3 Unconventional Ways to Super-Charge Your Savings

3 Unconventional Ways to Super-Charge Your Savings.

This is a link to a post on a blog I follow. The blog is by Paula Pant and is called Afford Anything. Paula is the one who taught us about blogging at the AWAI Boston workshop I went to back in August. She was very helpful to me in getting this blog of mine started.

I am always trying to find ways to save money. My goal is to save enough so I can ‘retire’. I want to move overseas somewhere. Somewhere I can afford to live the way I want to. Somewhere more affordable. Somewhere more free (since we have lost SO much freedom here in the USA). 🙁

So I’m always looking for ways to save more money, earn more money, etc. That would help move me further toward my goal. Paula has some good suggestions in her post. I love it that she always encourages us to think outside the box.

I’m not really into budgeting so I agree that putting saving first is a great idea. A lot of financial advisers say the same thing.

If you’re lucky enough to have a 401-K, put at least enough to get the company match in there. It might not be enough to retire on, but it’s a good start. Since you never see it in your checkbook, you’ll never miss it. I always sign up first thing at a new job now. 🙂

Maybe some of you are good at saving? I have to admit, I’m not that great at it. I try and I manage to save a little, but not enough to get me where I want to be. I don’t spend much on clothes, I live in shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops. ALL the time. 😉

I spend my income on vacations. I LOVE to travel. I go somewhere interesting EVERY chance I get! I try to go someplace where there is something in particular I want to learn about. For example, I went to the Freedom Fest in Las Vegas, the AWAI workshops in Chicago, Miami and Boston, the Live and Invest Overseas with International Living in the Rivera Maya Mexico, the Workboat Show in New Orleans.

I took all those trips in the last couple of years. I didn’t spend a TON of money, but it didn’t help my savings plan at all either. 😉

So, according to Paula I need to ‘earn more’!

I’m trying!! OK, to be honest, I hope to find some way to earn some money from this blog. I’m hoping to get my writing and photography out there to the world. Maybe someone will like it enough to be willing to buy some of it from me. 🙂

I’m also doing the same thing Paula is doing with real estate. Very similar at least. I started buying old houses and fixing them up to rent out a few years ago. I like the whole process of hunting down a good deal, improving on what was there, and then meeting all the interesting people that I have to deal with. From the technicians to the tenants, they’re ALL interesting. 😉

I’m glad to learn from Paula that I’m on the right track. She’s been very successful at living her life the way she’s dreamed. I hope to be able to break free and live MY dreams too one of these days. 🙂

Melting Snowmen Cookie Balls

Melting Snowmen Cookie Balls Recipe – Kraft Recipes.

Melting Snowmen Cookie Balls recipe

These were just so cute, I had to look up the recipe. Looks pretty simple. If I wasn’t going back offshore in just a couple of days, I’d make a bunch of these. 🙂

Weekly Photo Challenge: Let There Be Light- Celebrate

I took all of these at the JAGA (Jamaica-Galveston) Festival in Galveston last Spring. I actually had a decent camera with me (but still no tripod). Glad they turned out OK.

These are for the Weekly Photo Challenge: Let There Be Light. You can see the other entries and enter at…

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/11/29/photo-challenge-lights

Weekly Photo Challenge: Let There Be Light- Offshore

Here’s another one for the Weekly Photo Challenge. It’s still on ‘Light’. I took these while I was at work (offshore). I can’t believe I got the moon to come out so good. I took a ton of pictures, it was the ‘supermoon’, but I only had my little point and shoot camera with me and with all the vibration on the rig, I’m just really surprised to get anything like this.

The boat was another story. It came so close to us, I could have thrown a stick at it and actually hit it (I can’t throw very far). Driving us crazy since all vessels are supposed to stay outside our 500 m zone unless we grant permission. They were just about up under our lifeboats. 🙁

We worry they may interfere with our thrusters or ROV with their fishing gear, but they could care less (until something happens like they actually catch a fish and they lose it because their line got cut in our thrusters).

