My Friends in England

Three weeks ago I had the opportunity to take a group of my students to France for a school trip. After that trip I was able to go and visit my awesome friends in England and then travel with them to France to see our mutual friends in Rouen, Normandy, France, where I lived for a year from 2001-2002.

This is Rose and Ced. Rose was an English assistant in France just like me. That's how we met. We met Cedric's friends at a bar and they introduced us to him. Rose is English and Ced is French. They hit it off during the year we lived there and they fell in love, and they moved to England and opened their own cafe. Now they're married with a beautiful baby girl (more about her coming soon!)

This is a sample of the lucscious goods you can buy at their cafe, called Skiver's. Did you know that "to skive off" means to be lazy in England? It comes from the tanning industry, apparently the skiver had the easist job in leather production.

(See the lady "skiving off"?)

Skiver's Cafe is in Sawston, England, which just happens to be the largest village in southern Cambridgeshire, so there.

Sawston is a sweet little village which has a tannery as a big part of their local industry (hence Skiver's Cafe). They have roads like Tannery Way and Rose and Ced live off of Glover Close. Cool, huh? Their village magazine has won awards for being so awesome. I still think it's awesome that they live in a village. Villages for Americans are something that you only read about in Lord of the Rings.

Rose and Ced are hard workers. I'm so proud of the life they've set up together in England. Their cafe is adorable. It's close to their home and it's a venture they've truly undertaken together.

(Quick look, those are real British pounds! Quid!) More later on my friend Rose and her Ced and their bundle of joy.

Liveaboard Clothes for Sailing Women - Cute and Functional

When we first moved aboard I had a tough time transitioning from "land" clothes to "boat" clothes.

It is very possible that other women had no issue with this, but for those of you who did, here's what I figured out. I had to downsize my wardrobe significantly for starters and just that process was painful. Little did I know at the time, but by the end of the first year aboard I would throw out 50% of the clothes that I brought with me.  I quickly realized that ironing was a pain the rear end. We didn't want to have an iron on the boat so I'd have to go up and use the marina's, but people would use our iron without permission and damage it. We would also have to iron around people doing their laundry or grabbing a cup of coffee in the marina laundry room.  Soon all clothes that needed to be ironed were thrown out. Now my work outfits consist of clothes that do not need to be ironed. They're harder to find (and still look professional), but it can be done!

The pictures above and below are examples. A cute, informal shirt that doesn't need to be ironed, but is appropriate for work. A matching pair of earrings and, you can't see them, but a more formal pair of crocs. It's all about the crocs, all the time :)

Another thing that troubled me was how often I was in clothes that were getting dirty. On land I had one pair of pants for painting or doing any type of dirty work, but on board, I was constantly working on things that would and could ruin my clothes. I had to eventually identify jeans I liked that I was willing to get dirty in, and reserve pairs that were only for work. I also decided to do the same thing with my shirts. I didn't want to start wearing men's t-shirts to work on the boat because they always make me look like I'm wearing a potato sack (a girl's gotta still try to look good for her man.) So I now have my work/socializing shirts (that don't require ironing) and my t-shirts that can all get dirty.

There's also the sun to consider. My grandmother and my father both have had skin cancer and I've already had abnormal skin removed, so I really have to stay covered. I wear the UV-protected sun shirts from REI during the day at the marina and always have on a hat and sunglasses as well.

My outfits generally look like this now. I feel cute and presentable in the form-fitting clothes, and my outfit is functional and practical at the same time.  For my fellow boat ladies, what are some of your tips for looking cute and functional on the docks?

Update on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 19:32 by Charlotte

Cyndi and K's comments above are so relevant. It is truly hard to really look well groomed when doing the liveaboard thing. Cyndi, I feel you!

K, thanks for the additional comments about layers. Yes, yes, yes. I have no idea how the girls in bikinis do it either, I'm always freezing! Point well taken on storing the "nice" clothes up in the storage, that's exactly what I do. All dresses and work shirts are stored in the storage locker and pants and boat clothes are down on the boat.

