Disney In A Day

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Ventura wrapup

Sunshine in her hands

We checked the weather for back home and other places we've been along our route today, and have decided that we are in just the right place! 75° sunny and the perfect amount of breeze to cool us while we've been picking oranges and collecting stories about our relatives at my great aunt's house in Ventura ♡
 

After a truly delightful and relaxing time visiting my great Aunt Gladys and her daughters Kelly, Mona, and son Jeff, and cousin Brenda, we are braving the crowded highways of Los Angeles on our way to experience the Magic of CA in a completely different way. Well, I'm sure other families attend the Magic Kingdom hoping for an inexpensive day of fun, but I'm going to attempt to give new meaning to the words "cheap entertainment." My mom and dad always taught me that you don't have to spend money to have fun, and I intend to get over the admission price shock and deny the urge to run from attraction to attraction. I hope we get to see a lot, but there is a lot to see...
Homeschool travel lessons for today: we are researching "maps, and how to navigate with them", as well as, "What is Smog?" Something we Washingtonians-since-birth were blessed to live without ♡

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Lace Waves and Fashion Pants

At the advice of my friend Phaedra, we explored the Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center this morning. It was so informative -and interesting too! Then we walked all of the 1000 plus feet of the Ventura Pier and even did a little wave jumping. I'm easing into shorts by wearing my Capri pants lol, don't want to blind anyone :-)

Glass of Sunset

Happiness is... watching your family frolic in the dunes as pre-sunset entertainment. Yep, I'll drink to that! Even Spunky watched tonight.
Thank you for a great day of sightseeing around Morro Bay, Ray!

 

 Thank you for a great day of sightseeing around Morro Bay, Ray!

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Bootlegged Besties Page

Making scrapbook pages for others has been a creative kick in the pants for me this year. From the pregnancy and newborn albums I assembled for my cousin, to the gift I'm sending overseas for my older brother next week, downloading other people's pictures from facebook and creating scrapbook layouts for them fills my heart with the same type of joy that committing my own family's memories does.

Since I never (ok, hardly ever) make two of anything the same, I've learned to enhance my satisfaction over creating for others by creating scrapbook pages without photos as part of the process. Not only does this leave room for additional photos I may not have on hand to be included, leaves room for the recipient to add their own journaling too, and sometimes invites some otherwise unconsidered cropping, but then I have a blank template to overlay my own digital images upon!

If you look closely at the background of this two page layout of my best friend and I at sleepover camp in April, you'll notice it is practically the same image, just rotated. In the picture on the left, I simply laid a piece of yellow-green polka-dotted paper that was nearby down on top of the grid background. I didn't have to use any adhesive! And it helped bring the photos I grouped digitally on top together harmoniously. The ink splatters I had adorned that single page with mimic the handholds on the climbing wall photos featured on the opposite side.
 Adding titles is a breeze, and mixing fonts in perfectly color matched hues is no problema- this one reads, "above all, relax reach & remain fearless." Good advice that is hard to follow once you step out of your comfort zone and start climbing a sheer wall of wood. I pushed myself to my limit and then gave into the cheering of my comrades as the shouted, "keep going! you can do it! don't give up yet!" Wow, that was like hearing my internal monologue in stereo lol. Although I was shaking, sweating and stammering, I did reach a little further and in a surging leap of faith upward, grasped the next hand hold successfully before repelling down to the graveled safety of the ground below.
Breathless, smiling with exhilaration, and warmed by the adventure and the friendly encouragement I'd received. Add the knowledge of a few photos taken for me to document the experience waiting for service to be sent, and I had all the makings for an inspiring rest of the day teaching others to play with paper and embrace their self-expressions.

The app I used was Photo Grid btw :-)

 

Towel Talk

 ooo, ooooh, pick my room next!

Raise your hand if you've been on a cruise and were delighted each night by the hand folded towel animals left amongst the once scattered but now nicely arranged items in your cabin? These small creations are such a highlight for many, including me. Including our two girls, and actually, including Ray as well. He even found a very old brochure of how to fancy fold napkins  from a cruise taken in his previous life for me after our return from Alaska in 2012.

Who's my little Polar Bear? Sunny -despite the cold

When we saw the listing in our daily itinerary for the towel folding demonstration onboard the Amsterdam, we ran around trying to locate the theatre, breathlessly arriving to sit on the edge of our seats to see how the magic...unfolded :-) The demo did not disappoint, featured a swan, jelly fish, elephant, dog, and monkey, and also managed to put hubby in a state of needing a nap lol.
 No bother, Rainie got to play with her peers under the supervision of Miss Paula in Club Hal, and Sunny and I explored the ship, splashed our toes in the pool, and then jumped in wholeheartedly after obtaining permission to swim from dad, who cares so much about us as to regulate the amount of chlorine we are exposed to <3  And was it cold, swimming in the frigid waters of Stephen's Passage towards Juneau? YES! But, don't we make the cutest little blue popsicles you ever did see?!
Interestingly enough, the next day there was listed on the itinerary... "Polar Plunging." Been there, done that, or, oooh we can get a certificate saying what we did yesterday was exemplary...
You know we earned the right to be called certifiable with another dip in the glacial, floating ice berg filled waters of Alaska's Inside Passage!

Table Talk

I'm big fan of what comes from Shimelle.com, and this September she is guiding subscribers through a series of prompts that have allowed me to ponder, what New Thing I have learned each day. I sincerely enjoyed using her daily prompts last year to start conversations with my family about what I was learning, as well as what they have or have yet to learn. There are so many stories I have heard as an older person that may have been quite influential had they been told to me as a younger person...but, then again, maybe not! After all, don't most teenagers think they have an edge over "old people?" Hmmm. Anyway, I enjoyed the process of talking at the table with our children about lessons learned and committed to doing the same this year, once the course, open through and to the month of September, opened up.

