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Date: 27 May 2016. Hoops and Loops.

© janice142
 

It is a rough life out here. Living in paradise is not just about sipping refreshing tea from a glass brimming with ice cubes while the sun marches across the sky. It requires effort just to get through the tasks of daily life. If I am nothing else I am efficient. I like to make things easy for me. When the chores are easy they will be done quicker. Hoops and Loops are one component in making my life sweet.
 


You see I'm retired. This retirement thing is wonderful. Yes I write and that is fun too. When I'm fortunate folks actually use the links found on the top left corner of each page to buy their goods from Amazon. Hint! It costs you nothing and I appreciate every purchase. That is my Income.
 

As the sun moves across the sky I like to keep the interior of the boat shaded. Sailboats have the advantage of being able to put up a *boom tent. I don't have a boom plus I have solar panels that need sunlight.

*Boom Tent: a large piece of canvas supported by the boom of a sailboat that extends to the outside of hull covering the cabin. The boom tent/canvas shades the boat and that makes her cooler inside.
 

On Katja the boom tent keeps the deck and cabin cooler.

Thanks for sending this picture Irene.


As the sun moves from east to west it is a good idea to shade the interior of the boat. I have a piece of fabric leftover from a previous project. I was using clothes pins to hold it to the curtain rods. That worked, but it required effort.
 

Try not to play the violins for sympathy too loudly. The clothes pins were a pain in the transom. I would drop them. Plus they did not look attractive. They did get the job done. There was room for improvement though and that is where my Loops come into play.
 

In mother's button box were several plastic loops about 1" in diameter. I sewed a loop at the top corners. The fabric sheet now hangs quickly with little effort.
 


 

You see, if things are easy they are done. Tough tasks tend to be put off.



For the folks that really Look at the pictures, yes that is Seaweed the Beanie Baby in the corner leading down to my cabin. It was a gift from Jon Garret's mom.
 

This is Jon Garret in Algae. Skipper is aboard too.

My Skipper loves going on boat rides.


As a matter of safety Jon Garret was required to learn how to row Algae before he was allowed to use the trolling motor. I wanted him to be able to bring himself home if the motor quit. He also carried with him a portable VHF radio.
 

More on the photo, copied again for your
 convenience and because I do not like to scroll.


On the right side of this picture you might note some of my seashells. Those are special ones. The top was from Ken gathered at 80' during a deep water dive. The second and third are from Tara who also made me a pair of potholders that I treasure.
 

The sixth one (pink and white) from the top I found when I was a little girl.
 

Seaweed is not just about life afloat, she is my memory box. Filled with things I love and enjoy I look at the items and remember the person.

That said, keeping down the clutter is a constant battle. Many items eventually become Christmas tree ornaments. Then I can enjoy them during the holidays. That is always fun. The reason I am thinking of Christmas is because earlier this week I listened to the radio broadcast of It's A Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart.


For me, Christmas is the definition of Joy...

 

I thrive on happiness, banish sadness, and actively seek joy.
There is no broadcast news nor pop culture intruding in my life.

 

Now I would like to tell you I purposely made a piece of fabric just the right size to cover the window and door glass in the pilothouse. Actually it was the last corner of the fabric leftover from making a quilt backing, bed sheet and coverlet. That $4 duvet cover from the Salvation Army surely did provide a lot of wonderful fabric.
 

I also found an old army screen tent at a thrift store. It is now the screens for Seaweed. I turned under the edges wrapping them around the ribbons normally used to tie the tent. Then at the top I sewed loops using some 1/8" string I had in my String Box. The loops allow me to easy hang screens when the doors are opened.



Whenever I need to make something requiring fabric the first place I go is the soft-goods section at thrift stores. With plenty of time (this retirement thing is awesome!) I know I will eventually find just what will work. Best of all the quality will be excellent.
 

I am particular about my bedding. It needs to be soft and not at all scratchy. Thrift stores are where to find the best stuff at reasonable prices.
 

Currently I am looking to upgrade that fabric shade along with my top sheet and coverlet. They are off white now. Originally they were a medium green. Years of washes and sun have faded the cloth to the point where the off-white patches blend in.
 

I get my money's worth out of purchases. This is what remains of a white shirt:

 

Next time I will measure carefully and make sure my rings are in the exact right place to hang over the windows. I was fortunate with this sunshade. The fabric currently in use it will be cut into blocks about one foot square.
 

The cloth will become disposable work rags. That is the fate of all fabric that is no longer fit for any other use. It is nice to have a stack of old stuff to use and throw away. These are far less expensive than paper towels.
 


 

The rags satisfy my Use-It-Up mentality. I have definitely gotten my money's worth from the $4 invested so long ago. Still, there's a bit more life in the fabric and like flashlights, more is better.
 

As for me, the sun is again moving so I am going to get up and move the shade over to the starboard side of the boat. This is not too difficult and I suppose I will use the remaining strength to open a bottle of pop on this hot afternoon.
 

Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful day.

How do you attach your sun shades to the windows?
Do you use permanently mounted curtains/blinds or movable ones?
 

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