January 31, 2014. Norwegian Star. H. Brandt Ayers.

Ken did not enjoy this book. The author was in love with the Kennedy folks and is quick to give credit for many things , so Ken discounts the facts of the book. On the other hand, I enjoyed this book because he was living in Alabama during the years of the civil rights violence, and he tells what ordinary people were thinking and doing. Even living in Mississippi today, it is difficult to have conversations about race so I appreciate the author’s efforts to put the pieces together. And I am interested in the south and this book tells you what has happened over the years. The book is named In “Love With Defeat: The Making of a Southern Liberal”, and is written by H. Brandt Ayers, who was a newspaper publisher in Anniston, Alabama. Of course, he inherited the newspaper from his father, another point Ken objects to. The book is not well written either but the book itself is interesting and I am enjoying it, even though the author is still in love with the Kennedy’s. He makes some insights about the history of the south and it’s evolution into the new south. Of course, I can not read it straight through. I read a few chapters each day but I am enjoying it, even though the author is a liberal!!

January 30, 2014. Norwegian Star. Puerto Vallarta.

Arriving into Puerto Vallarta on a ship was a different experience for us today. We saw another part of the city from the sea. The mountains were still glorious and the weather perfect, both a reminder of why we live in the place during the winter months. Bandares Bay is much larger when seeing it from the ship. And the city seems smaller. There is not much of the city south, while the north stretches a long way with only small spots of undeveloped areas along the shore. And we could see our condo building as we left. Five types of whales stay in the Bay area in the winter. It is a nursery. We often see the spouts from our balcony. Today, when steaming away from Puerto Vallarta we were on the lookout for whales. We spotted several spouts in the distance but one whale and a baby came up quite close to the ship so we were able to see them surface and sink. It made for an exciting time. Tomorrow, we stay for the day at Cabo St. Lucas so with any luck we will see more whales. The Sea of Cortez is another hot spot for whales. So far, the Pacific Ocean has been calm and pleasant. The water is clean and clear…and beautiful.

January 29, 2014. Norwegian Star. At Sea.

A day at sea is very refreshing. Ken and I did nothing except sit on the balcony of our cabin while looking out at sea. It was wonderful. At breakfast we noticed people organizing their day. The ship has a huge number of activities available from craft classes to lectures. It was clear to us that most people take part of the activities. But not us. We walked the deck. Then we stayed in our cabin looking out at sea. We even ordered room service. Last evening after leaving Hautalco, we watched the birds from our balcony. We had a show. Thousands of birds putt on the show, but not for us. They were looking for their dinner. Unfortunately, we had no clue what kinds of birds they were. We elected to leave our bird book at home, thinking we would use the internet, But the internet on the ships are expensive and slow so we are left with no information. Nonetheless, we loved trying to figure out the birds. We just need a birder along with us. Tomorrow we spend the day in Puerto Vallarta. We hope to see whales in the bay. Gill’s friends Gill and Tom are in Vallarta for vacation, so we will meet them for lunch. They live in Toronto. What a world.

January 28, 2014. Norwegian Star. Huatalco, Mexico.Huatulco.

Huatulco, Mexico is a charming town. Our ship spent the day in it’s very protected harbor. The main dock holds one big ship at a time so we were the only game in town. These large cruise boats are amazing with their ability to turn in a circle. The channel into the harbor is narrow but deep and our ship turned around and backed down the channel, finally using the side thrusters to put the ship right beside the dock. The first thing we noticed with surprise was the presence of a large US Coast Guard vessel also docked on the other side of the dock. We have no idea why it was there but it looked official and imposing. Ken and I walked around the town and found the prettiest church right on the shore. It was open to the air on all sides and was charming. The prettiest church I have seen. One couple , who live in northeast Washington state right near the Canadian border, commented to us that they may want to stay in Huatulco for a couple of months each year. I agreed with them. The town is big enough but not yet crowded. But we live in Nuevo Vallarta in the winter so we can not live in Huatalco. Even though it is a lovely little town.