If you want to see the other entries for the Challenge, or enter it yourself, here’s the link

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/11/29/photo-challenge-lights/

Weekly Photo Challenge: Let There Be Light- Singapore

Here are some photos I took the last time I was in Singapore. The first 3 are at Clarke Quay. It’s a nice area near the Singapore River with lots of bars and restaurants. The kids love to play in the fountains all lit up in different colors. It’s really quite beautiful at night. The next 2 are from the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown. The last one is of the Singapore River near Clarke Quay. I took all these photos with a point and shoot camera. I usually only have a pocket camera with me when I’m working. I had just got off the ship and stayed a few days to sight-see before I had to go home.

These are for the Weekly Photo Challenge, this weeks theme is ‘Light’. I thought some of the other people who posted had some really nice shots. If you want to see them, or enter the Challenge, here’s the link

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/11/29/photo-challenge-lights/#more-61860

How to cook your Thanksgiving turkey in the dishwasher

Here’s how to cook your Thanksgiving turkey in the dishwasher | Grist.

Well, this is definitely a new one on me. I thought at first it was a joke, but noooooo… they’re serious about giving you directions on how to cook your turkey in the dishwasher. Just in time for Thanksgiving dinner! 😉

It does sound pretty easy and might even be comparable time wise to the traditional method of baking the bird in the oven. I could see this becoming a big hit with the college boys- do a load of dishes (or even laundry) and your Thanksgiving dinner all at the same time. 😉

If any of you try it, be sure and report back here with the results! 🙂

A Word A Week Challenge: Lines (natural)

Here are some photos for the Word a Week Challenge, if you want to see some of what others have done, or enter something yourself, here’s the link…

http://suellewellyn2011.wordpress.com/2013/11/19/a-word-a-week-challenge-lines/

A Word A Week Challenge: Lines (man made)

haul in those lines!

haul in those lines!

boats! all in a line ;-)

boats! all in a line 😉

lines on a boat

lines on the way to the beach

lines on the way to the beach

beautiful lines on a car!

beautiful lines on a car!

building with lines

city sky lines

city sky lines

Here are some photos for the Word a Week Challenge, if you want to see some of what others have done, or enter something yourself, here’s the link…

http://suellewellyn2011.wordpress.com/2013/11/19/a-word-a-week-challenge-lines/

Fruit Tree Projects

Communities Grow Stronger with Fruit Tree Projects – Community – Utne Reader.

I think this is a great idea and hope it spreads even further. I’d like to see it ‘go viral’, spread world wide, everybody getting involved! It has already spread from Santa Cruz, California all the way to Vancouver, to Australia, and even Fiji! 🙂

I have always hated to waste anything. Especially food. Maybe it has something to do with growing up where my parents always insisted I clean my plate. They warned about the ‘starving children in Africa’. I never figured out how my clean plate would help those starving children, but had to play along anyway.

I’m still a member in good standing of the ‘Clean Plate Club’. I’m sure I’m fatter then I should be because of it. I am working towards creating less waste in my kitchen and everywhere else.

I’ve tried to grow a garden in the past, but because I spend so much time at sea, I have not had much success. I do have a lime tree that is making plenty of fruit. Way more than I could ever use. I hate to see them just rotting in the driveway, so I already told my neighbors to just take whatever they want.

I think it would be a great idea if more people could do the same sort of thing. Like the article mentions, these fruit tree projects not only provide much needed and appreciated fresh fruits, but they build community in the process. They also teach useful skills and promote sustainability. I think they are probably fun too!

I’m not sure what the heck is going on in the US lately with the local vendetta on gardening. We used to encourage everyone to grow a garden. Now, we are allowing localities to force people to tear them up?!? WTF???

I remember a few years ago, my town forced my neighbors across the street to tear out the garden they had in their back yard. Supposedly it was illegal! Illegal to grow a garden? Behind a fence? On your OWN land???? In America, the land of the FREE??? I would have sued the SH*T out of them for a HUGE violation of my property rights!

If you want to tell me what I can do with MY land, then YOU can pay the mortgage and the taxes and every other expense. Then, and ONLY then, will it be your land. That’s when YOU get to decide what to do with it. After all, ownership implies being able to USE the thing you own. If you can’t use it, then you don’t really own it.

Apparently, this abuse of local tyrants citing ‘loss of property values’ as some kind of holy grail is spreading like wildfire around the nation. Here’s a link to an article from just the other day…http://www.care2.com/causes/why-are-cities-attacking-home-gardeners.html.

