Feb 21, 2014: noticing good stuff at 3am....

I've been forgetting gratitude exercises! I woke in the night and walked through my dark cabin, leaving the light off because I know my way around the space and the things within. And I thought:

"I love walking through the dark cabin at night and using my hair as a cat uses it's whiskers, brushing it across the ceiling and feeling bumps and bolts....Hey! Why havaen't I been paying more attention to all the things I enjoy? I realize we are programmed to notice the negative, but let's try...."

I love cooking in my little kitchen, learning to pop corn or make up a tasty curry without "curry powder".

I love eating on deck under the moonlight or while I watch the sky change colors as the night falls or dawn breaks.

I love lighting my kitchen with a single 6-watt LED and getting nice light as powerful as a 30 or 40 watt incandescent.

I love making progress: figuring out what I need, ordering it, tracking its progress through the mail, unwrapping it, and finally installing it and seeing it in place.

I love doing yoga at night on deck, with the wind, the shore lights, the stars and moon and clouds, and the motion & sounds of the boat adding to the experience.

I love a downpour filling my water tank, knowing that I have more water for washing and cleaning.I feel rich when my tanks get full!

I love seeing new things when I go hiking or snokeling. Last time I saw a hermit crab in a 13" snail shell, a cow-nose ray (that circled me lazily), and a barracuda! Also saw a multitude of land hermit crabs and watched termites repairing a tunnel while a sated lizard drove off others of his kind who might eat them.

Hey, this is pretty good! Sure, there are problems that come up, doubts and loneliness and depression, but there are also plenty of good bits. We shall see what happens next. This morning I may hitchhike to Starfish market in Cruz Bay to get some groceries. I know it may not be the most efficient use of time, but it is fun to meet people and I really want to get some more turmeric and veggies to make another chicken curry!

................................................................................................................................

OK, I'm back from Cruz Bay, sans turmeric. I went to all three grocery stores and found a decent price for Ben and Jerry's "Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz" (wrapped it in a warm jacket and got it home at the perfect softness), decided I will wait a bit to get more broccoli (I am absolutely unwilling to pay $10/lb, no matter how nice and fresh it looks, when I can get some on my next trip to St Thomas for under $3.), and found there seems to be NO turmeric in town, even at the St John Spice Company! Now I will either need to borrow some from Peter, next door, order some online, or get some on my next trip to StT. And I had a great chat with a fellow named Anthony re life, sailing, a lobsterman who spent 12hrs last July strapped to a buoy, etc. And it is only 9:40!

Now, time to work on engine, etc! Let's see if I can figure out how to make it crank....