January 27, 2014. Norwegian Star. Puerto Chiapas.

The weather during this cruise has been glorious. Every day the sun shines and the breezes blow. The temperature has been in the 80s. Most folks on the ship are from the north and are not eager to return to the cold and snow. Even the south is getting a winter storm this week, which will please the Mississippi girls. Ken and I feel fortunate to be here on this ship. Today we docked in Puerto Chiapas, a small fishing village thirty minutes from a larger city of 300,000. This little place has been selected to be a tourist destination. In ten years, I bet the place will be full of condominiums but at the moment, it is full of small, one story homes ringing the harbor. And fishing boats are everywhere. It must have looked like Puerto Vallarta in 1940. We docked at the one place large enough for our ship and the area has been nicely landscaped to accept tourists. A large palupa was built to house vendors and other displays. Ken and I got off the ship and walked around the whole area. They even built a swimming pool and restaurant for the guests from the ship to enjoy the day on shore. It is always nice to be in Mexico again. For the next few days, we travel right up the coast, stopping at two other Mexican ports before finally arriving in Los Angeles. Our goal for this journey has been to get from the east coast to the west coast. We have succeeded!!

January 26, 2014. Norwegian Star. Cleanliness.

This ship is making extraordinary efforts to keep people healthy, and for good reason. A sister ship of the Norwegian Line, came into port last week with 100 ill guests and the Caribbean Cruise Line arrived in Fort Lauderdale today with 300 guests with the flu. The cruise industry is working hard to try and keep us safe. Before entering any restaurant, the staff sprays each person’s hand with a disinfectant. Every elevator has containers to have guests use the anti bacterial cleanser. The Market Café is a buffet serving food breakfast, lunch and dinner, but now the staff spoons the food onto the plates. Guests are not allowed to handle the utensils. The same is true in the salad bar in the Brazilian steak house. Even the coffee must be given to us, even though the drinks are all designed to be self service. The increase in the staffing must be enormous for the cruise line but for the guest it means we must wait a bit. Every time the ship is in port, the whole ship is disinfected, from top to bottom. Ken and I have our own system. We never use the gym. We try to stay away from crowds or people. And we wash our hands frequently. So far we are healthy, and so is the ship, even though Ken and I are a bit anti social. Our efforts are working.

January 25, 2014. The Norwegian Star. This Ship.

This ship is just fine. Walking around the outside Deck 7 gives excellent views in all directions. Four times around is a mile. There are many places in the ship to sit and look out and have a drink. Today we ate lunch at a small restaurant, right on our own deck 8., so we still have surprises. We have yet to visit The Red Lion Inn, the British pub in the 12th deck. Over my objection, Ken ordered a dining package. The ship has three large restaurants available for all. The Versailles is elegant, Aqua less so but at both you are waited on and The Market Café, which is buffet for all meals. In addition, there are specialty restaurants to which you must pay. After reading the options open to us, Ken went right ahead and ordered a package for both of us for the whole 14 days. It has been wonderful. The food is wonderful and the service supurb. It has been like dining out at an expensive restaurant every night. Tonight, for the second time we will eat at the steak house. Each morning, I book a reservation for us, depending what we are likely to feel like at night. It is fun and I am pleased that Ken over ruled my wishes!!

January 23, 2014. Norwegian Star. The Panama Canal.

We are slowly cruising along the man mad lake of The Panama Canal. What a thrill. I have known about the Panama Canal all my life and I have watched ships enter the lock while watching from the shore, but it is more remarkable seeing the 8 story gate open, right before your eyes. Our wake up call at 5:45 was successful and we joined a few passengers at the bow on our deck 8. We watched as we approached the massive gate. Ken suggested we eat breakfast in the Versailles, right at the stern, so we enjoyed our breakfast while looking at the gates closing. All the while, a narrator told us on the PA what was taking place. Later after lunch, we enter more locks to put us into the Pacific Ocean. Now we have a certificate, telling of our traverse. I bet I don't keep it, but it was wonderful doing it. And it is not over!!

