Sleeping in Seattle
Surprise Norm! By now you know we weren't at home posting in our diary this weekend after all. We were celebrating your 80th birthday with you in Seattle!
And it was a lovely, grand affair. Besides the fact that J was able to meet many Seattle and Bellingham relatives she'd never met (whose warmth defies description)...A & J were also able to spend a little quality time with H in Bellingham in her beautiful home on Friday evening.
It was a weekend of clean, soft sheets and relaxing soaks in a bathtub...ahhhh! The decadence of a beautiful morning view while quietly sipping coffee.
The last night there, the big surprise was on us. We felt like we had won the LOTTERY!
(A's mom's cousin) Ralph, his wife Marilyn & his son Karl offered us accomodations in the State Room of the Match Maker...the beee-yooo-ti-ful cruising ship that the family uses for their charter business, Cristal Charters LLC.
The family had gathered on to celebrate Norm's Birthday! This ship is SO magnificent and was especially interesting to two bungalow enthusiasts like us.
The original owner had restored the ship, adding hidden upgrades (an incredible sound system...steel infrastructure for the upstairs deck to accomodate enthusiastically dancing guests). He had preserved the beautiful teak wood, inside and out, which the Hammersborg Family lovingly tends to. Like a bungalow, it combines the beauty of elegant craftsmanship, the utility of space needed, and a cozy warmth.
Everything from the clever drawers and storage, to a creatively hidden washer/dryer, a dishwasher, a full-sized fridge and many bathrooms! (My favorite feature was the "ironing board" closet which mimics the exact features of those found in many a bungalow kitchen.) It's a bungalow of the waves!
The openness of the boat to the sea and sky, its accomodations that allow people to effortlessly gather and be together...it is a wonder. And, of course, the Hammersborg hosts are as kind and hospitable as can be. With Captain Ralph at the helm, the whole family is experienced in hosting weddings, parties, families, and adventurers in and around Seattle, Victoria, the San Juan Islands...the Northwest Passage in style and comfort and FUN!
We were rocked to a peaceful, quiet sleep in the State Room and enjoyed coffee in the Salon while watching the sun rise.
If you are ever in the Northwest (or you want to visit in a wonderful way), check out the MatchMaker on her own website. She is truly wonderful.
(More about our weekend adventure later and its relationship to our current project...my bed is calling to me! Yes, the one with plaster falling on it from the ceiling above....sigh. The dream is over.)
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