Category Archives: Commercial Fishing
The Launching of Dungeness Crab Pots AND a New Baby. All at the Same Time. Literally.
George told me today that the Washington Dungeness Crab Fishermen’s Association has a new Facebook page, so I immediately went over and “liked” it. I did some looking around while I was there and could see right away what a great page it is. Updates on the season and the fleet are regular, and Washington Dungeness crab fishermen are also encouraged to post boat and crew pictures.
I love a positive and informative commercial fishing-themed Facebook page (if you do too, check out Commercial Fishing Families & Friends, the Facebook group I started with a couple other commercial fishing wives), so it’s great that the WDCFA has joined the fun.
Speaking of Washington Dungeness crab fishing, George went to a meeting this morning for an update on the season’s start date. We’ve known for a while that the season is going to begin either (roughly) January 15 or January 25. I eagerly awaited word all day as to the firm date, but the only new thing I learned was that we’d all know in 48 hours what the final and official start date will be.
Now, I normally do not get too hung up on the start date of crab season. I know it’s always sometime between December and January, and I just hope each year that G will be around for Christmas. I was a little nervous six years ago when I was expecting Eva, but George was able to be here for her birth on December 12 before leaving shortly after.
A crab season start date of either January 15 or January 25 does not do me any personal good, as that is the exact date range that our third baby is due. Seriously—I’m not kidding. Her due date is January 25 and she will likely be encouraged out slightly before then, hence, the January 15-25 range.
So, I will be waiting impatiently for the next two days until we found out exactly what we’re looking at. I do have plans in case there is no way G can be here; my parents are on board to help with my two children and dog, and I have three friends lined up to keep me company at the hospital and some more who have offered to help following the birth, but it’s still a messed-up situation.
If a five-to-seven-day coastal storm blows through around the due date, making it impossible to crab, that would help. If not, I’ll cross my fingers for a different kind of miracle. Hey, my dad rushed in from salmon fishing in Puget Sound just in time to make it for my birth, and I know someone else who managed to take a sea plane off of his boat in Alaska, fly to shore, get to the airport, fly two hours to his home state, rent a car, drive two more hours home, and made it in time for the delivery of his daughter.
I overheard George talking with Brett today about all of this.
“I’m in a bit of a pickle,” George said.
Um, yes. That’s one way of putting it.
Fingers crossed!
Just a few short weeks left to go! I also received a 3D video today of the baby moving around and looking cute.
Holiday Gift Ideas For Your Commercial Fisherman
I wrapped up my Cyber Monday shopping this morning. George occasionally reads my blog, so I can’t mention what I purchased, but things went fairly smoothly and I am glad that part of shopping is over. I took a break from ordering gifts midway through to come over and check my blog statistics. When I looked through this morning’s search terms, I saw that somebody else was wondering what to buy a commercial fisherman for the holidays.
A long time ago I wrote and published a list of unique gifts with which to send your man to sea, but that list was not quite right for this particular search. So, I decided to create a new list right now of things one might consider getting a commercial fisherman for Christmas.
If you have any other ideas, please leave them in the comments section! I would love to read and add them to the list!
Holiday Gift Ideas For Your Commercial Fisherman
- Gift pack of his favorite treats to take on the boat. Candy, cookies, peanuts, crackers, chips, etc.
- A special “boat cup” (Not glass, boat-safe, can be bought at fisheries supplies or sporting goods stores).
- New set of boat dishes; the kind you buy at marine supply stores made of hard plastic with non-skid rubber on the bottoms.
- New galley towels. They get dirty and ruined so fast, it’s nice to have something fresh and clean!
- A photo of yourself, the children, or the pets in a frame.
- Create a photo book of your favorite pictures at Snapfish, Shutterfly, or Costco. They are easy and fun to make, and you can add quotes and messages on every page if you want. He can take the book with him on the boat when he leaves next.
- A photo calendar. I create them every year and send one with G to look through in the wheelhouse throughout his months away.
- A book. A light read is usually better (skip the self-help or how to improve your relationship, ha ha!).
- Have kids? Have them draw pictures that you can bind together (or let a copy shop bind) into a book.
- Magazine subscriptions.
- Warm winter hat.
- Gift card to a fisheries supply store.
- New rubber gloves.
- A small portable DVD player and a couple of DVDs to go with it.
