Simply Norma – Page 87 – Living Simply

Ants

This past summer I noticed that ants had been coming into the house. Not a big deal — or so I thought. I would kill them one at a time, unmindful of the evil that might descend upon me for killing one of nature’s creatures. Whatever.

How to get rid of them? It was easy. I took my bottle of Windex and sprayed them — one ant at a time. They entered, I killed them.

Then they started geting a little more aggressive. A family of ants visiting, I told myself. Googling “how to get rid of ants” I found that there were a few natural ways to kill them.

First mode of attack: Baby powder. Since I had spare baby powder in the house, I dusted each one with a goodly amount. I watched as they carried their burden back into the hole they’d come from. A friend of mine told me he thought I was cruel — especially since I watched them head back home all white and dusty. That didn’t faze me.

For goodness sake! They’re ants!

They continued coming. Hmmm … I must not be giving them enough baby powder, I surmised. After a few days of dusting the ants with more baby powder I looked down and saw how my kitchen floor was being transformed into white circles of baby powder. Tip toeing around these circles made life — interesting.

But — they still came! I wonder if baby powder was making them ovulate? Wait, do ants ovulate? (she chuckles)Â

I became obsessed with getting rid of these pests. My self-esteem was building and determination gripped my mind.

Second mode of attack: Cinnamon. Okay, I was a little doubtful about this one but I thought “what the hay.” Sticks of fresh cinnamon were cut in half and placed in strategic places around the family room, laundry room and kitchen.Â Now my house looked dusty white with the smell of cinnamon permeating the air.

No — I’m really not going crazy, I told myself silently so no one would hear.Â My family remained quiet on this matter as my guts wrenched inside. I hate bugs! Sigh …

By now, the ants seemed to like the family and laundry rooms more than the kitchen. I WILL get rid of them!

I put all three idea into action.

Windex — check!
Baby powder – check!
Cinnamon – check!

I hit them hard and they kept coming. I knew I was in trouble. I don’t think this was a “family” of ants anymore. I believe I had a nest. Ugh! Â What to do now?

Much to my disappointment at failing to kill my visitors the “natural” way, I called Rove Pest Company up and they dispatched someone in two days.

Three traps were laid down with a mix of sugar and poison. And the ants came and came! The representative who came told me not to panic when the ants started coming. She said it was “normal” and that they would take the bait back to the nest and kill the queen along with the rest of the ants.

The hairs on my arm stood up as I watched them invade this small portion of the laundry room. The urge to stomp on them was almost overwhelming but I restrained myself with a stoutness I didn’t think I had.

Was she right? Yes! I still have the traps out and after a few days I have seen nary an ant.

Calmness fills my heart now. Well, at least until spring. With the 4th mildest winter in Minnesota, I believe we will have a LOT of bugs this spring.

Clouds

While looking out the window from a plane on a recent trip to Seattle, I took pictures of the sunset and the clouds. It was pretty up there and it felt so serene.

This text from Job 36:26-30 comes to mind:

How great is God — beyond our understanding!
The number of His years is past finding out.
He draws up the drops of water,
which distill as rain to the streams;
The clouds pour down their moisture
and abundant showers fall on mankind.
Who can understand how He spreads out the clouds,
how He thunders from His pavilion?
See how He scatters His lightning about Him
bathing the depths of the sea.

Questioning God is not something that I do all the time.

When I do question, I don’t believe it shows mistrust but rather a relationship that we have built over time. God is beyond my understanding. Even the love He shows me is incomprehensible.

As a parent, I didn’t mind my children questioning me as long as it was for understanding and not irritation. Sometimes (for me) it was hard to tell the two apart. (laughing)

But God is different. When I question Him or get angry because I think He expects too much of me, He always shows me that I’m trying to get ahead of Him instead of following.

It’s hard to follow — at least for me. Especially when it seems like He’s an invisible “Person.” If it weren’t for the relationship we have established I would say that God is like the invisible man. But He is neither a man nor invisible in the way we understand it. He shows Himself quite visibly sometimes.

