I am beginning...to pack!

Excess baggage is a symptom of something we are missing on the inside – a fear that we won’t be accepted for what we are, as if our selves are not enough. We bring too much of our past experience, the clutter of our emotions. These things get in the way and keep us from getting close to others. Then we are left with the task of having to find someone else to carry it, whether it is our luggage or our loneliness.     ~ Mary Morris

If you check out my master packing list, you might assume I'm plagued by some of Ms. Morris's fears. However, I prefer to think excessive baggage is not a symptom of an underlying psychological problem, but is a desire to be prepared for anything. The days when I could toss a couple of changes of underwear and a spare shirt into a backpack and go are long gone.

Maybe it started when our kids were little, but I now require stuff. You never know when you'll need it. Especially on a trip of this length. I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. 

So for the last three months or so, we've had a "staging area" set up in our room--a  long folding table where we'd toss things we wanted to take and were afraid we'd forget if we didn't put them someplace where we'd see them easily once we got the suitcases out. We pondered storage ideas for our cabin. We assembled a traveling medicine chest for common ailments. We will, after all, be exploring several new "germ belts" and may well encounter a few bugs we've never met before. We thought about things that would make our life onboard both semi-organized and comfy.

I always roll my clothes. I fit more in that way!

Then I started thinking about what clothes to take. I made a list of every article and then ticked it off as it went into a suitcase. (That's why when you check out my Master List you'll notice that the items are color coded depending on which bag they're in. Black means it's not packed yet.) I do this not because I'm organized, but because I'm not. If I didn't write it down and check it off, I'd never remember whether or not I'd packed certain things and I'd fret about it.

This way...less stress.

When you check the master packing list, you'll notice that it only catalogs my clothing. Mostly. That's because very early in our marriage I cured my DH from wanting me to pack for him. (Spending a whole weekend with no changes of underwear will do that to a man. And no, I did NOT do it on purpose!) So he has his 2 suitcases & carry on, and I have mine (though I must admit that some of my overflow is finding its way into his!)

Once you take a peek at my manifest, you may think of something I've forgotten. Please  let me know. I only have 3 weeks to go!

~

Want to join us on this voyage of a lifetime? Be sure to sign up to follow us by email in the form in the upper right hand column!

Will We Really Come Back New?

There are three rules for writing a novel. 

Unfortunately, no one knows what they are. 

~ W. Somerset Maugham

Last week I shared that I finished the first draft of Lord Bredon & the Bachelor's Bible, Book Two in my House of Lovell series (a Mia Marlowe historical). This was an important part of clearing the deck of my writerly duties so I'll be free to enjoy our world cruise without the stress of knowing this book is due to my editor shortly after we return home.

Available for Pre-Order

This week, Lord Bredon's friend came home for a visit. The Singular Mr. Sinclair arrived in my inbox after having a grammar/punctuation make-over from my publisher's copy editor. I have to give it a read, checking to make sure I agree with all the changes. If I don't, I need to put comments into the margins to explain why the original wording should be left as I wrote them. 

I really love this story. My heroine, Lady Caroline Lovell, has an unusual goal for her time. She longs to travel freely like her brothers all will after they graduate from Oxford or Cambridge. During the regency era, independent travel was frowned upon for young ladies, but a  gentleman's education was not considered complete until he'd made his Grand Tour. 

Samuel Johnson, 18th century poet and essayist, wrote: "A man who has not been in Italy is always conscious of an inferiority, from his not having seen what it is expected a man should see." In addition to Italy, a well-born young gentleman spent a couple of years wandering the capitals of Europe, soaking up the culture, developing fluency in several languages, and generally sowing whatever wild oats he wished without discommoding his family too much.

Not that Lady Caroline would ever do such a thing. She just wants to see the world. Here's a peek into her diary:

Is there a more alluring sight in all the world than the sun rising over an unknown sea?

~ Lady Caroline Lovell, the only daughter of the Earl of Chatham, who has never in her life set foot on a watercraft larger than a rowboat.

Did I mention she has an active imagination? Lady Caroline doesn't even know if she'd be sea sick, but she clearly has an adventurous spirit. She pines for the exotic, wishing to not only see new things which are so very different from her own insulated world, but also to see if she might be a different person in those new places.

Princess Cruise Line's marketing tag line is "Come Back New."