- iTunes gift card.
- iPod.
- Noise-cancelling headphones.
- Dinner gift certificate to use together when he is at home.
- Massage gift card.
- A warm, snuggly new boat blanket or sleeping bag.
- Fresh new boat pillow and pillow case.
- Nice, fluffy boat shower towel.
- Long underwear made especially for sub-zero temperatures.
- An e-reader; Kindle, Nook, iPad, whichever you like. I got George an inexpensive Kindle for his birthday, not sure if he would be into digital reading or not. As it turns out, he loves it! He reads his Kindle all the time whether at home or on the boat.
- Visit Personal Creations or Lillian Vernon online and create personalized gifts.
- At Personal Creations you can make a “World’s Greatest Longliner” or “World’s Greatest Crabber” (you get the idea) t-shirt. Another fishing wife and I surprised each other last year when we both made the same exact shirts for our husbands and then posted pictures of the shirts on Facebook!
- Personal Creations also offers a humorous gray hooded sweatshirt with “Dad’s Beer” written on the front and an actual pouch for the beer. I got a pair of these for my brother-in-law, Ryan, and my husband, George, last year and I’m surprised to report they actually wore them (Well, Ryan did, at least) and the beer did stay in place! (item number 30027119)
- Engraved and personalized beer mugs, pitchers, and shot glasses.
- Along the same lines, an engraved leather hip beer holster from Personal Creations. Your husband can work on the grill or on the gear with a beverage attached to his belt with a nylon leg strap for extra security. (item number 30029868)
- The “Man Cave” or “Eat, Sleep, Fish” or “Home Theater” –style wall signs and doormats from Personal Creations and Lillian Vernon.
- “Team Daddy” or “Daddy’s Little Fishing Buddies” shirts and sweatshirts.
(Note: I’m definitely not trying to promote the drinking fisherman image (I spend too much time fighting it) and I don’t hold stock in Personal Creations or Lillian Vernon, but their gifts are fairly inexpensive, fun, and I enjoy flipping through the catalogs each year. Free shipping and discounts of 25% off orders is another draw.)
If you have additional ideas, please share so we can grow the list!
My awesome brother-in-law, Ryan, wearing the sweatshirt I got him for Christmas last year. He actually uses the beer pouch in the front, too!
Update:
Additional Gift Ideas For Your Commercial Fisherman:
From Lori French of The Faces of California Fishing (excellent, Lori!):
- Electric blanket for crab season.
- Binoculars.
From Robin Blue of The Fishing Blues (also excellent, Robin!):
- Head lamp for bunk reading.
- Wool socks.
From Beci (via the Facebook group Commercial Fishing Families & Friends)
- Talking picture frame. Dad will love a frame that features a recording of his child or children speaking. He can take it with him to sea and listen to it over and over again.
Another Great Time at Pacific Marine Expo 2011!
Attending Pacific Marine Expo (also known as Fish Expo) each year is as much a fall tradition in our family as Thanksgiving dinner or choosing a Christmas tree. It is the perfect way for us to kick off the holiday and Dungeness crab seasons, and we always leave the event looking forward to and pumped about all that lies ahead.
This year’s PME brimmed with heightened energy and cheer. There were more vendors than ever, the freebies at each booth were awesome, and almost the entire crew from National Fisherman magazine came out to publish the Show Daily after the show publication was put on hiatus for a couple of years.
I was excited to see the Show Daily back in effect because I have great memories of a decade ago when I ran around the Convention Center with my recorder and notebook, attending PME workshops and listening to speakers, taking notes, then running upstairs to sit down and type it all up into short news bits for the Daily.
I can’t believe what little-to-no-turnover occurs with the editing, publishing, and art gang at National Fisherman. Seriously. Even after ten years, I still see Jerry, Linc, Jen, Michael, and Michael at Fish Expo. These are the original characters that were in place when Jerry Fraser first gave me my fiFrst professional writing gig as a correspondent for the magazine long ago!
So, I feel pretty okay when I see Jerry in the NF booth at PME and make my annual pitch for work I’d like to do or see in the magazine.
“Hey, how’s it going?!” I say. “Great! It’s good! Yep, here’s Eva and Vincent. George is around here somewhere. Yes, Dad’s here, too! I know, crazy, another one on the way, huh? Say, about what we talked about last year, here’s what I was thinking…”
I try Linc next.
