Plain Jane Plain Talk

2009

60 MPH sailors

Last December while in Sea School working on my USCG Captain’s license…I met “Captain” Jane. What are the odds in a predominantly male merchant marines – that I would meet […]

2009

Houdini Mechanic of the Day

After a winter in Baltimore, or for no other apparent reason, our automatic anchor windlass has decided to act up. The windlass is a motor that turns the chain holding […]

2009

The return to Cat Maudy…afer 3 months on land

(Captain Pat) … that I have spent the winter in […]

2009

New cushions…on a dime

Cat Maudy gets new cockpit boat cushions on the cheap… * discounted Microfiber upholstery fabric from G Street Fabrics @ $7/yard * reuse existing cushion material * use velcro to […]

2009 Adventures

Cosmic Bowling

Cosmic Bowling is now officially checked OFF of the bucket list. I wasn’t aware that this was ever ON the bucket list, but surely it was an opportunity we couldn’t […]

2009 Adventures

Happy Birthday Jill!

Smiles on the ground — while all the HOT AIR came rushin‘ outta the B-DAY balloon ride in Miami FL. Despite the dramatic finish into a field of mangos, and […]

2009

Where to start…with window replacement 101

We’re back on-board Cat Maudy after a 9 week stint […]

2009 Adventures

Skating meets Hula!

It’s hard to imagine having more fun than combining our favorite ‘dorphin activities – hula and skating. After a long cold winter, temps had finally reached into the 70’s. Only […]

2009 Adventures

Lewis & Clark…return to base camp Maryland

It was now the final leg of our journey – […]

2009 Adventures

Lewis & Clark…linger in Louisville, KY

After 3 days of driving, it was time for a […]

2009 Adventures

Lewis & Clark…Arkansas to Kentucky

The terrain of western and central Arkansas looked a lot like Maryland. Rolling hills, green vegetation and trees over 3 feet tall. The biggest difference was the increase in water […]

2009 Adventures

Lewis & Clark…fast trak to Arkansas

Let’s just get to it. Some states are sincerely “welcoming” and others are not. We touched on 4 states today (New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas) and the “welcome factor” […]

2009 Adventures

Lewis & Clark….go backroad trippin

It was time to descend from the stunning views of Colorado Rocky Mountain peaks, and beam ourselves back down to earth. Rather than travel the Interstates, we decided to take […]

2009 Adventures

Lewis & Clark…take on the Friends and Family Plan

On ski day 4, in the Rockies, we were glad […]

2009 Adventures

Lewis & Clark…get an Oxygen fix

There are some expert skiers out here – many who take skiing to the extreme limit. The “bowls”, the “extreme terrain”, getting lost in the “back country”, outlasting an avalanche […]

2009 Adventures

Lewis & Clark…ski in thin air

After a few hours of computer work, it was time to get the day started on the Peaks at Breckenridge. We sachet’d our way to the bottom of the parking […]

2009 Adventures

Lewis & Clark…go skiing at the BRECK

I’m thinking that an emergency oxygen mask should be designed […]

2009 Adventures

Lewis & Clark…Climbing the Rocky Mountains

The weather was calling for 60 degree temperatures in Denver […]

2009 Adventures

Lewis & Clark…Denver CO

After 2 & 1/2 days of driving…we opted to stay the night in western Denver – just one exit past “Wadsworth Boulevard”. Denver rests in elevation a mile high…a good […]

2009 Adventures

Lewis & Clark…COFFEE nirvana

DAY 3 (Denver CO)Enuf with the HOOPING….Paddy needed COFFEE. and not just your everyday starbucks experience….this was about down-n-dirty getting the best cup of coffee that could be had. I […]

2009 Adventures

Lewis and Clark….Missouri to Colorado

Day 2…. Missouri yippee – we just crossed the Mississippi – and I kept staring at that big ARCH – which represents the GATEWAY to the WEST. I stared at […]

2009 Adventures

Modern day Lewis and Clark

With a brief “low” in gas prices, and in our 2nd winter month away from Cat Maudy, it was time for a new adventure. A road trip. Spontaneous. Unplanned. This […]

2009 Adventures

Testing the ‘DORPHIN ouput of Toys from the 50’s

Remember the days of jump roping, hoola-hooping, skip-it and pogo […]

2009

Rest peacefully…little buddy Earl

Earl Grey…our Cat Maudy CAT companion, and buddy of 17 years….had to move on to the after life. Earl was an amazing lilac point siamese and shared with us his […]

2009 Adventures

A Perfect 10!