Committed... that's what I should be, for thinking that I would be able to follow an even more rigid system of recording thoughts and topics, when even last year's section of spiraled notebook paper fell short of capturing the full 30 days. I mean, how many times have I taken a very simple, effective process and transformed it into a completely uninteresting, utterly avoidable task? The answer reader, is MANY. So yeah, I placed divided page protectors in my working scrapbook album, labeled each one with a easy-peel-off label, and even sectioned off a special spot for our trip to Alaska pictures taken last week. All this was done days before the class even started!
And then, I didn't write down more than two or three of the subjects. In a notebook, on in my planner. Not even on the pretty pieces of patterned paper I specifically put in my planner with which I intended to record upon. 'Cause I didn't write out a single story shared. And, truth be told, I hardly shared a bit of what I read in my emailed PDF's nearly every day (I did read the prompt most every day. Well, more days than not) with anyone else, let alone my family members.
All this not doing kind of, bothered me. I started to do the, why did I even do all that work in my album, mumbo jumbo. Creative process interferers are what those sentences are. My month didn't go the way I wanted it to and the intentions I had fell somewhat short. And that's okay. I've learned that every project, even a repeated one, can be unlike another. I didn't stop looking for lessons, I just didn't validate them with recorded verbiage. I felt them occur, more than made them happen, I guess.
My cardmaking is a perfect example of when this works well in my life; not only can I hardly create two very similar cards, two made to be exactly alike is practically unfathomable. That's actually what makes them valuable to me... each one is made with a person or story in mind at the time. I want each recipient and or sender to feel they have the perfect thing in their hand, to feel reached for, remembered. Which brings me to another great example of creating without standards of exactitude; my scrapbook pages. I can follow the exact same pattern/template/sketch or what have you, but depending on which photo, patterns of papers, color schemes, and embellishments are combined, the feeling of the writing, the wording of the title, etc- they will all work towards a new look that is unique to the layout and not the sketch followed.
So, back to my not following the "rules" for Learning Something New Everyday, which Shimelle repeats, are not in existence. Sitting at the breakfast table with my family on our second day at sea, cruising toward the capital city of Alaska (pictured in the previous post), I laughed when I realized the East Indian family sitting behind me had their very own "Food Saver" brought from home being dished onto the husband's meal.
"Food Saver," you ask? Well, most of know someone who just has to have some Thing on their food to make it palatable- be it black pepper, salt, tobacco sauce, ketchup, etc. My honey has constantly changing add-it-to-all; past inclusions being ginger, nutmeg, Dijon mustard(s), and, for this trip, the cayenne pepper. The food saver! For any meat not spiced well or at all, for the eggs cooked any which way, for a dash of hot lemon water cleansing, or maybe even for fake on the spot tearing up of the eyes! Okay, the last two were just things I thought of :-)

I shared this story of following along in the class, attempting to learn something new each day, the food saver moniker, the laugh I had as I pondered the opportunity to share this very post's contents as I had hoped to do... at the breakfast table, with my family, learning with each other, that sometimes, a simple taste from home can make you feel as if you've not left it.
Then we shared the tale with the subjects, and our new friend Raj's delectable addition was, (wait for it)
 

 Pickled Mangoes, made from scratch and brought home from he and wife Sheila's most recent trip to their ancestral home of India. Sometimes, a lesson to be learned is right where you are! I might mention, I also learned in speaking with this most delightful couple, that unlike English, or French, their native language is, for the most part, pronounced phonetically. Interesting, AND handy to know!

So, do you know the capital city of the great big state of Alaska? Comment below!

 



Couple of Costs

Cruise for 4 to Alaska with an unobstructed, Oceanside window...$3000

Tacky tourist trinkets to take home...$98.70

Cocktails for a Happier Hour or two (or four)...$42

Printed pictures of your vacation waiting at Walgreens on your way home...$11.59

Posted greetings mailed home from ports of call... $2.90

Time not spent cooking, cleaning, driving, performing manual labor or caring for animals, and instead simply enjoying the company of your family ... Priceless

 

New School Field Trip

This week, I have the pleasure of vacationing with my family aboard Holland America's Amsterdam on a cruise through Southeastern Alaskan waters. Our destinations so far have included Stephen's Passage and the capitol city of Juneau, where we walked about town and happened upon this incredible spot just waiting for a #CraftWithAnna event to take place.
Ok, so I didn't break out my to-go-stamping kit and teach a class to the strangers out walking past our photo op? Well, no, but you can bet I thought about it! Because, when you see a desk marked "free" beckoning from a hotel parking lot, you take advantage of it, right?!

This is our second voyage with HA over Alaskan waters, and this time I brought along a few items that have certainly made waiting around watching scenery pass by with little ones a whole lot more pleasant. Not just for them, but for me too, I freely admit. We have amongst our generous helping if supplies in tow a set of watercolor pencils, pre-cut sheets of watercolor paper, assorted other papers collected along the way being repurposed for painting-on materials and a spritzer bottle for water.
Experiments of pencil on wet paper, penciled pigment being picked up and applied by brush, and even finger painting may or may not have taken place. Subjects such as waterfront views, tabletop floral still lifes, and even carpet designs have thus far been studied as inspiration for our creativie passions.We are having fun passing the time and capturing a bit of Alaska to take home as well.
I must say, though, as much as I love our little canvases, seeing Rainier being so generous and thoughtful while gifting away her original artworks to our good natured servers has been a gentle reminder that, as much as we cherish the moments that make memories, if we do not share them, they remain only with us. So, thank you, dear reader, for allowing me to share a bit of my mothering, teacher's joy with you in this post...

Now, who's interested in a REAL CraftWithAnna on location amongst Alaska experience?! Leave a comment below and let me know where your "bucket-list" cruise would go, and for bear's sake,
Stay Crafty!

Triste Times Two

 Mismo Mujeres

 

"You are my favorite Hello and my hardest Goodbye..."

Truer words could not be found for the way my heart feels at having to depart from mi abuelita's casa this morning. We were all up early in anticipation of this being our last desayuno together. The poor dear even slept in her clothes and shoes so that she would be able to race her walker out to say goodbye should she oversleep! And truth be told, I pretty much wanted to crawl into bed and hold her all night long. But I think it's better to be invited lol. And if she did ask, I didn't understand it! 

What was easy to understand, was her sadness. My great aunt Allejandra stayed longer than usual to see me off and be of comfort to her, because it was so obvious that she was struggling with the pain of being left alone again. Together we have shared so many poignent moments this week. I told her, (in spanish, can you believe it?!) "We have had already enough tears, and we will have more laughs together, for all I have to do is think of you and I will smile." That she needs to live a long time -as if turning 98 next week is not enough- so that I can bring my daughters and "husband" to meet and entertain and be of help to her as well. That she will always be alive, for she and I are cut from the same natural fibers. I have lived all of these years within her heart, and ahora, es tiempre por mi corazon to crezcan, and make enough room for her to live the rest of my life within mine. And that I will be much better about phoning her, now that I really understand her "schedule." Then, being me, needing to see her smile even as tears streamed down our three triste faces, "Por favor, vaya con mi en mi bolsa- tu es mucho delgado, se que se ajuste a!" And I got the smile I needed to be able to tear myself away...

Why do we let life get in the way of our true heart's desires... it is such an American way to be. Putting aside our concern for each other. Having excuses like, oh they don't really need to see or hear me to know how much I love them, or, they can take care if themselves and would ask for help if need be. Not that the latter isn't true, but it is so much better to be with one another in person, verdad? Hitting "Like" on facebook is only one way to interact with one another and not a very great one at that. Don't get me wrong, facebook allows me to connect with my cousins in a way that my childhood definately did not. I love being able to see my friends and family growing, posts about what they are doing and places they go etc. It is a way for me to feel that I know them...

But wouldn't getting together for even a few moments over the telephone be even better? Wouldn't it be more incredible to accompany my cousins and let our children share more than we did? You know, when I was younger, the greeting cards I made throughout the year would be promptly mailed off or hand delivered. As I have sold more and more cards each month in stores, it has become apparent that I no longer actually send the cards, I make them with the person in mind and then decide that if it doesn't sell before the next seasonal greetings are appropriate, I'll send it then. Isn't that terrible!? The good news is that, as with any recovery process, the first step has been taken with my publicly admitting, "My name is Anna, and I have a problem sending out my greeting cards." Now I can be made accountable, if by no one but myself at least. 

