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Sunday, November 28, 2010

A Great Weekend in Charleston

Hello everyone from Master Plan after a long and enjoyable Thanksgiving weekend.  We hope you all enjoyed the holiday spent with loved ones and good food!  Paul and I celebrated Thanksgiving with the other boaters here at the marina at a fun potluck dinner.  The weather was unseasonably warm - we were in t-shirts and shorts - and we truly enjoyed the day with our new friends.  Here are a few photos:
Jen with our neighbors and friends Rick and Linda.
The gang at the table - we had about 30 people total - so two tables - we were at the end of this one.
After dinner, a large freighter went by - it was very cool in the late afternoon sunshine with the marina in the foreground including Master Plan (with our yellow bath mats drying outside).
This is the gang out on the deck overlooking the marina after dinner - including Kirby the wonder dog.
Our friends Susan and Don from Nova Scotia - we met them originally in Elizabeth City - a great, fun couple - so nice they were with us for Thanksgiving!
Our friends John & Melissa from Vermont.  They were supposed to leave Monday, but decided to stay the week and enjoy Thanksgiving - it was so nice they were with us too!
Here we are at the table with my little centerpieces in the foreground.  Note the name tags - of course being the event planner I am, I had the stickers and a sharpie on the boat, so brought them up - it really helped everyone get to know each other - people wrote their first names, and then the name of their boat.  Everybody got into it.
On Friday - the day started with some dolphin sitings and the departure of Piscator (John & Melissa) - they're on their way to Florida and eventually the Bahamas.  We then did some chores, ran some errands, and enjoyed the day.  We were SO excited to see Catharine & Kevin Sullivan - they joined us for cocktails on Master Plan on Friday evening with Kevin's son Rob followed by a delicious dinner at Fig.  It was a wonderful evening. 

On Saturday - we went to Marion Square (about a 10-15 minute walk from the marina) for a Farmers' Market and the Sullivans met us there.  We then walked around a bit and enjoyed an architectural walking tour in the afternoon.  It was awesome - Catharine particularly enjoyed it as she is taking lots of classes about architecture and preservation -she just got her certificate!  You can't find a better place than Charleston for this kind of tour - every corner offers beautiful architecture and lovely sites - a true feast for the eyes!  We then went to this great rooftop terrace for a few cocktails and joined Kevin's kids Molly and Rob for a delicious dinner on Saturday night at a wonderful Italian place.  YUM! 
There were several dolphins near our boat inside the marina - it just never gets old.
A beautiful flower display at the Farmers Market.
Farmers Market - lots of great crafts, food items, etc. - a cool experience.  After Thanksgiving, the weather cooled considerably and t-shirts/shorts were traded in for jeans and fleece - but clear and beautiful.
One of the two hundred churches in Charleston that we saw along our tour - St. Philips - stunning.
There were 8 of us on the tour led by Fern (in yellow) - a delightful Charleston native who was a wonderful guide and a charming and lovely lady - filled with great knowledge of architecture and history.
Sunset over St. Michael's Church from the rooftop bar.
Here we are with the Sullivans on the roof top - it was a little chilly, but an incredible view and part of such a great day spent with dear friends.
Today it was cooler again and very windy.  We got some things done today but mostly relaxed on the boat.  It has been a truly relaxing long weekend filled with so many great moments - we are so thankful to have these incredible experiences. 

The next few weeks will be very busy as I make the final preparations for the one day free clinic which will be in Charlotte, NC on Tuesday, December 7th.  Paul and I will rent a car this Thursday and drive to Charlotte (3 hours) and be there for a week.  We are really looking forward to the clinic and seeing all the wonderful people we work with on these amazing events.  I think the Charlotte clinic will be one of our best as there are many great free clinics in the area - so a huge network and support system - we have lots of volunteers signed up - particularly doctors - and already several patients with appointments. 