As part of my devotions, I keep a journal and make a list of people who I am praying for. Some are sick, others depressed, others need guidance, others — well, there are some I’m not sure what the problem is. Each name is written down and I pray specifically for what is going on in their lives (if I know what it is).

Yesterday I decided to review my list to see what the status was with each person. I dare say that about half of my prayers have been answered AND they have all been answered with a resounding YES. (Taking time to review life’s blessings is always a good thing.)

The problem sometimes is that God doesn’t always answer the way I think He should. Prayer for healing doesn’t always mean a person is healed, at least not in the way I think of healing. It may result in death. (I know, I know — now you don’t want me to pray for healing you might need.) But I need to keep the Â big picture (if I can see it) in focus. Healing can be looked at in different ways. Death for one person might be better than endless pain. Agree? Disagree?

I can’t say that God has always answered in the way I wanted. Sometimes He tells me “no” and I go back to Him and want an explanation. Sometimes He gives it but other times He says “You need to trust me on this one.”

What I have learned in this relationship is that I don’t need to know everything. He has my best interest at heart. Whatever happens — God is in control whether it looks like it or not.

With my plane “sitting” on clouds I look out at the expansive sky and know that this child of God is in good hands.

Puerto Rico – Part 2

On our vacation in Puerto Rico, we visited a few interesting sites. The first one was a waterfall in Comerio. The dam has not been taken care of from what I was told.

Behind the water is a tunnel that leads to houses that are on the left (out of view). I didn’t personally see the tunnel but my Uncle, who lives here, told me about it. That doesn’t sound like my kind of place to live — having to get to your house by going underneath the dam. Eeekkkk!

Looking up and to the right, a house sits on the top of the hill. People on the island don’t seem to be afraid of landslides.

Our next trip took us to Old San Juan to visit El Morro fortress. The morro was designed to protect the entrance to the San Juan Bay. It was named after King Philip II of Spain. The “fort” became a part of the National Park Service in 1961. You can read more of the history by going to the Wikipedia article.

I took lots of pictures here so there will be many posted. It is very interesting to walk through this historic site although it was hard for me to visualize exactly how life was so many years ago.

At the entrance to the site, two pigeons stood together as if they were in love. And — did you know that pigeons mate for life? Just a tidbit I was told by a bird lover. (smile)

Okay — back to El Morro. The entrance is very pretty and grassy. The grass is very very green so they keep it up nicely.

Grassy area at entrance to El Morro — El Morro grassy area

We went on Martin Luther King Day which was considered a holiday in Puerto Rico so there was no fee for us to get in. Once inside, we were greeted with vivid mustard colors.

Everything seems to be left “as is” to preserve the historicity of the fort — except for the lighthouse which was recently painted and closed to visitors.

Stairs led us down to the most beautiful views.

A long walk leads to one of the posts where soldiers stood guard.

It’s a long way up —

… but people (including me) are willing to take the hike.

Â These were the ovens that they used “back in the day.”

This is what the tops of them look like. I think I’m too short to reach them.

I liked taking the circular stairs down. It felt like I was going into a dungeon.

My imagination just can’t grasp that through this picturesque observation post Â …

… cannonballs were shot!

My Uncle told me that in this area there was a leper colony at one time. You can see the building where the lepers were housed (upper left of the picture below). I don’t really know much about leper colonies and only know about lepers because of a story found in the Bible that tells about when Jesus healed a leper.

Additional pictures I took while walking around …

You have to be short to go under these. I wonder if the Spanish soldiers were all short???

A mask hung on the wall. It looks like some kind of animal.

The three flags that fly at El Morro are the United States, Puerto Rico and the Old Spanish flag.

This was such a peaceful area that I can’t fathom all the fighting that went on here so many years ago.

I was told that iguanas are a delicacy … uh, okay, I don’t think that’s something I want to try though.

Well, back to the top to end our trip here.

As we left, we saw a ship coming in to port. Now we had to skedaddle before thousands of tourists descended on the town.

Ahhhh … memories of the cruise we were just on.

