Tuesday, January 31, 2017

STX Part 1: SHORE DUTY

      Shortly after the festivities of Christmas 2016, our son Bob and his wife Joy left for Mumbai, India for a two and a half week mission trip. Subsequently, we were happy to be left in charge of their children, Aslan and Lyla.  Have you seen the movie PARENTAL GUIDANCE (2012) starring Billy Crystal and Bette Midler?  The kids insisted that we watch it that first evening after Bob and Joy left and I must admit that it was rather funny.  Time flew by while Bob and Joy were away, but our tour of duty with the kids was not even close to what transpired in the flick.

BEACH was not a daily subject.

       My number one focus was to try to keep the daily activities routine for Aslan and Lyla while their parents were gone.  We conducted HOMESCHOOLING five days a week that always began with Bible study and then included the usual Reading, Writing, Spelling, and Math.  Most days when two of their young friends from the YWAM mission base called them out to play, they had to wait an hour or so before Lyla and Aslan were finished with lessons for the day. I found planning and teaching lessons again exhilarating and the children seemed especially excited about their Reading activities. That pleased me a great deal knowing that children learn to read through grade 3 and then read to learn for the rest of their lives!


"FLAT STANLEY" (AKA Lyla)






         One night during the first week when I got up to check on the kids, Lyla was not in her bed!  I looked in the bathroom and she wasn't there.  I went into the living room to check if she was on the couch, but she wasn't there either.  Then I thought, Maybe she crawled into bed with me and I didn't notice.  My anxiety peaked when I didn't find her there. I tip-toed upstairs to search for her in Aslan's room and still didn't locate her. Finally, I went back into her room and moved the rather flat, but crumpled blanket on her bed. And VOILA!  (Be still my heart!) There she was!




It was hard to keep the cherry tomatoes picked.




      Gardening has always been great therapy for me, and Bob was thoughtful enough to leave a list of things to do in the dirt, IF I had time. So each morning while the children were doing their daily house chores, I went out to the garden to water the seedlings.  Then, almost every afternoon, I gladly made time to weed or transplant or harvest whatever necessary.  Our son Bob gives us so much fresh organic veggies and fruits while we are in St. Croix and I am always happy- no EAGER- to do my part. (I have volunteered to help gardeners down island, but none have taken me seriously- yet.) 




Dan painting the balance beam supports.

      

      Grandpa also had a few important work requests while we were in St. Croix this year.  He studied designs online and made a balance beam for Lyla's 9th birthday.  The tools available in the workshop at YWAM made the task easier.  Soon after it was finished, Lyla began to practice doing cartwheels across it!  That project is sure to get a lot of use for years to come. 



Grandpa & Lyla sitting pretty on the new cushions.




        Another task required a joint effort by both of us.  Joy had selected some fabric from a donation of remnants to reupholster their dining chairs.  I dismantled the seats and used one cover as a pattern.  Next, I sewed each modified box seat cover in the coordinating fabrics chosen.  Then Dan cut new cushions out of foam, wrapped them in poly, stuffed them into the cover, and stapled them on.  They came out really fine!

Seems like this shot has appeared before, doesn't it?

      It goes without saying that BOAT fixes are ongoing.  Exit Strategy was hauled out in order to replace four of her thruhulls. She also had her backstay replaced and new anchor chain attached.  Some stitching on the head sail needed attention, so we dropped it and hauled our Sailrite machine onto the foredeck to get the job done- a task that requires one person to man the sewing machine while the other helps "steer" the sail in the right direction. Our Spectra watermaker has historically been finicky, so Dan tackled that problem- again.  One other installation is in the works: an automatic winch.  




      All things considered, there was no down side to completing our shore duties during this trip.  Yes, we experienced the usual frustrations that these tasks often bring, but GREAT times with family and friends were interspersed and that made it all better.  Stay tuned for ST. CROIX Part 2:  SHORE LEAVE!