Annual letter 2011

Annual  look back at Hauquitz Year 2011

It is hard to believe a year has passed since I sat writing the happenings of 2010.  This has been a big decision year.  But we will get to that later.  First we started the year with a ski trip to NH with our good friends the Fisher’s and O’Conner’s.  February found us sneaking up to NH again –great snow and spending a week out West visiting Hauquitz cousins and skiing Durango CO. A fantastic place to ski.  I had my first oxygen bar treatment and I’m hooked!  We squeezed in a Barrel tasting at Sakonnet Vineyards.  Great way to test what is coming up in the next vintages.  Attended the wedding of Mike Irish’s son in CT, beautiful setting on the water and of course, with Mike, quite the party. We were so fortunate this year to make it back down to the boat in April and have Diane W with us.  We sunned and hiked and sailed and relaxed esp. in Bequi.  We really felt the islands calling to us.  The boat came out of charter in July and knowing this we went also in April to make lists and lists of things we will need once she is just ours.  We also made the decision to quit work in the fall and in Jan 2012 take off and sail where the wind takes us. In Feb. My sister and I decided to move our mother to assisted living in WY.  Ally has lots of family there and mom always liked Cody.  A great decision, though hard as mom has lived in Florida for 60 years.  I went out for 5 days in May to visit Ally, mom and as much of Ally’s kids and kin I could. In June we closed on the house, yes it sold in this market, and we were pleased even if it did take 5mo. to put under contract. Of course the closing was the morning we were getting ready to leave to head south and to the islands for 2mo., nothing like cutting it close.  We visited Aron, Katie, Madie, and Cole for a week before we flew out of Atlanta.  Aron is now home and in the Acquisition Corp and has made Major.  He is the small arms acquisition officer.  Madie at 7 is really enjoying 2^nd grade and is top reader in her class.  Cole is 3 and a dynamo like his dad and uncle at that age.  Also loves to follow big sister around.  Katie keeps all afloat.  Eric and Kelly met us in BVI for 10 days with the girls.  Eric and Carl got in all their requisite diving and Kelly went along on a few.  The girls and I played on the beach, in the ocean and in pools, where ever there was water.  Tali learned to snorkel this year with her face in the water.  She loved the Baths under water this year.  Cloe being 18mo was still very portable.  Tali took swimming lessons when she came home and is gaining confidence to swim without her life jacket.   The kids flew home and Carl and I headed to St. Vincent and FROLIC.  We spent the next 6 weeks, installing alternators, inverters, gas grill as well as worked with the base to get the boat to contract return condition.  Sunsail has done a great job of chartering and caring for FROLIC.  We were fortunate to have a great base manager and transition manager.  I was lucky to meet another boat wife, Lily, who was great at locating needs and giving great advise. We are anxious to return.  We arrived back in RI in time to weather a hurricane and have school delayed for a week. Thank goodness for Alice and John as we found a warm bed.  We went back to work to get things organized then turned in our resignations.    Little earlier than planned but family issues came up.  We spent some time with Carl’s father in LI and then drove out west.  On our westward drive we got a chance to see some different parts of the country and visit friends and family as we drove.  We stopped in Akron OH and visited a neighbor who was acting as visiting art professor at the local U. and we stopped in MI to visit my cousin whom I had not seen in 6yrs. We spent 2 weeks visiting my mom and sister staying with Becky and Scott.  While there, we got to help them work on their winery, Buffalo Jump in Cody.  On the way back from WY we stopped in NE and visited my aunt and a cousin on their farm.  Carl was impressed by the huge combine and tractor.   We also snuck a way with Eric and family to Mexico for a week of surfing and another hurricane.  Surf was up good though.   Carl flew back to NY first of Nov. as his brother was there from Australia helping out Astra and Stephen with Asher.  Stephen has been appointed the UN delegate for Australia and they were in NY for 3mo.  We spent 3 weeks and Thanksgiving with Aron and his family and in-laws.  So good to spend time with the kids and grandkids and relax.   We flew to Las Vegas first week of Dec. for the SASS convention.  Carl has always wanted to go to Las Vegas so it seemed like he could do two things he liked.  The convention was fun and the strip was unique.  They had a marathon while we were there and closed the strip to traffic, 40,000 Runners.  The rest of Dec. was spent at Kelly and Eric’s going thru boat equipment and trying to stay in weight limit packing.

 Christmas is upon us and we are so thankful for our family and friends.  We wish you all a Blessed New Year and extend an invitation to join us on the boat if you can.

Fair Winds and Following Seas, Leslie and Carl