Scattering Casey and CJ ... a final farewell

Casey and CJ have been sailing with us for quite awhile now. They've shared a small black velvet box that's been tucked away in a safe nook on Nine of Cups. We've been searching for just the right place to scatter their ashes and at last, we found it.  

Casey and CJ never met in life although we imagine they would have gotten along just fine. Both were troubled souls and both left us abruptly … way before their time. Our daughter, Casey Erin Lynn, died in May 2013 at age 37. In 2010, Christopher John Twomey, CJ to all who knew him, the grandson of a good friend, sadly took his own life at age 20. They left behind so many unanswered questions, so much regret and such deep sadness.

We'd been thinking that Cocos Keeling Islands would be a beautiful place to say a final farewell. It's exotic, tropical … with long white beaches that stretch forever and pristine, turquoise waters that lap the shore ever so gently. Palm trees sway in the warm breezes. We walked the island and explored with the dinghy and finally found just the right spot.

So it was, on a Tuesday afternoon in September 2014, we gathered island flowers and dinghied across the lagoon. We brought Casey and CJ to a beautiful, secluded beach on Home Island. We cast the flowers on the aquamarine waters while white terns flew overhead.

We scattered their ashes to the Indian Ocean winds on the Cocos Keeling waters and with new tears and comforting words, we said goodbye once again. Know you were loved, dear children, and will never be forgotten. Rest in peace.

Read more about C J Twomey on Facebook at Scattering CJ.

Becky's Big Move

 

We've been living in Las Vegas for over a month now while David's mom, Becky, recuperated from a nasty kidney infection and went through physical rehab following her hospitalization. It's been a long row to hoe for Becky, but at 96, she's tough and resilient and has come through with flying colors. It's time to make the big move into her new digs. Today was the day.

There's been much angst about the move. It's a major life change for Becky and the whole family, but all agree it's a good move. We'd already moved her comfy recliner and other furniture into her studio-sized apartment. Her favorite pictures have been hung on the wall and her clothes have all been neatly hung in the closet or folded in the drawers. Everything was ready … the only thing missing was Becky.

We waited impatiently as the rehab facility filled out massive volumes of paperwork, dispensed her meds and got releases from everyone from the janitor to President Obama. Becky was ready early, of course … just after 7am actually. We called … we waited … we called … we waited. By 11am, we finally drove over to try to speed things along. Finally, the big A-OK. She'd not been beyond the threshold of her room for over a month. With a big fanfare, David pushed her in her wheelchair over the threshold. At last … free. She said her goodbyes and off we toddled.

The move was pretty easy. The Bridge is located next door to rehab, so we wheeled her the short distance up the hill in the 100F+ heat and into her elegant new home. Just being outside in the sunshine, after more than a month of incarceration, was enough to heighten her spirits. She might be apprehensive about a new place, but breaking out of rehab was definitely reason to celebrate.

The relief as she sat in her old recliner and the smile on her face confirmed we'd made the right choice.

You might wonder what this all has to do with living on a sailboat and sailing around the world. It really has everything to do with our lifestyle. It's part and parcel of the life we lead. Not everyday is sunny. Not all passages are calm. Family trumps a season of sailing. What was it John Lennon said? “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.”

An Update on the Nine of Cups Crew

 

Lest you think we're so happy on land and in the desert that we never want to return to Nine of Cups … think again! We really do try to enjoy ourselves wherever we are and we're happy that we can be with family and help where we can during David's mum's recuperation and resettling into Assisted Living, but our thoughts turn frequently to Nine of Cups and our plans for crossing the Indian Ocean this season.

Becky's recovery has been slow and hindered by several small, but constant complications. Just when we're all set to move her into her new digs, some new issue pops up that delays her departure from Rehab. She's frustrated; we're all frustrated and there's absolutely nothing we can do about it, but wait and hope that all will be clear in another week … and another week … and another week.

Our plans have not changed dramatically. Assuming we spend less time stopping during our crossing, we're still hoping to have enough time before cyclone season starts (November 1) to sail across the Indian. As the crow flies, it's about 4,500 nautical miles and we figure it'll take us about 40+ days if we travel non-stop. As the clock continues to tick, our window for a leisurely cruise dwindles.

If we don't return in time to make it across the Indian, we need to make some other choices. Australian Customs dictates that the boat needs to be out of Australia no later than November. Once cyclone season starts, the only way to go is south and then west, across the Bight, the Bass Strait and the Tasman Sea and perhaps back to New Zealand. We need to clear out of Australia and into another country. Not our preference, but definitely an alternative.

Stay tuned … we'll update as things happen. In the meantime, enjoy our time on land and in the desert with us because there'll be lots and lots of ocean to cope with soon.