodies, though flesh and blood, are simply machines. If you overstress a machine, its parts break and it stops working. Life is fragile. Handle it with care.

Life Instructions

2009-02-12T09:47:00.001-08:00

Very Important Instructions from the Book of Life:

LIVE Simply

LAUGH Often

LOVE Deeply

....and of course it goes without saying that these lessons are best practiced while floating the oceans in a sailboat.

Amber

2009-02-11T08:24:00.000-08:00

This mermaid is for my daughter Amber, a Coastie currently stationed in Michigan (insert "burr" here). While my Amber mermaid is almost as pretty as the real thing, I definitely missed the mark on capturing Amber's personality in this drawing. The photos with this post are a better representation of the real Amber - she is free-spirited, fun loving, and high energy. The drawing is more like Amber's step-ford, charm school, prim/proper alter-ego mermaid.

So Much for Plans...

2009-02-11T05:12:00.000-08:00

Tucked into the lee of Great Abaco, our anchorage was nearly still. Outside the protection of the anchorage, the weather was getting ugly. Today we weren’t able to cover much ground on our north bound journey across the Sea of Abaco before the weather prompted us to look for cover. We spent the last few hours precariously making way between storms - trying to outrun the system at our backdoor while staying just clear of another ahead. Black thunder cells were closing in around us, and soon we would be at the mercy of the wind and rain. A respite from the weather was a welcome thought, but alas, a double-edged sword knowing that it would come at the price of a very long haul tomorrow.
We spent the previous night bucking and tugging on anchor behind Spoil Cay (adjacent to Baker’s Bay). The small land mass of Spoil Cay was woefully inadequate in providing any protection from the thunderstorms approaching from the west, and to prove it, no one aboard LaLeLu slept. The rainy season that had only been a whisper of a far away possibility for the first two weeks of our trip was now chasing us down like a bad dream. It’s enlightening to watch the systems develop on a computer screen (courtesy of our satellite weather service). In the early afternoon during the summer months you can see them build over the land masses – with Florida serving as the biggest propagator of storms – and march their way westward over the stream to the Bahamas.
We pulled up anchor at day break this morning with every intention of making some distance north before the thunderstorms filled in. You know that you’re in for an eventful day on the water when it’s already cloudy and humid at dawn. Prior to our anchorage departure, we hailed a boat that had just come through the cut and requested a Whale report. He gave us the thumbs up, and we were on our way. As we headed back around the Whale passage, it marked the homeward leg of our journey. This morning the Whale proved to be surprisingly calm – so calm in fact, that one of our companion boats was able to transfer fuel during the passage. We felt relieved to have hit it in a lull between storms.

There would be a full moon tonight, a Wednesday, and how appropriate for marking the occasion of my 45th birthday. The plan all along, even before we left stateside, had been to rendezvous at the Green Turtle Club on this evening. For our entire trip I had been looking forward to dancing the night away to the Gulley Roosters and howling at the moon on my birthday. “Well, so much for plans,” I thought to myself as I stared across the Sea of Abaco to the shores of Green Turtle. The New Plymouth anchorage was eerily empty. An angry stretch of white-capped water stood between us and White Sound. There was no getting over there today in this weather, and even if we were able to make it, definitely there would be no leaving La Le Lu in the exposed anchorage. No, tonight we would stay here in our anchorage that was well protected from the west.
I resigned myself to spending my 45th in the captivity of the lee shore of Great Abaco, in front of the Ferry Dock (which we un-affectionately dubbed the Ferry Ghetto after a trip ashore). I foraged in the fridge in search of dinner fixins’ – hoping to find something edible that would not require a can-opener. The fridge was nearing empty at this point in the journey. Digging deep behind the freezer box I felt something promising and pulled it free. Score! Two New York strip steaks, still partially frozen. The fresh fruits and veggies were extremely limited and/or gross by this juncture. I was able to find a decent package of shredded cabbage, and, with a little rice-wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and some S/P, it would serve as a reasonable facsimile to a salad.
With the steaks sizzling on the rail-mounted Force 10 grill, we sat in the cockpit in quiet reflection, rum cocktail in hand. The storms around us were providing a spectacular show, with clouds that were periodically lit up by flashes of lightening in every direction. There was music playing in the background - something with an island / rake-n-scrape beat – that blended nicely with the rumbling bass of the nearby thunder.