Thank you again for following along - sending lots of love to all - Jen & Paul

Above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.
-Roald Dahl

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Giving Thanks!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our dear friends and family!  We have so much to be thankful for and the special people in our lives are definitely at the top of the list.  The photo above was taken just a short while ago.  It's a beautiful day here in Charleston - mid to high 70's - and we are preparing for the big potluck dinner to take place in the marina building.  They have a function room with a beautiful view of the marina and the Cooper River (the part of the harbor we are on).  Two large turkeys have been in the oven since early this morning and everyone has signed up for a side or dessert.  Paul is preparing a delicious antipasto platter for an appetizer and I have made my famous Ginger cookies and just put together some centerpieces for the tables.  It has already gotten out that Paul used to be a Chef so I imagine he'll be making gravy and carving the turkeys too.  They expect about 40-50 people - all boaters who are staying here at the marina.  The friends we met in Elizabeth City - Don & Sue (from Nova Scotia who kicked our butts in Shuffleboard) and John & Melissa are here, as well as Rick, Linda, & Kirby the wonder dog - our neighbors and new friends - and we've met so many other nice people.  We feel very blessed that we have met so many fun, interesting and friendly people along this great journey. 

So many of you write us and tell us how much you are enjoying reading our blog.  It brings us great comfort and makes you feel so much closer to know you are reading this and following along.  We are truly thankful to have this opportunity and Paul and I are so savoring each and every day.  I am staying busy with work - another reason to be thankful - and Paul keeps busy with boat projects.  He really worked hard to prepare the boat for this trip and because of all his efforts, the transition has been smooth and enjoyable. 

Tomorrow we will see Catharine & Kevin Sullivan - they are visiting Charleston as Kevin's two youngest kids are here and we're really looking forward to spending time with them.  We have plans to do a walking architectural tour on Saturday and of course continue to eat our way through all of Charleston's great restaurants.


It will be a nice day spent with our new friends yet we hold all of our dear family and friends from afar close to us in our hearts - you are all missed.  Happy Thanksgiving - with love and gratitude, Jen & Paul
All the great blessings of my life are present in my thoughts today.
—PHOEBE CARY

Monday, November 22, 2010

Charleston - an Active Port!

Hello everyone!  Another great day in Charleston - as I type this, the full moon is rising across the river - beautiful.  Paul just took this photo:

Charleston is such a cool place - we are continually amazed at how active the port is - today there was a lot of activity with very large ships - see photos below:
Can you hear Kathy Lee singing?  This cruise ship arrived early this morning - you can see sweet Paul on the dock watching it all happen.
Right after the cruise ship arrived, this enormous container ship came out of the dock to our left - he was backing out and then was turned around by tugs . . .  so incredible to watch up close.
Starting the turn . . .  amazing how that "tiny" tug boat can move it - you can also see a second tugboat on the left pushing on the bow.
Gives you an idea of how HUGE this ship is - on this end alone - 76 containers - what you see a truck driving down the highway.
Almost completing the turn . . .

Turn completed - now heading South out of the Harbor and to wherever it's going . . .  we think it's heading to China to pick up more crap to bring to the Christmas Tree Shops!  :-)
Another huge ship came in this evening - two tugs turned it around and backed it in to the same pier that the other one backed out of this morning!
Cruise ship LEAVING this evening - just here for the day . . .  Toodle Loo!
Anyway - that's all the news we have for today - just watching all this cool stuff happening around us!  I am keeping busy with work and Paul has been getting a lot of maintenance stuff done on the boat.  All good.
Thanks for following along, as always - Love, Jen & Paul

Today's Quote:  
When the days are too short, chances are you are living at your best. 
-Earl Nightingale

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Enjoying Charleston!

Greetings dear family and friends!  I type this from Master Plan on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Charleston - it's sunny and warm here today - shorts, t-shirt, and flip flops are the outfit of choice today. We are really enjoying this beautiful city.  On Friday morning, I was at my "desk" working and Paul said "Woah - look at that monster coming in" - sure enough, I looked up and this enormous freight boat was coming into the pier next to us.  We found out that it was full of BMW's.  Throughout the day, they off-loaded them in the parking lot next to us - then they will eventually be loaded onto trains (in the same parking lot) and on their merry way to wherever they're going.  It's pretty fascinating.  Charleston is a very active harbor and we have seen a huge amount of container ships going by.  I always say to Paul when I see the ships - "that's how our corn flakes get on the grocery store shelves."  Amazing.

