Phew! The prepping was a beast, but we’re finally on our boat! Since we just bought it, it had to be provisioned. That, in itself, took a lot of research and online ordering. Living on the water with limited space, every item on this boat serves a purpose. (Except for my teenage daughter’s provisions. She’s a bit of a hoarder and actually brought a winter hat and boot socks with reindeer on them. I’m sure there’s a lot of other random items in her little Hobbit hole as well.)

Even before we bought the boat, chaos filled our lives. Last August, we moved from the Atlanta area to a quaint, small town on the Gulf Coast–downsizing in the process. Since the move, we’ve been dealing with renovations–even ripping out most of the plants in our yard to add edibles. Lately, Amazon boxes and boat supplies cluttered the inside of our home, while carpenters and painters worked on the outside. Tree roots were removed, we tilled the ground, and a load of dirt was delivered –less than two weeks before we were to leave! And if that wasn’t enough pressure, our home had to be cleaned for the house sitters, and my novel was in the final stages of publishing.

My husband and I dumped this much almost weekly for over a month, and I damaged my wrist in the process:

And the house needed to be cleaned for our guests? I couldn’t foresee it happening:

Meanwhile, hammers were pounding on the outside:

Oh, and we can’t forget all the essential oil recipes that needed to be made for a summer on the boat:

Pressure and anxiety–I definitely felt it! I backed into my neighbor’s brick mailbox from all the stress. Luckily, it wasn’t another automobile, and the mailbox came out unscathed. Wish I could say the same for my SUV, but I still feel pretty blessed. I mean, what if it had been a child?

Ugh! Just seeing these pics have me stressed again. I NEED some time on the ocean!

Stay tuned. Unexpected Beginning is about to be released, and I plan to start writing Unexpected Legends next week. I also bought a new camera and microphone. I plan to learn some photography with my children over the summer, so I should be posting some amazing pics. (I’ll settle for nice when taking the camera off auto mode.) I also plan to post some videos on my YouTube channel as well. Since I didn’t bring my wheat grinder (which plays a major role in my diet), I’ll be trying a lot of new recipes that don’t use flour. I bought a solar oven and thermal cookerI but will most likely use my Instant Pot a lot. Our first real meal on the boat was better than expected. I tried this Instant Pot Spaghetti from The Salty Marshmallow, and it’s definitely a keeper–for the boat and home! Simple, and it only used one pot. I highly recommend it.

Stay tuned! I expect lots to come!

 

What I have on the boat.