By Judie Donaldson

Before it closed, Studio 41, the classy Benicia gift shop that was an institution on First Street for years, sold an item that I often purchased as a gift.  It was a cocktail napkin, yes, a cocktail napkin. Its appeal was in the message that was printed on it, which read, “Until further notice, celebrate everything!”
Don’t you love it? What a recommendation! l suppose it doesn’t specifically pertain to every little thing, but rather speaks to an attitude toward everything. Psychologists, too, advise that we will benefit if we take time to celebrate marker events in our lives, steps toward a goal, and successes of all kinds. Although intellectually this makes sense to me, I confess that I haven’t put this approach into practice. How about you?  Congratulations if you have applied this smart life strategy. I could use a little help if you’d care to mentor me.
As Lois wrote last week, Carquinez Village is taking this advice and hosting a first birthday party for ourselves. It’s on April 25, at 3:00 pm at the Yacht Club. We’d love to have you join us. Just call (707) 297-2472 to let us know you’re coming.
Personally, I’m in the process of planning to celebrate my 80th birthday, which is hard for me. “Fun” has never been my middle name, nor have parties been my style. People are more my forte. So, I’m planning a number of get-togethers with important people in my life who live around the country––including my three kids and five grandkids, of course.
As you’ve undoubtedly gleaned from past columns, I always benefit from being inspired by role models, and this is no exception. As I began to take steps to make reservations for my celebrations, I thought of two Carquinez Village members and a vacation that they organized last year. From my perspective, they symbolize the goal of Carquinez Village, which is to encourage seniors to live life as fully as possible. How did they do this? They rented and piloted a house boat on Lake Shasta up near the northern border of California. I don’t know about you, but I’m totally impressed.
The two women I’m referring to are Helen Hughes and Joanne Rosenthal. Perhaps you know them. Helen has one of those melt-your-heart-away British accents and a happy lilt, and Joane has a totally “wow look” with cool spiked hair and a touch of lavender.  Their house boat adventure included three other friends . . . as well as Buzz and Charlie, Joanne and Helen’s dogs. For starters, picture these five sixty-, seventy-, and eighty-something women lugging their duffle bags, sleeping bags, pillows and food-and-drink provisions in a wheel barrow down to the boat. Fortunately, there was a rope to hold on to as they went up and down the gangplank. (It must have been designed with seniors in mind.)
Getting on and off the boat was a bit tricky for the not-so-young-at-heart. The first attempt included a fall into the water and a swim around the boat to find the easiest way to get on board. I was amazed to learn that, aside from a drivers’ license, there are no special qualifications to pilot a house boat.   Apparently, it’s little more than turning on the motor, taking the wheel, and having the spirit for a bit of trial and error.
The fact that you travel at a speed of 10- 15 miles an hour and that there are only two directions––forward and reverse­­––must simplify things. Helen, who had never been on a houseboat before, turned out to be one of the primary drivers. She must have learned to navigate quickly because they weren’t alone on the lake. Quite the contrary. It sounds as though the lake was a kind of Grand-Central-Station of house boats.  Kudos to the “happy five.” No accidents, no getting marooned, and no women––or dogs­––overboard.
The boat was advertised as having a bunk room with the capacity to sleep ten, but five turned out to be a more realistic number. Ten? That may work for the groups of twenty-somethings who are the marina’s more common customers. One more thing about the accommodations though. There was just one bathroom. Hmmm. Imagine if there had been ten women on board!
This happy group of five went swimming every day, basked in inflatable tubes, enjoyed one another’s cooking . . . and never missed cocktails at sunset. Meanwhile, Buzz and Charlie had no problem staying safe and creating their own entertainment. The only challenge the women faced was “parking” the boat each night.  It literally consisted of ramming the boat into the shore, turning the motor off, and praying that the boat wouldn’t meander off during the night. Not exactly a recipe for a good night’s sleep.
I called the harbor master to ask if he had many other similar customers, you know, seniors.  “Typically only when an experienced sailor corrals his friends to give a houseboat a try,” he responded. He definitely remembered Helen and Joanne’s group. “They were pretty unique,” he reflected. “I had no doubt that they would have a good time!”
Not surprisingly, Helen and Joanne have other travels planned. I’ll keep you posted when I learn about them. I love the way they live life. We’re fortunate because they regularly bring their spirit to many Carquinez Village events. I have a sense that they adhere to the adage, “Until further notice, celebrate everything!” They are definitely good role models for me.

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