We went to Ohio this weekend.  Yes, it was nice to spend some time Mother’s Day with my mom and sister, but the actual reason for the trip was for my eldest daughter to attend a sailing clinic.  As is the norm with these things, I hung back, listened and watched.  Sailing is not MY sport, but my two girls’.  I possess the “book knowledge” thus, as my kids will tell you, none of the skill. 

Well, lo and behold, Nicole, the instructor, spent a portion of her time discussing the importance learning to distinguish distances.  While she referred to boat lengths in her topic, I have to say, I gained some insight on how I can improve my own design skills.  If I am to be completely honest, I must admit that as good as I am at memorizing and visualizing color, I am conversely deficient in my skills at judging distances.   

Nicole stressed to the junior racers how important it is to portion out an area the length of their boat and get familiar with it.  She told them they need to walk the space over and over, and then memorize it visually from a distance. 

Perhaps I should do this with…a standard sofa length?  A queen size bed?  An armchair?  Or maybe a just 12 feet as a standard reference.