Final port . . . Nassau, Bahamas

The week flew by and we still had one more port to see, Nassau. Our ship was late arriving due to the Captain's wise decision to sail around some bad weather during the night. When we got off the ship we only had a couple hours (since we were assigned early seating in the dining room and we didn't want to spend more money to eat in town when the food was so good on board and had already been paid for!) to see all we could see—which really left us no time to see Nassau, but just enough time to find some souvenirs for the grandkids. As you can see by the pictures, we were the fourth ship to dock . . . too darn many tourists crowding the part of town near the dock!

Three ships had docked ahead of us . . . hmmmmm, could be lots of people in town! And the Captain pulled right in between those first two ships, amazing!

Isn't the color of the water spectacular? And I loved this sweet little light house—all lighthouses remind me of my mid-western son-in-law!

And here I am with my Vera Bradley bag . . . a Christmas gift I finally got to use because I don't carry a purse much these days. I loved having it and it went so nicely with my outfit, don't you think?

On Saturday, the morning we left the ship, we received under our cabin door the last daily newsletter. Here are some interesting facts published from the Navigator's log. During our cruise, MSC ORCHESTRA has covered the following sections:
From Fort Lauderdale to Cayo Levantado . . . 784 miles
From Cayo Levantado to Philipsburg, St. Maartens . . . 364 miles
From Philipsburg to St. John, Antigua . . . 88 miles
From Antigua to Nassau, Bahamas . . . 1028 miles
From Nassau to Fort Lauderdale . . . 180 miles

During this cruise, the following provisions have been consumed (like we really needed to know how much we ate!):

Potatoes . . .14,550 lbs.
Mixed Salads . . .9,480 lbs
Mixed Vegetables . . .8,819 lbs
Onions . . .6,394 lbs
Garlic . . .287 lbs
Fruit 46,297 lbs
Frozen Vegetables . . .6,393 lbs
Meat . . .13,889 lbs
Frozen Meat . . .3,307 lbs
Chicken . . .4,630 lbs
Frozen Fish . . .10,803 lbs
Crayfish . . .661 lbs
Pasta . . .7,005 lbs
Rice . . .4,189 lbs
Eggs . . .52,000
Flour . . .11,244 lbs

A total of 147,998 pounds . . . nearly 74 tons . . . let's see, divide that by 4000 (guests and crew included) oh, who cares? Of course I see they didn't include sugar or butter in their calculations . . . hmmmmmm!

It was a great cruise and so much fun with our good buddies Gary and Cecile!

Life is good!

Silver Wedding Anniversary for the Thompsons

Thursday night, while in Antigua, was a very special night, and actually the reason for this cruise. It was a somewhat formal night in the dining room, with lobster for dinner. However the really special part of the evening was celebrating Gary and Cecile's 25th anniversary. It was our turn to pop for a nice bottle of wine to go with our dinner, and we had ordered a cake to be served for dessert as a surprise. We all looked forward to lobster as our entrée. We got up to leave after our celebration-cake dessert— but the head waiter came running over to us and said "Wait, please don't leave . . . the captain has a very unique and special dessert tonight!" Well, we were stuffed and had all the intentions of only splurging on one dessert but soon the lights dimmed and all the waiters in the entire dining room came marching out to music carrying candle-lit Baked Alaska on large trays up on their shoulders for all to enjoy. Of course, to be polite, we forced ourselves to enjoy the captain's dessert (actually Ken and I shared one serving because we were truly already stuffed). It was so much fun celebrating a mile-stone anniversary with our good friends.

Twenty-five years . . . and counting!

Our waiter sang "Happy Anniversary" in their native tongue. They are from Bali, Indonesia.

I hope all their wishes come true!

Baked Alaska, the Captain's special dessert.

Life good!

Snorkeling in the Caribbean

The second port was Phillipsburg on an island called St. Martin or St. Maarten (depending on which side of the island you are on . . . the French or the Dutch—Phillipsburg is on the Dutch side). Our ship, the MSC Orchestra, was the third ship to dock. We backed into the port right behind a Disney ship and across from a Royal Caribbean ship . . . amazing how the crew can maneuver these huge ships. It was quite warm and it was a very long walk into town. Once we got to the shops we found it to be quite crowded with the three shiploads of passengers shopping for souvenirs. Cecile and I shopped a bit and then met the guys back on-board for lunch.

