Overcoming Hurdles
January swooped by and left us in the dust. Here are a handful of milestones from 2023.
Glen (25) graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara in June with a B.S. in computer science. (Can you hear his parents cheering?) We are proud of him for overcoming Covid disruptions—like so many—to earn his degree.
Despite relentless head seas and a vexing rudder post issue, Jim led a 900 mile, 9-week expedition to deliver our sailboat from San Francisco Bay to Puget Sound, Washington. Many of you followed us on that journey, and I posted two blogs: “Big Water, A Blue Whale, and A Sad Discovery” and Resilience completes her San Francisco Bay to Puget Sound Expedition.
My book Deep Waters was published in May. I enjoyed author tours in California, Alaska, Washington, Ohio, and Indiana. I expected the travel to be grueling and the events stressful. Instead, the cross-country journey was a catalyst that reconnected me/us with family and friends—including students in Alaska and childhood friends in Indiana. I’ve been moved by responses to my book—from people we know to strangers.
2023 Overcoming Hurdles: Jim delivered Resilience to her new home. Beth’s debut book, 9 years in the making, hit the streets. Glen earned his B.S. degree!
Sad News Department
In April, we had to let our schipperke Misty go. From a healthy 12 year old, she succumbed quickly to leukemia.
We gave chemotherapy a try, but all agreed that her quality of life needed to remain, which it did not.
Misty grew up side by side with Glen. From her first month in Port Townsend (photo), and living with us on our sailboat, she became an agile boater and constant source of good will during our expedition to Mexico.
I miss her every day and I’m grateful for all the joy, adventure, and love she brought to our family.
Authors’ PitchFest “Choose Your 2024 Reads” for Book Clubs
I was nervous about doing a live, tightly timed author presentation in January for a Zoom audience of ~130 people, but I practiced a lot. The time spent honing what to not include paid off.
In the 4-minute video for Deep Waters, I share a harrowing situation when Jim, our son, and I were on our sailboat in Alaska, and we almost lost Jim—again—after he'd come so close to recovering from a rare type of stroke. (Click to view.)
To watch the full-length “Adventures By the Book” event, visit "PitchFest: a FREE “Choose Your 2024 Reads” virtual Adventure with 21 fan-favorite authors" at the ABTB YouTube Channel. It's a wonderful way to hear from lots of authors.
Nature Note
Great Blue Herons have special feathers on their breasts which they groom using a serrated middle toe. With tufts of down caught in the toe’s comb-like edge, called a “pectinate claw,” they use that foot to wipe off oil or fish slime, much like we use a washcloth. The serrations in some species resemble those of combs for removing human head lice. The special chest feathers grow continuously and degrade into a powder that also help the birds stay clean and ectoparasite free.
[Sources: Clayton et al. 2010. “How Birds Combat Ectoparasites” and the Cornell Lab All About Birds website]
Photo: Poulsbo Marina, Sept 2023
This year will also have its hurdles. I hope we can face them head on and with grace.
Best wishes for a healthy, inspiring, and engaged year!
— Beth
Thank you to all who have read Deep Waters and posted a review or sent a note!
For unknown authors, a simple review at Amazon and GoodReads is a huge help. Clicking a rating is also helpful but less valued by the algorithm gremlins, but if you’re short on time, that’s also a much-appreciated option.
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