Friends,

Last week (the 6th) was what the Catholics call the feast day for St Nicholas. If one (like me) shares that name, then it is also their name day, which means they should have prayed and read up on the life of that saint on that day (not having been raised Catholic I’d only distantly heard of this ritual).

Nicholas, turns out, is the patron saint of merchants, archers, repentant thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, toymakers, unmarried people, and students.

And, most prominently, sailors.

As you may know, my current project circles around the years I lived on boats, and now here comes Saint Nicholas, rowing toward me.