What did you do this summer?

I went to Mo Bay!

Words I never thought I would say.

That rhymes.

Montego Bay is very beautiful by the sea, and very third world from the bus. The people are beautiful and sad. The music is wonderful and descriptive of dreams, not reality. The lovely old historic church we saw was in terrible disrepair, but Margaritaville was pristine and air conditioned. Our tour guide called the potholes "free massage" and the speed bumps "sleeping policemen". The resorts provide work for the locals, but there were still plenty of people offering drugs on the streets. We didn't buy any.

Returning to the ship for cool drinks and lunch, followed by a nap and a great workout was time well spent. Dinner was exquisitely served:

Rack of lamb

Wilted Spinach with bacon and Portabellas

Seafood Variety Newburg Style

Dessert: Tiramisu and Bitter & Blanc (Chocolate and Vanilla)

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galations 5:1

Day 3 at Sea

Day Three at Sea began with a lovely room service breakfast while listening to a podcast of our long-ago college friend Mahesh Chavda teaching on the Lord's standard like a flood. We booked shore excursions for Montego Bay, took a short walk, and perused our photos in the photo gallery. A lite lunch of mahimahi, grilled corn and mushroom salad was followed with a nap and a good workout in the state of the art fitness room on the top deck, bow. While listening to great music on my ipod and watching a lightning storm at sea, I peddled my way to fitness.

Then I ate this.

Best part of the grilled salmon dinner with cucumber soup was the entertaining singing and dancing waiters. Or maybe the lite lemon cake. Or the jerk pork loin. Or strawberry cheesecake.

The view from our cabin on day three.

Ps. 93:3 The seas have lifted up, O Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.

Evening Surprise!

Carnival Conquest's cabin stewards do everything they can to be sure you return to their ship for another cruise. The rooms are spotlessly cleaned multiple times a day. Everything is polished and folded and dusted and tweaked and there is not a wrinkle in the bedding. And every evening after dinner and the theater show, upon returning to your room you find something from the menagerie. Or, on the last night at sea, this beautiful heart. Did I mention that each towel creation comes with chocolate mints?

I really, really miss those cabin stewards. I just love fresh ice and folded towels and cute little animals and clean, polished glasses, and fluffy pillows and duvets, and chocolate mints, and all the other things they do so very well.

Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the honor and glory of God.

1 Cor 10:31

An Anniversary & Sea Day Two

Today is the 40th anniversary of our first date.

Song of Solomon 3:4

when I found the one my heart loves I held him and would not let him go

The first topic of conversation when mentioning a cruise is normally FOOD. There are good reasons for this. It is plentiful. It is pre-paid. It is delicious. It is extraordinary. The food in the photograph below was prepared by a special team of chefs onboard the Conquest. We attended the cooking demonstration and in one hour learned that we were sailing with highly trained and experienced chefs who could perform feats of grandeur with lobster, chicken, cheese, and chocolate. The Officer in charge of food operations served as extra arm and interpreter for two of the chefs whose cooking skills far surpass their English. The white scarfed chefs are the sous chefs, while the red scarfed chefs are the specialty chefs--desserts and pastry, or fish. And the blue scarfed chefs work for free. In other words, they are apprentices.

The food prepared at the cooking demo was by the entire team. First there was Lobster Bisque. Then came the chicken, seared in oil to seal in the juices and baked in a specially prepared sauce, served with ---macaroni and cheese. No kidding. But the cheese was a combination of mascarpone, ricotta, parmesan, and gruyere. Grated by hand and whipped with cream and served in small portions as individual ramekin dishes. For dessert the pastry chef prepared Warm Chocolate Melting Cake. Only four ingredients: melted 72% chocolate, eggs, sugar and flour. Whisked by hand. Baked in ramekins until lightly set around the edges and melted in the middle. Topped with vanilla ice cream. Yummy! It was served several evenings in the dining room.

Other yummy food included ceviche, tuna and melon, spaghetti squash with almonds and raisins in a salad, key lime pie, lobster and shrimp stuffed mushrooms, and cherries jubilee.

I'm talking about the second day at sea. Not for the entire cruise. This, of course, doesn't even include the breakfast buffet.

After dinner we strolled on the deck or around the ship, walking off those calories and people- watching or just looking at the ship's interiors. Below is a photo of the ceiling as seen from an angle of the stairway in the atrium. You look up: gorgeous. You look down: marble or wood. You look to the side: always interesting.
Inside the beautiful Supper Club restaurant where the cooking demonstration was offered.
We managed a nap almost every day of the cruise, here in stateroom 1266. One night we woke to see the moon and venus shining over the water right in our window.
This was a popular place. We preferred quieter places, however. I love the motion of the ship and feeling wind in my face. Puts me to sleep quickly. ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz........
Other favorites from Sea Day Two:

Art auction (observers only)

Sleeping late

Break dancers in the lobby

Point & Click show in the theater

Meeting new friends Tena and David from Arkansas

Three Weeks Ago: Our first Sea Day on Cruise

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, young men may stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord shall renew their strength. They will soar on wings as eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint. Is. 40:23-31

Muffin and I drove to the Rowdy Girls' house and spent a couple of hours on the way to our cruise weekend. That's always a good idea. We had just returned from seeing Jonah and Gracie in Arizona and were feeling deprived of grandchildren. Boo hoo.