I think there's something to that. Even beyond the obvious refreshment of a cruise experience, travel has a way of changing a person. I'm expecting to think new thoughts, to deepen my understanding of the world, to make new friends, to be moved, inspired, dismayed, thrilled--ultimately to feel so many things on our journey. This world cruise is our Grand Tour. Whoever I am upon embarkation, like the characters in my novels who grow and change through their story, I will be a different person when we leave the ship in Ft. Lauderdale in April.

I'll come back new. 

Have you ever had an experience that  profoundly changed you?

~

Want to come along with me as we make this voyage of a lifetime? Hop in my pocket by signing up to receive my posts by email in the form in the upper right hand column of this blog! 

Christmas Thoughts

"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." Isaiah 9:2

This Christmas, a dear friend of mine has entered into hospice care. I weep that this wonderful woman is going to be leaving us. She made a huge impact on my life, but I take comfort in the fact that because the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, we have hope. I will see her again, whole and vibrant in that place of Light.  

Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed Christmas and a joyous New Year!

Best Travel Agent Ever!

A round the world cruise is a big investment so it pays to get a little professional help.

I can't sing the praises of Cruise Specialists loudly enough--and since I'm a classically trained soprano, that's saying something! And I'm most particularly pleased with our agent, Teresa Skeim! She's attentive to the smallest detail and responds very quickly to even my silliest question.  

For example, about a week ago, someone mentioned to me that cruise passengers like us with a reserve cabin (i.e. one not assigned until closer to embarkation) might be denied boarding just like an air traveler on an oversold flight. Buying a reserve cabin means we have paid for the lowest priced stateroom we'd be happy with, which in our case means a balcony cabin. It's a bargain, but it also means we didn't get to choose a specific cabin. The cruise line will assign us one. According to the Princess website, our cruise has been sold out for some time. 

Believe you me, there was panic in our house at that moment. We've dreamed. We've saved. We sold some Google stock before it had its recent run-up. To be left at the pier because the trip was oversold would turn me into a giant puddle of weepiness.

So I fired off an email to Teresa to see if it was possible that we might be "bumped" from the cruise. She didn't just reassure me. She contacted Princess and forwarded the email she received back from them, promising that we would never be involuntarily bumped. We have a reserved BF balcony or better and that's what we'll get. We just may not know which specific cabin will be our floating home until closer to the date of departure. 

The Deck 6 plan to the left shows the BF category balconies. They are the  green ones. As you can see, the BF's are closer to the front of the ship so  it will probably feel like we're riding on the back of a dolphin. (But no worries! I'll have my scopolamine patches, so I'm good.) That motion-of-the-ocean factor may be why they are also the least expensive balcony  cabins.

Now, occasionally, when someone books a reserve cabin, all the staterooms in that category get filled up. When that occurs, the planets align and the lucky traveler gets "upgraded" to a more desirable cabin in a higher category. It would be delicious if that happened to us, but I won't  hold my breath. I'll be tickled to pieces with a BF balcony. Just as long as we're on the ship.

And our TA, Teresa, God bless her, will make sure we get at least a BF. She has been invaluable in helping us get all our traveling ducks in a row and keeping me from needless panic.

Not only did Teresa help us get a super deal on our cruise fares, we received some terrific perks from Cruise Specialists:

• Pre-paid gratuities (a benefit worth over $2500.00--don't worry! We still intend to give additional tips to our stewards, dining room servers, the maitre d', and others)
• A delightful $800.00 shipboard credit (good for the spa, specialty dining or internet minutes!) 
• Chocolate-covered strawberries sent to our stateroom.     

Then the other day, this box of goodies arrived from Cruise Specialists:

• 2 windbreakers with hoods
• 2 across the body packs
• 4 luggage tags
• Calendar printed with our itinerary
• A folder with all our cruise documents, travel insurance info, boarding passes, etc... 

All very timely & useful! 

I can't say enough good things about the way Teresa has helped us and we haven't even left home yet. 

In exactly one month, we'll drive to #1 Daughter's house to start our adventure. Sometimes, I still think I've woken in the middle of someone else's lovely dream...

~

Want to come along with me as we make this voyage of a lifetime? Hop in my pocket by signing up to receive my posts by email in the form in the upper right hand column of this blog! 

Clearing the Deck...

"A goal is a dream with a deadline."