“Hey, Linc! Longtime no see! Remember when we ordered those Cosmopolitans years ago? Mmm, those were good. Hey, what do you think about this idea I’ve been working on….?”
I see Jes, who actually took over as senior editor of NF last year.
“Jes! Hi! Great to see you. Magazine looks good! Yep, pregnant! Due in only eight more weeks! Can’t wait! Hey, I wanted to get in touch with you about this thing I’ve been tossing around….”
Then I have a laugh.
“No? Still not interested? That’s okay. I’ll be back again next year!”
We spent all day at PME and saw fishermen we knew, a neighbor or two, a relative, some of George’s longtime/sometime business partners (along with the spec sheet for the new $10 million Bering Sea longliner they’re having built).
We also ran into one of our favorites, Fred Wahl, along with his lovely wife. Of course, Fred Wahl and National Fisherman magazine is how George and I first met. You can read more about that here.
“There they are!” Fred called in our direction when we spotted each other across the aisle. “No strollers this year, eh?” he asked.
That’s when I pointed to my seven-months pregnant tummy.
“Ah!” he said.
The children also had a great time and were incredibly well-behaved. Their first stop was the Xtra Tuff booth, where Eva and Vincent received their free pair of Xtra Tuff boots. They also got t-shirts and red cups at the booth this year, and I came away with two luggage tags made out of my business cards.
George scored a free hooded sweatshirt and ball cap from the Redden Marine Supply booth, I went around collecting tons of pens, and the children collected candy, flashlights, and keychains. George also scooped up lots of tablets with lined paper (including one with his favorite…graph paper!).
The guys at the Toyota Industries booth were especially kind; they let Eva and Vincent sit inside the enclosed forklifts pushing buttons, honking horns, and pulling levers for the better part of an hour. Vincent also had a good time helping the ice-maker demonstration folks pick up renegade ice from the floor.
We spotted a fancy Porsche in the parking garage on our way into the show and again on our way out. “Must be a Deadliest Catch guy,” we said to each other. When I spotted a fellow wearing a Time Bandit jacket during the show, I did wonder for a moment if that Porsche belonged to him!
A great day for all, to be sure. Can’t wait for next year. Even if we’ll be hauling the stroller back out. :)
Operation Christmas Child–A Gift For Everyone.
It comes as no surprise to anyone who knows me, or who has ever read this blog, that I am in love with and so proud of my children. That’s not to say we are always well-behaved or that we don’t test boundaries, ignore rules, or make unwise choices. Of course we do! But I am always proud of their sweetness, their caring hearts, and their desire to do nice things and to love people.
This year at a church event, we learned about Operation Christmas Child, a program in which you obtain an empty shoe box and fill it with gifts to send to a boy or girl somewhere around the world for Christmas. Boxes were provided at the event, so we grabbed two of them. Vincent was responsible for choosing gifts for a boy between the ages of two and four, and Eva became responsible for selecting gifts for a girl between the ages of five and nine.
We went shopping this weekend and each of my children chose gifts they thought a boy and girl would love. They selected hair barrettes, hot wheels, chapstick, toothpaste, toothbrushes, stuffed animals, blankets, colorful socks, and rubber lizards for their boxes. At home, we packed the boxes, printed out labels, and waited for this morning when we took them to church and the kids carried them in to place on a table growing with similar boxes.
I was nearly brought to tears several times this weekend as I watched how excited Eva and Vincent were to choose things for someone across the world, close to their ages, who did not have “as much” in the way of toys and the like as they did. Surprisingly, my children never asked for anything for themselves as we chose gifts for their boxes, and they couldn’t wait to proudly, and with huge smiles, carry their boxes into church.
I tallied up the cost and discovered that each box held $35 worth of product. Of course, that amount could have varied in either direction, depending on where one chose to shop. Now, I’m no math whiz (I was an English major!) but a total of $70 seemed pretty darn reasonable, and worth every penny. When I fill up my vehicle with gas, it costs $70. I took the kids to lunch after we did our box shopping, and that cost $20. We went to the mall, where I dropped way too much money on face and hair products.
Keeping the gift box tally in mind compared to what we spend in an average day was a real eye opener for me.