January 22, 2014. The Norwegian Star. Rock and Roll.

We have just spent two days rocking and rolling from Miami to Columbia, straight across the Gulf and Caribbean Sea.. With the wind speed at 45 mph and the waves at over 7feet, we definitely knew that we were at sea. After breakfast, we went for a walk and had so much difficulty walking we decided to head to our cabin. Ken already has trouble with balance, so with the rolling and the rocking of the ship, we decided to call it quits. On Monday, looking at the computer made me queazy, so I left the machines alone yesterday, but today we are in port, so all is well. When I looked at my iPad this morning, I had 70 e mails. Today we are in Cartagina, Columbia. Elvia, our housekeeper of many years, always spoke about the city as beautiful, but we are not going to see it, except from a distance. Those bus tours are not appealing. Today is warm. It is the first time since arriving in Florida that we have felt hot, which is a good thing because we like warm weather. So far so good. We have not yet gotten our sea legs but I assume that the small muscles used to stabilize us will soon get stronger. We hope so.

January 20, 2014. The Norwegian Star. This Ship.

Ken and I ate a most wonderful dinner last evening. The Cagney Steak house is the name. The food was excellent and the service superb. For the first time in months, we both ate steak…good Angus beef. Our sister ship, The Norwegian Pearl, arrived in Miami to find 100 passengers ill with a virus, so the Health Department was all over both ships. Before any passengers on our ship were allowed to board, the sanitizing crew had to make the ship ready, so the passengers were made to wait in long lines. We arrived at the dock area at 1:00, and it was 3:30 when we entered our cabin. This ship is full of older people, many with canes, so it was tiresome for us but close to impossible for many folks. I have seen only two kids on board and no young adults. Most folks are retired so we fit right it although we miss all the children who were on board on The Allure of The Sea. It is a different clientele. Tonight we dine in an Asian restaurant. So far so good!!

January 19, 2014. Miami, Florida. The Norwegian Star.

This afternoon we board The Norwegian Star. We will be living in cabin 8032, our original cabin. Our upgrade is for The Queen Elizabeth, the Cunard Line that will take us from San Francisco to Auckland, New Zealand. I just misunderstood the information but it got straightened out and now I am even more pleased as the Queen Elizabeth cruise will be longer than through the Panama Canal and the ship is more elegant. I did laugh at myself when I finally figured it out. It is interesting how your mind plays tricks on you when you assume the facts. I was only thinking Norwegian Star even though the deck plans for our new cabin clearly stated Cunard on the web site sent to us by the agent. But today we will board. The day is beautiful but cold. Miami is clearly not used to this chilly weather. Our room is still uncomfortable unless in bed. Even then, in the middle of the night I found two extra blankets to keep us warm. It has been my observation that the more you pay for a hotel, the less you get. The internet signal is spotty. No breakfast is free. The TV in our room would not give us any channel above 22 so we called the maintenance man who came to check and found that it was probably the TV, which I assumed he would replace. After returning from dinner and discovering that the TV was still not correct, I called again and finally, after asking to speak to the manager, a new TV appeared and it worked, so I was able to watch college basketball and the Australian Open tennis. We have been away from our home in Jackson for 3 weeks. By the time we return we will have been gone for 23 weeks. I am checking off the weeks. So far, all has gone well and the plans have worked out. We have learned things about Florida that we did not know and we enjoyed our two weeks with Dave and Irene. Of course, the 60th cruise started off the whole idea and was a wonderful start. But now, here we launch out today, with the goal being New Zealand and Gill. We are ready.

January 18, 2014. Miami, Florida. Chilly Weather.

