New Year's eve reflections

As we calmly sail towards Ascension on this last day of 2008, over a
beautiful , gentle, blue sea,it is impossible not to reflect back on
the past year, and all the decisions,the unbundling,the changes and
adjustments we have gone through, to reach this moment! It has'nt
been easy,and is a giant leap into the unknown, but conditions today
are idylic, and it brings the "Dream" a little closer to our grasp. We
are both very aware that it will take at least a year of adjustment,
and that there will be many highs and lows before we can realistically
evaluate our new lifestyle! Perhaps it will be better than we had
hoped in our wildest dreams, perhaps it will prove too much of a grind
? Who knows? 2009 will be that year for us, so it will be a BIG year!
But, it is going to be a BIG year for a heck of a lot of other people
too, some of whom also have their dreams and plans, but for the
majority, as John Lennon said, "life is what happens to you, while
youre still busy making plans",or words to that effect!. It should'nt
be! I just hope that there are enough sensible people left in RSA to
stop Zuma's ANC crowd from doing with RSA's Democracy what they
plan!!!
Talking about wishful thinking, I asked Mary what she wanted
for dinner /lunch on New years Eve. Seared Tuna steaks she replied. An
hour later we landed our first fish, a smallish Big Eye Tuna! Enough
left for a few meals yet!
By noon today we had done 535nm, and have 229 to go. With the gentle
winds now dropping, we decided that Saturday morning makes more sense
than burning R600 diesel to get there before dark on Friday...Whats
the rush...we're Cruisers! Besides, its more fun, and more comfortable
sailing broad reaches at 5-6 knots in 10-15knotwinds, than rolling
downwind at 3.5knots! So our 229nm is now about 310nms! Our pos at
16.00 utc is 9.49S,11,10W, and we are doing 5.1 in 13kn true.
Happy hour snacks include smoked angel fish with horseraddish
sauce, yachtmade fat free cottage cheese, flavoured with Nomu pesto,
and sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, olives, and gherkins, and a
special bottle of Alan Harringtons family red wines " Graceland
Cabernet Sav 2000"
We will be thinking of all of our friends and family, as we sit down
to this last Happy Hour of 2008. Wishing you ALL, everything of the
best for 2009!!