So we found this little shop in Galveston.

After a sweaty, hot morning of hauling luggage and standing in lines, we were directed to the Lido Deck for lunch. Yum.

We could still see the lovely historic district of Galveston from the ship's deck. Here is the Hotel Galvez.

Left downtown Houston and all our cares and worries far behind.

Some of my favorite memories from the first day are:

Seeing The Strand in Galveston--making a comeback from the hurricane damage.

Walking onto the ship hearing a Chinese couple singing "Breaking up is Hard to Do". Just hit me funny.

Enjoying delicious Mango Mousse on a matching plate.

Watching Muffin relax.

Meeting Sherry and Jim from Galveston and enjoying dinner with them.

Watching a little girl of about seven fill her tray with food and say "Don't you just love this boat?"

Watching cha-cha dance class in the theater.

Enjoying the fun show with Carl the comedian.

A tour of the gym and the art gallery.

Sunset on the deck after dinner.

Opening a door to an outdoor deck and finding a group of Indian families dancing to their own band. Fabulous!

Back to Work

After a fabulously decadent summer of fun I started back to work last week. There have been changes, of course, both good and not so good. The good ones include two lovely and eager new students, little girls who are in first and second grade. And a family is returning after a six month traveling job with three of their four children who previously took violin lessons in the studio. Another family with four students whom I have taught for nine years and who I love dearly have decided to quit. It will be awhile before I adjust to this development. For the past six years or so I have been part of a ladies Bible study group on Wednesdays. We decided to take a summer break, as we often do, and continue this month. Except the study group I participated in through the summer was also on Wednesdays and I loved it. We practiced Sozo techniques on one another and watch

ed DVD's from Bethel church's Sozo team. Beginning next week that study will continue and I will join it.

I had so much fun this summer! With these people,

and these people. We went to visit them. And they came to visit us.

Then we went on our first cruise. And I'll blog later about each of the seven days of the cruise.

Normal: No Bones about It

What an odd week I've had! I missed being with Gracie and Jonahbear so much. The previous week with them, their parents, and my dear Muffin was so delightful, as always. For the last seven days I have been somewhat disoriented, restless and distracted. Also busy.

I have written contracts, been to the library, stretched through two Pilates hours and four Body Flow classes. I shopped for groceries, took the car for oil change, new battery, new wipers, and tire rotation, made Spanish rice, two enchilada casseroles, chicken salad, fruit salad, and veggie salad.

I delivered part of that food as a meal to my dear friend KK's home and visited with her for awhile. Green rings are the new jewelry for a group of her friends, including Moi. We wear them as a reminder to pray for KK, knowing that her vision for the future is one of a green hedge. Another member of our reunion group and I met at KK's house one afternoon. While KK rested and my friend prayed, I played the violin, because I felt that was what the Holy Spirit told me to do for her.

At Sozo training I learned about "triggers", those sights, sounds, smells, or thoughts which remind us of traumatic events from which we seemingly cannot free ourselves of the trauma, no matter how much we pray. During the learning session a woman in the group asked for us to minister to her to receive freedom from traumatic thoughts whenever she thought about her doctors who diagnosed colorectal cancer in her body over a year ago. She did received freedom! Then we went to lunch and talked for two hours about nutrition as cancer therapy, about KK's diagnosis, about her own journey to this point, about her family and their reactions, about her travel to various places to receive prayer, and especially about her current good health. Now the green ring reminds me to pray for her too!

One afternoon I spent several hours cleaning out files. Yuk! Now all those outdated papers need to be shredded. I have more space and a stack of empty file folders as a result.

My least favorite day spent with my most favorite man, Muffin, was Friday. We drove northwest to my gynecologist for my yearly checkup, blood work, bone density and mammogram. Is there anyone out there whose favorite time of year is THE checkup day? Didn't think so. Although my reports are usually quite good there is always some tension associated with the waiting--for the actual checkups and the results. Since the last bone density scan I am half an inch shorter. Two years=one half inch. That was not good news. In spite of all the exercise and supplements and careful diet, I am missing one half inch of my height, which was already about half an inch shorter than my maximum height, which was never what you would call "tall". My gym trainer was shocked as I explained this to him today. We discussed possible options about adding weight bearing exercise, and I shopped for additional supplements to maximize bone density and minimize chewing and swallowing. "I don't want to think about this today; I'll think about this tomorrow." Katie Scarlett O'Hara

Muffin and I bought yellow watermelon and black eyed peas tonight, among other lovely produce and grocery items. The melon and peas are a surprise for Nannie, who has been craving foods her arthritic hands will not prepare to eat. The peas are shelled, snapped and cooked, and the melon is quartered.

Cooking for those in need, shopping for those who aren't able, planning for the studio, waiting in doctors' offices, working out and eating carefully to promote better health, investing time in that which is eternal--these are part of my routine "normal" at this stage of my life. It bloggles the mind.