Yesterday was a hard day and we were nearly running on empty as far as sleep. Our buddy-boat was anchored next to us, but they may as well have been 100 miles away as we each had our dingy raised and strapped to our respective decks. We chatted a bit with them on the VHF, and coordinated our plan for the next day’s leg of our exit journey. They were as tired as we – even over the crackling VHF I could recognize the fatigue in their voices, (which I am sure I echoed on my end of the conversation).

As the sun settled down into the horizon, it painted the clouds in ever intensifying shades of red until they looked like they were on fire. Dinner was heralded by the familiar metal-on-metal screech of the grill lid being opened. Although I doubted such was possible, the steaks tasted better then they smelled. We sat in the cockpit enjoying our meal with scarcely a word exchanged between us. We each were caught up in our own moment of introspection.

I remembered again what momentous day this was - my right of passage into the second half of my 4th decade on earth. Certainly, the day had not gone down as I wrote it in my mind’s script. I was exhausted, but at the same time I felt a sense of accomplishment that resonated into a feeling of inner contentment. It was a feeling that you can’t describe to someone who has not been there. At that moment I realized that there was no place I would rather be. I raised my glass to my husband’s and initiated a toast to my 45th. “So much for plans” I declared.

A Self Portrait

2009-02-09T08:16:00.000-08:00

I draw Mermaids, because I am one. Well, metaphorically that is. I don’t have a scaly tail, and, although I learned to swim before I could walk, my legs are firmly planted on terra firma. I find the smell of the salt-laden, briney sea mist intoxicating - my skin is hydrated and refreshed by its dampness. The sun streaked tendrils of my hair are generally impossibly tangled and the wave tattoo on my lower-back betrays my passion. I prefer sea glass to diamonds, and would take a pair of Sperry’s over Jimmy Choo’s any day of the week. For me, the ocean is my equilibrium, and sailing on it, my refuge. The call of the sea has more than an abstract meaning for one in whose ears it sings. It sings to me.

MERMAID HUNTER

2009-02-09T05:01:00.000-08:00

This drawing reminds me of the episode of Bugs Bunny wherein Elmer Fudd turns to the audience and says "Shhhhhh, I am hunting wabbits." With rifle in hand, he sneaks through the woods while completely oblivious to the fact that Bugs is shadowing his every move. Proof positive that some times things may be closer than you think.

Getting ready for work this Monday morning, my hair dryer died - just quit working. Who cares, I’ll put my hair up in a bun when I get to work. I must have spent too long in the shower or something – it’s ten minutes past my regular departure time. Great, that means traffic. Backing out of the driveway I hear a crunch - crap, I ran into the trailer of my daughter’s sailing dingy. Crap, crap, crap! Getting out of my cute little Mini Cooper to inspect the point of impact I note that it is foggy. That’s it - I am doomed to sit in traffic this morning.

A sea of brake lights unfolds ahead of me on the 408, and I concede that some things in life are beyond my control. The guy in the Mercedes behind me is shaving - where does the hair dust go? On his fine glove-leather seats? I change the Sirius station from the depressing Bloomberg report to Margaritaville, an act affirming that there are things in my life that I have complete control over. The fog lifts and there is a huge, bad moon descending in front of me. Simultaneously, the sun rises behind me. As a wayward ray escapes from the rising sun and hits my side mirror I notice the words “Objects in the mirror are closer than they may appear.” Well, now how ironic is that?

Searching...

2009-02-05T04:57:00.000-08:00

My Bonnie lies over the ocean, my Bonnie lies over the sea. My Bonnie lies over
the ocean, so bring back my Bonnie to me...

