Origin

I grew up on Lake Superior. The Anishinaabe (Ojibwa) tribe of Native Americans call this greatest of the Great Lakes Mighty Tall Water due to her depth exceeding 1,300 feet of cold clear water. Her bed is the lowest spot in the continental interior of the United States. Her influence on my love of all things in and on the water led to a 20-year career in the United States Navy, where necessity and ability met to develop durable products for the waterborne.

My history with the needle and thread began at the age of 4 years as I watched my mother working a sea-themed cross-stitch. I was fascinated with the glint of the needle as it moved above and below the fabric, causing colorful lines and patterns to appear. I begged her to let me try. Almost 50 years later, it hangs on my wall. I vividly remember the first stitches I formed under her tutelage and the quote has come to mean more every year as I endeavor to pilot my own boat.

One ship sails East,

Another West,

With the self-same winds that blow,

‘Tis the set o’ the sails

And not the gales

Which determines the way they go

-  Ella Wheeler Wilcox