We aren’t strangers to local and global giving around here, but most of our giving is done anonymously or to places we don’t see the impact first hand or know exactly where the money is going. We sponsor a low-income family in town, contribute to young single mothers, volunteer with a no-kill animal shelter, and George gives to Boy Scouts and the Smile Train. But these are things—except for the animal shelter—for which we simply write checks and never actually see impact.
To see my kids smiling and thoughtfully choosing gifts for other children, to print out labels and watch Eva tape them to the boxes, to look forward to tracking the packages to see where they end up, imagining what joy $35 will bring to each child…incredible.
If you have $15 or $30 lying around, consider grabbing a shoe box and filling it up to send across the world through Operation Christmas Child. Drop off for the boxes runs until November 21!
Eva waiting to pack her box that will be sent to a little girl between the ages of five and nine years old somewhere across the world.
Vincent giving two thumbs up for the box he created that will be delivered to a boy aged 2-4 years in a foreign country.
On the way in to church, a drop-off location for the kids' Operation Christmas Child boxes.
Eva and Vincent were all smiles as they added their boxes to the growing pile on the table. We tracked the gift tags so we'll know to which country their boxes will arrive.
Like this:
Love Kingergarten, Hate the Kindergarten Rat Race.
This has been the most peaceful day I’ve had since school started…and oddly, it’s been an awesome day in part because there was no school today. I went to bed last night looking so forward to this morning because I knew we wouldn’t have to rush, rush, rush everyone to “get dressed” and “eat breakfast” and “gather backpacks” and “remember lunches” and hustle everyone out the door, down the stairs, and into the car.
Just like the good ole days, the kids and I got up early but we took the morning slow and easy. No rushing, no panic, no last-minute remembering, no racing. We went to Jazzercise all together, saw our friends, went out for breakfast, and then came home. Later this afternoon we made popcorn, put in a movie, and listened to hail pound against the windows and watched the tree limbs going nuts outside during a perfect fall storm.
I tell you, I just can’t stand all-day, every day kindergarten. I really wish that it was a full day but just three days a week, leaving a mother two week days to spend with her little ones exactly as she (and they) wish. I knew that adjusting to a daily 9-5 school grind was going to be a challenge for this commercial fishing mom and family, and it is.
Getting up early is not a problem, but I find hustling and strict schedules really annoying. Be at school by 8:20 each and every morning of the week…or else. Be at the bus stop by this time in the afternoon…or else. Yesterday, I saw that we were going to be late to school and instead of rushing and ordering my kids around, I chose instead to call Eva’s school.
“Eva will be at school at 9 this morning,” I announced. I know that being late is not a good precedent to set for your children, but I weighed the odds and decided to make the call. Hey, these are my kids, not the school’s. They are still little, I’m seven months pregnant, and darn it, I just did not feel like hurrying everyone.
I cannot wait for the holiday season to get into full swing. I am looking forward to a few days off at Thanksgiving and a couple weeks at Christmas with the children so we can have more time to play and relax and not make every day about being on time, dropping off, picking up, eating dinner, and going to bed. They are only four and five years old! And soon, we will have an infant in tow. How did we become part of the workday grind along with working adults?
The school district and most parents absolutely love all-day, every day kindergarten and I’m well aware that my view on the matter is in the minority. I understand the reasoning for the school district implementing all-day, every day kindergarten and I’ve listened to and read all of the arguments on both sides. But this is my blog and I can spout my opinion here…so here it is. I am one mom who does not like it. At all.
I’m glad that today, for one day during the week, we got a break from the elementary school rat race and I had both of my children home to spend time with and enjoy.
Speaking of the holiday season (and moving on from the topic of school—it is Friday, after all!)…it’s not only the holiday season, but it’s pre-Dungeness crab season, too! G and the crew are on the boat working hard each day getting it all ready to go. George has been working on the boat by himself for the last two months, so I love it when the crew rolls into town with their help.
Here are a few pictures of the last couple weeks…
First things first, get the boat back in the water.
Quick time out to celebrate Halloween and go trick or treating…
Back on the boat to keep getting ready for the crab season…
Foster a precious pitbull named Ryder….
Dream of next spring’s Florida or Hawaiian beach vacation, as Eva and her iPhone sketches seem to be doing as well.
Do Girls Like Commercial Fishermen?