It was a beautiful day, with temperatures already in the mid-40’s and rising. Perfect for a bike/skate BRICK, with a 30 mile mountain bike run from BWI airport to Annapolis…followed […]

2009 Adventures

Old school skiers….meets Holy Sweet Molasses!

Stuck on land for 2 months, and away from Cat […]

2009 Adventures

Old school skiers….meets Holy Sweet Molasses!

Stuck on land for 2 months, and away from Cat […]

2009 Adventures

6.17.02 Internacional de Arte Digital

Cuba Si?

06.06.1942 Letter

6/6/42Dear Helen & Wilson:The weather up hear along the lake is very damp. When the sun does come out, its like being in the tropics. We can’t wear our summer […]

Cuba Si?

06.28.1942 Letter

June 28, 1942 Dear Helen and Wilson: Everything is going along smoothly. My trip back was uneventful and I have shaken off the cold you mentioned. My shots didn’t seem […]

From Fort Niagara NY

07.05.1942 Letter

July 1942 36 hour pass, so I saw these Saturday. Plenty of swift water. Niagara Falls, NY

Cuba Si?

10.5.1942 Letter

Oct 1942 Just stopping here for a few hours and enjoying ocean breezes. Back today. Russell Atlantic City, New Jersey

Cuba Si?

10.18.1942 Letter

Dear Helen and Wilson: Don’t mind my writing a typewritten letter, do you? Well that’s what you’re going to get anyway. I went down to Atlantic City a couple of […]

From Fort Niagara NY

11.17.1942 Letter

Dear Willard and Grace: I received both the neck piece and the soap powder. I am wearing the one and washed my undies tonight with the other. Thanks. Yes, I […]

From Fort Niagara NY

11.29.1942 Letter

Moving again but waiting to start back. 1 full day of traveling to here. RussellFort Niagara, NY

1943 Letters

1.18.1943 Letter

Hello,No timeRussellFort Niagara, NY

1943 Letters

1.31.1943 Letter

Dear Helen and Wilson: Guess it’s about time I utilized this writing paper to drop you a line. Right now I have a grandstand seat on a huge crap game. […]

Coastline Views

6.25.02 Scenes from the coastline

1943 Letters

03.28.1943 Letter

Dear Helen and Wilson: Got your letter OK the other day. Smitty and I got back to camp OK the other day, and this time on time. So Bob wants […]

1943 Letters

5.27.1943 Letter

Dear Helen and Wilson, Willard and Grace, et al: Where do you think I am writing this letter from. The hospital up here. And what have I got – the […]

Cuba Si?

07.02.1943 Letter

Dear Helen and Wilson: Well, here it is July again and I’m still at the Fort. I do have a new address as you will note on the envelope. No […]

1943 Letters

09.05.1943 Letter

Dear Helen and Wilson: At least I’ve been working since I came back, but all of the guys I made friends with during the past year are moving out. Smitty […]

Cuba Si?

