Things - do we own them or do they own us?

Now that we're getting our house ready to rent, we are amazed at all of the crap that we own - and we really don't have that many things! We don't have a TV, home phone, or video games (because we don't have a TV). We also don't have any credit card debt.

But, we still have stuff. Lots of it. Papers, books, artwork, mementos - stuff. Unfortunately, most of this stuff won't fit, or survive on a boat. So, I've been selling off our furniture on Craigslist and listing our artwork on eBay. Everything else is going to Goodwill or being sold at the Londontowne neighborhood flea market on August 16th. We're sleeping on our pillow top mattress on the floor because I sold our bedroom furniture last month and gave away the box spring. We're using Rubbermaid containers for our clothes, and my courtroom attire is stored in bags. I hope they'll still be in style 5 years from now.

Getting rid of stuff is cathartic. I like the feeling of relief I get knowing that I'll never have to dust THAT thing again or worry about THAT thing breaking.

Our lifestyle mantra is simple. If it's redundant, even if it's convenient, we get rid of it. If something cuts into our free time, we get rid of it. If we can't afford to pay cash for it (yes, vehicles included) we don't buy it. I've never owned a new car, nor will I ever. I've also never had a car payment. All of our vehicles came off Craigslist, and we get at least 200,000 miles out of them before we sell them. My husband installed a wood stove in our living room, and our electric bills are under $100/mth all year. We have energy efficient window A/C units which cool down only the rooms we use, and we have saved hundreds of dollars a month not running the central A/C. Last month's electric bill? $56.

Conversely, we frequently dine out. I've been mystery shopping for over 20 years, so we are able to enjoy fine dining like Sam & Harry's and The Palm Restaurant on a regular basis, but on someone else's tab. We live simply, but we have a rich life.

We decided that if the thing in question can be replaced for $100 or less, it goes. And, we can always get more furniture off Craigslist in the future. I'm keeping most of my stuffed animals, however - I do have my limits.

What are we going to do with the stuff that we want to keep? We decided 3 days ago to buy an enclosed trailer and plop it in the backyard. Hopefully, it won't be an eyesore to our future tenants. We found a 6 x 10 trailer on Craigslist yesterday and bought it on a handshake. It would cost the same amount if we had rented a 5x5 storage unit for 2 years, and this way we can keep everything on our property, in one place. Plus, if and when we decide to leave the area, all we have to do is hook the trailer to our pickup and we're ready to go.

I remember a time in my life, about 25 years ago, when I could fit all of my belongings in my Dodge Colt hatchback. I remember how I felt so free and unencumbered. Sometimes I find myself longing for that simplicity of life again. I think I might be getting close.

We agreed. No more teak! Some people enjoy the meditative-like repetitive labor of taping, sanding, prepping and varnishing teak. I prefer to find my Zen on a massage table. So how is it that I'm here brushing a second coat of Teaqua on the mile of teak toerail surrounding our boat?

I was at Casa Rio Marina in Edgewater, where my Dana 24 was on the hard, getting ready to be sold. We had planned on building our own cruising catamaran within the next 5 years and were not looking for another sailboat. I spent weeks sanding the teak on the Dana and prepping her to be varnished, but the humidity was not cooperating. And then, out of nowhere, she appeared. S/V Marquesa. A Freedom 40 Cat Ketch, hull #7. She looked just like a pirate ship.

I called my husband and told him about this cool boat that was just hauled out in the yard. Within 10 minutes, he was standing next to me. The unofficial word was that she was for sale. We climbed aboard and went down below, and my first thought was, "I could live here." That was all the encouragement George needed. There was a curved settee with a drop-down round table on the port (left) side with a full length settee on the other (starboard) side that pulled out into a full size bed. There was a separate aft cabin, which I dubbed the bachelor pad, complete with a spiral teak staircase. It even contained its own covered head and pull out sink.

