Full Moon Celebration

This last full moon (July 22) we were anchored in one of our favorite coves (Malgrats), on the southern coast of Mallorca. We dedicated this full moon to our friends Tony and Dominique who we have known for the last 6 years in Alghero, Sardinia. We met Dominique the second season here and he has been instrumental in helping us with EcstaSea as she winters here in Alghero. And Tony came along with Dominique, as Dad and dear friend.
Well, Tony made his transition a few days before full moon and passed over to the fullest of Light. So we had the sweetest of celebrations remembering him and the life, friendship and love that he shared with us. And we sent upon the moonbeams, the love, peace and comfort that we wish for Dominique.
Thank you both for your life together and the love that you have shared with us in a deep and lasting friendship.
Namaste'............

And oh yeah, Tony, i will be making that tiramisu real soon and thanking you for the wonderful recipe!!!

Basta!!!

We have a favorite Italian word, "Basta". It means "Enough" with an exclamation point! And it was a few weeks ago that we found ourselves saying "Basta!". Enough of port, enough of people, enough of busyness, enough of projects, just.....enough.
We have been in our favorite port in Palma, Mallorca getting a good amount of work done on EcstaSea. Such as rigging surveys, engine room clean-up, new awning quotes, outboard motor tune-ups, etc, etc. All good and needed but sure puts us into the world of time-bound tick-tock. It engages us with many people and schedules and a "to-do" list.

Interesting, isn't it that we are called human "beings" and not human "doers", since we get so caught up in the "doing" of things. Well, anyway.....Basta!!!
So we set out to some of our favorite coves on the southern coast of Mallorca and here we have been "being".

When we are anchored out, there is NO nothing: no time, no schedule, no routine. Only whatever we want whenever we want it. We sleep, eat, play, work, swim, watch the waves lap on the side of the boat -- all free of tick-tock. This is the ultimate gift of "timelessness" that living on EcstaSea on the ocean gives to us, and we are ever thankful. "Timeless" is really only "nowness" and everyone has experienced this at one time or another, usually at peak experiences. For us, we wish and intend to live more from this spaciousness of the timeless, whether we are floating free or tied to a dock.

Richard enjoying kiwi, cherry pie for dinner, prepared by Chef Willow (who says she can't cook?).

Okay, so what if it is July 8th before the water is warm enough for the Captain to go swimming?

Now if this isn't timeless beauty, we don't know what is.....

So now it is time to go back to port for more projects and work to be done. Can we "do" it from the spacious timelessness that we so love and experience when we are at anchor? Our challenge and intention is to explore the timelessness that is before, beyond and in tick tock--whether it be tied to a dock or anchored out, working or retired, awake or sleeping. To allow the "timeless now" to "be" within everything and everywhere in our lives. We believe that timelessness is a state of "being", and not related to the absence of a clock to tell us when to "do " something. So this is our challenge, our practice and our intention--we continue the exploration in the timeless now.
Here we go.....

Goin' up the Anawati

Six years ago we left EcstaSea for the winter in Almerimar in southern Spain. It was a cheap, lifeless, concrete sort of marina and because of that we never left her there again. We returned the following May to retrieve her. And it was here that we saw what in our judgmental minds was the ugliest vessel to sit upon the water--EVER!!! It was a bright yellow, home-made, dilapidated catamaran that didn't look like it could sail
1 more day upon the sea. If they bought it for a song---they paid too much, and we nicknamed it the Yellow Submarine. Then 2 very interesting men (retired school teachers from Florida) dressed in safari clothes (no kidding), proceeded to tell us that they were going on an expedition "up the Anawati". It's apparently a river somewhere but we were too stunned to ask any questions because the Anawati doesn't sound like something anyone should be going up (or down) in our minds. But they were excited and "living the dream", their dream....

Over the years we often think of them, laughing and joking about "going up the Anawati". Well, lo and behold, we woke up this morning in our beautiful cove on the southern coast of Mallorca and anchored a short way off, we saw what looked like an upscale version of the Yellow Submarine. We haven't completely conquered our judgmental minds and think of this one as equally ugly but more sea-worthy. We have been waiting all morning for the safari-clothed boys to appear on deck, but much to our surprise they appeared just a while ago, totally naked!!!! Actually we would appreciate the safari clothes again. They must have had a successful expedition up the Anawati and remodeled the catamaran.

Now we have researched the "Anawati" and can't find information about it anywhere. Has anyone ever heard of it, does anyone know where it is? Or did we just dream it all up???
Irregardless, this story has given us many laughs over the years. But we do respect them for following their dreams.

The moral of the story is: Follow your own dreams, create it however you want it. You can do it---
Go up your own Anawati, whatever and wherever it is.........