We are anchored in Harness Creek next to Quiet Waters Park, in Maryland just south of Annapolis. This is a beautiful park with paved winding walking trails and thick tree cover. This creek always seems to fill with boats quickly on the weekends, both individual sailboats and flotillas of local visitors. Yesterday, there were only 5 cruising boats. Today, there is a group of 5 monohulls, 8 day boats and and another group of SeaRays near the entrance. It is quiet and peaceful here in the evenings. There are light winds at the moment, but even if we had stronger breezes, we are tucked up in the creek sheltered on all sides.
Jenna and I went on a shopping trip (using an Uber) to a plaza with a DSW shoe store. We realized in New York that Jenna was walking in super tight shoes, way too small for her feet. I had insisted she wear her black sneakers, rather than a newer, all white pair while we toured NYC. Her feet are now a size 6.5 or 7 (I think the black shoes were 4.5 or 5’s. Ooops!). This summer she has clearly shot up in height. At her last physical, it was confirmed. Not that it wasn’t obvious. She is taller than me. Earlier this year, her eyes were above mine, now her nose comes up to the center of my forehead. While I knew she would outgrow me, actually I hoped for it, I simply wasn’t ready for it to happen until she was…. I don’t know… 15? We got her new sneakers and a new pair of crocs. I am sure she will model them for future pictures, but the time being I will include a picture from the Chesapeake Maritime Museum in Saint Michael’s (because she looks “so thrilled.” Yeah…. preteen years. She has been intentionally snarling during most of my attempts to grab photos this week.)
Before dinner, Scott took Jenna out for her first dinghy lesson. Scott and Jenna looked proud that she was “learning to drive our car.” She is growing up. After dinner, there is a pillow fight and a debate about who gets to “drive the car” next. I just learned to maneuver M.T.T. last week. Jenna calls our dingy M.T.T. which stands for “Merak The Tiny” after our previous SeaRay powerboat.
Merak is Serbian and refers to the feeling of bliss and profound satisfaction derived from life’s simple pleasures, creating a sense of oneness with the world and inner contentment. It is an untranslatable concept that encompasses enjoying small, everyday moments, like savoring a morning coffee or spending time with loved ones, without any particular end goal, just for the sheer pleasure of the experience.
HELIA2, our current catamaran, was named by the previous owners, a compilation of their three daughters’ names. Their second “HELIA.” I have seen that it also means “Sun” or “of the sun” in Greek and symbolizes brightness, warmth, vitality, and illumination. Honestly, we just really loved the logo. We have changed the names on other boats, but this one felt right to keep.
