Curtains

Somthing we have been needing to do for a while now is install some curtians on Coconutz. I finally got them hung up tonight.

Here are some photos.

Diagram from 100 Fast and Easy Boat Improvements by Don Casey

Jaime first sewed the curtains from some material she had left over from another project. Then we inserted looped length of shock cord. into the pocket she sewed in.

Looped shock cord (bungee) to be inserted in to the curtain.

Bungee Loops made fast with some bits of copper wire.

close up of the wire closure

To hang the curtains on the wall we used some door knobs we found at the hardware store. I epoxied a brass screw in to each knob so we could screw them in to the wall. Then I stained them to match the oiled teak interior.

Staining before and after.

After drilling 2 pilot holes on each side of the window I screwed in each knob and hung the curtain. Now we have some curtains that can be easily removed, and can be used regardless if the windows are open or closed.

Project complete

Two Weeks Notice

Today I will be giving my ‘two weeks notices’ at my work. I have been working at a small 95 bed skilled nursing facility/rehab for a year and nine months now, Windsor Garden of S.D. It is located within walking distance from us, just a mile away from our marina. I often would walk or longboard to work. It was my first job as a registered nurse. While I was in school I said I would never-ever work a skilled nursing facility. I thought it would be sad, morbid, smelly etc, etc. But,, I was very glad to be wrong about this.

Don’t get me wrong,,, it wasn’t easy, and I commend those who have made it their long term career. Think of having to go through 4 DONs in less than 2 years (aka: your boss, director of nursing, all different, all of which difficult to work with), passing medications to 42+ patient’s in a two hour time block because another nurse decided to call-in, patients then refusing those meds, dealing with angry family members and doctors, mounds of paperwork (ALL done by hand), new admissions (a two or more hour process, at 10pm an hour before you are getting off), and more responsibility on your shouldered than you could ever imagine! Most months I would say to myself, “this is it,, I am done. I can’t handle it any more.”But, even through all the tough times and craziness God gave me a bright light.

I call them a bright light because that is exactly what they are! Mark, Kris, Myrna, Camilla, Mario, Michelle, and Kelly. Those nurses, that in the mist of a crazy night at work would bring a smile to my face, a joke, feed me (thanks Myrna an Kris!), help me finish paperwork, and just make an other wise terrible situation into a wonderfully fun time.  I would not have stayed at this facility as long as I did if it hadn’t been for these lovely people! After working with them for so long it is hard to imagine working anywhere else without them. I know they are all very happy for me and excited for my opportunity to move on,, but it’s still going to be hard to leave them.

I really want people to know that although a nursing home may seem a very sad place to work,,, it is  full of beautiful fun resident’s that will brighten your day sometimes in the most obscure and funny ways! The older population have so much knowledge and wisdom that will become lost/extinct if people don’t care to ask questions and find it. If you don’t ask you would never know that they have traveled to more places in the world than you can shake a stick at, or that they had 14 children and have out lived half of them, or that they fought battles in WWII and Vietnam.  I want to compare it with the beginning of the movies “Water for Elephants,” “Titanic,” and “The Note Book.” All of which have scenes where there is an older character reminiscing about their beautiful past. It is a bit like that,but you’re not watching it on a screen.

The good news is I will still be working with the elderly populations mainly living in nursing homes on the South Bay of San Diego. I was formally offered a position with San Diego Hospice. I am so excited about this! There are some of you that have already voiced some concerns about working with Hospice. Yes, it is still not an easy field, but no job as a nurse will be “easy”.  I will be working Mon- Fri. 8-5pm and have weekends free. I start a month of training on Feb. 13th! I am so excited knowing this could be a very good fit for me and my personality. I also can’t wait to hand over my letter of resignation,, it’s going to be bitter-sweet,, but a little more sweet than bitter! So my last day of work at Windsor will be Feb.10th, 2012.

Life Without Refrigeration

We buy lots of fresh fruits and vegetables

We also store up on dried goods and items that don't need refrigeration

We have been using more beans, rice and (Textured vegetable protein)

It’s been about 6 months or so since we decided to get rid of our small, very problematic refrigerator. We thought and talked about it, and came to the conclusion we would go without refrigeration on Coconutz,,, for as long as we could stand. A good portion of the world’s population goes without,, why can’t we.

I am happy to report it is not as bad as one might think. We are still learning how to get by without the frig, but the process has been fun and surprisingly  educational, lol! It’s made living and eating on Coconutz much more simple,,, not to mention opened up more storage space!

We go to the store (Henry’s, Trader Joe’s, Seafood City, or Food 4 Less) about once week. We normally buy a lot of fruits and veggies, breads, dried goods (pasta, beans, lentils etc.) as well as canned food products. We try to get our eggs only from Farmers markets. The eggs need to be non-refrigerated, because they will last much longer. We have read that if you cover the outside of an egg with Vaseline it will stay good for over 2 months! We have also learned (from Lin and Larry Pardey) that it is possible to cover cheese with olive oil in a jar without needing to refrigerate it. Haven’t tried these ideas yet, but excited about the possibility!

Instead of iceberg lettuce we buy a head of cabbage. Cabbage can be used for so many different things (stir-fry, soup, salad, sandwiches) and doesn’t need to be kept cold. It can last up to two weeks laying out on a counter top. We substitute olive oil for butter, and rice milk or powdered milk for regular cows milk.

We haven’t perfected living without refrigeration yet,, but are having a great time learning that is not necessarily necessary for living.  It’s also bringing us one step closer to being self-sufficient!

Closet Shelves

These have been made and installed for a while now,, but I still wanted to post about them. When we first moved onto Coconutz we used the closet for hanging coats and jackets but knew the space could be utilized much more efficiently. We saw these shelves in the book: 100 Fast & Easy Boat Improvements  by Don Casey. I used Sunbrella for the boarder and a heavy duty mesh for the mid-section to allow air flow. Then installed grommets 3 to a side. Eric finished up installing them and lashed them in using tarred marlin. We are now able to fit all our clothes minus our coats and foul weather gear,,, but thats pretty good for a little 22′ Falmouth Cutter!

Happy Monday! Have a great week!

Prep work for the grommets

Eric working on the installation

Finished product!