I had to tell my father how happy I was with the time I have spent here these last 8 days. That these trips to see my grandmother have helped my Spanish vocabulary grow immensely. All the years of schooling have not been able to stick, but just 6 days in her kitchen and two with my cousins, and I can say so much and understand even more. I can hardly imagine a better way to learn than in my family's company! Of course, Google translate has my thanks as well because it was so much easier this visit to find the actual words I needed to express myself. 

 Salud!

But even more important, these two visits, last year and this, have helped my heart to grow. I would not say I am a grinch, but I do know the lovely, slightly uncomfortable feeling of a daily expansion within my chest. The awareness of time passed without correspondence only leaves room for improvement in the future. As my cousin Martha recently wrote, "Yes, there were flashbacks...and many tears..." during her visit to Tenamaxtlan and with our family in Tala last year. I am hoping that when I visit again- and I will, I know- I will be happier with my efforts upon reflection. My daughters and family deserve the best of my love; all that I have to give and can help to inspire within the rest of my family and acquaintances lies within my abuelita-inspired, love-filled heart.

I did not say goodbye, but instead that I will see her in my dreams each night- en mis bueno suenos!  

Fresh Is the Best

Another early morning outside in the still-darkness with my father avoiding smoke and enjoying the carne asada prepared fresh over an open fire had my day started with a full stomach. About an hour later my Uncle returned to pick us up, and together the three of us traveled to Atango for some fresh queso. 

Queso is spanish for cheese, but it is also a type- you'd recognize it sprinkled on top of your frijoles in any Mexican restaurant. It's a soft, crumbling cheese that tastes, well, muy delicioso! My father had spoken of this farm before, and I was looking forward to seeing the operations ran by a husband and wife team. You never know what your future holds, and milking cows could be a talent of mine someday!

Bumping down the road out of town, I couldn't help but notice that the ears of these brothers are shaped the same, so I tried to capture that on camera but my pictures are not as good as I hoped. All that bumping! It will be interesting to look at my daughters features when I return home and notice more similarities to my side of the family perhaps. Turning off the main road, we traversed maybe a mile or two of a downward sloping dirt road enclosed on both sides by another of those made-from-a-million-rocks walls, or fences.

After parking our SUV in the couple's yard, we walked down to where the two of them were hard at work on thier milking stools squeezing out steaming hot fresh milk. I could practically hear Ray begging for a glass, but warm milk has never had any appeal for me so I was glad they did not offer lol. I've stated my fair share of no me gustos and no, gracias' while here already and it has only been a few days. We were soon joined by their daughter, Veronica, and her brother. 

Veronica has the same beautiful green eyes of her mother, with strong, Frieda-ish eyebrows to frame them. Black silky hair hung down her back in a ponytail and I gathered that we'd be taking her to school! I hadn't noticed but apparently she was very upset at being late for school to start, but once she found out she had a ride, she nearly skipped into the house for her things and bounced into the back seat behind me. 

Enthusiasm for school? So un-American!

Following the rio into the heart of Atengo we could see the rounded tops of the church long before the bridge crossing the river. Now, if there was a walking bridge and a driving bridge, wouldn't you use the walking bridge? Especially if the driving side had only one lane? Well if you said yes, you must be American lol. I saw five people with armfuls of items crossing with hardly enough room between their loads and the rear view mirror of my Uncle's truck. Not a single soul on the walking bridge though! How strange.

After delivering Veronica to her school we hit the dusty trail (literally) again back for the farm and the promise of that fresh queso. By now the milking was almost done but the cows still had to be let back into their pen. I noticed a lot of them didn't seem to have been milked completely, but I understood once they got in the corral when all the babies came running for mama. Wincing for the moms as their kids headbutted their swollen udders, probably a trick to get the milk going. Every nurser seems to have one (Sunday).

The river we had been driving beside had done considerable damage to the stone farm walls surrounding the pasture, and I was told that the price for repair comes to about $5/meter about 5 ft high... Sounds like a pretty good price if you are interested in shllepping rocks yourself. The week before I came there was a freak rainstorm that had lasted something like 38 hours before letting up, raising the river up over it's bank with the swirling force strong enough to demolish the unprotected pasture wall. 

 I headed down to investigate the river bank and found a small clam shell... it may be illegal but I have a few treasures to take back. There is a beautiful purple flowerering tree that only blossoms before Easter; the locals say that it represents Christ's crucifiction and resurrection. Between the pages of my spanish/english dictionary I pressed a few of these fallen flowers, as well as the red ones my father handed me one night after visiting a freind. This shell, a smallish heart shaped rock, even a ball of my grandmother's hair, to complete my collection! 

I know the last one is kinda gross, but I guess I just want some tangible way to stay connected with her. One of the first times I left, Saturday afternoon, she was getting her hair down up by a lady living nearby, and I always loved getting my hair done, doing my own daughter's hair, etc. I can only hope that before my trip is over I might get an opportunity to fix up her slilver strands myself. 

Well after a few pictures down by the riverside, we all headed back to the house. Here was my chance to see how real "country" folk live around here. Hmm, pretty much like every where else I guess, aside from their open air, wood burning cook stove and the stack of wood to go with it. Green Eyes showed us the beautiful wood cabinets and wardrobes her brother had made. Her son showed me the bird coop, where I recognized a few of the same varieties we house on our own little "country" farm. 

Placing the fresh, still wet cheese in a cooler between layers of plastic wrap and paper towels, we bid our hosts adios and returned to the house.

One of my favorite feelings is when ever I return, mi abuela turns towards the sound of my call and her whole face lights up as her arms reach out to embrace me before I am even close enough to hug. It's a lovely way to arrive! Guess what she made for us while we were away? Fresh menudo! Talk about lovely, right {yeck}. So I wasn't too upset to learn that we'd basically be turning right back out the door to go help round up a calf outside of the town of Juanaxactlan, about ten miles from here. It could be ten kilometers... ¡no se! Far enough away from the menudo lol.

Passing through the main part of town, I learned that this is the place that the family of my sister's mother come from. I also learned that it is where an old friend of my father's, who had come to visit he and my mom while they were living together in Tacoma, I'm thinking before they had me. Turning onto another dusty road, ahead in the distance loomed a large enough hill that it had it's own cloud on a cloudless day. This may actually be a mountain! And yes, it was confirmed that there are actually two mountains, right next to each other- hey another qualification, this time, it's a ridge lol. The one whose top is covered with snow is the one that has the cloud above it. However, it's sister is actually a live volcano know to still shoot sparks and fire into the sky. 

Later, as we tromped through the tall grass pastureing  the steerlings we'd come to rope up for ear pierceing, I was surprised to see what looked like a small dark grey cloud rising from the active volcano... as I wondered, my father called out that indeed, the volcano had just had an eruption. What the what the? I confirmed the vision, and had to laugh as I ran back to the truck, chagrined that he had to tell me to, go get my camera! 