~ Napoleon Hill

Every time I look at the countdown clock at the bottom of this blog, I'm equal parts excited and frantic. A world cruise requires a ton of planning, and as I may have confessed on an earlier post, I'm not the most organized person in the world. That's why I rely on lists, lists & more lists combined with a calendar to get things accomplished in a timely manner. 

Unfortunately, one list isn't sufficient. We've ticked off most everything on my Makin' A List & Checkin' It Twice post, but along the way we've discovered new things that should have been added to it. Here are a few more things we've had to do to "clear the deck" for our rapidly approaching departure:

1. Finish LORD BREDON & THE BACHELOR'S BIBLE.  You may have heard my whoop of triumph on Wednesday. I was able to type THE END on the first draft this week. This manuscript isn't due to my editor until May, but I wanted to have it finished before we leave for #1 Daughter's place on Jan 19th. I can tinker with the story on sea days, but this way, I won't feel any pressure about it. *Relieved sigh*
2. Final doctor/dentist appointments. The DH & I went to the dentist this week. The last thing you want is to discover you've got a problem with your teeth in the middle of the Pacific.  Fortunately, we're all good. Ditto for our regular doctor check ups, including my mammogram in October. Never put off a trip to the doctor because you're afraid it might reveal something that will interfere with your plans. It's better to find & fix problems early so you can live to have plans, isn't it?
3. Arrange for payments for recurring bills. We pay everything online. If it's a recurring expense, it's set to go automatically. This week, the DH visited our city hall to arrange for them to do a direct debit for our utility bills while we're gone. Since this is a  fluctuating amount, it's nice to know it'll be taken care of without  having to visit the website and try to find out what our bill is for any given month. 
4. Arrange payment for annual bills that will come due while we're gone. These kind of bills tend to sneak up on me, so I went back through our bank records looking for them.

   

   The DH & Charlie watch a neighbors shed float away.

    Last January, the county re-drew the flood plain maps and lo! and behold, we were suddenly included in the 100 year flood plain. We bought flood insurance immediately and sure enough, we had what the authorities called a 1000 year flood in April! Though our crawl space was filled almost to the floor joists, the water receded quickly & we didn't have any long term damage. Our next premium will come due while we're on the Pacific Princess, so the DH called to arrange for our flood insurance company to bill our credit card when the time comes. In January, we also need to visit the place where our camper is stored and pay that yearly fee, too. It won't come due till March, but we may or may not be reachable then.
5. File for an extension for federal and state income taxes. Unlike the other items listed here, we haven't accomplished this yet, but the DH is starting to organize our financial records so he can make an estimate of the taxes we owe. It's not enough, you see, for you to tip your hat to Uncle Sam and promise to pay him later. He wants the money up front, even if we can't submit the actual tax return with supporting documentation until we return home from the WC. If I could give Princess & all the other cruise lines out there one suggestion, it would be not to start their world cruises until after W2's come at the end of January. 

Anyway, those are some of the last minute things we've been doing in preparation for leaving our land life for 94 days. Now, we get to enjoy Christmas with our family, knowing almost everything is settled.

Oh, wait! I still need to pack!

Can you think of anything else I've forgotten?

Want to come along with me as we make this voyage of a lifetime? Hop in my pocket by signing up to receive my posts by email in the form in the upper right hand column of this blog! 

What Do We Do When We Get There?

"Only it seems to me that once in your life before you die you ought to see a country where they don’t talk in English and don’t even want to." 

~ Mrs. Gibbs from Thornton Wilder's Our Town

I'm usually an intrepid traveler. When I'd tag along on business trips with the DH, he'd go off to his meetings each morning and I'd set out on my own for an explore. I've wandered the capitals of Europe alone, making my way about on public transportation, and leaning on my smattering of German and French to get me by. I even spent a week exploring Tokyo solo with not a smidge of Japanese to my credit. (They are lovely people and ever so helpful, even if we couldn't communicate verbally.)

But when I used to set out on that sort of adventure, I always knew in a pinch I could hail a cab, show them a card from my hotel, and I'd be whisked back to my comfort zone in short order. Of course, my hotel wasn't going anywhere.

The Pacific Princess, however, might. 