Unfortunately those memories were short-lived when my Uncle told me that the poorest area in Puerto Rico is located right next to El Morro. They have their own cemetery next to the neighborhood. Since it is prime land, many offers to buy them out have been made but the residents have stood their ground. There is much drug trafficking here also. My Uncle told me “Si no vive alli, no debe visitar” which translated means “If you don’t live there, you shouldn’t visit.”

After leaving, we made our way through the very narrow streets of Old San Juan. Back to the mountains we go.

But what a beautiful day it was for this trip. Blue skies, green grass, lots of history —

Puerto Rico Vacation

After our recent cruise, my family and I spent a week in Puerto Rico visiting relatives. Well, actually, rumor has it that if you’re Puerto Rican you’re probably related to everyone on the island so I’m always careful not to say I’m Puerto Rican so I don’t have to visit everyone. (laughing)

Our first stop was my uncle’s house. He lives in Comerio and moved here with his wife about a year ago. From city boy to country boy he is adjusting quite well living on 2 acres. His wife on the other hand is more like me — she does not like bugs so the adjustment for her has been a bit harder.

My uncle’s house is typical for the island with tiled floors inside and outside. The coquisÂ (small frogs that live on the island) can be heard (very loudly) at night. Even during the day you might hear one or two croaking for a mate. Roosters crow all day long too — except if it rains. This was a new revelation to me.

Young trees and herbs are planted in old tires to protect them from lizards that try to munch on them.

All of the houses I saw in this neighborhood had acreage. One house looked like it was embedded on the side of the hill. Too scary for me.

Across the street are different colored houses. I enjoy driving past all the vivid colored houses. It gives me an upbeat feeling.

After unpacking and visiting for awhile, my uncle drove us around the old “hood” — places where he, my mother and the rest of their siblings grew up.

When my uncle was a little boy, he would cross a bridge that was manned by an “old” man. Everyone had to pay a nickel in order to cross the bridge although he said it was much smaller than it is now. I’m not sure if he remembers correctly though as Wikipedia says the bridge has been there since 1908 and my uncle is not that old.

Plato Bridge — Plata Bridge in Puerto Rico

According to my uncle, on the other side of the hill (pictures above) is a cave that you can walk through and get to this side of the hill. I’ll have to check that out the next time I’m in Puerto Rico. It sounds quite adventurous.

The creek below is where my mother and sisters used to do the laundry while pounding the clothes on these rocks.

A lot of families live in large houses like the one below. Living with extended family in Puerto Rico is a common occurrence.

One of the saddest stories I heard from different relatives on the island is about the fighting that goes on for one’s inheritance. The inheritance law stipulates that when the father dies 50% of the property goes to the mother (if living) and 50% goes to the children that are alive. Throughout the island you can see many homes like the one below that are abandoned. Many families squabble over their portion and would rather let the houses deteriorate than “give in.” This one is in a prime location — right across from the river.

One thing I learned while I was in Puerto Rico was that my father (who left us when I was 5 years old) has land and a house here although he lives in Massachusetts. This means that I am entitled to part of that property when he passes away. The property is in the middle mountainous portion of Puerto Rico near where my uncle lives. I will be following up on this soon as my father is in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s and the property will have to be distributed shortly after he dies.

It was a long day riding through the curvas (mountain curves). There are so many of them and people don’t drive slowly even when the road only allows for one car at a time. Quite scary. I’m glad I didn’t have to drive the whole time we were here.

Time to sleep and listen to the coquis of Puerto Rico.

Food on the Ship

Food on a cruise ship normally borders on above average to excellent — even better than your above average restaurant in the United States. I looked forward to the variety of food and expected local food to also be served, especially my favorite which is platanos maduros (fried yellow plantains) which I had had on a previous cruise in the Caribbean.

The food on the Caribbean Princess was average for the most part but not excellent. I liked that the portions were enough to make me feel full without making me feel stuffed. I was disappointed though that Caribbean food was not served. Although there was plenty of fruit, it was not ripe most of the time.

The service was also lacking. For the first three days our waiter seemed to be distracted even to the point of giving me other people’s food which I had to return. Sometimes both he and the busboy stood around doing nothing even though the area they were responsible for was not that large (2 tables). Instead of re-filling the bread baskets or drinks they stood waiting for us to be finished with our meal. This is unheard of in the cruise world. The waiters/busboys are trained to wait on you hand and foot and replenish things immediately.