So far I have not followed through with my intention to seek out the jogging park in the mornings, but I sure got my exercise as I high stepped back at sprint, until I got to the barb wire fence. My friends who've been through boot camp would have been proud of how quickly I dropped to the ground and rolled under the wires (I was pretty proud myself). Still racing time, I grabbed the cell phone and took off again, choosing a different path. Surprise, another barb wire to roll under, but I sprang up and leapt across the field, snapping pictures as I went. The color of the rising cloud had changed to white, but the whole experience was so intense I just continued to take picture after picture of what could be another once in a life time experience.

After all that excitement, it was somewhat of a let down not to have anything to do while the men continued to visit. Well, like any American of my generation, I figured it must be time for a selfie (check out my new facebook profile). I'm totally diggin that ranchera look lol. You can't even see the grass I found in my hair later on haha. I'm sure that only enhanced the look though right? And, I got to "roll in the hay" on vacation hahahahaha.

Thanks for joining me for another partial day's recap!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone

Another Best Day Ever Page To Make

While I was waiting in la cocina en la casa de mi abuela for the boiling rice to cook, I captured un poco mas photographicia through la ventana, al lado de la stufa. (See, I'm getting the hang of this and I'm not even using Google translate- I have that thick book of language along, remember?) Out I went to gather the fallen lime my lens eye found. Taking them back inside, I finally connected in a lingual exchange that made sense with mi abuelita! I think switching to saying, Que? Instead of Repete is helping. 

So what was the topic? Lime ade, or Limonade, and how to make it from real limes. What a treat! Squeezing the juice from each rind over the mixing bowl she'd provided me, and adding mas agua y uno poquito cuchara de sucar, I again reached for the camera. I simply had to hold on to the moment as long as possible. We stirred a lot of love into that pot of juice!

I tia Carmen arrived with her son-in-law and grandaughter, as well as a big supply of groceries.  For some reason I felt she was just what I expected her to be; a short and sassy red 'do, beautiful blouse on, trendy square glasses, and a smile like mine. I have always loved to see the dimples in my family. I could not keep up with her quick talking, though my uncle did try to help with the translations..

Although I wasn't able to talk a lot with her, I did spend some time going over my photographs again with mi primo, "Oz'" He's a very loving father and it was lovely to watch he and his ten year old daughter palying around. There we sat around the table that is so often only seating my little grandma and I had to comment that, this is the way it should be. A family gathered around their matriarch, laughing, catching up, and sharing more than just a bite to eat. Sharing life!

Later I was invited to my uncle's house to meet his wife, Olivia. She could also speak very good English from all her time working in the states, and they made me feel very welcome with a cappuchino and some fresh salad on crackers. I was surprised to find out that Olivia had gone to school with my father!  There are so many connections between the inhabitants of a small town and I've really enjoyed hearing friends and accuaintances call out to one another in passing.

My Aunt decided to stop by before heading back to Guadalajara and I took the opportunity for another perspective by handing my camera over to my cousins daughter, instructing her to take pictures of anything and everything in the flower garden. Looking back through the pictures this evening, I can see that artistry is a talent that runs throughout the many branches of my family tree. The frame filling pictures she took would make great screen savers, card backgrounds, or maybe some mouse pads!

I was able to invite my sister Cynthia and her husband Joaquin over and there went the water works again, lol. I cured them with a shot and half or so of some tequila as we visited in English and Joaquin talked with Gonzalo and his wife. My younger sister is the middle child of her set of siblings, and I've always felt like I bonded with her first when I met the three of them. Many years have passed but when we are together I feel as young as the first times we played Barbies together; me as a 20 year old and her being about 8 I think?

We left after much hugging (and picture taking of course) and after bidding her husband mucho gusto, we headed to the main Plaza for some more chit chat and free WiFi use. Go ahead and take a moment to Google Tenamaxtlan and you will see that it is known for it's week of celebrating the town's 300+ year history. Every night there is music long into the night being performed in the two plazas. In all my research these last four weeks, it never dawned on me that I'd be visiting during this one particular week! The dancers were arrayed in traditional dress and just like at the Puyallup fair, the food vendor's offerings wafted enticingly our way.

Cynthia is so beautiful to look at and it has been a long time since we were able to be alone together. Now that we are the two "married" sisters, we have different perspectives to share, and it will be a new dream of mine for her to spend more time with my daughters, especially Sunday who none of my three hermanas have got to interact with. My oldest younger sister Ruby was out to visit the summer that Rainier was born, but my youngest sister Jennifer, and Cynthia have not got that chance yet, so I'm thinking a girls get together is in order. I do have a big birthday coming up...(isn't every one)?

As Cynthia walked me home, I couldn't have figured the day could get any better. Two selfies later, it was even better though, and coming in the door to embrace my grandmother sent it off the charts. I still haven't had a chance to use any of the papers and adhesive I brought with me (not to mention 5 pounds of embellishments), so I just may have to craft up some new Best Day Ever somethings to adorn those future pages you know I'll be making. 

This trip has already fulfilled so much of my heart, and after a day like today there is a feeling of contentment (mixed with more happy tears) right up there with having just delivered a baby. All is right, right now, and as the festival music continues, I look forward to another day of learning about this area and the traditions of my families cultural infulences. And sharing it all with you, dear reader! Buenas Noches, Hasta Manana...

Anna

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone

Hay Dia de Magnifico Con Mi Familia

First off, let me begin this post with an apology if there are more spelling or syntax errors within these posts de Mexicana, but I have only occassional wi-fi and once I write my heart out and send it off, it's not getting opend again for inspection. ¿Vivo en poco, no? Besieds, how can I edit these living dreams that are happening around me lol. There's no rewind in this life, and if it's one thing that my struggle with the linguistics of this city have taught me, it's that I'm reminded again and again how happy that I've been to be sharing this experience, regardless of joy inhibitors like tehse. 

"They" say a person only needs to see the correct letters, however arranged, to grasp it's meaning. Try it out by creating a secret note for a whippersnapper in your life. You'll earn some cool points for having a secret code, and you'll find out just where your kid stands on the richter scale of figuring things outedness. Picture your next slumber party with passed notes about who likes who and what lip gloss is best. Note to moms- writing notes is a quiet time activity- as in, when they are writing, you get some quiet! Unless your kid needs you to spell out every letter for them still (Rainie).  

Today's interactions began with a bang... more like a firm knocking in actuality, but to my dreaming state of mind it seemed like the walls are crashing down emergency rousing kind of banging accompanying my father's query of whether I was awake yet or not. Yes! I shouted with eyes fighting for alertness. Cleared the frog from my throat and again shouted YES! As I sprang for the door I could already hear is retreating footsteps on the stone tile floor, heading towards the enclosed back yard. "Breakfast is ready," he called over his shoulder without breaking a stride. Back to my room I went after peaking through the entrance to the outdoor area and thankfully gathering enough sense to go back for shoes. As you know from my post-cruise review, struggling for awarness at oh'dark-thirty has consistently proven not to be a problem of mine. However, the day before had finally cast a sleep shadow far enough for me to dream under and I was unusually reluctant to step into the light again.