The third port, my favorite of the cruise, was St. John's on the island of Antigua. Ken, Cecile, and I signed up to go on a Catamaran Sail/Snorkel excursion. Gary chose to stay back and walk the town (he doesn't like to swim). It was a gorgeous day and the sea was fairly calm, making for a nice sailing experience on a large catamaran. There were probably forty of us excited about seeing the beautiful coral and colorful fishes in the clear aqua blue water. The boat sailed with a crew of four who were quite helpful in getting our equipment passed out so that we were ready to jump in as soon as we got to the perfect spot. We were required to wear a floating device around out waist which was quite cumbersome in trying to keep your head in the water while maneuvering your body into a comfortable floating position, then once our face was in the water . . . there were maybe, at the most, a half dozen zebra fish . . . and a sunken rusty ship . . . and that was it! Oh-so-disappointing, as far as the snorkeling part of the day went. When we got back on board the catamaran and returned our fins and snorkel mask— the rum punch started flowing, the Reggae music sounded over the loud speakers, and we soon forgot how poor the snorkeling was! The second part of the morning was spent on the beach. Cecile and I enjoyed just swimming in the clear water, keeping ourselves cooled off from the hot sun. Some adventurous souls hiked up to see the ruins of Fort Barrington, a British fort looming dramatically over the shoreline, built in 1779 to protect the British island from the French. We all agreed this day was the most fun of the entire cruise!

Here are the three ships docked. The MSC Orchestra is on the left, backed up behind the Disney Magic, and across from the Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas. Can you just imagine all those passengers in town spending lots of money!

The red arrow is pointing to our cabin—Deck 12, Room 12189!

Early arrival in Antigua we could hear roosters crowing all through town . . . made me think of "our" chickens back home.

We listened and watched a car running through town with political announcements coming from loud speakers. Rather obnoxious sounds for 6:30 in the morning!

Here is a "sister ship" of the catamaran fleet, just like the one I was standing on taking this picture from which we did our snorkeling.

This beading display had Cecile and I drooling. I bought a set for myself, and a set for Cecile (a belated birthday present).

Karen, one of the crew members, is the beading artist. Here she is adding a couple beads (actually remaking the bracelet she had on display) to my bracelet.

Karen had a great personality, and made the whole sailing and snorkeling adventure lots of fun!

Fort Barrington, high up on a cliff overlook the beach.

Life is good!

Little did we know . . .

. . . that the "worse storm of the century" was heading toward California, or so we heard as we were cruising off to the Caribbean. It did start to snow the morning we left for the airport, so you can imagine the smiles on our faces as we looked forward to blue skies and warmer weather. And we weren't disappointed one bit! I'll break the 7-night cruise into four postings, so that I can share some of the highlights of each port.

It has rained all night but was in the mid-forties when we woke up the morning of our flight to Ft. Lauderdale. By 9 a.m. the temperature had dropped considerably and the rain turned to snow! Jen got held up behind a large bus which was stuck in the snow on the highway and she was unable to pick us up as planned.

So we quickly set "Plan B" into action. Ken loaded up the truck and we headed to the airport. We flew to Ft Lauderdale via Dallas/Houston and arrived around at the hotel close to midnight. We shared a room with Gary and Cecile who were already in bed and had left a mint on our pillow. We tip-toed around and slipped quietly into bed and none of us slept well (we were so excited about getting on the ship the next morning).

The following morning we were one of the first to board the ship, the MSC Orchestra. Around five in the afternoon she sounded her loud horns and set sail as we waved goodbye to Ft. Lauderdale heading toward the first port of the cruise—Cayo Levantado—in the Dominican Republic.

Ken and Gary bringing our traditional "Set Sail Drink" ... I love the smiles on their faces ... we were all looking forward to a fun time together.

Ken really enjoyed the balcony especially in the mornings. This is our first cruise that we splurged for a balcony room, and it'll be real hard to ever "go back!"

I loved sipping my coffee in the mornings, at the same time enjoying the sounds of the water and feeling the cool breeze on my face.

Our rooms were next to each other and we were able to open up the balconies so we could enjoy the views together.

The interior of the ship was beautiful. It's the newest of their fleet, and the largest, and it is kept spotless at all times.

It was a quiet morning, normally this staircase was used as a good "photo opportunity background."

There were two "formal" evenings in the dining room.

After dinner we came back to our bed all ready for us.

After a whole day at sea we pulled into Cayo Leventado which is a privately owned island in the Dominican Republic. The sand is white and powdery, the turquoise waters are crystal clear making it nice for snorkeling. We were scheduled for a sail and snorkeling adventure but apparently not enough signed up for this excursion and, much to our disappointment, it was canceled.

The port is quite small with maybe a dozen vendors selling their arts and crafts to tourists. The rest of the privately-owned island is occupied by a fancy resort hotel.

From the beach I took this picture of our ship . . . it's as beautiful as it is inside! Our room is on the top row (Deck 12) and is the fifth window from the stern.

Life is good!

JD'S Day to Shine

Since our Southern California grandkids have moved up to our mountain, they have all become totally engrossed in country living . . . home-schooling, sports of all kinds, and especially their animals . . . chickens, rabbits, and goats. The raising of the animals also means membership in their local 4-H club. Today was the opportunity to show what they've learned about "Small Animals" at the 4-H Skills Day at the Madera Fairgrounds. KL had to stay home because of illness, so JD was the only one showing his chicken. He did a great job in all categories and we are so proud of him!