Please forgive the cruel laughter at the expense of the stranded passengers on the video, as well as the completely uncharitable suggestion that they should jump! Other than those two shining examples of how to be an Ugly American, this vid has some good tips for making sure we return to our ship prior to sail away. Things I wouldn't have thought of, like the fact that local time and ship's time might be two different things. And not to trust the clock on our cell phones because it may automatically switch to local time.

Even with lowering skies, Mo'orea is achingly beautiful.

If we miss the boat while we're on our world cruise, it could mean a sizable expense in terms of hotels, meals and flights to catch the ship at its next port of call. Always assuming the ship makes the next port and doesn't have to divert on account of weather or some other emergency. 

A change in itinerary does sometimes happen. On our 30 day South Pacific cruise with Holland America, we had to skip two ports due to foul weather and the captain decided to change our itinerary to switch the stops at Tahiti and Mo'orea, because he had to take on fuel in Tahiti and he couldn't be sure the weather would hold if he kept to the original plan. (It did, but if the typhoon harassing Fiji had taken a wrong turn we'd have skipped the most gorgeous island on earth to hightail it back to San Diego.)  If we'd missed the boat somewhere on that cruise, we'd have been in serious trouble trying to chase the Westerdam across the Pacific. 

Anyway, to minimize stress and insure that the Pacific Princess will be there when we return to the pier, we've elected to book most of our excursions through the cruise line. Probably the biggest draw for ship sponsored excursions is that they promise to wait for us should there be an unexpected delay and we have to straggle back to the port late. Nice to know they'll wait. It's a huge relief to have the excursions all paid for ahead of time as well.

With our Princess excursions in boldface, here's a peek at what we'll be up to at our ports of call: 

#1 Daughter & me near Chinaman's Hat

Jan. 28th: Honolulu, HI~ We've been blessed to visit Hawaii a number of times & plan to do the Hop-on-Hop-off Bus tour we can catch near the pier. The route stays within the city, and since we'll be in port from 8 AM to 10 PM, even if we have to abandon the bus and take a taxi back to the ship, we feel pretty confident we won't get into trouble. Besides, we'll still be in the US! 
  
Feb. 3rd: Pago Pago, American Samoa ~ Again, we'll still technically be in America! Since we'll be in port from 8 AM to 4 PM, we plan to see if we can catch an independent tour there fairly early in the morning. We've had very good luck with this sort of "welcome to my island" type tour, in Bora Bora and Antigua, especially. English is the main language of American Samoa, so we feel confident we can wing it there.  

Feb. 6th: Suva, Fiji ~ Island Drive, Arts Village Of Fiji & Firewalking, the first of our Princess sponsored excursions (We won't be raising our hands if they ask for volunteers for the fire walking!)

Feb. 9th: Bay of Islands, New Zealand ~ Glow Worm Cave & Puketi Kauri Forest

Feb. 10th (My mother's birthday!): Auckland, New Zealand ~ Since we'll be in port from 7 AM to 11 PM, we plan to take advantage of the Hop On Hop Off bus to see the sights. We won't be in Kansas anymore, but they do speak English there. We can be adventurous around the city and still be reasonably sure we can get back to the ship before she sails.

Feb. 14th: Sydney, Australia ~ Blue Mountains, Jamison Valley & Wildlife Park Since the Pacific Princess is the "Love Boat" and we're sailing into Sydney Harbor on Valentine's Day, I'm expecting a bit of hoopla as we make our arrival past the Opera House!

Feb. 16th: Burnie (Tasmania) Australia ~  Wings Wildlife Park & Countryside Drive The DH has a tie with a Loony Tune Tasmanian Devil on it he plans to wear to the main dining room that evening!

Feb. 18th: Adelaide, Australia ~ City Drive & Glenelg 

Feb. 21st: Esperance, Australia ~ ?  There are no ship's tours offered at this time. This is one place where we'll wait, attend the port talk on board, and decide what to do when we get there.  

Feb. 23rd: Freemantle, Australia ~ Yanchep National Park I'm really looking forward to this one because it promises to delve into Aboriginal culture.

Feb. 25th: Exmouth, Australia ~ Again, no ship's tours are showing on the website. Since the 25th is a Sunday, we may try to find a church close to the pier and join our "down under" brothers and sisters to worship Aussie style.