Those words are indelibly carved into my memory in the sweet, soft tone of my grandmother’s voice. When I think of them, I am taken back to a simple time of my youth, nuzzled in granny’s arms, and I can smell the scent of Dove soap that permeated her apartment. Why is it that we spend a lifetime searching, while failing to appreciate what we already have? We yearn for what we don’t have instead of learning to want what we do have. Tangible things are fleeting - it’s the intangible things that are indelible.

This entry is dedicated to my wonderfully loving Grandmother, “Granny Goose” whose memories I will cherish and carry with me throughout my life. I love you granny.

Notice any Similarities?

2009-02-03T09:05:00.000-08:00

It has occurred to me that my boat and my blog's namesake Mermaid bear a striking resemblance to one another. The Mermaid's long and un-tamed tendrils of red hair have the same hue and overwhelmingness of the bottom paint covering LaLeLu below her waterline. The blue/green of the Mermaid's scales resembles the color of the water LaLeLu floats upon. According to folklore, Mermaids would fall in love with Sailors and lure them out to sea. The Sailors, intoxicated by their beauty and allure, were powerless to resist. Longing for the companionship of a Mermaid, some Sailors have spent a lifetime searching for just one moment with such a creature, but, as it can be with love, catching a Mermaid can be elusive. Suspended just below the water's surface, but hidden from view to those above, the Mermaid waits and watches. Could that be a face I see in the reflection under my vessel in the photo above as she is suspended above the water? or, could it be that my boat is a Mermaid, and she is calling me, enticing me, to venture off to her dominion?

Lime Green, Tangerine and Fuchsia

2009-02-02T04:58:00.000-08:00

Monday morning – 7:17 am – I am sitting in my office looking out the window waiting for my computer stuff to load. Ugggh, day is breaking and it looks like it’s going to be 12 shades of gray. The landscape maintenance guys are busy buzzing, blowing, mowing and such down below my office. I wonder what they are feeling on this gray morning. At least my cup of herbal apple tea looks happy - wearing its horizontal bands of lime green, tangerine and fuchsia - a welcome sight on a morning such as this. You would never see this cup featured in an Rx for depression commercial.

Not quite ready to jump into my overflowing in-box, I decided instead to take an online color / personality test. Below are the results.

“Active, outgoing, and restless. Feels frustrated by the slowness with which events develop along the desired lines. This leads to irritability, changeability, and lack of persistence when pursuing a given objective.

Wishes to be independent, unhampered, and free from any limitation or restriction, other than those which she imposes of herself or by her own choice and decision.

Willing to participate and to allow herself to become involved, but tries to fend off conflict and disturbance in order to reduce tension.

Remains emotionally unattached even when involved in a close relationship.
Feels that she cannot do much about her existing problems and difficulties and that she must make the best of things as they are. Able to achieve satisfaction through sexual activity.

Needs to feel identified with someone or something and wishes to win support by her charm and amiability. Sentimental and yearns for a romantic tenderness.

Seeks to avoid criticism and to prevent restriction of her freedom to act, and to decide for herself by the exercise of great personal charm in her dealings with others."

Some of it seems accurate, I suppose, and some of it, well, nah-uhhh! it is just wrong. I think I'll just go back to staring at the pretty colors on my cup and stop trying to figure me out for now.

The Winds of the Four Directions

2009-02-01T13:05:00.002-08:00

This morning I dreamed of the four ancient Gods of the wind: Boreas, God of the North wind, Zephyrus, God of the West wind, Eurus, God of the East Wind, and Notus, God of the South wind. The wind Gods are subservient to Astraeus, their master, who has dominion over all four directions. In my dream the wind Gods were like angels. They appeared as beautiful, winged mythical beings with the grace of a ballerina and the power of an atomic bomb. Each was exquisite to behold, but, like finely honed swords, I understood that their beauty was intrinsically entangled with their ability to inflict pain.

My mind raced to find enlightenment from these Gods of the Wind, for, as every sailor knows, the wind can be friend or foe. It is important - if not imperative - to understand my opponents. In my dream I learned that each of the Gods of the four directions bears certain powers and traits, distinct from one another, and to some degree, predictable.