After the third day, I spoke to the maitre’d before heading to our table to see if we could come to dinner at a later time. Once we got to our seats the service immediately changed. We started getting the service that we had come to know when cruising. One of my son’s told me that the waiter had seen me speaking to the maitre’d. I wonder if he thought I was complaining as his demeanor changed. The waiter became more friendly and the service we expected came to fruition.

Below are some of the pictures I took of some of the meals our family ordered:

Classic Veal Scaloppine in Marsala Sauce

I received a survey from Princess Cruise and told them about our experience. They had someone call me and I reiterated what I had put down on the survey. Their response? “We’ll pass the information along.”

I hope the food and service comes up to industry standard — or perhaps the industry standard has come down. That would be really disappointing.

Previous cruise posts:

Ship Tidbits

The Caribbean Princess Â is similar in a lot of ways to other ships we’ve been on. There are shops, a casino, a photo gallery, an art gallery, opportunities to take tour excursions or just relax.

The people on this ship seemed to be old’er — not too many children running around which gave it a more relaxed feeling.

Caribbean Princess Ship — Caribbean Princess

Before we sailed, we had training on how to put our lifejackets on and everyone had to go to their “muster” stations (meeting areas) for general safety instructions. While this is happening, the cabin stewards go through the cabins to make sure that everyone is in attendance. This meeting is mandatory and something I hear did not happen on the cruise ship Costa Concordia during their recent grounding in Italy. (On all of our previous cruises, we have always had this mandatory meeting.)

Each cabin has a life jacket for every person. These are extras in case you’re not near your cabin if something happens.

In the middle of the ship is the purser’s desk. The people assist you with just about anything: change (for the laundry room), information on the tour excursions, expressing any concerns, etc.

There are stairs (or elevators) everywhere. I tried walking up and down the stairs to get exercise (in case I over-ate) but found I was overdoing it as I walked plenty throughout the day.

This was one cool elevator (on the right). I liked the design on the outside and the fact that I could see everyone as I was going up and down.

There were a LOT (and I mean a LOT) of people who would sit and watch the movies that they had running day and night on the big screen TV. (I was not one of them.) Free popcorn and ice cream counters were around the corner. And the dining room buffet was not that far away either. It was very convenient if you wanted to hang out here.

On Saturday, they showed the football playoff games.

There were many areas of the ship where you could sit, read a book or spend “alone” time. There was always someone around ready to offer you a drink though. Soda used to be free but now they charge you for it. Since I’m not a soda drinker I didn’t buy any of the soda “cards” for unlimited drinks on the trip.

I didn’t spend too much time in these rooms/clubs. Instead, I preferred walking around and seeing/meeting the many different people from throughout the world. I met one couple who were from Europe and they take 2 cruises a year. Can you imagine?!!!!

The ship has art auctions but I decided not to attend them as the art is normally over-priced. The last cruise I was on (for my 25th wedding anniversary) also had art that was displayed/sold and I won a French art piece at a raffle. When I got home, I checked online and it seems lots of people “win” these art pieces and sell them on Ebay at very low prices. I framed mine as it was a nice memento.

I did like the art that was displayed throughout the ship.

When the ship was at a port I walked through the casino a few times to get to the other side. It was not busy because the casino is closed when the ship is in port.

This was the view from our cabin balcony looking down.

Every evening my family would go to the Princess Theatre where they had entertainment which included Las Vegas style performances or comediennes.

The long corridors in the ship don’t seem as daunting as they look. By the second day you pretty much know which way you are heading (if you pay attention, that is).

On Thursday I headed to the laundry room. I assumed no one else would be there but I was wrong. There were two other families doing their laundry. The rest of the week the laundry room was pretty quiet. It was interesting to me that one of the families doing laundry was Puerto Rican. I think we (Puerto Ricans) have a “thing” about doing our laundry even when we’re on vacation. Very odd. I must’ve picked up the habit from my mother.