March 2nd: Singapore ~ City Drive, Chinatown & National Orchid Garden 

March 7th: Cochin, India ~ St. Francis Church, Museum & Dutch Palace I had hoped to find something a little more India-centric, but European powers have played a role in the sub-continent for centuries, so perhaps this too is the "real" India.

March 9th: Mumbai, India ~ Elephanta Island & Caves A World Heritage site with both Hindu and Buddhist carvings

March 12th: Dubai, United Arab Emirates ~ Easy Dubai Since we have 2 days in Dubai, this tour is a good overview for us. We'll be able to see what else we'd like to explore while we're in the most opulent city on earth. My niece and her family used to live there. Sad that we didn't manage this trip while she was still in the UAE.

March 14th: Abu Dhabi, UAE ~ Abu Dhabi City Tour The Grand Mosque is said to be a wonder. 

March 21st: Aqaba, Jordan ~ Aqaba Highlights & Lunch At Wadi Rum I'm sure a number of our fellow passengers will opt to visit Petra (of Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade fame) but the Princess site warned that the Petra tour was not suitable for folks with lung problems. I had to scratch that one from my bucket list. It's nice to imagine that I can do all sorts of things--swim with the sharks, run with the bulls, and such--but the truth is, I can't. It's better to recognize my legitimate limitations and focus instead on what I can do.

March 25th: Santorini, Greece ~ Fira On Your Own Ever see photos of blue domes on whitewashed buildings overlooking an azure sea? This is that. 

March 26th: Crete, Greece ~ Knossos An ancient Minoan site

March 28th: Kotor, Montenegro ~ Kotor, St. Tryphon Cathedral, Budva & Scenic Drive

March 29th: Zadar, Croatia ~ Highlights Of Krka National Park Supposed to have lovely waterfalls

March 30: Ancona, Italy ~ Urbino Highlights A UNESCO World Heritage site

March 31st: Koper, Slovenia ~ Lipica Stud Farm & Hrastovlje Village Since we used to have horses when we lived in Wyoming, we'll love seeing the Lipizzaners up close and personal.

April 1st: Venice, Italy ~ Easter Sunday. We'll have 2 days in port, so we hope to make our way to St. Mark's Basilica to take part in a worship service on this day and do a little exploring on our own. May take a gondola ride!

April 2nd: Venice, Italy ~ Best Of Venice Just in case we missed something. 

April 3rd: Korcula, Croatia ~ Walking Tour Of Korcula Looking forward to seeing a couple of Tintoretto paintings in the gothic cathedral of St. Mark's.

April 5th: Valetta, Malta ~ Grand Master's Palace, St. John's Cathedral & Mdin  Another World Heritage site & the island where the apostle Paul was shipwrecked on his way to Rome. Fingers crossed we don't follow in his footsteps!

April 6th: Porto Empedocle, Italy ~ Temple Valley Of Agrigento - Unesco Heritage site 

April 7th: Positano, Italy ~ Pompei When #1 Daughter visited Rome with  a high school group, I cajoled her into taking the optional excursion to see  Pompei. Since we'll be so close, I couldn't very well skip it myself.

April 9th: Civitavecchia, Italy ~ A Discovery Exclusive - Ultimate Rome At 10 hours, this is our longest excursion and includes the Vatican Museum, a visit to the Sistine Chapel, a stroll through St. Peter's Square, lunch at a 5 star restaurant, the Colosseum, and a stop at the Trevi Fountain. We'll also be spending 3 hours in a bus (a 90 minute drive each way from the port to Rome.)

April 10th: Portofino, Italy ~ Genoa - San Lorenzo Cathedral & Chiesa Del Gesu 

April 11th: Villefranche, France ~ Ultimate Monaco & Villa Rothschild  My mom's eyes lit up when I told her about this one. She still remembers the story book romance of Grace Kelly and the Prince of Monaco.

April 13th: Barcelona, Spain ~ Gaudi's Barcelona We will actually reach Spain on the afternoon of the 12th, and stay 2 nights in port.  Figured we'd wait for the 2nd day to see the weirdly eclectic Holy Family Church which has been under construction since 1882. No rush. It's not scheduled to be completed until 2026! 

April 15th: Gibraltar, Great Britain ~ Top Of The Rock - It may be Tax Day in the US, but with any luck, the weather will be fine enough for us to gaze southward to Africa and north to Europe from the top of the Rock that sits squarely between both of them.

