Of Sailors and Shopkeepers

The Pacific Northwest remains home—we’re bound to its specific light and mood. It’s a region that draws us back, anchored by the family and friends who call it home, and we’re always happy to return.

Our son and his partner live full-time on a sailboat in Seattle. Watching them navigate that lifestyle offers an interesting lesson in editing. It’s a constant negotiation especially for inner maximalists that insist on squeezing in books, books, and more books. Onboard, what makes the cut is either useful or well-loved. We have friends that use the rule of when something comes in, something else must go out.

Whenever we visit, we find ourselves drawn into the life of the waterfront. It has a distinct soundtrack written in the clanging of halyards against masts and the very loud barking of sea lions across the docks. Below the surface, harbor seals appear as quiet, curious neighbors. We love the unhurried rhythm of the marina.

When we pull ourselves away from the water, that same appreciation for edited utility draws us downtown to bookseller Peter Miller in Pioneer Square. His storefront houses a beautiful assortment of design titles and fine tools. We invariably find some small treasure—like an Italian stapler or one of the works he has penned himself. His books, Lunch at the Shop and Shopkeeping: Stories, Advice, and Observations, remind us that community can be formed as much by a shared meal as by the act of opening a shop door.

Sunset | Shilshole Bay Marina, Seattle, WA | October 2024