Welcome … grab a cup of coffee, iced or hot tea and herbal tea. I’m having a cappuccino. The photo on the left shows one I enjoyed many times on board at Cafe Baci.
It’s been brutally hot this week in sunny Florida. The pool is the only way to cool down. Gardening will have to wait until the temps drop. The orchids are thrilled with the afternoon rain which brings on the humidity. For me, afternoon humidity means siesta time.
In my last cafe chat, I wrote (read here) about being away from blogging on a pre-birthday cruise. We decided on a cruise now instead of July, my official birthday month, because of the heavy hurricane season predicted for this summer. COVID shut down the cruise industry causing great financial losses. Many cruise ships are departing with less than full passenger capacity, and with huge discounts. It felt safer than my previous cruises with fewer people. Besides the theater and the casino, masks are not required throughout the ship. The staff wore masks everywhere. Some regular activities were canceled, like dancing, karaoke, and bingo. I have to admit I always look forward to dancing. It was a disappointment.
I think you might enjoy a special gesture I received from our assistant dinner hostess:
Celebrity Equinox
Pictured above is Sweet Jaqueline, assistant hostess on our cruise. She created an origami lotus flower for me. It was an unexpected gift from her heart ❤️
With all they do, the last thing she needed was a craft project.
She was missing her mother who is watching her two toddlers. She has a boy and a girl. Yes, she showed me a pic. They are adorable. Four months away from them brought up emotional moments for her. I share the same birthday as her mother. My ❤️ heart sang with joy ❤️
Our first night at dinner Jacqueline introduced herself, I mentioned that I usually forget names. Her eyes twinkled above the mask as she pointed out that I could remember her name because of Jacqueline Kennedy.
Then, she chuckled quickly saying, “But, I wear a uniform.”
Have a great week … Isadora
Alen Charles – head host, Jaqueline – assistant hostess Al – my husband
Welcome … grab a cup of coffee, hot chocolate or herb tea. No desserts today, it looks like I need to get my baking chefs hat on. Now, sit in a comfy chair and let’s chat.
I’ve been away from blogging for a while. It was time for me to take a brief quiet respite. I was out on the high seas gathering energy from the wind and salty air. I was listening to the music of the waves.
Perhaps, in a previous life, I may have been a sailor. I love being out on the ocean with nothing but the sea and the horizon in my view.
I was born in July. Cancer is my astrology sign represented by the crab and water.
I’m renewed and receive enormous vitality from the energy produced by the waves. Breathing in the salty air is invigorating, and listening to the music of the waves is a peacefully soothing sound. Nature is at its perfect best.
Although I had signed up for Wi-Fi, I barely used it. I intended to read, write, and contemplate expanding my knowledge of how to be at peace with my life’s journey.
Undoubtedly, I’ve missed many of your magnificent postings in my absence. Your posts always brighten my day. I look forward to them. Your amazing bodies of work were a significant loss while I was away. I will delight in seeing and reading them as I begin to navigate through the blogs I follow again.
Time permitting, I will add some photographs and highlights of my vacation soon.
I hope you’re all well and living your best lives.
Summer is freedom for a child. Your school vacation begins.
No more homework, no more tests, and no more uniforms. I attended
Catholic school, wearing shorts and t-shirts was a respite from formality.
My family lived in an area of three-story brownstones in Brooklyn, N.Y. Pools weren’t anywhere in my neighborhood. There was a pool within a twenty-five minute bus ride. We never went there.
Sunday was our beach day in the summer. My father loved the beach.
Despite our no school discipline, he had a routine we had to follow.
We still attended mass on Saturday.
Sunday, we’d awake at 6:00 a.m., get dressed, grab our towels, pails, and shovels and be in the car at 7:00 a.m. It was an hour’s drive to Staten Island on a ferry. It was such fun to get out of the car and lean on the railing, feeling the ocean’s mist on my face.
Once we arrived at the beach, we all had items to carry to the water’s edge. My father cooked potato salad and fried chicken the night before.He was a cook in the army. He enjoyed cooking on the weekends. I was learning how to cook from him at age 5.
My task at the beach was to take care of my younger disabled brother. He was five years old, and I was ten. I’d collect shells with him and build things in the sand.
One Sunday, my father decided to teach all of us to swim. We watched him from the shore. He looked like a dolphin. I was apprehensive even though it looked like fun. It was my turn. He picked me up and took me way, way out. Eventually, he dropped me in the water.
Gurgle, Gurgle, Gurgle,
I swallowed water, flailed my arms, and thought I would drown.
After an eternity, my father picked me back up and walked me to shore. I cried and cried and cried. I was inconsolable. I never went in the water again. The sandy seashore was my safe place from that day forward.
I never did learn to swim, but I do doggie paddle in my pool. Many have tried to teach me, but my fear still lingers from that day. When my children could walk, I took them for swimming lessons. They’re all great swimmers, and one is Red Cross certified. I knew how much they would enjoy the beach, pool, and boating if they learned how to swim.
Inside the Mind of Isadora 