April 16th: Seville, Spain ~ Andalusian Horse School & Sherry Tasting Again, since we're horse lovers, we'll really enjoy seeing those Andalusians up close. The sherry had nothing to do with my choosing this excursion. Honest!

April 19th: Azores, Portugal ~ Caldeira & The Volcano Of Capelinhos 

Commissioner's House, Royal Navy Dockyard

April 24th: Hamilton, Bermuda ~ We've enjoyed several trips to Bermuda and know how to get around the island pretty well. With a 7 AM arrival and a 6 PM sail-away, we'll have plenty of time for an independent adventure in the morning and stick close to the ship in the afternoon. 

Then it's full steam ahead for Ft. Lauderdale and the end of the waterborne portion of our circumnavigation of the globe. By then, our homing beacon will probably be pinging big time, but my! what wonders we'll experience along the way. 

I'm not sure I believe it's actually going to happen yet.

How about you? Are you an adventurous traveler, or do you like to play it safe?

~~~

Want to come along with me? Hop in my pocket by signing up to receive my posts by email in the form in the upper right hand column of this blog! 

The Third Party in our Cabin

Herkimer & me in San Diego

We have always been enthusiastic travelers. Our kids had passports from the time they were 8 and 6 years old. Since my DH was a travel industry IT guy, we managed to make lots of trips we couldn't have otherwise afforded using flight benefits and tag-along business trips. But now the kids are grown and my hubby is retired. Our adventures can be just about us now.

Well, us and all the medical equipment I have to lug around in order to function. Our cabin on board the Pacific Princess will house a third party and his name is Herkimer.

Cruise ships and airlines make every effort to accommodate guests with special needs, but they require advance notice. Just today, the DH submitted my request to Princess and to American Airlines for me to carry on Herkimer, the pet name I gave my Portable Oxygen Concentrator. 

Oxygen tanks are not allowed on airplanes. They're a huge hazard in an environment where the pressure is changing, but my POC doesn't store oxygen. It concentrates it from the existing air by scrubbing out the nitrogen, so my POC is FAA approved for use during flights. This is a good thing since a pressurized airplane cabin is like being at 8000 ft above sea level. At that elevation, I seriously need an extra puff of O2 to maintain good oxygen saturation in my blood.

When I arrive at the airport, I'll need to produce my prescription for the device, and evidence that I'm carrying 1 1/2 times more battery life than I'll need to complete my travel. I used to have to also produce a form signed by my doctor saying I require the POC during flight and even list how many liters of O2 per minute I should have. According to American's website, that rule has evidently been deleted. But we do have to let them know the make and model of my POC ahead of time so they can make sure it's on their approved list. 

The upside of flying with Herkimer is that I'll probably be shuffled into a wheel chair at check-in and my DH and I will hop to the front of the airport security line. I resisted the chair at first, but after a while I realized anything that gets us through TSA quicker is a win.  

The DH & Herkimer in his excursion backpack

But being dependent on a POC when I'm active is not without its pitfalls. A couple years ago, Herkimer died on me without warning. I went without supplemental O2 for a couple of days while waiting for his replacement. 

Not fun, but at least  I was at home when it happened. I crept about the house with all the vim and vigor of a 3 toed sloth. I so don't want to find myself in that situation in Tasmania, so we splurged and bought a back up unit. I'll be traveling with 2 Herkimers--one in his rolling cart and one in the backpack my DH will carry on.

Incidentally, this is how we'll do most of our excursions as well. We have to stay pretty close together  since my cannula is only 7 feet long and we  occasionally get tangled up, but it works really well if we expect to be on uneven ground. 

If Herkimer is what gets me through my day, "Morpheus" takes care of me at night. I travel with a bi-pap machine too, which means packing all its tubing and plugs, and electric cords. Oh! and my So-Clean to keep it all daisy fresh and bacteria-free.  

I don't have to report the devices I won't be using during flight. Thanks to my DH's diligence, Herkimer has officially been added to my flight reservation,and he's listed on our Princess Travel Summary. He's good to go.

Once we unpack on the ship, it'll be like being at home. Princess will have distilled water waiting for me in our cabin to use in Morpheus. Only getting everything packed for the flight will be a challenge.

These devices, which some might think would weigh me down, actually give me freedom. I'm so thankful to be living now when my lung condition can be stabilized with drugs, and when, between Herkimer and Morpheus, I have high enough O2 sats to feel like having an adventure.

And I can't think of a greater adventure than cruising all the way around the world!

How about you? Do you or someone you love travel with medical devices?  (As a side note, #1 Daughter has reminded us that a cane is the only weapon allowed on air flights. Trust my daughter with a black belt to think of something like that!)