Our hotel is lovely. We can see the cruise ships from our windows. After checking in and eating a last lunch with Dave and Irene, Ken and I entered our room and felt chilly, and as the thermometer was registering 67 degrees, we really were chilly. Ken turned on the heat but after an hour, the room was still not getting warm, so I called the front desk to tell them that the heater in the room was not working. The lady on the other end of the phone just laughed and said, "You are in Miami. It is never cold in Miami. The hotel has no heat". And she laughed and sent up a portable heater. Now Ken is sitting right in front of the heater, while I have kept warm reading in bed. Last evening, Dave wanted to go out for a last supper but we over ruled him. We still had left over ham and cheese along with crackers, so we four ate a nourishing dinner sitting in our motel room eating out of plastic bags. Ken drank a beer, which we had brought, and the rest of us drank water. To make it worse, Ken and I were wearing our nightshirts. But we four enjoyed our dinner together but we all decided that we had eaten enough ham to last us for the next six months, even though the ham was excellent. Our two weeks in Florida was pleasant and restful. Now Dave and Irene fly north to the cold, while Ken and I cruise south, getting progressively warmer. I suspect that sooner or later, it will be hot. But tonight, it is chilly in Miami.

January 17, 2014. Jupiter, Florida. Upgrade.

We have been upgraded. Our next cruise will take us to California, via the Panama Canal, taking the route of the 19th Century. The ship is the Norwegian Star, which is not as new a ship as the last cruise, The Allure of The Sea. I knew the system in the cruise lines, in that the unsold more expensive cabins have people bumped up, so the less expensive cabins will be sold at a bargain. It is smart of the cruise lines because we are delighted to be upgraded. Our new cabin, 4092, is bigger and comes with lots of perks, such as concierge service, personalized stationary, unlimited bottled water and chocolates on the pillow at night. It still has a balcony, which is a good thing. We love to sit and just watch the water going by, always looking for birds and fish. Now we are getting excited. On Sunday afternoon, Dave and Irene will drop us at our motel, which is very close to the docks. Then on Sunday, we board our ship, but now we join the fancy short line for those who have bought suites. And when we get to our cabin, we will be greeted with a bottle of sparkling wine and a basket of fruit. Some days, you just get lucky.

January 16, 2014. Ormond Beach, Florida. The Beach Walk.

It was obligatory. Tomorrow we drive south so today was the last day for us to walk the beautiful flat beach of Ormond Beach.. It was also chilly, but we are Canadians after all, so we braved the 49 degree weather and went for a walk along the shore. Two ladies were feeding the sea gulls. It was a scene from a movie with the gulls swarming around the one lady while the other cowered by the stairs up the dunes. These gulls are trained to beg. In Nova Scotia, our gulls will not come near a human. Even when the girls try to feed the gulls, they stay well away and never come near the food. Our gulls work for their living. Today on the shore, the gulls were so tame that they ate from her hand. I walked quietly through a big flock of gulls and they never moved. I was amazed. Soon, this beach will be full of people so the gulls are used to the masses. And they are happy to eat the food the humans provide. I am beginning to see why people come to Florida for the winter season. The grocery stores are great and the land is flat so walking and biking are easy. And there is no freezing weather. Yesterday on our drive to St. Augustine, we saw many lovely homes right along the shore. I could see why people live here in Florida.

January 15, 2014. Onmand Beach, Florida. St. Augustine.

