Feeding the sharks by hand

 Oh my goodness, when there's sand on my toes and sun on my nose, I am in my glory.

We took a fun, seven day cruise with Bill's adult daughters, Robin and Michele, four teenage grandchildren, and also two of their college friends.

Our first port of call was Key West, Florida.

The comedian sure had fun with that one.

"So you people boarded a ship for a cruise to the Bahamas in New Orleans, in the USA, to go to your first port of call... IN the USA? And the worst part is, some of you drove TO New Orleans FROM Florida so you could go BACK to Florida. Makes me wonder about some of you."

We walked around Key West, where chickens own the streets and Hemingway once bent his elbow and wrote his tomes.

We stopped at a museum, and I had a nice little chat with a few Beat Poets.

As we pulled out of  Key West, we watched elderly men sitting on the concrete porch of an old rooming house near the sea, throwing food scraps to sharks.

Our next port of call was Freeport, Bahamas. The water and sky blended seamlessly in a  remarkable shade of turquoise that delighted my senses and tingled my spine. 

When I spotted this private tiny island, I decided this is where I want to live. 

I know, I know, you don't always get what you want!

Can you imagine LIVING here? In my dreams.

My reality was swimming, and walking the beach. Our bus driver mentioned that the island was 80 % black, but islanders do not see different races. They acknowledge only one race, THE HUMAN RACE. With that comment the passengers applauded, and everyone on the bus cheered.

On board the Dream, each night we ate too much delicious food at a table for ten, laughed with family and Asian waiters who called themselves I One, I Two, and I Three because we could not remember I'Gede, I'Kaydek, and I'Wayan. By the end of the cruise, I One was calling himself 

"A-1...as in your American steak sauce, yes?"

 We dressed for Elegant Evening twice, but most of the time we wore cruise casual and were very relaxed. We watched live Broadway-style stage shows, listened to hilarious comedians, and enjoyed a variety of music by great musicians all over the ship. We munched popcorn and watched night time movies on top deck after dark, and just had fun.

We ventured on to Nassau, Bahamas and swam in the Caribbean, where my soul returns over and over once we return home. When I go to my happy place, my respirations get shallow, my blood pressure lowers, and I feel like a jelly fish... wrinkle-free, pain-free, floating away from worries and woes about friends fighting deadly diseases, our aged knees, failing eyesight, family issues, and a nation/world in crisis.

We live in a very safe suburban neighborhood, but the local barber around the corner was robbed at gunpoint yesterday. One more thing to worry about. NO I won't...I am drifting away on my tiny tropical isle. You all are invited to join me.

My honey and I are blessed to have experienced this family trip and to have made long lasting memories for the kids and grand kids.

On the last evening of the cruise I was so thrilled to see this towel sculpture on our bed, but I have to tell you, a little towel monkey hanging above the balcony door stole my heart. I loved it, but not as deeply as I love this sweet monkey! I am too blessed to be stressed.