I’ve written before that one of the most fun parts of writing this blog is keeping an eye on the search terms people use when they are directed here by various search engines. Many people who land here are looking for information on the Dungeness crab season and rigging crab pots, searching for longline vessels or other boats I’ve mentioned by name, or looking for quotes about commercial fishing and commercial fishing photographs.
Every once in a while, a search term comes through that really makes me smile. Yesterday, I received two such searches! Here they are:
1. Pics of a chick with the Walther PPS
2. Do girls like commercial fishermen?
Now, I think the person looking for pictures of a girl with the awesome Walther PPS (a 9mm semi-automatic pistol made in Germany by Walther Sportwaffen) made it to my blog because I’ve written before that I have my very own Walther PPS that I absolutely love.
Although I do have some video and pictures of me popping off a few rounds from the PPS at the range, I don’t think I’ve ever published them here because I know that guns are frightening to many people, and I don’t want to make my mom nervous.
As for the question of whether girls like commercial fishermen, the answer is YES!
Here are some reasons why. The following list is off the top of my head and in random order.
Why Girls Like Commercial Fishermen
1. They are adorable in their baseball hats.
2. They look hot in Carhartts.
3. They are strong.
4. They’re tough.
5. They have endurance.
6. Fishermen will work through sickness, injury, and weather to get it done.
7. They enjoy sitting around a galley table, telling stories and laughing.
8. A fisherman is a man’s man.
9. Fishermen are grateful and appreciative of everything their wives and girlfriends do for them.
10. They are tough and brave, but they don’t boast about it. They simply let their work speak volumes.
11. Fishermen are generous with their money and will help out friends and family in need.
12. They generally have good taste in music.
13. They’re usually up to go out and have a good time in town.
14. They are smart.
15. They can read charts and navigate a boat through storms.
16. Fishermen are not afraid to get their hands dirty and their clothes greasy.
17. Fishermen clean up very well.
18. They like to read.
19. They don’t have to be entertained every second of the day. Are fine with solitude.
20. They can kick a** when they have to, but they don’t let anyone know that until it’s already been done.
21. Fishermen are quick to forgive and move on.
22. They are cute.
23. They have a sense of humor.
24. Fishermen can tackle house projects and complete them with ease.
25. They’re able to identify and troubleshoot almost any car or house issue.
26. They look good riding around in their trucks.
27. Fishermen have steady natures for the most part.
28. They’re quick to smile.
29. They’re loyal to their friends and family.
30. Fishermen are easy to please and are not overly demanding at home.
31. Most fishermen can cook.
Okay, there’s my first thirty-one reasons why girls like commercial fishermen. As always, feel free to chime in with your thoughts!
First Came the Girl, Second Came the Boy, Third Comes….
I always said that I wouldn’t publish ultrasound pictures here on my blog. But then again, I also always said I wouldn’t have another baby.
So while I’m keeping busy doing things I always said I’d never do, here are a couple of ultrasound pictures of the new baby. At first, I felt bad when I decided to post pictures. The poor thing is deep inside my tummy and has no idea what Mommy is doing. But then I thought; I occasionally post pictures of Eva and Vincent and they do know what I’m up to.
The new baby will just have to get used to it from a very early age :).
See how I’ve created a pink border around the pictures? If you haven’t guessed yet, we did find out today that the baby is a GIRL.
Vincent was crushed. I invited the little ones (and their father, lol) into the ultrasound room so they could see pictures of the baby in Mommy’s tummy. Vincent was sure it was a boy and started to squeal with excitement. It broke my heart to tell him he’d misunderstood and that in fact, it was a girl. My sweet, precious little buddy then buried his head in my side and quietly sobbed.
Eva, of course, was thrilled beyond reason. She immediately began announcing plans to move the baby into her room where “she would take care of it” and how she’d known all along it was a girl.
Vincent’s sorrow finally made me cry and I gently suggested G take the kids out and give them each a lifesaver candy for being so good while Mommy talked to the doctor.
The good news is that the baby seems to have developed normally and all systems seem to be functioning healthily and well, which is something I worried about. Because of the fact that we aren’t 25 anymore and were in no way expecting another baby, I wasn’t sure what kind of a start this little one would have. Thank you, God, that everything appears the way it should.