The boat was covered in teak, but we didn't care. We had found our home. I asked around and heard a rumor that the boat had already been sold. Undeterred, knowing that contracts were meant to be broken, I located the broker. My husband stayed at home, waiting by the phone for my call. Negotiations were struck, and the deal was sealed with a handshake. She was ours!

Every inch of her bottom was covered with barnacles and blisters. We spent weeks grinding them out, rinsing out the salt from the blisters and filling them with fiberglass and epoxy. We painted the bottom with an epoxy barrier coat before adding the final bottom coat. We were accused of going over-kill on the bottom job, but we just smiled and said, "Thank you."

The previous owner had named her "Marquesa" and we decided not to change it. Whoever had owned her before us had had his own dreams, but was not able to see them realized. He had lost Marquesa through a bankruptcy. We decided to preserve her spirit by keeping her name, hoping that through us, she could fulfill her purpose. Besides, the Marquesas Islands is at the top of our list of places to sail. Plus, she came with a cool, carved name plate on her stern.

Just like you don't choose whom you love, I believe the same thing applies to boats. We certainly didn't want fixer-upper, especially one covered in teak. But one characteristic that both George and I share, is that we are flexible and open to change. The dream remains, but how we're getting there changes every day.

It's been several hours in the hot sun, doing the teak. George rides up on his motorcycle, bearing cold drinks for me. I'm not even aware of the time, too engrossed on the beauty of our home.

The year was 2004. I was a police officer with the Prince George's County Police Department, assigned to the Forensics/CSI Unit. My unit responded to all homicides, suicides and unattended deaths in the county, and our unofficial motto was, "If they're breathing, we're leaving."

I had purchased my first home in Edgewater, courtesy of HUD's Officer Next Door program and was enjoying my life by the water. By taking advantage of unlimited overtime opportunities, I was making an obnoxious amount of money for a single woman with no financial obligations other than a hugely discounted mortgage loan. Needing a bit of a break from my usual 80 hour work week, I took the month of September off. I had just finished hiking the 100 mile wilderness portion of the Appalachian Trail and embarked on a 2 week bicycle tour around Tuscany. I went back to work in October, and my health fell apart. Countless doctor's visits followed, along with enough prescriptions to make a junkie drool. Within 2 years, my law enforcement career was over. I was 39, single...and retired.

My health issues necessitated a complete lifestyle overhaul, especially if I wanted to get off my medication. I realized what I needed was more simplicity - less distractions, less things, and more living. I decided to buy a sailboat and live on it full time and eventually go cruising. I had lost a lot of confidence with the demise of my career, and I needed a new challenge. So, I did some research and purchased a salty Pacific Seacraft Dana 24 and decided to sail across oceans, a la Tania Aebi. But first, I had to learn to sail.

I signed up for a 5 day, all woman, liveaboard/cruising class in the BVI through a local sailing school. Unfortunately, the only thing I learned was that 6 women on 1 boat for 5 days is 4 days too long. I knew that single-handling was the only option for me. And then I met George.

We had met before in a sailing forum chat room and took an immediate dislike to each other based on our preconceived prejudices. George had shipwrecked in Mexico after losing the rudder on an Islander 37 that he was sailing back to the states for a dying friend. He hit a coral reef in Xcalek, which is a federal offense, and subsequently became a guest of the Mexican Government for 5 days before they verified the rudder loss. George was traveling up the East Coast, working on boats to repay those who had contributed to the "Rescue George" fund. A group of us met him for breakfast at Chick and Ruth's Delly and I went along just so I could finally put a face to the target of my insults. We met, and to use the old, tired-out cliche, the rest was history. Three years later, just last month, in fact, we celebrated our wedding on Wye Island, and I said goodbye to 41 years of singledom.

I sold my Dana 24, George sold his Allied 36, and together we bought a Freedom 40 Cat Ketch. Our plan is to get my...I mean our house ready to rent, our boat ready to cruise and to cut the dock lines this November. This blog will document that journey as we navigate through the first months as a married unit and discover the freedom we hope to find from the things we leave behind.