I really hope enough people are outraged by this kind of thing and will get out and raise holy hell with their city councils and homeowners associations and put a stop to this kind of thing.

Help out by signing the petition, Miami Shores: Let Couple Keep Their Vegetable Garden! – The Petition Site, watch the video and give a hand to the Institute for Justices’ Food Freedom Initiative (www.ij.org/foodfreedom) which is trying to help the couple involved in this latest outrage and by extension all the rest of us. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=avHrPbONTzE

Property values are NOT the be all and end all of the value of a neighborhood. In fact, they are probably far down the list for many people. Friendliness and community spirit are probably up there pretty high. I know they are for me. 🙂

No Shave November

Home of No Shave November,

Sorry I’m so late into the month to post this but I only found out about it a couple of days after I joined this vessel. A few of the guys were up on the bridge joking around and taking pictures of themselves.

They all looked a little alike,(even apart from the orange/khaki coveralls). 😉 They were all in the process of growing a fancy moustache. I was curious and asked what was going on.

Turns out it’s No Shave November. Like October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, November is all about prostate cancer. It’s national Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

I didn’t know anything about this before. If you didn’t either, here are a couple of links for more information…http://guardianlv.com/2013/11/movember-no-shave-november-raises-prostate-cancer-awareness/, us.movember.com, www.cancer.org.

Let’s hear it for the guys! Men don’t shave your face! Grow a cool beard or an interesting moustache. Have some fun with your facial hair! 🙂

Ladies, the men wear PINK for us, lets return the favor- stop shaving! Stop shaving your legs for a month!! No, it’s not a disaster if somebody sees you that way, it’s a great way for you to let others know about the fight to end cancer. Let’s show a little support. 🙂

The Vermont Sail Freight Project: Alternative Sail

The Vermont Sail Freight Project.

I think it’s really wonderful that this group is trying to bring back commercial sail in the US. They’re also working in another area I like which is good food. The sailing barge Ceres is working with a great project bringing farm fresh food down to New York City.

I think there is a definite place for sailing ships even in these modern times. With all the attention being focused now on the environment, climate change, the high price of fossil fuels, etc., we should be taking a new look at sail (traditional or new improved models).

I’ve been keeping my eye on the Tres Hombres (Netherlands) which has been sailing since 2009. She’s a beautiful brigantine and sails between Europe and the Caribbean. She carries cargo that is not as dependent on a fast delivery time. She only carries about 35 tons so she makes it count with high value cargo such as rum and chocolate (yum). 😉

She can also carry trainees who will pay a fee in return for the adventure of a lifetime and a certificate to boot! With just a quick look at their website, I see that they will give you certificates all the way up from ordinary seaman to captain! Too bad they’re not recognized by any government. 🙁

Sailing General Cargo Schoenerbrik Tres Hombres

Even so, I’m sure the training you would get on board a ship like that would serve you well in any other. You’ll be better off then just going to work on any power vessel. You’ll also get an interesting, fun adventure, which is all but eliminated from the merchant fleet these days (at least in America). 🙁

I’d love to make a voyage on her myself. Or any of the other similar ships around the world. There are a few of them now, the Bessy Ellen and the Tres Hombres (both with Fairtransport) which are truly cargo ships along with the Ceres of Vermont Sail Freight Project.

The barque Picton Castle (home port Nova Scotia) is primarily a sail training vessel but also does some cargo work. She sails worldwide and is presently making her way across the Pacific.

New designs show promise as not only for pure sailing vessels, but as additions to the usual container and other modern ship types. The addition of sails or kites should help fuel consumption at least. Here’s a link to the Skysails website where you can learn more about that idea and how it works…

 http://www.skysails.info/english/skysails-marine/skysails-propulsion-for-cargo-ships/.

Others are working on more new designs to take advantage of the wind. I posted previously about one of them, the ‘Vind’…

 http://captjillsjourneys.wordpress.com/2013/10/23/blowing-in-the-vind

I’m really looking forward to seeing more of these ships in the future. I hope one day I will be able to take the time to sail on one of them again. There really is nothing like sailing on a real tall ship. Spending a day is just a small taste of what it’s really like. Get that taste and you WILL want more! 🙂 

A New App Turns Fractals Into Ornate Art

A New App Turns Fractals Into Ornate Art | Collage of Arts and Sciences.