I liked the layout of this ship although for the first couple of days I had no idea where I was going. There were many more things to see and do — an outdoor basketball court, an indoor gym, swimming pools, a spa and salon.

Lazy or busy — it was always my choice what my day would bring.

I always chose the lazy day. I have enough busy days at home.

Additional Cruise Posts

TSA Encounter

My trip back from Seattle recently was eventful thanks to TSA.

The TSA security gentleman who checked my passport and identification was very friendly. He looked at my passport, looked at me, looked again at my passport and said “I don’t know how they expect us to be able to tell if the picture I see on the passport is the face I’m looking at.” I asked him if he wanted me to let my hair down as that is how the passport picture was taken. “No,” he said. He was just venting. He looked tired. “The glare from the light is not good for checking passports,” he told me. Then he marked my boarding pass and let me through.

Normally I’m pretty good at finding the metal detectors at the airport so I don’t have to go through the backscatter machines. But the S security gate at SeaTac airport seems to only have backscatter machines. Thus my adventure began.

I should first say that as I get old’er (that’s the way I spell it so no need to correct me) I move slower. It’s not to purposely irritate people. I just don’t feel a need to rush anymore as I get anxious when I rush so why impose that anxiety on myself?

I strained hard looking for a metal detector. No luck. Today would be “pat-down” day for me. After removing my shoes and putting all my belongings in three containers, I waited to make sure they were going through the belt with no problems. I then leaned over and told the security agent that I wanted to Â opt-out. I thought I had committed a crime. “We have an opt-out!” A tall older black gentleman came over to this agent and the agent again said “We have an opt-out.”

“Stand over there,” he told me as he pointed to a corner next to the belt. I obliged. He said “It might be 10-15 minutes as we don’t have many females working.” “No problem,” I told him. Â Inside I felt like saying “You should be prepared for these situations.” But, I kept my mouth shut so as not to cause any problems.

After about 10 minutes, a female TSA security agent took me around the other side of the backscatter machine. My containers were now on the other side of the belt and I watched them carefully as my laptop sat alone in one of them.

The female security agent then pointed me to a place where I was to stand while she did the pat-down. “Excuse me,” I said. “I’d like a private pat-down.” I think I ruined her day.

“Did they offer for you to go through the backscatter machine?” she said.

“Uh, yes, that’s why I’m here because I don’t want to,” I replied.

“Did you know that the radiation you get from the machine is the equivalent of being on a plane for 2 minutes?” she asked.

I felt like asking her if she was an expert or if this was just the information they were trained to say but instead I said “I don’t want to go through the backscatter machine.”

Either she was having a bad day or I just ruined it as her face bunched up as if she were in writhing anguish.

“We don’t have another female, we’re short-handed.” Poor security agent. She was stressed and I must have added to it.

I said nothing as I couldn’t help her in her quandry. So — we waited. She didn’t call anybody. We just stood there waiting as her face continued to reflect her anxiety. Â I don’t know what we were waiting for although my guess is that they were hoping I would change my mind. Tick tock, tick tock — 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes. A male TSA agent finally came up to her and she said “She wants a private screening and we don’t have anyone else. I’m supposed to be working the x-ray machine.”

I remained quiet. I don’t believe I’ve ever been this calm before and didn’t even think about missing my plane (even though I had gotten to the airport early enough to catch an earlier flight and had taken the opportunity to change to the earlier flight).

“Excuse me,” I said. “Are my things safe on the belt? I’m not supposed to take my eyes off of my things according to what I hear on the speakers.”

She sighed. She took me over to where my things were and asked me to point to the ones that were mine. I offered to help her carry them but with a disdainful look she said “You aren’t allowed to touch your things.”

Okay then. I got put in my place and won’t offer to help again.

Back in the corner with my belongings on a table, we waited. Hmmm … now I was wondering if they pay you something if you miss your plane because they don’t have proper staffing. Naw … I dismissed that thought almost immediately.

The male TSA agent came back now with a very short Asian person. A man? I thought the private screenings were supposed to be done with females. Not meaning to rock the boat, I followed them to the private screening room with my TSA agent carrying my containers. (Oh no! She almost dropped my laptop. I remained calm but thought to myself “they’ll pay for that if they break it.” Or will they?)