Freight boat arrival Friday morning filled with BMW cars.
Freight boat at dock as they unload the cars . . .

This schooner ship docks close to us and does tours - here it is on Friday evening with the USS Yorktown in the background (served in Pearl Harbor and is now a museum)

A view of the marina from the marina office - Master Plan is right in the middle.
On Friday evening, we entertained on Master Plan for the first time during this adventure - we had our neighbors Rick and Linda over, along with John & Melissa - who we had met in Elizabeth City, then dined with in Belhaven - and caught up with us on Friday.  They're from Vermont and they built their beautiful sailboat - Piscator.  Great people - they're here in Charleston until probably Tuesday - we had dinner with them last night and the six of us went out for Sunday brunch this morning. 


Rick and Linda - in the catamaran in front of us - Make It So - and their "wonder dog" Kirby - are delightful people - they're here until after Christmas, so it has been wonderful getting to know them.  Kirby is a great dog - and we've enjoyed him so much - he loves the dinghy - here is a shot of him getting a ride with Rick today.


We are really enjoying this marina - it is pretty common for us to see dolphins playing in the water just outside the marina in the morning.  There are a ton of shrimp in the water here - you can actually hear a faint crackling noise at night when you're in bed which is the sound of the shrimp eating - it's pretty cool - so we see dolphins and pelicans around quite a bit for a nice little snack.

Yesterday, we spent a lot of time walking around the city exploring and we took a carriage tour as well - there is great history here and beautiful architecture - a real feast for the eyes at every corner.  There are also some amazing restaurants here - we haven't missed a meal (nothing new) and everything has been delicious.  Lots of great seafood - crab, oysters, shrimp . . .  YUM.

Paul on The Battery - a great walkway along the water with beautiful homes and parks.

Yours truly at Waterfront Park - lovely fountain and walkway along the water.
U.S. Customs House
Marion Square - complete with a statue of Calhoun and a beautiful church.

Oleander in downtown - so beautiful against the gorgeous blue sky.
Today, we are relaxing around the boat.  We went to a Sunday Jazz brunch this morning and then took a great walk around - a nice, lazy day.  We plan to attend a fun pot-luck dinner on Thanksgiving with the other boaters at the marina - which we are looking forward to.  We have an awful lot to be thankful for - but we will still miss our family and friends at home.  Our friends Catharine and Kevin are coming to Charleston on Friday for the weekend and we are very excited to see them! 

We'll keep you posted as we continue to enjoy and explore Charleston.  Thanks for following along - you are in our hearts - love, Jen & Paul

Today's Quote:
Live in the moment and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering!  - Fanny Crosby

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Settling In in Charleston

Hello family, friends, and followers!  :-).  We are settling in here at the Charleston Maritime Center and really enjoying this beautiful city.  We haven't had much time to explore, but we did walk around a bit last night and enjoyed some good barbecue at "Sticky Fingers."  The marina here is great - we have wonderful neighbors - and the staff is awesome.  Here are a few pictures of Master Plan and the marina:


The people who are in the catamaran Make It So in front of us are Rick and Linda and they will be here until after Christmas.  Rick is a software engineer and Linda works for him part time.  They have a great dog named Kirby (referred to as the "wonder dog" on their boat card) and they are lovely people. Here is Paul this evening with Kirby - sorry it's a bit blurry:

This is the boat behind us that just came in today.

We just got new neighbors behind us from Hamburg, Germany who are also very nice and fascinating.  They traveled across the Atlantic last November and have spent lots of time in the Caribbean, Bahamas, and all up and down the East coast.  They have spent lots of time in Rhode Island too - which was fun to talk about.  It's a 48 ton steel sailboat - they've spent 7 years renovating it after a fire and from what we understand, it is truly lovely inside. 

We are heading out shortly to do a little more exploring and grab some dinner - we'll keep you posted!  Love, Jen & Paul

Today's Quote:
Show me a person who has never made a mistake and I'll show you somebody who has never achieved much.
—JOAN COLLINS