As a person who appreciates art and a person who’s interested in math, I just LOVE the intersection of both subjects. Fractals are really beautiful examples of both art and mathematics!

You can see examples of fractals in all kinds of places in nature. Tree branches and roots are one. A river delta is another. Spiral shells like a nautilus or conch is another (see my earlier post (http://captjillsjourneys.wordpress.com/2013/09/08/beautiful-spiral-shell/) or the others in that series (corals, sea urchin).

I remember playing with creating very simple basic drawings of fractal equations when I was in jr high school. I would have loved to have been able to continue on with it in later classes, but we had to move on to other things.

I think spending more time on this kind of thing in earlier years in school might help show kids that math is actually a really interesting and useful subject and IS really something we can use in the real world. Its not just something we have to get through in school and will never see again.

I do have to admit, I have personally never used calculus since I got out of school, but if I wanted to, I’m sure I could find a use for it. I’m just busy with other things. 😉

I could definitely find ways to use this app with the fractals, even if just to look at the beauty of it and enjoy it every day. 🙂

I don’t know if this Frax app is free or not, but even if it costs a little bit, it might be worth it. I haven’t had the chance to try it yet since I’ve been offshore since I’ve found out about it. I hope I can try it when I get home. 🙂

6 Sky Events This Week: Leonids, Green Giant and a Stellar Snow Globe

6 Sky Events This Week: Leonids, Green Giant and a Stellar Snow Globe – News Watch.

This weeks sky events from National Geographic. First of all, look out for the comet ISON. You should be able to spot it with a decent pair of binoculars in the constellation Virgo.

On the 14th, look for a ‘stellar snow globe’ next to Venus around the constellation Sagittarius.

Be sure to watch for the Leonid meteor shower on the night of the 17th. Best to check after the moon sets.

Something wonderful to see, easy and affordable way to spend an evening. Enjoy! 🙂

Incoming Comet ISON Now Visible in Binoculars

Incoming Comet ISON Now Visible in Binoculars – Yahoo News.

This should be a good show, if you’re somewhere you can see the constellation Virgo. Hope the sky is clear where you are!

I’ve been looking but it’s been much too cloudy here. I haven’t seen much of the sky for a few days. I’m working nights now so I should be able to see these things if it’s clear out. 😉

Submarine Racing

🙂

6 Sky Events This Week: Taurids, Lagoon, and Neptune

6 Sky Events This Week: Taurids, Lagoon, and Neptune – News Watch.

I love watching the stars at night. I miss being able to see them clearly. Its just SO amazing sky watching from a ship at sea without all the light pollution we get at home.

Looks like the Taurids (meteors) will be the main thing to look for tonight. Venus and Cassiopeia should be bright and easy enough to spot, even with the lights of the city around and no need of a telescope.

I’ll be back at sea by Thursday but I don’t expect to be able to do much star gazing, there’s not much chance of a dark ship on a drilling rig (and we would not want that to happen!!!).

I’ll have to try and go sailing again when I get in from work. 😉

A Word A Week Challenge: Two

two ships I’m learning how to do this, instead of posting my photos separately, I’m putting them all in this one post this time. That first shot is one I took while I was sailing as captain of a tuna boat. We were in port, in Tarawa (Kiribati). It’s a photo of a couple of reefer ships waiting to fill up with our catch of tuna and bring it to buyers, in someplace like Bangkok or Tokyo.

This is my entry into the Word A Week Challenge for this week. The challenge comes from this website, check it out : http://suellewellyn2011.wordpress.com/2013/11/01/a-word-a-week-challenge-two/ The word of the week is: TWO.

So, my photos all have 2 of something.