St. Augustine is a fascinating place. We four drove north along the shore for an hour until we drove around the historic town of St. Augustine looking for a tourist bureau. The place is charming, with narrow curving streets and lots of people walking. Dave and Irene had been there once before but Ken and I had not. They recalled taking a trolley ride which they had enjoyed so we were in search of the trolley. Just as we turned a corner we spotted a trolley stop, where they not only sold us tickets but also gave us free parking. We had found the holy grail. We quickly parked in their tiny lot, made more difficult because we drove in the wrong entrance, but driver Dave managed to turn our long vehicle around and park legally. Their system for the trolley is excellent. You pay a fee, which is good for three days, where you can get off at any of the 22 stops. And the trolley arrives every fifteen minutes. Perfect. After a very nice lunch at an Italian restaurant, we four jumped on the trolley for the 70 minute trip to hear all about St. Augustine. The driver/guide gave us interesting facts and figures about this very old town. the oldest in the US. The best part was the sound system. We could hear everything the guide said. At the end of the tour, our bottoms were numb because the seats were hard. The next time we visit St. Augustine we will get off at some of the stops, just to rest our backsides!! St. Augustine is well worth a visit. In fact, this is a place in Florida that we will definitely return to for a weekend. The buildings, art and museums all will have to await another visit.

January 14, 2014. Ormond Beach, Florida. Central Florida.

I knew nothing about Central Florida as a term until we watched their football team beat Alabama. We did not even know where the university was housed. But for the past two weeks, we have lived in Central Florida and I have been reading local papers Now I know a lot about Central Florida. In any conversation I could bore you with facts. One thing I know is that Central Florida is growing. Orlando will host the quarter finals of the NCAA basketball tournament this year. The University is just outside Orlando and has a big campus. Daytona Beach is working hard to upgrade their strip. It is a bit tacky with not much changed since the 70's but the papers are full of projects that are already under way. Right now our town of Ormond Beach is quiet. Ken had his hair cut yesterday and the hairdresser was complaining about the lock of people. The wonderful grocery store was not a bit crowded so perhaps the beginning of February is when the Canadians come south. Tomorrow we will drive north up the coast to St.Augustine, the oldest city in the US. Dave and Irene have been there but Ken and I have not. Central Florida is already interesting to me. Like everything else, the more I learn of a topic, the more interesting it is, Central Florida too.

Haiti

January 13, 2014. Ormond Beach, Florida. Art and Gardens.

Today we four saw the old Florida. First, we visited The Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens. The artist donated his work to the new memorial for veterans of the Second World War, and the rest of the property was turned into a garden. The artists work is still on display but is not prominent. In order to see his work you must wander through the offices, filled with folks talking to their computers. The three galleries are kept for other artists. But the garden is the real work of art. The foliage is dense so you wander around the paths, with benches at the right spots for a rest. The garden is not big, bounded by streets on all sides, but once we entered the garden, we four never saw each other until we gather together to leave. It is an amazing place in an urban area. Just around the corner we visited The Casements, the winter home of John D. Rockefeller from 1918 to 1937. The docents are enthusiastic about the property but told us too many facts so we left before climbing to the second floor. It was interesting to see how the wealthy lived in Florida in 1920's. We all decided that we were pleased to be living now. This house, The Casements, needed 24 servants to run the house. Horrors. We were delighted to tour the two old properties of central Florida.

January 12, 2014. Ormand Beach, Florida.

The merging of sea to shore is special. This huge expanse of ocean bring treasures to the shore and we walk along looking for these gifts. This afternoon, Ken and I walked the Ormand Beach. It is a wonderful beach. The sand is hard and level, which is perfect for walking. Today was especially pleasant as it was sunny but chilly, so very few people were on the beach. And there were thousands of shore birds, some we recognized and some we had to look up when we got home. Once again, I needed my birder friends along. We spotted at least three different types of gulls. And two types of turns. One bird we could not name, until we looked it up in the computer. Black Skimmer was the bird we missed naming. I thought it a Tern but it is merely "tern like" according to the internet. We also saw Plovers and Sanderlings. When we were just about to turn 60, Ken and I and Andrew ate lunch in the Canary Islands, sitting outside waiting to take our flight home. I asked a simple question: "What do we want to do in our 60's?" After much discussion, we decided to buy property on water. So we talked and thought and schemed and planned. The first thing we did was buy lake property in Texas with Suzanne and David. Next, after we sold our house in Kensington, we bought Ocean property in Nova Scotia overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. And we purchased ten weeks of a condominium in Mexico at Nuevo Vallarta, where we watch the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean. Our little condo in Mississippi is located 15 feet from the Reservoir. Now, in our 70's, we live overlooking water in every season. This all started because we answered a question and set in place a plan. I am often teased because I plan so far ahead, but unless you make a plan, nothing will happen and all you will do is respond to circumstances. Watching the sea meet the shore is magical which we enjoy every day, thanks to our plan.