Herein I discovered the problem: it wasn't even light out! Now, in our house it is a rare treat to sleep past 7 am. Since before Rainier's conception I had my morning routine of rising early established. Some people are not great at mornings, but I am, and its even become a Saturday morning treat of mine; getting up even earlier to enjoy a couple quiet hours writing up blog posts and making myself all fancified for a day at work. I often tell people, if I'm already laying there thinking of things I could be doing, I might as well get up and DO.

While inhabiting my womb, Rainier also showed an early affinity for rising early. At around 6 months of gestation she was doing the flutter kick to the left of my belly button every morning before my alarm had gone off. Fast forward 5 years and she is still the first one popping open her big blue eyes to greet the day with an exclamation of, "It's Day!" Cute, right? Every day. At 6 am or earlier...I trained her well! / Well, I trained her. Per my earlier info share, t's all about the arrangement hahaha.

Speaking of arrangement, yesterday I learned that the name of the town of Tenamaxtlan has a name originating from a word that means, "to cook between three stones," and this morning I was somwhat surpised to find my father with the small fire, three blocks surrounding it, and the grate with carne sizzling away on top. WITH tortillas fresh made the night before...Hell to the ya-ah!  You can bet your flip flop I was grubbing on that fresh from the fire goodness. Even if it was dark as, um, night! out there. I couldn't help but think of my sisters as I returned to my room satiated from the visiting and the wonder at having been roused so early still fogging my thoughts. On the door to the guest room I'm inhabiting is a metal inset of a crown with three points on it... perhaps this is thier room? I mused... was this designed for them especially, and also how happy they would be for me to know that I was being treated like a real Jalisco princess should be lol.

I had mentioned going for a jog in the early morning, but dawn had yet to peak over the horizo so instead I turned my attention to the cobwebs. At home I take a certain amount of satisfaction in knowing that when I see a chore that needs to be done, I tend to take care of it asap. True, sometimes its more like an "intend" that gets over looked for a while, like dusting cobwebs, but there are certain days I dedicate to tasks like laundry and vaccuuming well as daily reminders to do the dishes. No really, I'm a list maker and I literally write that down twice just to have something mundane give me a sense of accomplishment. I'm also the supreme scheduling natzi so I mark off and make note of spring cleaning catagories for a bunch of activites I can involve the kids in. Grab that old toothbrushe you've been dying to get your hands on and you can pretend to be Cinderella scrubbing the floor, honey! No, you may not do it for longer than a half hour, what do you think this is, the fun factory (Rainie)?

Dawn came and went and still no sign of mi abuelita. She finally appeared in her doorway and from what I could interpret from her body language was just as happy to see me as I was her. Once again there was a lot of squeezing and signs of contentment from us both. Again I shared a lovely me-n-gramma moment over NesCafe and a sweet biscuit. 

Tired from her medications, she took a little nap while I changed out of my work jeans and into a more Sunday appropriate outfit. Domingo esta los diez mi tia vive la casa de mi abuela. We knew to expect her but did not have confirmation of this, only that it would be after ten o'clock if at all. I took the extra time to snap a few heritage photos (sounds better than I photo-stalked my sleeping grandmother lol). Shots of her hands folded in her lap, the right angle of her frail body in repose, and evidence of the aforementioned black threaded wispy silver hair pulled back in a delicate french braid. 

Just after I put my cosmetics away and gathered my spanish phrase book, she awoke and feigned embarrassment. Comprendo la repunacia   at growing old, a sentiment unfortunately voiced by so many of the people who parented the baby boomers I love. It's not easy, and that's a fact. However, there are certain parts of us which do not have to age, and one of those is our heart's capacity, which can grow immensely, continuing to nourish a soul even as it's shell decays. I completely understand the need for rest, so much that I have indulged my children with nightly sleep ins long after I told myself I'd want to, and was overjoyed when she layed her silver head on my shoulder to complete her snooze. 

Another banging on a metal entry door by la otra hijo de mi abuela, y el hermano de mi padre, Gonzalo. A lot of times you hear on the radio that people are leaving Mexico to come to Los Esatdos un Americanos but after over 35 years, he and his wife Olivia decided to return to thier home town, and they live just up el calle, across from mi hermana Cynthia. What a welcome surprise, even if it did abrupty end our siesta :-) 

Right away he asked me about my Uncle Tommy whom he worked with in his first days of working in America. My entire family rotated through the staff of a restaurant off South Tacoma Way that went by the name of Sambo's. You may be familiar with the contemporary and renamed version; Cattin's. My mother and father met there and my grandma eventually retired from a waitressing career- did you know that was an actual thing that can happen? There's no pension or anything, unless you've been saving your tips as she aways did.

Over the pictures I brought, we shared the results of the paths our lives had taken and he lovingly adored each photo of my sweet girls, our log home, and thier hardworking father. Finally, I was able to speak without faltering too much and could use all that Spanglish I'd been working on, what a confidence booster! There is a lot to be said for a person who is bilingual helping an eager learner like me- they can at least attempt to understand what I'm trying to say using my limited vocabulary. As he and his brother headed into the man cave/garage to catch up, I was thanking God for the story he had shared about reconnecting with my aunt Patricia around the year of 1990, about how beautiful a person she was from the heart out, and how he could tell I was the same kind of person.

In every family there is usually one of us who seems to concentrate on keeping the familial bonds strong. On knowing which weddings, babies, and surgeries are planned, and occassionally feeding the goosip mill to boost the connections. That person for us was definately my Aunt Trisha. Since her passing two years ago, it has been my pleasure to take on her role via facebook stalking my cousins and informing my grandma of the latest and greatest tidbits I've discovered during my "research." 

Together abuelita y yo set about to make a little lunch of sopa de arroz. Take a half stick of margarine and melt, saute rinsed, uncooked rice until slightly browned, add fresh chopped onion, add water, raise heat, stir, cover, and... walk away?! A watched pot never boils, but this one already was, and at our house, that usually hearalds a boil over of the most horrific sticky rice kind. Gazing out the back window after capturing some pics of the stone sink en la cocina, my eyes picked out a neon green nerf ball. Or is it- yes, it is- a fallen lime from the tree pointed out to me the afternoon before. 

My next lesson was in the preparacion de el frugo de limones. Add sugar, water, and the hand squeezed juice of three limes in a large pitcher, stir, and enjoy. ¡Muy delicioso!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone

Yo Puedo Ayudar?

Are you a list maker like me? As I prepared for my trip South of the Border earlier this week, I went through my usual 4-5 checklists of household chores to complete, as well as the ones for deciding which clothes, toiletries, electronics and electrical cords to keep them operating I'd be taking with me in my cutest purple suitcase. I'm favoring reading off my Kindle ever since recieving one as a hand me down last year, but at the last moment- I mean, getting into the car leaving for the airport last minute- I happened to grap our barely flipped through Spanish/English dictionary. I also happened upon a duffel bag with wheels that my cutie suity fit inside, so I had a secret cute suit with me during my 19 hours of travel.