2 boats

2 boats- I took this while searching for the boat builders on Sulawesi Indonesia, the seaweed harvest was going on, everyone was out helping

2 chickens

2 chickens- during the seaweed harvest, Sulawesi Indonesia

2 buffalos

2 buffalos- on the roadside on the way to look for the boat builders, Sulawesi Indonesia

2 dancers

2 dancers- at a dance exhibition, Ubud Bali

2 cooks

2 cooks- at a night market, Singapore

2 girls

2 girls- getting ready for temple, Bali

2 bugs

2 bugs

2 pansies blooming

2 pansies blooming

2 butterflies

2 butterflies

I had a ton of fun taking these pictures, looking back at them makes me want to take off again and go somewhere exciting, but for now I’m stuck at home and back to work in only one more day. 🙁

I sure hope the new year brings me more adventures! 😉

The Haunted and the Haunting: Best Places to Visit on Halloween

The Haunted and the Haunting: Best Places to Visit on Halloween | Off the Road| Smithsonian.

Here’s a good article in honor of it being Halloween tonight. 😉

Smithsonian tells about the best places around the world to get your Halloween chills and thrills. Enjoy reading about the Blair Witch Forest, the mummies of Guanajuato, the Capuchin Catacombs, the hotel from The Shining and more.

It would be cool to do some scary stuff on Halloween. I won’t be home til late and will probably miss all the trick or treaters. 🙁

5 Sky Events This Week: Morning Comets and Solar Eclipse

5 Sky Events This Week: Morning Comets and Solar Eclipse – News Watch.

If I was still working as planned, I would be sure to see the (partial) solar eclipse. Nowhere better to see one than while at sea. 🙂

If you’re somewhere where you have clear, dark skies, this should be an interesting week for skywatching. Comet ISON will be visible in the constellation Leo from November 1. The Zodiacal Lights will be visible from November 2 for about 2 weeks. Then the solar eclipse on the 3rd.

For readers in Africa, you will be able to see a total eclipse! Be sure to use good shades. 😉

Texas Beach Cleanup: Update

Following up on my earlier (http://captjillsjourneys.wordpress.com/2013/09/28/texas-adopt-a-beach) post about the Texas Beach Cleanup last month, I was able to find the results of our efforts online this morning.

Stahlman Park, Fall Beach Cleanup 2013

Stahlman Park, Fall Beach Cleanup 2013

At Surfside Beach, (which was where I went-along with a few friends), they had 1200 (!!) volunteers who cleaned up 13.35 tons of trash over 14 miles of beach! WOW! What a great turnout for a day that wasn’t expected to be nice weather wise. It was fairly windy and it actually did rain a bit after noon. And remember, Surfside Beach only has about 450 full time residents.

Houston Zoomers came down to help out

Houston Zoomers came down to help out

The great bunch of SaveOurBeachAssociation (www.sobatx.org) volunteers manned the home front at Stahlman Park and provided plenty of (FREE!!) hot dogs, chips and cold drinks to the hordes of cleanup crews. They served over 1800 volunteers around Brazoria County that day!! Here’s a big Thank You to S.O.B.A.!! 🙂

SOBA volunteers serving up the cleanup crews at the 2013 fall cleanup

SOBA volunteers serving up the cleanup crews at the 2013 fall cleanup

Quintana Beach had another 174 volunteers who cleaned up 2 miles of beach and found 2.32 tons of ‘marine debris’. Yeah!!

I was not prepared to see bus after bus unloading at Stahlman Park and along the beach. People came from all over the area: representatives from Houston, Galveston and even further away. It was great to see so many people out and about, helping out. School kids in uniforms, church groups, civics clubs, sports teams…Young and old, all colors, all types, from prim and proper to young punks to grizzly old fishermen.

Bus unloads helpers at Surfside Beach

Bus unloads helpers at Surfside Beach

I didn’t really understand until I got there and started wandering the beach how the data would be gathered. It was a little harder than expected to keep track of every piece of garbage we found, from cigarette butts, bottle caps, plastic and glass bottles (none with messages inside), plastic bags, soda cans, plastic cutlery and tiny pieces of unrecognizable plastic to dead fish, old tires, fishing line, floats, escaped balloons, etc. The organizers gave us tally cards along with our collection bags. Great job everyone!

Assigned search areas for Surfside Beach 2013

Assigned search areas for Surfside Beach 2013

You can see the results for all of Texas here…http://www.glo.texas.gov/adopt-a-beach/pdfs/results/2013-fall-results.pdf.