Jamaica

Buckleys

Towel art

January 11, 2014. Ormond Beach, Florida. The Beach.

The day was not perfect, but people were still at the beach, sitting in lounge chairs sitting looking out to the sea or walking along the shore. No one wore a bathing suit even though it was 80 degrees. The wind coming from the west made you feel uncomfortable. We drove along the beach, which you could do because the tide was low. The sand is made of the kind of stuff that packs tightly together. Above high tide, the sand is soft so if you drive on the beach right now, you will definitely be stuck. The waves were high so the only people swimming were the surfers. It was difficult to see them as the waves were so high. I was not brought up in an area where you could drive on the beach. Galveston beaches were a pleasant surprise. The first year we moved there in 1964, we drove along the beach every day. The sand was hard packed and we loved driving along the shore right next to the sea. It was exciting and unusual. Now, I believe you can not drive along Galveston beaches, at least along the Seawall. Here at Ormond Beach, everything is organized. There is one traffic lane for cars. The speed limit is 10 mph. There are signs keeping cars off the high tide line. It is all civilized and well controlled. We four enjoyed the drive on the beach. The Speedway at Daytona Beach is huge. The decision was made to avoid the races or the tours, but I was impressed just to see the size. Wow. Alan at the farm would be astonished that we drove by the Speedway several times but never did attend a race. Racing is just not interesting to us I guess.

January 10, 2014. Daytona Beach, Florida. The Beach Scene.

The Beach must look the same all up and down the east coast. Daytona Beach looks exactly the same as Ocean City, Maryland or Nags Head, North Carolina. The T shirt stores, gift shop and restaurants are indistinguishable from one another. Even the people look the same. We ate lunch at Joe's Crab Shack, built out over the water at the end of a long pier. We wondered if it would be a tourist trap but it turned out to serve excellent food. Normally I only eat crab cakes in Maryland but I took a chance and was rewarded. Ken ordered a big pot of seafood. In the pot was crabs, scallops, mussels and shrimp, along with potatoes and corn. He was still picking crabs long after we had finished eating. His opinion is that Chesapeake crabs are better that the ones he ate today. Now we are heading to Ormand Beach, just up the coast. We will be in a time share for a week, looking out over the Atlantic Ocean. I have never loved beach communities perhaps because of the numbers of the people. But we will enjoy ourselves this week at Ormand Beach.

January 9, 2014. Kissimmee, Florida. The Rain Etc.

We four did not think it rained all day in sunny Florida, but we were wrong. When leaving for the restaurant at 2:30, we discussed walking but finally decided to drive, which was fortunate as it was raining cats and dogs on the way home. All the Buckley offspring are now home. It was not easy, due to the extreme cold. Folks got stuck in all kinds of odd places. The Vancouver Buckleys spent two extra days in Florida and wisely played tourist, renting a car. Now everyone is home and the four of us are pleased to be in the south. Our time in Florida has been pleasant and lazy. After rising late, we lingered over breakfast then ate a late lunch. Today we had a delicious meal at an Italian restaurant just around the corner. There are so many restaurants in Kissimmee and Orlando that finding a good restaurant is easy. We enjoyed dinner. I have already packed my case. Tomorrow we drive to the coast and will be at Orman Beach for a week. So far, I have not lost anything. But it means I must keep my wits about me. And today, the Internet is working. Whew.

January 7, 2014. Kissimmee, Florida. Observations.