Do you think I've regretted carrying that 1350+ page tomb around with me a few times as I shlepped my bags around two airports, multiple bathroom breaks, and a sightseeing trip around Guadaljara? I'd be lieing if I said I hadn't. Things is, it actually has been extremely useful... turns out, relying on a few choice explain-my-life phrases and a Kindle loaded with four, Learn Spanish in A Week books? Not a great plan for attacking a language barrier. Even if you think you "understand" what you're hearing. 

After I finally "understood" the last Customs Agent's requirements, I ventured out solo through the automatic doors and scanned the line of waiting cowboy hat wearing mustachiod men for one who looked like I remembered. It HAS been a long time, but the years melted away when I found his seldom shared grin from across the room and concentrated on keeping my feet from running toward him. What is it about dads that brings out the kid in you- oh, um, yeah, that whole parenting thing lol.

After introducing his friend and taxi for the morning, I again had to stop myself from reaching for his hand as we crossed the parking lot. Trying to play cool and sneaking glances at the newest version of my father distracted me from the fact that I wasn't participating in the conversation as mentally planned and rehearsed since the day I asked to come down here. No matter that I hadn't yet (and if I can chicken out, wouldn't be) asked him to speak Spanish to me the entire way down, I'd just eavesdrop! An easier feat once I ensconced myself in the back seat of the Mercury SUV. Following along as best I could, I soon determined that my best basically sucks. This is getting to be kind of a downer post, with all my non ability breaking through, so I'll move on to talking about the excitement that over rode all that. 

Imagine, if you will, that you are about to embark on a two hour trip with a relative you've not spent much time...awkward! Now detour it to stay in Guadaljara exploring la historica sites, dining al fresco, and even perusing our way through a few mercados. Oh snap, I did learn a word or two today... and that's not all.

My father showed me a thing or two about wheeling and dealing in the open air market. Visiting many, but buying nothing, His strategy was much different than mine, which generally includes committing to spending nothing and leaving with crap I can't keep and no money in my wallet. Totally could have used him along with at Diamonds International Jewelers during cruise week, ya feeling me?

Then a few stops later and it was back on the road again, this time heading towards the town where a Jalisco princess was born, Tenamaxtlan. Named for the ancient native word for "a pot between three rocks" (ancient cooking method) it is full of colorful houses, friendly inhabitants, my spirited younger sister, and much thought of grandmother. The house I've only seen pictures of? Turns out it was built by mi familia. Once I'd been given a tour I was able to appreciate so many more details than I first observed. The hand tiled curving archways, custom doors and Through the Looking Glass wardrobes simply didn't hold my attention because I was on the look out for my little abuelita, who I could hear rustling about in the kitchen like a little Mexican mouse.

With her silver strands still threaded through with black at her ripe age of (insert unbelievable number here), her wisend face lit up with joy and I later realised my choked ABUELA! probably went unheard as I crushed her to my much taller body. HOld up- no idea what is being said right now, but how in the world am I bigger than someone who is not a child?!

Oh, this lady is small like a bird, and so again I toned down my exhuberance and simply held her tiny shoulders as she grasped mine. What a moment. Are you crying now too? As if it could not get any better, we were actually communicating too! Well, I could "understand" her anyway, as she asked about my family and reminded me that she hadn't seen me since I was a wee baby. I won't say how many years that has been either, but literally, a life time apart. 

Sitting down on her little loveseat, we again collapsed against one another, with laughs and "Ay, Dios Mio!"s on her part. As tears slipped down our cheeks there was more silent embracing, and I savored every awkward moment of it. When do you let go, right? Cause, I'm gonna get tears in your hair here! 

Why wasn't I surprised when she reached for the toilet tissue for a three square hand off to me. Isn't that what the best grandma's do, give us the best shared feelings imaginable and then clean us up before giving us back to our parents? Back out onto the road again we went for a rousing hike through cattle lands bordered by an insane amount of rock walling. 

Pulling back into town at sunset, I was eager to be in grandma's arms again. Perhaps the travel fatigue, or the last four hours of speaking ONLY English are to blame for the helplessness that engulfed us both as I tried to share the forty or so pictures I had brought along and practiced speaking about. Oh, did I mention she lost her glasses before I came? Poor little abuelita, and me running around shouting some cock-a-many made up spanglish about where or where can my grannies glasses be... words I picked out of my dictionary between field crossings. 

Remember my last post about being ensconced within another culture and realizing I don't have a clue how to communicate naturally? Not much has changed there! Which gave me a new approach to my list making tonight. This time I searched for the phrases I could relate to my current situation when I copied verbs from the Kindle to Notes. 

Here's to hoping I'll finally be able to offer her some assistance- and figure out what the heck in the camasita she's been talking about...*

*No grandmothers are intended to be harmed by the writing of this somewhat snarky ending blog post. She's blind, remember?!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone

Early Morning Musings From Mexico

If there's anything I've come to expect of a Saturday morning, it's that I'll be lying awake at some point before dawn brightens the sky,  thinking to myself about all the things I could be up writitng about. I'm not sure if the discomfort of my non relcining seat or the two cups of coffee I had while posting about my chat with AJ last night is what kept me from slumbering as my plane meandered southward on it's red eye flight out of Fresno to Guadaljara. Regardless, another weekend starts with me sharing a little bit of my life with you, dear reader.

I planned this trip a little over a month ago; about a week before leaving on my week long cruise vacation, a fond memory that you can now view all the postings for under the tab at the top of my blog marked Travel. My grandmother's in her late nineties, with another birthday marking the calendar of the end of this month. I've always known that my heart's desire was to sit with her and learn more about my family, but something about this last year passing had me nearly desperate to get down to her home town for what is probably a once in a lifetime visit.

Me hace espanol? No, no me have espanol. Um poco, si, para no infrequencia. Hopefully you could guess that I don't speak spanish, only a little, and very infrequently. Understandably, since my return from lala land onboard the Navigator of the Seas, I've been immersing myself in the written and spoken language of our southern neighbor. 

There are times when I feel quite confident attempting the use of the few words phrases I've learned to say, and yet, whenever I'm given the chance to converse, some part of my brain shuts down and my mouth literally gapes open and shut like a fish while I mumble half syllables with no conviction. Needless to say, I don't get asked for help more than one time! 

For a people seeker like myself, the realization that seemingly the entire plane of people I'd waiting and travelling with are somewhat off limits to me due to my fear of failing to communicate effectively was a huge blow to my confidence. I don't know that I've felt quite that lonely in such a huge crowd in a long long while, but you know the shared grins of my fellow sitters in the terminal were a big comfort and even though they probably could tell I was evesdropping up a storm they were still pleasant towards me. 