I updated the post above with a picture of my "business clothes". Here are a few of the Crocs I wear professionally. I reserve the classic clog style for life on the boat:

Leaving Paris is hard...

 

...especially when you miss your flight and are waiting on standby. Ugh. I've never missed my flight before but yesterday I read the arrival time into Washington instead of the departure time. I showed up to the airport just as my flight took off. Ugh.

Luckily David and his girlfriend Magali had come with me. They helped me find a hotel near the airport and then took me with them to Paris for the day. Not a bad way to spend waiting around for a flight out the next morning.  On Friday night we had dinner at their house with all of the old gang. The halo around David's head is a total fluke.

As is this one...

But either way, after the help they gave me yesterday, David just may be a saint.

I've got 40 minutes until they board. Send some positive thoughts my way. I'd really like to make this flight :)

29 for 3 more months

This is a photo of me when I was a sophomore in high school. I'm 15 years old. This is my natural hair color. Looking at the color in the photo makes me miss it, but I tried going au natural a couple years ago and the red lured me back very quickly. The friend in the photo with me is Jennifer. We were both on the same cheerleading squad together. She posted this on Facebook and the memories of my sophomore year came trickling back. There are so many things I can't remember about my life from about 12-15. I'm really glad I kept a journal so that I can peek into that world from time to time. I was dealing with an eating disorder and with trouble at home. Things are better now, much better. It's only taken me 15 years to get to a really good place in my life. 15 years, and now I'm almost 30.

This isn't the first pre-birthday reflective post I've written, and I doubt it will be my last. Still, entering into my thirties is a new phase and one I'm not sure I'm ready to embrace. I’m getting older. I can feel it. Last weekend I was in downward dog pose in my yoga class and I glanced in the mirror to see the skin on my face in this upside-down-position. The skin around my eyes was sagging downward a little. OMG. Holy krikes! NOT FAIR. Not while my handsome husband’s skin looks like he is 15. Geez. Seriously, look at that skin. Flawless. Is this the price I must pay for not really having had acne as a teenager? Eric had to deal with acne throughout his teenage years and now gets to cavort around with the skin of a fresh-faced teenager. Who signed me up for that raw end of the deal?

While life on the blogging front has been quiet here, life has been continuing on the boat. Eric and I spent the month of February not drinking (except for a brief interlude I took for a work weekend in Rome.) After the wedding and the honeymoon I think January and the winter weather just sort of did us in. (I realize I should use the term “winter weather” very, very lightly considering how blessed we are to live in San Diego.) Nonetheless, January dragged on and our drinking rose. By the end of that month we were both of the attitude that something needed to change, and change it did. For those of you who drink out there, how long have you gone not drinking since you first started imbibing the stuff? I’ve abstained for one month previously, so this was my second go for such a long period of time. It did us both a world of good. So much so that we’ve decided to do this bi-annually now. Once in January and once in August. Eric lost about 10 pounds and I lost about 3-4. I’m now exactly where I wanted to be when I started this blogging gig so long ago. A boon to my ego considering how I’ve been feeling the ravaging affects of time lately.

30 years old. Almost there.

Aging aside, I’ve also noticed that I’ve become more introspective, and dare I say it? ....Wiser. I’ve realized lately that I’m not as apt to spurt things out when they probably would do me more harm than good. I’ve had an easier time seeing several sides of things. I’ve gained patience and an increased ability to sit back and observe, and ponder before I do something. I’m not saying I’m a wise old owl, but I’ve noticed a difference. I’m a more focused and happier Charlotte. I wonder then, how freaked out I’ll be as I approach 40 and if I’ll find that I’m feeling a little wiser then too? Maybe by then they’ll have found a cure for those lovely little evil laugh lines around my eyes and smile.

For my Sisters and everyone else who is Beautiful in this World.