The outside of the private screening room looks like one of those large storage podsÂ you can rent. This was not to be my lucky day. My TSA agent was now exasperated as she noticed that there were already people in the room. A meeting of some kind was being held so we had to wait — again.

Her face clearly showed her emotions as she sighed, frowned and looked for help. I almost felt sorry for her. I stayed off to the side while she discussed the situation with a male TSA agent. “This woman has been waiting awhile,” she said. I believe she was more worried about her time rather than mine but I could be wrong so I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt.

We continued to wait. A man came out of the room, then another and finally a third. The room was now clear. All three of us stepped inside. I then noticed that the “male” TSA agent was Â female as the badge clearly showed her long hair and definite female attributes. How odd, I thought. Why would she cut her hair so short? Then, I’m not sure what happened. All of a sudden my TSA agent looked at the Asian TSA agent with an exasperated look and they both left the room. I don’t think I’m supposed to be left alone with my belongings but I’m not one to question their rules (okay, maybe a little).

Within a couple minutes they were back in the room. The Asian TSA agent started explaining that she would be the one who would be doing the pat-down. I stopped her immediately because she was talking too fast and too low and I am hard of hearing. So she repeated what she said.

She actually did a very good pat-down IF one could consider a pat-down good. It didn’t feel too “frisky,” if you know what I mean.

Once the pat-down was over, another odd thing happened. The first TSA agent took a jar from the table with something that looked like lotion and spread the “lotion” on the gloves of the Asian TSA agent. I wonder what that could have been?

I was then told I could put my shoes on, gather my things and be on my way.

Being pokey, in my old’er age, I gathered my things, stepped outside and thanked my TSA agent. She looked less stressed now.

Oh the joy of having to live in a country that is becoming more like a police state.

Caribbean Princess Cruise — Day Seven (7)

Today is the last day of our cruise. Bummer … Â It is also Sabbath which makes things a little interesting on a cruise ship as normally we try not to do things that would make people work. A wee bit difficult on a ship as everything needs to run smoothly — from food service to safety. I went to the buffet instead of the dining room today so I could serve myself. But there are still people running around (I can’t expect anything different) trying to meet everyone’s needs.

On this ship, it seems like the staff is just plum tired. You can see it on their faces and sometimes in the way they walk — zombie-like.

Since the ship is at sea today, many activities have been planned. The ones I am looking forward to is the culinary demonstration, the galley tour and ice carving.

The culinary demonstration started in the Princess theatre which seats quite a few people. This is the same place that they have the evening entertainment.

The platform was set up so that the maitre’d and head chef could demonstrate how they make an appetizer, entree and dessert in a short amount of time. The assistant cruise director introduced them to us.

Caribbean Assistant Cruise Director — Caribbean Ship Assistant Cruise Director

The assistant cruise director was really funny. The relationship he had with the cruise director always reminded me of the relationship between Laurel and Hardy. He was a pretty smart guy though. I think his accent added to the funny ambiance of whatever he did and said. He sounded like he had a southern Irish drawl.

The cooking demonstration was light-hearted and the maitre-d made jokes with/at the head chef. One of the things I learned is how to warm an egg to use it in a recipe. Most people leave the eggs out for awhile to get them at room temperature. The maitre’d told us that instead of doing that, boil water, remove it from the stovetop then put your egg in it for one minute. That minute kills all the bacteria and gets the egg at room temperature. Pretty cool, eh? (I guess old’er people can learn new tricks.)

Here is one of the recipes they shared:

Fettuccine Alfredo (Serves 6 portion)

Ingredients

1.5 lbs Egg Noodles
1 pint heavy cream
3 ounces butter
3 ounces mascarpone cheese
4 ounces freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped parsley

Directions

Cook the fettuccine in salted water until tender (approximately 7 minutes)
Drain the pasta
Place butter in a pan and let it melt
Add the cream and mascarpone to the butter until it’s all melted together and you have a smooth creamy sauce
Add the pasta to the sauce, toss and maintain the heat
Continue until you have a smooth consistency
Season to taste with ground pepper and salt
Add the grated cheese on top along with the parsley

Note: The recipe which is from the original restaurant called Alfredo in Rome is usually served without turkey or ham.