I know that hand gestures and the spanish translation book(s) I've brought along will smooth out the awkward silences and slow understandings of the week to come. I know that my family will be so pleased to have me trying that they will laughingly overlook my language shortcomings. The photos and crafts I've brought will help me to learn to speak about the people and hobbies that are important to me, and the familiar bonds will be strengthed, just as my biggest hopes wish for... and just as the suns rays finally peek through the cloud cover to herald a new day, understanding despite our language limitations will come. 

With shared hugs, the exchange of my inherited smile, or just a shoulder rub of happiness- mixed in with those 100 awkward pauses or so.

Zipping Around the Honduras

I wasn't the only one awake at this hour...

Rising at around fifteen past dawn to run with the sun rising in the distance over the island of Roataan, Honduras was certainly an invigorating start to another memorable day. I had mentioned my desire to do so the night before, but saying you want to watch the sun rise can be easily excused away in the morning from the comfort of the unbelievably just right down blanket! Just before my eyes opened, I had been dreaming of doing some folk dancing, so I figured, Hey, if I've got enough energy to dance in my sleep, then I can get out of bed and get up on deck! What, you don't dream of folk dancing...?

Here on board there are many ways the boat resembles a floating city whose inhabitants come from all walks of life and yet cohabitate in their different roles . From the Impatients to the Complainers, the Young and Old, Rich and Poor both monetarily and in spirit or health, we're all experiencing the vacation in our own way, and yet, together! The smiles of my fellow walkers and joggers reminded me of the atmosphere of my neighboring city Gig Harbor, where people delight in the community of early risers, go outsiders, those of us choosing to greet the day on our own terms...with souls we love...  but there weren't any dogs up top of the ship lol.

One of the observations I couldn't help but notice was the wide variety of cameras being used to capture the amazing view as it unfolded before us. I helped a fellow scrapper with her huge Ipad, and there were a lot of the smaller point and shoot cameras out there too, but I was envious of the big, long lensed, old fashioned focus-with-your-hand-instead-of-a-button versions. Alas, I didn't bring mine; I just couldn't picture myself as being willing to heft it around on our adventures. And, no I didn't bring my camera up top either, but that helped me to really concentrate on the task at hand- enjoying myself!
And not slipping on the running track, which got hosed off with a heavy wash of water each morning. Just before sunrise. So it was extremely wet and slippery. Every morning. Did any of you readers hear about the time I catapulted myself down the stairs here at the house? Or how I have fallen hard enough to knock my glasses off? Dropped a vase on my face just before a trip to see my sisters a couple years ago... Trust me, I slowed down on the hard parts haha. Of the track people!

Back in time for a shower before room service delivered our fresh fruit and bacon heavy breakfast, which of course we chose to eat on our balcony. Don't think it will be possible to tire of that! The pineapple was a perfectly golden tangy this morning, as were the grapes, kiwi, and strawberry. I've kind of surprised myself with the amount of fruit I've been seeking; never high on my list of favorites, it has been a struggle to find a balance of the fruits I love with the stomach uneasiness that can sometimes follow the ingestion of large quantities of God's gift- especially the citruses. The addition of a banana seems to help. And bacon! I must've eaten about 6 pieces. BECAUSE I COULD.

Dressed, in what I considered to be somewhat Ginger and Mary-Annie outfits, slathered with Off!, our bags packed with sunscreen (and credit cards) in tow, we set off giddy with expectation for our first port and pre-booked excursion. The colorful stucco buildings echoed with the beats of a welcoming group of Honduran dancers. Since I plan to end the day with a little booty shakin' myself, it was with a keener eye I tried to observe how the heck they move so fluidly. I feel like a stick doing the robot, and these women were twerking in the streets, so I figured, hey free lesson! Thank goodness their skirts left a lot to the imagination, the way the tourist guys were ogling them. Heck the way their band members were gawking! Girls had the moves. 

Zip N Dip! I forgot about the dip, whoopee!

Down the street we went, easily locating our tour's hut using the information on our printed from home excursion directions. Wrists extended for some lime green bracelets printed with "Zip and Dip!" With friendly smiles we were advised to "wait over there please." Hmmm, OK... where? "Just right there, ma'am." Here? "Yes, ma'am." Realizing there weren't bound to be swarms of bugs attacking within the confines of the restricted access parking lot, off went my long sleeve shirt and I soaked up the 9'oclock sun. Then I realized all the men around us were now ogling me... back on went the shirt!
The addition of sunglasses allowed me the viewing pleasure of watching all the tour guides and taxi van drivers- one in particular captured my attention with his long lean physique and dark glistening skin, accented by a few heavy white gold chains. And then it happened: not only did the object of my interest begin to pick his nose with those elegantly long fingers I'd been admiring, but another much less attractive man nearby hawked a huge loogie into the bushes D had just photographed... Talk about a Deal Breaker.

Joined by two other couples from our ship and our van driver, along the coast and up into the rainforest we bumped along the pot-holed streets, staring into the villagers homes with avid interest. Stilted, with huge open areas beneath, and decorated with what looked like weeks of laundry hanging in the warm wind. Palm and coconut trees in every yard, along with beautiful, long leaved, purpley- magenta plants, sprinkled with coral blossoms bunched in hedges of what looked lot like the invasive vines that grow around our yard.                                                                

 Winding our way up the mountain side, we passed a construction crew, hard at work repairing the dilapidated roadway. While a few men shoveled dirt onto screens leaning against trees, others filled craters in the road with the finely sifted results. I supposed the daily rains, coupled with abundant forest growth, would make cement or asphalt roads difficult to maintain. We noticed the workers backpacks hanging from nearby tree limbs. Guessing they don't have the luxury of company vehicles and the air conditioned lunchrooms our road crews are accustomed to!

I'd say it was about a 15 minute ride to the South Shore Zip Line and Eco Walk starting point. We were greeted by our guides, Jeffrey and Ishmael, who directed us to place our belongings in the small lockers provided for the small cost of $2. I had some trouble with the lock, and will admit to wondering, is this a scam for them to go through our bags and get our credit info while we're screaming from tree to tree? But those thoughts were quickly dismissed, as this company was recipient of a 2013 Service and Excellence award, and chosen by our travel agents Gail and Cheri at CruiseOne as their preferred Zip line excursion package in Roataan.

We eagerly watched our companions get zipped into their harnesses and then it was our turn to get rigged up. Thinking back to my girls night out the Friday before leaving... was there going to be a Fifty flashes of rainforest scene unfolding? Heavy duty leather gloves and an adorable helmet completed our new ensembles, and it was off to the first platform. Anticipation was felt all around as Ishmael performed the proper placement we'd need for our hands during the ride and how to operate the hand brake. Literally, it would be our hand braking us... D and I look at each other cross eyed and burst into giggles as we have no idea what we are in for!

Exhilarating, surreal, awesome, breathtaking... just a few of the thousand adjectives we could have (and did) use to describe the incredible feeling of flying through the canopy 20-50 feet off the ground. I actually have no idea how high the zip lines were, but the platforms were a comfortable 10-15 feet or so high, with a large net surrounding the exit and landing zones. 