And if you want to help out with the next one, you can find more information on that here: http://www.glo.texas.gov/adopt-a-beach/cleanups/overview.html

Worldwide, the place to go is: http://www.oceanconservancy.org/our-work/international-coastal-cleanup/sign-up-to-clean-up.html

I had a lot of fun at this event. It was a wonderful way to get out of the house, play on the beach, enjoy the natural world, learn something new, have a good time with friends old and new. I hope I’ll be able to make the next one. I didn’t know it until I looked it up for this post, but there are at least 3 more cleanups in Texas coming up before the main one in Spring (April 26, 2014).

Just curious, but did anybody make it to one of these events where you live?

Surfside Beach 2013 Fall Cleanup

Surfside Beach 2013 Fall Cleanup

14 Halloween Cocktail Recipes

14 Halloween Cocktail Recipes : Decorating : Home & Garden Television.

It looks like I’m going to miss all the Halloween parties this year (again). Here are some scary looking Halloween treats for the grown ups to enjoy while the kids are out hunting for candy. 😉

Instead of the usual Zombies in celebration of Halloween, I’d like to try some of that Pumpkin Spice Halloween Punch or maybe try a Liquefied Ghost or a Vampire, after a few of those I might be ready for some Bloody Brain Shooters (braaaaiiiinnnss)!

Save me some!! 🙂

5 Sky Events This Week: Cosmic Bull’s-Eye and Eskimo Nebula

5 Sky Events This Week: Cosmic Bull’s-Eye and Eskimo Nebula – News Watch.

Be sure to check out the sky tonight for the Orionid meteor shower. Last night it was raining my entire watch (2400-1200), so I couldn’t even see the moon. 🙁

2013 Women on the Water Announcement

2013 Women on the Water Announcement.

It looks like I won’t be able to make it this year. 🙁

I’ll be heading back offshore on Sunday and won’t be back in time for this event (www.sunymaritime.edu/wow). I would encourage anyone living in the NY area to try to make it.

I went to the one in Galveston at Texas A & M two years ago and had a really great time. It was so interesting meeting all the people there (not just women 😉 ). We went on a dinner cruise around Galveston and had a reception on the sailing ship Elissa.

I’m sure SUNY will do a great job too!

Texas Adopt a Beach

Anyone else going out to the beach cleanup this morning? I posted this to my mariners meetup group (www.meetup.com/boating-39) calendar a couple of weeks ago (thanks P.) but only know of 1 other person going. I’ll be there (Surfside). 🙂

I know they do this worldwide. The link to the Ocean Conservancy at the bottom of my post will take you to their website and there you can find a location near you. I’m not exactly sure if they have it the same date as we do. Here we do it twice a year, in the Spring and in the Fall.

Click the links for more information!

http://www.glo.texas.gov/adopt-a-beach/cleanups/participate.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TMFQOrOk3Fo

Cleanup 2013 Map

http://www.oceanconservancy.org/our-work/international-coastal-cleanup/sign-up-to-clean-up.html

Aerial Views of Our Water World

Aerial Views of Our Water World | Collage of Arts and Sciences.

Smithsonian reports on the latest project from photographer Edward Burtynsky. His focus has always been to capture the impact humans have on the landscape. “Nature transformed by industry” is how he puts it.

I remember reading about one of his earlier projects on the subject of Oil and I thought he did some fantastic work. His photographs of a ‘dirty’ subject were really beautiful. This project on Water is even more exciting. His work is simply stunning!

Burtynsky spent the time from 2007-2013 traveling around the world to investigate the way water is used, how it (or lack of it) effects the land, effects our lives, how we deal with it, how it deals with us. Now, he is coming out with a triple header.

He will be releasing a new documentary film, a book and multiple exhibitions, all on the theme of water.

Watermark, his 92 minute long documentary will premier at the Toronto International Film Festival and continue showing in theaters across Canada afterwards (and hopefully worldwide).

His book, Burtynsky- Water, will feature over 100 of his photographs.

His large scale photographs will be making the rounds of a number of exhibition spaces around the country. In New York at the Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery and the Howard Greenburg Gallery (September 19- November 2), the show will move on from there.

It will be in New Orleans at the Contemporary Arts Center from October 5- January 19). I’ll be in town for the Workboat Show and will be sure to see it then. I can’t wait to feast my eyes. 😉

Here’s a peek. Enjoy 🙂

 

A Recipe for Community

A Recipe for Community.

