Sunday, January 26, 2025

Remembering

 Remembering with sadness and a smile

    She slipped away during one of my low moments. I had a cold that turned into a major deal with a six-week check out of life requirement. When it came time for her memorial service, I was absent from the circle of remembrance. Was it the waiting at home for the CenturyLink repairman to restore our service or the dryer repair issue that distracted me? Regardless there is a void where an closure should reside. I missed being with others to share our mutual feelings of respect and love for her bright shining soul.  


Heather Halabisky
May 28, 1944 - November 11, 2024

Heather, seen here with her son Bruce, were instrumental in birth of the Bantry Bay Boat project. She worked tirelessly in conjunction with Sally Slater to bring this fragile yet amazing idea of a community boat building project to life. Heather, who was oh, all of 5 feet maybe, high had a lion's heart and a can-do attitude. If her logic wouldn't work on you then she would beam out her heart rays to convince you. Her smile and laughter were infectious equal only to the sadness that could be written all over her face if she couldn't convince you of her dream. 

This dream of hers was not for herself, it was something greater that included all souls, all willing hands; it was all inclusive. Biases that separated people into rich or poor, strong or weak, racial, gender, feelings - all separations were weeded out with love and understanding.  Her generous spirit full of kindness and love will be sorely missed in these current times. 

While her passing was not a surprise. her timing was good. She didn't need to witness the most recent degradations of American life since her passing. It would have literally broken her heart. Her spirit would not, could not have weathered it. We can only hope in her new place in heaven and in spite of her tiny frame, she is taking a sledgehammer to the walls separating people and replacing it with respect and kindness. 

I hope too that Heather will look down from her heavenly perch and send blessings down on Verite, our beloved boat, who is now residing in a new home along the Thea Foss Waterway. Fresh hands and enthusiastic leaders are continuing the community plan of "one for all" of bringing young and old alike into the boat. 

Thank you, Heather. We will think often on your spark, your enthusiasm, your kindness and your will power to make this a better world. Let it guide us through the dark waters of our times knowing the power to achieve anything is within each of us, if we have the right mind-set, and if we work together to bring out the best in each of us. 


Heather Halabisky Obituary

Heather Coles Halabisky
May 28, 1944 - November 11, 2024
Tacoma, Washington - Heather Coles Halabisky was born in Dingwall, Scotland on May 28, 1944. She left for Canada with her younger sister Zoe and mum, who was a war bride, and with her parents they settled in West Vancouver. She went to UBC and got a degree in English. There, she met a handsome man in the forestry department, Don Halabisky. Together they embarked on a life-long adventure living in Virginia, Seattle, France, Montreal, Illinois and finally settling in Tacoma, Washington. She shared her love for the NW by taking her 3 children on frequent backpacking trips and road trips up to Vancouver to keep her large and close family connected (she was the oldest of 9 children!). Heather loved Tacoma and truly wanted to make it a better place for younger generations. She worked as a teacher both in the classroom and as a French tutor and was passionate about her work with women for TCC's Welfare to Work program. She volunteered for Beyond War, The Sea Scouts helping kids build a sailboat for the Atlantic Challenge and started their Cambodian refugee program at St. Mathew's Church. She and Don organized a volunteer group to restore a local green space, Julia's Gulch. Heather loved her family, the earth and promoted peace far and wide. She is survived by her siblings, Barbara, Dan, John, Peter and Nona, her children, Bruce, Nicole and Meghan, her husband Don and their 6 grandchildren, Solianna, Seffa, Paia, Lucca, Anya and Iain. A memorial will be held at the Browns Point Improvement Club on Jan. 11 at 2 p.m.


Saturday, September 7, 2024

Troll Tripping

It was a beautiful day.

 Eight Vérité WOWers met for lunch at the Antique Sandwich Company. 




Yum in the sun with friendly crows and friends.


Then it was off to Vashon Island by ferry. 







We were in search of the Bird King, Oscar.















He was gorgeous!
So regal on his throne, but apparently no one told him,



"Oscar, It isn't polite to point at pretty girls!"

"Or touch them either!"






But you can't go all that way without walking down to see the Lighthouse and walk the beach. 






















Life is good. 










Wednesday, August 7, 2024

Saucing the thwarts

 Saucing the thwarts

sounds like a catchy title for a sea shanty, don't you think?


"Oh, they sauced the boat from stem to stern 

and then things took a little turn.

They giggled so much the inspector came round, 

 a few fumes later she joined in making happy sounds."


Oh, boat saucing can be so exhilarating. It means that there are just a few more things on the to-do list: 

a little painting of the green and leathers for the oarlocks. Then Verite will go down to the water, we pray, to soak up Commencement Bay. 

Thank you to today's crew - Sally, Jan B. and Jan and Leslie (the inspector) and

of course George!













Thursday, August 1, 2024

Mellow Yellow

 This week some of the Jan's gathered to paint the yellow stripe inside. Up the stairway to heaven and once again we were in the boat. Oh, joy. I feel a song coming on....

Mellow yellow

They call it mellow yellow (Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow (Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
Saffron, yeah
I'm just-a mad about her
I'm-a just-a mad about-a saffron
She's just mad about me
They call it mellow yellow (Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow (Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
Oh, so yellow...


Maybe that would make more sense if I said Beatles? 
Or had put the first line of the song instead of the last. 
How many of us learned the last phrases of any of the 60-70's songs?

The inside yellow now has two coats. A special thanks to George again for his magnificent taping job.
He makes it so easy. Of course there are more things that need to be painted or sauced or addressed, but transformations, when done properly take time. 








This Jan always follows the rules - as per sign.

Who knew?
The little space behind the cleat - is very narrow. 

Day 2 
The temperature under the clear roof had to be 95 degrees, maybe more. 
The bow was dry before I reached the stern.


But it sure beat sitting in the cool and listening to the latest news on the TV. 
And that's the Verite (aka truth).





Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Wander-Land down by the sea

July 22, 2024 at 11:35 am there was a -3.11 tide. With a overcast sky above and a slight breeze to greet us, we made our way across the space between the land and the sea. The water looked like a mirage and felt very far, far away.  In the foreground a murder of crows walked purposefully through the green ribbons of eel grass. Once the WOWers gathered we would join them on the slip slide to the water. 

Right away things looked different. Sand dollars were upright, tube worms were sticking their body parts? up. There were so many it was like a carpet of soda straws popping up on the beach. We noted the ell grass looked much more plentiful. Good work restoration team! The plethora of little things - tiny gastropods, barnacles, a sky little wormy thing in a shell, tiny, tiny mussel shells proved love was in the air. The eagles and herons always appreciated. Oh, you will see if you watch the video. 

It was all amazing and yet one thing puzzled us. We had our guesses, but I suppose we will never know what it really was. The thing of which I speak is toward the end of the video.  Maybe it is better we keep it a mystery. 





Tuesday, June 25, 2024

She lives

What a restorative sight it is to see Vérité being carefully and lovingly restored to her previous beauty.  Just look at the carefully placed tape so that the painting can be done precisely. Look at Vérité's sleek lines and structure. One day her form will once again meet the water because great care and effort went into attending to her underside. Even in it's unfinished state, there is beauty in her hull. A representation of the sea itself written on her normally unseen parts.

How does a wooden boat breathe?  Through the hands of those who touch her. How does a gig move - through the hands that row her. How does a boat's spirit live on - through the efforts of those who believe and love that she can create a community, ever restoring itself a new. 

Thank you George and your team of Boat Builder staff and volunteers. Thank you Sally, Terese, and Leslie for last week's red paint work. 

The realm of possibilities is opening up. 

Once again - she lives