This part of Florida has many , many restaurants.   There must be thousands in our area.  And Florida is flat.  Ken and I have never fallen in love with Florida, perhaps because there are no hills,  however  the foliage is lovely.  And there are lakes everywhere you look.  And fountains too.

Being with the young grandnieces and grandnephews on the cruise was a delight.   I have never lived in the same city as these young folks so have only seen them for short periods at holiday times, but on the cruise, we were in the same place  for a full week, so we had lots of time to talk.   All seven of Irene and Dave's grandchildren are energetic, good looking and hard working and are a credit to their parents and grandparents.  I only wish my parents could look down from heaven to see the group together.  They would be pleased, I am sure.

Being with the young people was like looking at a slice of live at this instant of time in their lives.   The youngest Alana is at University.at Waterloo.   Katy has graduated with her Masters degree and is working two jobs.    Brendan and his wife Marnie teach school in Korea and are expecting a baby.   Ariel is finishing her PhD. while she teaches  at  McGill.   Rachel manages a tea store and is considering switching to real estate.  Elise is at UBC in her second year, while Eric is a graduate student in Engineering at UBC.   He will work after this degree, says he.    These seven young people are industrious and ambitious as well as being gracious and grateful to their grandparents.     At this time in their lives, I felt honored to spend time with them,  all thanks to Dave and Irene and their 60 years of marriage.  

January 6, 2014. Kissimmee, Florida. Settled In.

Yesterday was not a relaxing day.  Travel days never are easy.   Getting off a cruise ship is the only difficult process on any cruise,  especially when you must clear US Customs and Immigration.    We walked off the ship at 9:30 and it was not until 12:30 that we were in our rental car with Dave and Irene heading north to our time share just outside of Orlando in Kissimmee.    Two major rain storms came down during our drive, which slowed us down too,  but eventually we checked in and ordered pizza for dinner, just so we could watch the football game.    To top it off, the Internet connection would not work and eventually Ken gave up but today it is working like a charm.

I am always surprised what happens after a good night sleep.   Today we are settled.   Irene and I bought groceries, Ken is opening the wine, our laundry is running and to top it all off,  all four of us purchased a membership in a club that offers us 10 weeks of vacation each year.   We are all excited with our new options.  How many weeks in the year can Ken and I go on vacation?   We may find out.

Today we are settled in at Kissimmee, at the Parkway International Resort.   Today we heard that
 50, 000 people a week visit Orlando.  Goodness, is all I can say.

January 4, 2014. At Sea. The Last Supper.

The youngest of our group, Alana, asked an important question: "When will  our relatives be getting together again?"    She enjoyed the gathering in Texas and she has enjoyed the cruise with her cousins and  other relatives.  Now she wants us to organize another event.   We discussed the options but the only celebration in the offing would be birthdays for Diane and Norm.   They are important birthdays for both of them so perhaps they will plan a visit to Italy and have us all come to join them.

We live in many different places:   Hamilton, Ancaster, Montreal, Korea, Vancouver, Ottawa, Toronto and Ken and I who are vagabonds, so getting together is not easy.   And we are not prone to plan family reunions, waiting instead for weddings and funerals.  It remains to be seen if that changes.

Everyone from the youngest to the oldest has enjoyed this cruise.   It is tribute to the planning of Dave and Irene.   The ship was so big that the young had unlimited options for activities while the uncles and aunts enjoyed the entertainment.  It was a good choice.  Now we just ate our last dinner together and it was splendid.   Now we move on to the next venture.

January3, 2014. Cozumel, Mexico. On the Cruise.

Our ship is docked at Cozumel, Mexico, along with 6 other cruise ships.  This is definately not the day to shop in town.  Ken and I enjoyed a leisurely walk around deck 16 but we will not get off the boat.   We have been to this town several times and even though it had no cruise docks 20 years ago, the basic town is the same.