So, we started our journey, in spite of infertility, with a girl. We were blessed immediately following with a boy in the middle. And we end our journey—and I do mean END—where we started. With a little baby girl.
Presenting…..
I'm absolutely loving this jazz hand. Future Jazzercise instructor right here!
Coming Soon: My Notes From the 2011 PNWA Conference!
I just returned from the annual Pacific Northwest Writers Association conference. I look forward to this event each year; it’s a great opportunity to meet fellow writers, see old friends, attend seminars and book signings by famous authors, listen to agents and editors, and walk through the corridors checking out the booths of various publishers, editing services, and writer’s associations.
I took an entire tablet full of notes over the three-day event, which I plan to organize and type up (in between continuing bouts of four-month-pregnancy-nausea) and publish here on my blog. I think a lot of you who are involved and/or interested in the writing and publishing industry will find this updated information useful and interesting. I know I did!
In addition to all of the networking and learning I do at the PNWA conference, I look forward each year to getting out of town and kicking back in a plush hotel. I just love checking in, getting my information packet and badge, and then sitting all by myself to plan my conference itinerary and people-watch. And then, at the end of each full day (the days last from 8:00 a.m. until well after 9:00 p.m.), I retire to my hotel room to look at all the pamphlets, fliers, and cards I’ve collected and get ready for the next day.
I have to admit I do get a little lonely in my room by myself, though. I feel awkward and strange with all the quiet and nobody to hug or talk to. So, last year, I invited my then-pregnant sister, Steph, and her husband, Ryan, to spend one of the nights with me. We had a great time lounging in the summer heat by the outdoor pool, and then kicking back by the night torches later in the evening.
This year, because George happens to be home, I invited G and the kids to spend part of the weekend with me. I knew Eva and Vincent would love the pool, be excited to drive to the “big city,” and wander around the hotel. They were just adorable and I was so happy when they showed up. I was also able to sleep better at night snuggled with my little ones. I’m accustomed to being without G, but not at all used to being without my cuddly children, especially at night!
I am sixteen weeks pregnant now and still not feeling well. I did read that once you hit fifteen weeks, you should be long past the nausea and be “glowing.” If you aren’t feeling and looking that way by fifteen weeks, you’re likely going to feel unwell throughout the pregnancy. Well, I’m certainly not glowing and I feel awful, so I have a sinking feeling that I’m in for it.
I did feel slightly better at this conference than I did two months ago at Bloggy Boot Camp, though. During that conference, I rushed back to my hotel room, sick, after every seminar. This time, I was able to hold it together and sit through most of the day. I kept breathing, sipped on cold water, and tried to stay as relaxed as possible. I recently began feeling the baby move around; usually, this is a great feeling. I have discovered this time, however, when you already feel sick to your stomach, feeling the squirming and twirling inside does not really help.
I will be back soon with detailed information on exactly which authors I heard speak and present at the PNWA conference and the highlights on writing and publishing I learned from each.
G Has Arrived…Will Summer Follow Suit?
Well, I’ve finally made it to the second trimester, but I’m not feeling any improvement in yucky pregnancy symptoms yet. I feel awful most days, which accounts for the continuing delay in blog posts! The good news is that so far, all blood tests and ultrasound measurements show a healthy little baby in the works, so that is a relief.
In each ultrasound, the baby’s been flipping and twirling around, which is amazing to see. At the last one, the baby even appeared to give me an excited wave with its tiny hand before the machine was shut down. I keep that image in my mind when I start feeling sick and frustrated. I won’t be able to find out whether it’s a girl or a boy for seven more weeks.
George and the crew arrived home last Saturday. They arrived in port accompanied by rolling thunder several hours earlier than expected. I knew they were going to be early, but I was a bit startled when I looked out my window and saw the boat coming across the bay. You couldn’t miss it; the rows of bright orange buoys tethered on top of the substantial steel shack can be spotted miles away.
My heart pumped with excitement as the kids and I flew out the door, down the stairs, and into the car in a race to the finish. Who would be the first to arrive at the harbor; George or me?! George won by less than ten minutes.
The next day, they unloaded the final halibut delivery (George took some pictures for me, seen below) and the kids and I went down to visit later in the afternoon. Vincent has been asking to drive the boat for the past few months, so G waited for us before moving the boat over to its normal spot in the harbor.