~~~

Want my posts to come to your inbox? Sign up to Follow by Email in the little form under my pic in the right hand column. Just type in your email address. You may have prove you're not a robot and then confirm your subscription when you get an email asking if you really meant to sign up, but after that, you'll never miss a moment of our adventures!

Goin' Glam

“We must never confuse elegance with snobbery.” 
— Yves Saint Laurent

When the DH retired at the beginning of 2015, we took a two week Caribbean cruise to celebrate. People watching is always fun and there was one pair of sisters traveling together who made for good watching. Even though they weren't twins, every day they wore a different identical outfit. They told me they'd gone on a special shopping binge just for that cruise so they could match all the time.

The DH and I won't be trying to match quite that exactly, but we do need to have cruise wardrobes that work together. This is especially true when it comes to formal wear. 

Men have it so easy. If you've been following my blog, you know we splurged and bought the DH his first ever tux in preparation for this cruise! He looks terrific in it and he has a red vest and tie he can wear to change his look a bit. He'll probably also pack his dark 3 piece suit, a summer weight light colored suit, a couple of blazers, dress slacks and a smattering of ties to give him a number of options.  

Mix and match dressing for women doesn't always read so well when you're trying to go formal. But I've put together a few pieces I'm pleased with. Here's my black formal capsule:

The foundational garment is a long sleeveless black gown, which I pair with either the purple & green pashmina/wrap or one of the two jackets. I have an additional red and black pashmina I can throw into the mix. And for a change, I'll be packing black palazzo pants and a fancy black shell to replace the dress.

Next, we move on to what I call my gray scale formal capsule: Gray sparkly palazzos topped with the gray beaded tunic, or a purple shell & lavender sequinned jacket, or the grey cowl-neck thing that looks like a sweatshirt in this photo, but is actually actually shot through with silver threads. 

Then since we'll be spending a good bit of our world cruise in warmer climes, I thought I'd throw in this island-ish ensemble: Navy dress pants, green camisole, and navy/aqua float.

Of course, I'll have the right jewelry to go with each outfit. My mom, who's the queen of sparkle, would disown me if I didn't. In fact, she's already volunteered to let me borrow a few of her "pretties." 

I'm not sure how many formal nights we'll have, but I can wear some of these outfits for regular evenings, too. As Mom says, "It's better to be over dressed than under dressed."


