Marin - 1980 to Present

We moved to Marin County in 1980 where I ran workshops on true love and friendship. A few years later, I dissolved the organization. Instead of wearing ashes and a sackcloth, I became a peddlar, then a rep for a wholesale auto parts distributor. A year later, I started my own company which I ran for 23 years, during which time I learned to tell stories and developed materials for the screenplays I later wrote.

In 1993, I re-entered woodworking when I bought a wooden 1907 tugboat that needed a lot of work. I lived onboard with my two sons until we moved back on land and I started an art career in 1997. I had to choose between a woman-art career, or a boat. I sold the boat in 2000.


Marin

"Catalina", built in Oakland in 1907, one of the oldest boats on the Bay. 50' long, it was big and heavy and beautiful. I replaced the planks in the

Marin

stern (back), some side planks, the entire canopy, the forward cabin, eliminated the rust spots, got the head (toilet)

Marin

to work, the holding tanks, the sinks, fresh water pump, hot water heater, battery charger, etc.


The art market dropped so I went into being a handyman/carpentry/woodworker. My first job was a houseboat roof repair and a space for a 12' cabinet. One job led to another.

Sandi's Credenza Full View

Sandis Left Drawer

Sandis Bed

Sandi's cabinet had to fit inside a gap where the tiles ended and be perfectly flush with the window sill. The drawers had to be as large as possible. The right hand area had to be exactly 12" high to accommodate her vacuum, the other side, her hi-fi. And, by the way could we make a sliding bed under the top for a guest bed? This meant making it out of a hardwood, solid cherry instead of redwood. And how about hand made pulls instead of the usual knobs? More problems: the floor was curved and I had to build it in her living room because it was a houseboat with ramps, docks and water surrounding it; it also had to be light enough to be picked up and dropped into the slot. It turned out to be a perfect fit. One rap of the mallet (rubber hammer), and it lined up prefectly. The customer still wasn't happy.