Zephyrus, the gentlest of the winds, was the most magnificent to behold. He told me that he is the keeper of the rainbow. The other directions think he is the weakest of the four winds, and it is true that he will generally give way to them. His face was illuminated by his wings that were made of spun gold taken from the sun. The nature of the West wind was generally kind and peaceful, but I learned his strength lay in his restraint, wisdom and tenacity. Zephyrus, though not easily provoked, begins his attack softly by caressing his enemy with a gentle, earthy whisper of warm dry air. His enemy cannot resist and instinctively turns his face to greet Zephyrus. To his foes, the gentle caress of the West wind gives way and is gradually replaced by a blast akin to an inferno. Flames spray out his golden lips as he exhales and delivers a breath drawn from the sun. Zephyrus has delivered such an assault on many a sailor, wicking out all form of moisture from his flesh and leaving him withered, cracked and bloodless.

I was then introduced to Notus, who I learned is the great deceiver. She is cunning and wickedly playful. She delights in watching a weary traveler stumble and lose his way as he is blinded by her "gift" of thick fog. By far her greatest strength lies in her ability to lure her victims into her trap. Notus has enticed even the saltiest sailor by whispering a sweet lullaby in his ear. Her soft, moist, warm breath lingers on the sailor’s cheek, and is laced with the intoxicating scent of salt and brine. Every sailor knows the risk of succumbing to the South wind, but alas, all are powerless against her seduction. Once she has rendered her victim defenseless, she unites with Zeus to create great havoc in the sky and sea. Her assault is heralded by deafening claps of thunder followed by searing bolts of lightening. The sea responds by standing straight up in tall, steep, peaks that can send a ship to the bottom like it was riding on rails. The fierceness of her attack, as I came to understand, is commensurate with the degree of warmth and moisture she breathes upon her victim as she is seducing him.

Eurus, the wind of the East, is the most powerful in terms of brute strength, but he is not a vengeful wind. He is not well respected by the other directions, and they mockingly refer to the East wind as “The Great Windbag.” Eurus is simple in nature, and not bothered by a great intelligence. He takes no pleasure in trickery. When he causes a stir, chances are he doesn’t know or mean to do so. Eurus is quick to anger and equally quick to retreat. He has great power but lacks the wisdom to truly harness his power. At first I felt sorry for him in that I knew he had potential he would never be able to reach. I soon came to realize though that the wind of the East has no personal sense of deficiency or inadequacy. How can one miss what they don’t have? Without the wisdom to recognize his own shortcomings, Euros is likewise unable to appreciate any sense of loss.

Unlike Eurus, the North wind is a vengeful wind. The power beheld by Boreas is hailed by men of both the sea and land as the most dreaded of the four directions. Every sailor fears, if not, loathes him. He is strong, brutal and motivated by his insatiable need to conquer. His touch is bitter cold and can turn flesh to ice. Boreas is a dark and foreboding creature, bearing a serpent’s tail and cloven feet. His beard is fringed by small Icicles that twinkle like diamonds. His face is partially obscured by his dark hood, which only permits one a glimpse of the outline of his sharp features. I was afraid to look into his eyes. As I neared his presence the air drew cold and thin. With each breath I took, I felt a chill that reverberated off my ribs and caused my teeth to chatter. Boreas rules his quadrant astride an iron stallion. He devours his enemies by evoking violent storms that send even the best of sea men to the locker of Davey Jones.’

Astraeus, son of Poseidon, was given dominion over the winds. He is the wise father of the sometimes disobedient four directions. His children tolerate and respected each other, but are in a constant battle for supremacy. Their egos are fragile, and, like four billy goats, they constantly butt heads in attempt to gain ground over their siblings. The four directions of the wind can be selfish, spoiled children. When they are in check, there is balance and harmony, but when any one direction gains leeway for too long, havoc can result.

It was only a dream, you say? Maybe so. In truth, I cannot say that I really believe there exists actual entities that rule over the Wind of the four directions, but then again, I am not so sure there aren’t. As a sailor, I know that there is energy that governs the winds and sea. I don’t need to know what that energy is, and maybe it is beyond my comprehension. Nonetheless, I fear, I pay homage, and most of all, I respect the energy of the four directions.