The kids wore their life jackets and boarded the boat, settling into the wheelhouse with Dad. The crew was cute and played along; after the lines were untied and they were ready to move away from the dock, Bryan yelled “All clear, Vincent!” up to the wheelhouse. That made me laugh.
I met them over at the dock across the harbor where I climbed aboard. Johnny showed the kids around the deck and answered their questions and Brett gave them donuts while we all got caught up on the past few weeks and months.
The post halibut/blackcod gear work finished up in what seemed record time, and the crew was picked up by friends, girlfriends, and wives within four days. Now, if our summer would only begin…it’s cloudy, windy, and cold today. Vincent has a bad cold and stayed home from preschool. I love November in July!
Go Visit the New Website, Happy Homefront!
It takes quite a bit to knock me off the married-single-mother-of-two thing I have going, but this ten-week-old unexpected pregnancy has really done it. I am pretty sure I was never this sick with the first two. I remember feeling “seasick” with each of them for a couple of hours a day, but then it passed and didn’t return until the next day.
This time…forget it. I wake up feeling like crap, feel awful throughout the day, get worse at night, and then finally and gratefully pass out into sleep.
I’ve started looking around the house to determine what I can cut back on so I’m not constantly looking at piles of things that need to be done. I began to wonder why I have twelve loads of laundry to do each week when it’s just two small children and me at home, and my washing machine is a front-loader that holds a lot.
And why is my dishwasher constantly full of dishes, along with my sink? I don’t even cook that much! How does the headboard on my bed collect so much dust when the only thing I do in my room is sleep? And didn’t I just vaccuum…this morning?
I rarely feel that things are getting away from me but they sort of are at the moment. The one awesome thing is that my dad spent an entire week building the kids a playground for the backyard complete with slide, two swings, a swinging bar, picnic bench, upstairs and downstairs clubhouse. Soon to come is the ship’s wheel, a telescope, and perhaps some monkey bars.
The kids absolutely love it; Eva swings quietly by herself until 8:00 each evening with her little tan legs extended straight out, head leaning back, staring at the sky. And then she’s back at it 7:30 the next morning. The swing set is a huge help; now I don’t feel like I need to take the little ones to the park all the time and I can shoo them outside, knowing they are safe and have something to do in the fresh air.
One of the most helpful things I’ve discovered online in a while is the brand new website, Happy Homefront. If you have not checked it out yet, please go over and cruise around, and then sign up and join the Happy Homefront community!
Happy Homefront is a site entirely dedicated to the “geographically challenged” family. I knew this was going to be a valuable resource when I first heard about it on our Facebook group, Commercial Fishing Families & Friends, and I have not been disappointed. Each time I go over to visit, I discover something I missed before.
The pages are divided into categories that have subheadings. Here is a sampling of what you will find:
- Resources— Connecting guide, checklists, emotional health, legal issues, travel/moving, tools.
- Homefront— Arrivals/departures.
- Parenting— Positive parenting, kids health, traveling tips, entertainment.
- Self— Support, time for me, stress management, fitness, looking and feeling good.
- Fun
- Connect— Groups and Blogs. Groups available to join include transportation, airline industry, military, oil/gas/mining, fishing, government, business, sports and entertainment.
- My Page– Upload a photo, post to Twitter, join a group.
- Shop— Discounts, coupons, books.
One of my new discoveries on Happy Homefront today was the incredible list of books they’ve compiled for the geographically challenged family. I had not heard of most of the books, and I plan to order several for our library, especially the ones written for children on saying goodbye to one parent or the other when he or she must go for work and won’t be home for a while.
Happy Homefront has also made it easy to look for books on other subjects by providing direct links to topics of arrivals and departures, connecting, travel, meals, kids’ entertainment, kids health, positive parenting, time and stress, fitness, entertainment and books.
I encourage you all to go over and lend your support to this website. I receive many visitors to Highliners and Homecomings from the commercial fishing community looking for support and encouragement for themselves, their children, their husbands, and otherwise. That’s the whole reason I started this blog in the first place. Finding myself at home alone more months of the year than not, and then with children, I wanted to touch base with others like me.
Happy Homefront has reminded me that there are many others out there in the “same boat” as us, all around the country, from different industries and professions. Let’s keep connecting!
www.happyhomefront.net
