Dear Reader, I begin with today and work back to our arrival in Mount Pleasant. Rather than edit for smoother reading, I wanted to begin by reassuring you that we are well. ❤️

We docked at the Cooper River Marina in North Charleston almost two weeks ago and buttoned IRENE up for a month. We will check on her periodically however; for all intents and purposes, for the hopeful duration of hurricane season, and while hanging with family, we are living on land. As I write this on the evening of Thursday, September 27th, 2022, we are watching Hurricane Ian bear down on the west coast of Florida. Currently, it looks like it will be a tropical storm by the time it reaches us. However; tropical storms pack plenty of wind, rain and surf. Focusing on preparation and safety now. Earlier today, David and I drove across the bridge, back to North Charleston, to reinforce IRENE’s lines and to bring all the things we store outside, inside. Even though the docks at the marina are beautiful, well constructed floating docks, with big winds and gusts, the boats are going to do some enormous rocking.

In other news. The kids school announced today they will be closed on Friday. Jay went to the grocery store and Farmer’s Market to pick up a few things and filled the vehicles with gas. I did our laundry and am gathering up materials for a long weekend of art and crafting with Hollis. Please use your imagination to envision the storm losing steam and getting tamped down before it hits land again. Thank it and wish it well. Send big prayers up for the people of Cuba and everyone, everywhere, especially our Florida friends.

September 16th, 2022

Of course, it takes an entire wagon load to move out our backpacks, our personal items and our laundry from the boat to the waiting car. By now we are happily installed in the room over the garage in Mount Pleasant (Charleston, S.C.). It’s a delightful space with an enormous soaking tub, for which I am very grateful. There is a graceful walkway behind the main house that invites us into the family room and kitchen of Jay and Melissa’s home. David thinks the walkway and back yard are the best aspects of the house. I find the entire structure beyond “best”, and beautiful in every way.

After arriving I noticed the one big irony of being on the land is how often everyone wants to go “to the water”. The house is only a couple blocks away from the ICW and the Charleston inlet. So far, we have been to a bar and a restaurant on Shem Creek and also on Sullivan’s Island. We have walked a nature preserve path out to the ICW and have taken several shorter walks and golf cart rides down side streets to the waterfront as well. All the water, the boats, the reflections, the perfect light, the tall and wide skyline, the waves and the dolphins, the big red sunsets, they are all still there.

In Other News

This past week, I gave myself a belated birthday gift and flew to the Black Hills of South Dakota for a long weekend, to participate in a Spirit-Led Intensive Workshop. Four nights and three days of good living in an powerful environment with beautiful souls. We did a lot of deeply personal work, ate incredible meals (prepared with love), spent time in the blessed and sacred Black Hills, and took self-care to the next level. I look forward to going back there, someday, to feel the profound and palpable energy emanating from the Black Hills and to spend time with old and new friends.

While I was off doing my thing, David stayed in Charleston and enjoyed being waited on by Hollis and Xander. He had a stress fracture on his left foot that was healing. The kids checked on him a few times a day, brought him ice cream, taught him to use the fancy remote, and kept him in good company. I am happy to report he is back on his feet and has mastered the remote. He has a fresh haircut, has begun a good book recommended by a friend, and is looking forward to jumping in the pool in the rain. Life is good.

For WHM

It’s hurricane season so we button up
our little boat home. 
We fill our bags for a month on land 
and load ourselves and our belongings into the waiting vehicle. 
God bless this day.
We speed across the bridge to the mainland-
and our driver accelerates to avoid 
the “crazy blind driver” who has “almost killed us”. 
Lord have mercy.
Arriving well and happy 
we carry ourselves and our belongings up a flight of stairs.
We stand on the hard and unmoving floor and I gaze upon the tub 
appearing like a sacred shrine rising up to greet us.
We look out each window to inspect the view
of life close up.
The leaves and branches outside the window are
“so lush, so green, so beautiful”. 
We head back outside, our barefoot strides lengthening
as we are uplifted by the earth beneath our feet.  
Walking to the main house, this new home, 
we joyfully board the kin-ship.
Lord, hear our prayers.

Wishing you all well. Be happy. Be in alignment with your authentic and unique self. Bring love and kindness to all that you do and in turn, this reflective universe will return it back to you. Rise and shine on, friends. Until I write again…EnJOY 🎶