Over the years, friends have mentioned that they would not enjoy cruising.   Ken and I are not in love with cruises but cruising has advantages.   This morning,  I was thinking about the things I enjoy on board a ship, that I would not have at home, so here is my list:
   1. Every morning,  a very nice young man comes into the cabin while we are at breakfast and cleans the bathroom and makes the bed.
   2. We sit on the balcony and look at the glorious Caribbean  Sea.
   3. This morning for breakfast, we could chose from several restaurants.
   4.  We unpacked our bags the first day and will only pack them until we leave the ship even though we visited several different places.
   5.  I have a Library, just around the corner from our cabin, full of books.
   6.  The ship holds unlimited activities for people of all ages, from physical skills to board games, so our young people have had a wonderful time climbing the rock wall and riding the water boards.
   7.   It takes three minutes to go out for a meal, and there are choices of restaurants, all of which are good.
   8.  Our cabin had excellent TV.  I watched the whole Sugar Bowl last night.
   9.  When we want to take a walk, we head to another deck to explore.
   10.  Every Cruise ship has a Spa.  Many of our group have enjoyed a massage and right now Irene is having her hair done.  Norm even had acupuncture.
   11. The staff provides excellent service and are unfailingly polite and helpful.
   12. The entertainment options are huge.   After dinner, our younger folks are always heading out to Comedy Central or to some another show.

All these things we could not enjoy at home.  There is everything to like on a cruise and for Dave and Irene, the cruise has been an excellent choice to celebrate their 60th anniversary.  We might even take one for our 60th ourselves in 2018!!

January 2, 2014. At Sea. New Years Resolution.

Here it is the second day of January and no one has said a word about new years resolutions.  And no one has said anything about where they want to go in 2014.   I am surprised with myself because typically I raise the issue at dinner, and here we are on the second day of the new years and I have not said a peep.

That is not quite true.   Just casually, Wendy at dinner mentioned that her focus has been on the two family events in the fall and she surprised herself by realizing that she has no plans for travel in 2014,  at least not yet.     And Ken and Anne realized that they spent $20,000. on family type travel in 2013.  Her family, the Trudells, had a reunion in Quebec, in addition to our 55th and David and Irene's 60th.  They also included the both kids visit to France, Alise for a semester at the Sorbonne and Eric to visit her.   The Vancouver Buckley's may stay put this year.

Last year, my resolution was to attend more concerts.  I have not done it in 2013, but in 2014 we will attend the International Ballet Competition, to be held in Jackson, Mississippi.   Christina will buy us good tickets to every session so I will not miss a performance.   The competition is held every year in other countries, but only every four years in Jackson.  In 2010 we were fortunate to be in Jackson.   We attended three sessions, which I loved.  My plan was to be arrange to be in Jackson the next time, 2014, and we have done it.  God willing, we will attend every session of the competition.  And that should be enough for the next four years until the competition returns to Jackson in 2018.  

Tonight, I will still raise the issue of resolutions with our group.  It will be interesting with their response.  

January 1, 2014. Falmouth, Jamaica. New Years Eve.

The young folks in our group partied until 2:00 am.   We did what we like to do on New Years Eve, which is to dine with friends.

 At 5:00, Dave and Irene had arranged to take photographs of our group by the ship photographer.   He took family groups, cousin groups, sibling groups and finally the whole group, both inside his studio and also outdoors in Central Park.   When finished with the photographs, we retreated to a 17th floor bar for a drink, where we discovered we had the place to ourselves, so after getting a drink, Dave made a series of gracious toasts, first to his children, then to his grandchildren and finally to Irene, all who have made him a happy man.

Wendy gave Dave and Irene a very cute card, signed by the whole group.  It was a perfect card about taking a cruise.  When the card is opened, the ships horn sounds very loudly.  And she presented copies of congratulations to Dave and Irene from the Queen,  Steven Harper, the Prime Minister of Canada and the Governor General.

Our whole group of 18 dined together.   Everyone was wearing their best so we wined and dined together in style.  It was a wonderful way to end the year.