I called this "Test and Wait" because the first couple of hours of the afternoon was just that. JD entering at Level 1, had to identify eight different grains used for chicken feed, identify 13 birds, and determine "Keep or Cull" chickens. That took him about a half-hour and the rest of the time was spent waiting in line, with Pepper in his arms (or out, depending how much the chicken wiggled and "escaped" for a minute while JD chased him and captured him again . . . we weren't sure if this was purposefully done just to distract himself from the boredom of waiting in line). He was waiting his turn to go before the judge to answer questions, and show the judge that he knew all about the different physical parts of a chicken.

JD and Pepper waiting patiently for their turn to shine.

When JD walked up to the judge's table, Pepper was a bit nervous and wanted out . . . after all, this was her first performance in front of a judge.

But JD calmed her down and went through the routine of pointing out the various aspects of a chicken he was being judged on, and both he and Pepper did a great job.


Here is Jen and Pepper. As you can see, Jen loves her chickens too! The kids are blessed with such a great, supportive mom and dad . . . and in turn they are blessed with three great kids!

And when the afternoon was over, JD came home with a "Medal" for his 4-H hat . . . the best prize he could have won today.
Way to go JD!

Life is good!

Fun Trip to Big Pine

When my sister Patty retired nearly two years ago, she and Harold sold their home in Southern California and moved into their new home in Big Pine. Located directly on the other side of the Sierras from us in the Owens Valley, Big Pine would be so much easier to get to from our place if we were birds. But since we're not, it's a six-hour drive. There is a more direct route over the Tioga Pass, but the pass is closed due to the snow. This time of year we have to drive quite a way south, then west, and then north (nearly 360 miles) . . . and as my grandson JD says . . . "That's one big U-turn!"

Last summer my mom moved from Fresno over to Bishop so she could be closer to Patty (the retired R.N. in the family). We went to see Mom in her new assisted-living place, where she seems to be adjusting quite well (although she's not eating much and has lost a lot of weight which does cause us concern). While we were there she didn't want to do anything except take her naps, however Patty and I got her to sing some favorite songs with us, which was a joy for my sister and me. She lay on her bed with her eyes closed and sang along with us, sometimes even in harmony like she did so well when we were kids. She's going to celebrate her 89th birthday on the 14th. We haven't seen her in a while, and wanted to give her our love before we go on our cruise next week.

The mountains that surround the Owens Valley are beautiful and majestic. Absolutely gorgeous!

By the squinting of my eyes you can see that it was quite a sunny but chilly and windy day!

The four of us have a good time when we get together.

And we all love playing Pegs and Jokers.

Life is good!

Super Bowl XLIII . . . It's all about the food, right?

Three families gathered at the Simply Country farmhouse for the 43rd annual Super Bowl game with the Pittsburgh Steelers playing the Arizona Cardinals. Of course I was cheering for Pittsburgh since that's the town my dad grew up in, but it seemed most of the crowd around me was for Arizona.

All of my life the Super Bowl meant great food, an awesome halftime show, and hilariously creative commercials! The game is the reason we gather . . . but what's a football game without good food?

Ken was in charge of making Baked Beans (following my dad's famous recipe) and Teriyaki Chicken Wings. My job was to make a hot Creamy Artichoke/Crab Dip (a recipe given to me by my friend Mary Lane), and Chile Con Queso, Revved Up from Pioneer Woman, one of my favorite bloggers. Jennifer made a Buffalo Chicken Dip served with cool crispy celery (from a recipe PD heard on the radio which I'm betting is similar to this one), her delicious Bacon-Wrapped-Water Chestnuts, and some mighty tasty stuffed pizzas served after the game. KL made a fresh bowl of delicious Guacamole (of which I failed to photograph, sorry KL). The invited guests brought sodas for the kids, a nice vegetable tray, and a yummy ice-cream cake for dessert. Needless to say, even though I may be biased, all the food was delicious, and not one person went home hungry.

And the game . . . well, the Pittsburgh Steelers won 27-23 and it was a great game with lots of action all four quarters. We had a small pool going with Ken sharing the pot with one other, each winning $5. A very fun day with lots of food, fellowship, and fun!

Clockwise from the top left: Teriyaki Chicken Wings, Artichoke Crab Dip, Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts, Queso Revved Up, the healthy part of the spread: veggies, Baked Beans, Hot Buffalo Wing Chicken Dip!

Ken was up early this morning baking his beans and making the Teriyaki Chicken Wings.

Toward the start of the third quarter Jen and I made a couple of "Stuffed Pizzas" . . . actually it's pizza dough stuffed in the center and braided on top . . . watch:

Jen stuffed hers with Italian sausage, onions, and bell peppers and mozarella cheese . . . and mine was stuffed with baked chicken, pesto, pine nuts, and mozarella cheese.

One more layer of the chicken pesto stuffing and then I'll criss-cross the dough over the top before baking.

Jen's mighty proud of her Italian Sausage/Pepper/Onion Stuffed Pizza.

I went for the Chicken Pesto one, and it was mighty tasty. The guys really liked the Italian Sausage one . . . not much leftover either!

During one of the commercials for an upcoming movie, we all donned 3-D glasses to watch . . . fun!

We all got a big kick out of the 3-D glasses!

A great game . . . a great day!

Life is good!