Here’s another one from Utne Reader. Linda Buzzell writes about what it takes to build a sustainable community. Community- yeah, she’s right, we need it, we yearn for it, we miss it, we seek it out.

I remember growing up in a little fishing village on the beach in Florida. We used to have a real community there. Everybody knew each other and would keep an eye out for each other. Yeah, it was like a soap opera sometimes. But I always knew I was home, I fit in, I was accepted.

I moved to Texas when I was just barely 17. I didn’t know a single person. I moved there to go to school and luckily I found a community in my little group of fellow OMT students (Ocean Marine Technology).

We most definitely did NOT fit in with the rest of the school or the surrounding towns. 😉 Bunch of hippie ‘boat trash’ with long hair, shorts and flip-flops in a town where no one left the house without perfect makeup, new cars all washed and waxed. We were definitely on our own.

I made friends with the only other girl in the class. She took me to meet her ‘mother’ and we’ve been best friends ever since. That was over 30 years ago- wow!

With my friends from class, we went to the beach and had cookouts over the bonfire. We played music. We drank beer. We danced. We hung out with each other even when we weren’t in class. We had many similar interests. After all, we had come from all over the country to take this course in Ocean Marine Technology. We had an automatic community.

When I finished the program, most of my friends wandered off into the wild blue yonder and I never heard from them again. Only occasionally I’ll hear of someone or run into somebody in some unlikely place.

Since then, I’ve tried a few times to find or create another real community. I think I find it most easily at work. I think that’s one of the reasons I enjoy working at sea. After all, we are still isolated out here. In our own little world. We have to depend on each other for everything. To get our work done, to have someone to talk to, to help us if we need it, to take care of us if we get hurt. We get to know and care about each other. It is a community in its own right.

In the article, there’s a checklist for community building success. A list of 16 things to do or have. I think a lot of the things are good to have and I’ll definitely suggest them to our local meetup group (Campaign for Liberty). We’ve been struggling to grow and find more members.

We’re a community, we do a lot of those things, but maybe not consistent about it. Somehow we can’t keep the new people who come excited enough to come back, to join our community. What can we do to make them more comfortable? Maybe the things in the article will help. We can try…

Bloggers IRL: Get the Most Out of Blogging Conferences

I had no idea there were blogger conferences. It sounds like a fun and useful thing to go to. 😉

International Talk Like a Pirate Day

Arrrgggh Matey! Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

http://talklikeapirate.com/partykit/tlapdbanner2.gif

Check out the link and have some fun. 😉 http://talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html

You can change your language on facebook from regular English to Pirate English. I don’t know if they translate from other languages (Spanish, French, German, etc) to Pirate. 😉

I did that last year for a while for fun. My computer has some kind of bug in it right now and I’m having huge problems with facebook. I have to go use a different computer to get on there so I haven’t done it this year. I was just on there trying to catch up a little bit.

By the time I get home to fix my buggy computer (hopefully fix it), Pirate Day will be long gone. So, enjoy it without me this time,  me mateys- arrrrggh.

Have a cup of grog or a few shots of rum for me. 🙂

Watch Out for the Harvest Moon

Watch Out for the Harvest Moon – NASA Science.

I knew about the Harvest Moon, but I didn’t know that every full moon had a special name. It’s almost time for the Harvest Moon, it’s coming up here (USA) the night of Sept 18-19.

I was out earlier this evening and looking at the moon. Took a few pictures. It was already up pretty high by the time I got out there. This should remind me to get out there earlier and try to get some good moon shots. 😉

It’s real hard to do out here with the motion and vibration. Maybe some of you can get some nice, clear shots. Best time is early, right around sunset. 😉

Maintaining the Ship of Mercy

Maintaining the Ship of Mercy.

The Mercy ships are really doing such wonderful work around the world. I wish I could afford to work on one of them for a while. I haven’t been able to manage that (so far).

If anyone is interested in a fantastic experience and has some sort of sponsorship or can live without an income for a few months, this would be a great place to do something useful.

They don’t just need ships crew, they need all kinds of health care workers too. Maybe some other kinds of things would get you a spot on board. Worth checking them out if you’re at all interested. 🙂

www.mercyships.org