How about you? Do you enjoy dressing up? Or do you prefer to be casual, but not rumpled?

~~~

Want my posts to come to your inbox? Sign up to Follow by Email in the little form under my pic in the right hand column. Just type in your email address. You may have prove you're not a robot and then confirm your subscription when you get an email asking if you really meant to sign up, but after that, you'll never miss a moment of our adventures!

An Attitude of Gratitude

When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others.

~ Dalai Lama 

We're a few days past Thanksgiving and I'm still in the mood to count my blessings. 

Mom & Dad & the mandevilla they saved
from freezing!

First, I'm thankful to God for my family. We were blessed with ten around our table for the holiday (including my niece and her fiance, of whom I didn't manage to get a photo!) and as we prayed together, we remembered all our other family members who are scattered across the country and the world. (One of my great nieces is serving in Japan right now and our Ecuadorian exchange student "son" lives in Belgium!) 

My sister Linda flew in from South Dakota.(You met her when we drove out to Seattle for our Alaskan cruise in September.) She had made a quick trip to NYC to visit her daughter and her family just a few days before she came to see us, so  I'm sure she's tired of traveling. Linda is pictured at right with #2 Daughter. #2 D is the one who will be taking care of our house while we're on our world cruise and calls herself the "designated dog nanny!"

Our #1 Daughter and her wife drove down from Columbia for Thanksgiving. They also brought our three grand-dogs, so with our two little pups, our canine quiver was definitely full. When the time for our cruise comes, we'll drive our truck up to their place on Jan. 19th. They'll take us to Saint Louis on the 20th, and then we'll fly out on the  21st. While we're gone, they said they'd be happy to babysit the truck for us!

Next, I'm thankful for my friends, not just here in the town where we live, but all over. When you've lived in as many places as we have, you tend to leave people along the way, but we haven't forgotten them. So many are still near our hearts and would probably be astonished at how often we speak of them.

Lastly, I thank God for my marriage. My DH is truly my best friend. There's no one on earth I'd rather spend time with. When we first started considering taking a world cruise,  I began to lurk on the Cruise Critic message boards. One lady wanted to go on a world cruise but didn't know if she and her husband could stand being cooped up together in a small stateroom that long. 

I think her money would be better spent on marriage counseling than cruising. If you don't like to be together on land, being sloshed about on a ship will not improve anyone's temper. We, however, can't wait to run off on our next adventure together.  

How to Make a Tipsy Turkey--I cooked the turkey for this year's feast. My mom is always worried it will be dry, but I've figured out a way to make sure it's moist and tender. After washing the thoroughly thawed bird, I don't fill the chest cavity with stuffing. (For one thing, my family is divided into 2 camps on the stuffing question--cornbread or oyster. So I make both kinds on top of the stove.) Instead, after rubbing the turkey with olive oil and seasoning it with salt,pepper, poultry seasoning, thyme and parsley, I pour about half a bottle of  Chardonnay into the turkey insides. It gives the drippings I use for my homemade noodles an extra kick and after baking at 350 degrees for the recommended amount of time for the size of the bird, my turkey comes out of the oven nicely moist and delicious. 

Christmas is coming. Do you have a special trick that makes holiday meals better, easier, or more festive?

The Joy of Shoe Shopping!

'The time has come,' the walrus said, 'to talk of many things: of shoes and ships - and sealing wax - of cabbages and kings.' ~ Lewis Carroll

Okay, I know the title of this post surprises those who know me. After all, I am the Anti-Shopper.

Ask anyone. Wandering around a mall "looking for nothing in particular but I'll know it when I find it is" my definition of the ninth circle of Hell.

My parents, who will celebrate 64 years of wedded bliss this year!

I am, however, an enthusiastic buyer when I know exactly what I want and where to find it. Those two trajectories synced last week when we took my parents to Branson. It was something of an early Christmas/Anniversary present. (Yep! They followed a 3 generation family tradition of being married on Christmas Day. The DH and I decided some traditions were made to be broken!)

Foyer of the Sight & Sound Theater

For the uninitiated, Branson, MO is a small town nestled in the Ozarks that features more live theaters per square mile than Broadway. We took the folks to see The Miracle of Christmas at the Sight & Sound Theater. It was a visually stunning production and there were more characters flying above the stage and our heads than if we'd gone to see Peter Pan! 

Anyway, after the shows, the next biggest draw for Branson is the shopping. Ordinarily, this would make me groan, but I happened to know there was a Rockport store at the Tanger Outlet. 

I usually have trouble finding a shoe that fits. I don't know what it is about the Rockport brand, but I can almost always wear a pair out of the store and have them feel like they were made just for my feet. On this particular trip, I found FOUR (count 'em!) pairs. The very sweet salesperson Rhonda was so  good to help me find just the right size.

Mack, seen in the background, thinks packing never bodes well for a dog...

I'm tickled to pieces with all of them. The three dress shoes all have non-skid soles, so they'll be perfect for shipboard evenings. The black heels aren't so tall that I'm afraid I'll  break an ankle if the Pacific Princess starts rocking. The blue slip-ons will be great for walking excursions. The strawberry in the situation is that they were all on sale and averaged $30 a piece. Along with my red leather deck shoes (also Rockports) these five will compose the bulk of my cruise shoe wardrobe.

But I'll also be bringing three pairs of sandals--black, brown and blue--and hot pink flipflops for a total of 9 pairs of shoes. I'd originally thought I could pare it down to five altogether, but it looks like this is the final count.

Oh! And did I mention that they all hug my feet? (Contented sigh!)

So how about you? Are you an Anti-Shopper, too? Or do you, like my mom, shake your head in disbelief that I could actually hate shopping? 

Want my posts to come to your inbox? Sign up to Follow by Email in the little form under my pic in the right hand column. Just type in your email address. You may have prove you're not a robot and then confirm your subscription when you get an email asking if you really meant to sign up, but after that, you'll never miss a moment of our adventures!