I've been afraid of heights for so long I could hardly believe how comfortable I was, enough so that when Ishmael asked if I wanted to go upside down on the 2nd zip, I agreed without a second's hesitation. "Just trust me Anna, and don't use your hands, I will do it all for you and you will just concentrate on the enjoying, all right?"
The result?

For the first time since I can remember, I wasn't so afraid of falling that I wasn't able to experience with my heart the thrill of zooming over the rain forest tree tops with arms out stretched,  mega watt smile ready to catch any bugs I encounter! A few zips later I was advised  "Just let go and fly, don't even put your hand up until the end okay, Anna, now you're  gonna see why the birds fly all day," and I was suddenly propelled across the valley at an outrageously delightful speed. Already, I was comfortable enough in the harness that I really could just open my arms and enjoy the sensations, lean back and experience that soaring joy without fear. Well, a little fear. Some added bouncing of the lines let me add my whoops and shrieks to the cacophony of wildlife that lay below.

My helmet doesn't look like it's on right...among other things.
Check out my cool vacation water shoes- Aqua Sox with socks Rocks! #RockGirl #PanteraRules

^^^   Safety First!

Seriously, Ish and Jeff were extremely courteous, even when sending our group into fits of giggles at comical lines they must feed every tourist. We asked about how much they work, and sometimes it can be as few as two groups in a day that they lead screaming through the trees. There is a rotation amongst the staff, and they take their livelihood seriously, securing each of us with practiced care, and explaining exactly what not to do- i.e. don't put your hand on the cable in front of the rigging... advice I literally heard booming through my head as my hand attempted to do just that. Shared that little scare with D and thank goodness she then heard MY voice in her head and instead reached behind her, just before her hand attempted to separate from her body through the same method mine had. 

Mega Watt Glad We Stall Have Our Hands Selfie

Laughing at our breathless enjoyment, our group was not only soaring through the air, but we were all literally high as kites as the constant surges of adrenaline flushed our cheeks a high pink and a sparkle to our eyes. D commented that my mega-watt smile could probably power the ship! And yes, it felt like my face might break from smiling so hard. We each took amazing photos of the adventure, and a video showing of our gliding through towards the camera with arms not just outstretched but flapping like the black and red butterflies that surrounded us will be one of the most convincing displays of how safe we felt with the rigging, guides, and I guess being able to make fools of ourselves. But man was it fun!

Stepping out of the harness was a relief; one can only discreetly try to dig a rope out of ones nether regions so many times on one excursion. About 4 flights of stairs took us to an inclining hill where a bench invited a quick rest before the pick up vehicle arrived to transport us the rest of the way up the mountain side where our belongs, and of course the gift shop, were waiting undisturbed. There really was dust on some of the reasonably priced items we could collect as proof that we really had done the unbelievable.

My Precious

Did I mention I'm a Survivor Fan-atic and that Wednesday is the new Thursday in my world? Seriously, we do at home Survivor challenges in our house. Tasks as simple as cleaning the yard become much more intense when There's A MILLION Dollars On the Line! I even have my purple Survivor: Samoa buff with me for flaunting at the beach to come! Would I take home the Oh My Gosh, I want to buy this so bad, but it's not going to get worn "I Survived" shirt? Of course not, I chose a black V-neck with, "Zip Chick" in hot pink emblazoned on the front. D tried to pick out a hat, but none really looked perfect, and finally settled for a cute crew neck tee featuring a lizard a top "Gettin' Zipped," and she picked up the $10 DVD with their photographers pics of our fun for our home printing enjoyment. What a deal!

What I didn't figure on dealing with was a credit card malfunction that may have spelled a quick end to my MasterCard shopping availability for the rest of the trip... apparently the little gift shop's machine is somewhat temperamental, and my cashier had to run my card twice. That in itself wouldn't have sent any red flags to the Capital One security team, however, I then impulse-bought a souvenir hat as well, which was the third transaction in one day, in a foreign country, on a card without a travel alert on it. And I work for a bank... Whoopsie! 

Have a similar story to share about adventuring? Facing your fears? A shopping trip halting all future expenditures?  Comment below and come back tomorrow for a long awaited trip to the beach!

 

Take Time For Tanning

With a whole day at sea, there were activities galore to explore around the ship, but it was the scrapbook-lady-filled conference center we headed for. After our morning tanning session up on the top deck that is! A heavy handed application of sunscreen and suit up in the room, our already established daily morning chat with our porter in the hallway, and with fresh towels, hats, sunscreen and reading materials in tow, our next task would be to select seats from which to bask.

Would we go for the sit down options facing in towards the poolside action, or  a view of the sea vista over portside...of course  we chose the more natural, scenic view. The fat free version if you will haha. A pleasantly warmed breeze cooled us slightly, but before we could get our gear assembled in the shade under our chairs, I could feel the suns rays at work (and the sweat on my upper lip ew). 

Few sensations rival the pleasure of laying on a towel under the hot sun in a bathing suit while reading a lovely bit of trashy romance in the guise of serious reading materials implied by the muted black cover of my kindle paperwhite. While I lost myself in the story of a woman who ends up in the Heartbreak Hotel and, through the powers of love and, er, affectionate liaisons, ends up earning a devil his soul back,  D chatted with a fellow who had been on the boat for an astounding 9 weeks! With another week to go! And a month in Panama planned after that! Holy Bob Barker look-alike, Batman! He was quite entertaining though, and I especially enjoyed seeing how every crew member who walked by greeted him by name and stopped to chat with him. He knew many of their names as well, so obviously he had the courtesy many visitors onboard lack with making requests of the staff.

Downstairs in the conference room, the refreshingly cool crop-in-progress was a bustle of activity; Cricuts humming, multiple animated storytelling's and uproars of laughter dotting the auditory landscape, and I submersed myself in the task of applying the previous two days' thrills to my albums pages through interpretive papers and embellishments. Wave patterned laser cut washi tape, nautical Motif die cuts from Fancy Pants, as well as their chipboard and button set will compliment all of the printed photo collages I plan to have waiting for me at Walgreens when I touch down in Tacoma at the end of the week.  I know, I know, I can be a little ambitious at times.

I love to have my printed photos in hand so soon after a vacation of any sort. The memories fade so quickly, and those tangible reminders really help a visual learner like myself to remember all of the interesting people I meet as well as the gorgeous views I've just experienced. I've heard it said that 96% of what one thinks each day is a repeat from the day before, so I don't mind at all that I love the photos I'm taking so much that I've just keep scrolling through my vacation pictures repeatedly throughout each day of the trip. Plus, it's a lot nicer in my opinion to hand someone a stack of physical photos, as opposed to suggesting they swipe through your collected images. 

We sat with the most delightful couple during lunch in the Sapphire dining room; Denise and her husband shared that their son would be graduating from the coast guard the following weekend! Oh, could you ever feel the love as they talked about how proud they were, and how much they looked forward to seeing him after the cruise. And all I could think was, you get to go on another vacation right after this one? LUCKY! But oh, wait, so do I next month... Mexico here I come!