Sailing through boundaries

Good morning everyone. Pitter pat, pitter pat… a rainy morning here in Appleton. A great morning to sleep in, to rise slowly from our slumber and have a cup of coffee, just stare out the window. The view in to the woods is one I cherish. The woods surround us like a cocoon and make us feel secure here. I have been thinking about boundaries over the last few days, personal, communal, national…. The old saying about good fences making good neighbors has a grain of truth to it. I have been wondering about the balance of boundaries.

I think about sailing on the schooner and what makes that so unique in this day and age. Many times I have seen our boundaries break down quickly when we sail together, eat together, swim together, laugh together, sing together. The ocean itself has no boundaries. It is always trying to get aboard. It is limitless and surrounds us all the time. Ecologically speaking we are just discovering how unlimited this lack of boundaries is. So I wonder when we sail in the big limitless ocean how much that influences our psyches. Does our little schooner community become limitless as well? Do we sense the spaciousness of the ocean and does that help us open to each other?

It is my opinion that during the course of any week many of us begin to mimic the natural communities we are sailing in. Like the seals basking on the ledges we take a break from our daily hunting activities to rest in the sun. Like the island spruce we stand close together, sometimes holding each other up when the winds blow. That is part of the magic we feel as we depart each week. We have broken through our everyday boundaries and refreshed the natural rhythms within ourselves.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Hail Mary

My heart is heavy with sadness as I write this particular blog. Since the beginning of August our dear friend and cook for the last 12 years, Mary Barney, had been struggling with cancer. I have intentionally respected Mary’s privacy and I apologize to you for not sharing any news about Mary’s health sooner. On Monday afternoon Mary passed away very peacefully at home, surrounded by friends and “family”. Her departure was as graceful as the rest of her life. Many people, including Jen, have been doing heroic work to support Mary these last few weeks. Oddly enough Mary was never very excited about transitions though this was about the fastest transition she ever made. And as I struggle to let go of Mary I realize I am terrible with transitions as well. We used to joke about how we liked things just the way they are, thank you very much, so why change what is working already even if it might be less labor intensive. Hard works is its own reward. I used to joke about getting Mary a Cui...

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