Blow adieu to 2008

When the local weather forecast began predicting 60 mph winds for the last day of 2008, I was somewhat skeptical. The weather weasels were mostly wrong about their forecasts. Whenever […]

1943 Letters

12.07.1943 Letter

Dear Helen and Wilson: Yes here I am, still alive, and apparently well except for one of those grippy colds which I have just about licked. I was chewing my […]

1944 Letters

03.20.1944 Letter

Dear Willard and Grace: I am enclosing a letter to give to Mom. Thought I just as well might enclose it with yours. Things are not going so bad right […]

1944 Letters

04.01.1944 Letter

New York City, NY Dear Helen and Wilson: Well, I’ve finally been drafted. Yes, that’s the feeling I get now after being at Niagara so long. There’s quite a bit […]

1944 Letters

04.15.1944 Motor Vehicle Permit (Overseas)

1944 Letters

04.20.1944 Letter

Dear Willard, Grace and all: This will let you know that I have arrived here safe and well. The trip was interesting, but uneventful. I have seen a little of […]

1944 Letters

04.28.1944 Letter

Dear Wilson, Helen and all: This letter has my latest address. I’m feeling fine and being fed better than I ever expected I would be fed over here. The eats […]

1944 Letters

05.07.1944 Letter

Note: In this letter, Russell discovers that his next oldest brother (Howard, who is 10 years older than Russell) has been drafted into the war. Russell is not happy that […]

Cuba Si?

05.18.1944 Letter

Dear Helen and Wilson and all, I’m starting one of those letters in which I can’t think of very much to write about. I feel as well as ever, and […]

2008

Securite Securite Securite…

…all stations….this is Cat Maudy with a mariner alert on Channel 16 for the Chesapeake Bay….there’s a new captain in town….OVER Since we wouldn’t be traveling south on Cat Maudy […]

1944 Letters

05.20.1944 Letter

Dear Howard: I got a letter from Mildred and Ralph this morning and your address was included in it. So here goes. As you already know, I am over here […]

1944 Letters

05.27.1944 Letter

I’ll send you an Air Mail letter with my account number over my signature, and you can deposit it at Endicott Trust Co. I saw a funny incident down town […]

1944 Letters

06.05.1944 Letter

(the day before the invasion of Normandy – written from Winchester Cathedral) Dear Willard, Grace and all; I answered a letter I received from you around a week ago. This […]

1944 Letters

06.14.1944 Letter

Dear Elizabeth: Well how are you and Grant doing? I suppose Mildred’s keeping you up on the latest dope about myself. I had a letter from Howard quite some time […]

1944 Letters

06.19.1944 Letter

Dear Willard and Grace: Thanks for the razor blades. I’ve got a pretty good supply now. Don’t suppose you have received my mail that I wrote prior to D-Day, but […]

1944 Letters

06.28.1944 Letter

Dear Willard and Grace: Just a few lines for this time as I noticed a couple of clippings in the paper and am enclosing them. Apparently some of my mail […]

1944 Letters

07.04.1944 Letter

Dear Willard and Grace; I’m C Q this noon so thought I’d take time out and drop you a short one. Don’t believe that I have written you since I […]

1944 Letters

07.06.1944 Letter

Dear Helen and Wilson: I received a package from you this morning in good condition. You’ve certainly covered my needs for the present. I never expected to get Gillette Blue […]

1944 Letters

07.18.1944 Letter

Dear Howard: Well, since I last wrote to you, I’ve had a considerable change in my way of living in that I have since been billeted in a couple of […]

1944 Letters

07.23.1944 Letter

Dear Willard and Grace; Thought I’d take a break and drop you a line as I believe I’m probably a little behind in writing to you. I’ve been pretty busy […]

1944 Letters

International Business Machines Corporation590 Madison AvenueNew York 22, NY Office of the President Corp. Russell F WadsworthG-2 European Civil Affairs Div.APO 658, c/o PostmasterNew York, NY Dear Corporal Wadsworth: I […]

1944 Letters

07.27.1944 Letter

Dear Willard and Grace; Have received your letter of the 25th OK and was certainly surprised to know that you have not received any mail from me dated after May […]

1944 Letters

07.28.1944 Letter

Dear Willard and Grace: Just received your letters in the mail this afternoon and since I just wrote to you yesterday or the day before, thought I’d clear up some […]

1944 Letters

08.08.1944 Letter

Dear Willard and Grace; Received your letter of the 25th today and therefore answering it right off the bat while I have a spare moment today. Just take a note […]

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