(Princess Cruise has a cookbook that they were selling. We didn’t buy one but you can look at it by clicking here.)

After the lively demonstration (they made the above pasta as the entree), I followed a large group of people to the galley for the tour. The galley was clean as a whistle!

The kitchen staff seemed so friendly as we were walking through. They were upbeat and didn’t seem over-worked like some of the other staff did.

Can you tell I was impressed with this massive galley? How do they keep it so clean?

I thought the eagle was made out of edible food-stuff but it was plastic.

I was really surprised that this ship did not have a midnight buffet. It’s not that I was hungry, but on all the other cruises I have been on they have not only had a midnight buffet but have made it a huge creative event by showing off how to make food look and taste fantastic.

Here are some statistics they shared with us:

Average amount of dishes washed daily: 70,000
Average amount of glasses washed daily: 21,500
Average amount of butter used daily: 400 lbs
Average amount of coffee consumed daily: 470 gallons
Average amount of sugar consumed daily: 400 lbs

In other words — A LOT!

They also bake their own sweet rolls, croissants, bread sticks, pizza, bread rolls and biscuits. And they have five butchers with 3 assistants and helpers who slice and portion choice selected beef and poultry before sending it to the galley where a team of 12 complete the preparation.

The next event of the day was the ice carving. I was able to get a couple of pictures and an 8 minute video but then my phone died. The video took too long. I was trying to capture the carving from start to finish and with all the other pictures I had in my camera it was simply too much for my memory card. (Note: I am still working on getting the video online.)

Click below if you want to see the video. Normally they have a lot of ice carvings at midnight buffets but this one was done next to the swimming pool.

Our last day on the ship was nice and sunny. We forgot about the rain from the day before.

Because we were heading to the Puerto Rico port tomorrow, we had to have all of our suitcases outside our cabin doors by 7 p.m. this evening. Many a story has been told of people who pack everything, put it outside their door and have nothing to wear the next day. Usually those are the people who have their suitcases out much later than what they suggest.

The next morning (Sunday) when we arrived at port we had about a 2 hour wait after breakfast before we had to go through customs. Back to civilization — also known as “our cell phones work normally now with no extra charge for internet/calls.”

Letters are assigned to different groups on the ship with the people who are catching early flights being let off the ship first. Since we were staying in Puerto Rico for a week, our letter was one of the last ones called.

We filled out a customs form and headed off the ship. I had only bought one t-shirt on the whole trip. I’m not a big shopper.

Our southern Caribbean cruise on the Princess Caribbean ship was now over. I will post pictures of the interior of the ship along with some pictures of the food (although a lot of the food pictures didn’t come out too well because of the dark lighting).

No more chocolates on the bed at night. I guess I’ll have to take another cruise on our 35 year wedding anniversary.

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Caribbean Princess Cruise Day Six (6)

Barbados was our destination for today. The ship’s speakers announced that there were going to be 5 ships that would be at port which meant that there were a lot of people who were going to be heading into town either walking around or on tour excursions.

On a previous cruise many years ago, we stopped at Barbados but my mind had remembered the downtown area quite differently. Perhaps part of the problem was that when we arrived at port today we had imperfect weather — cloudy with the potential of rain. We had not planned on taking a tour on Barbados but had decided to walk around the downtown area instead.

Barbados is a very populated island compared to the other islands I had visited on this cruise. It has approximately 285,000 people. The island looked less hilly to me than the others in the Caribbean. I was thankful that English is the main language that is spoken which makes it a lot easier for tourists to get directions.

After getting off the ship, there were shuttles that were waiting to take us to the downtown area. The cost was $2 per person. We could have walked the mile or so but the threat of rain made us less adventurous. Once we got off the shuttle, I was disappointed in my memory as I had thought there were touristy-type shops but instead they were more of the everyday-type that are geared more for people who live on the island except for the jewelry stores.

Still, I was glad we hadn’t paid for an tour excursion because it would have been a wet one. The clouds burst open, rain poured out and we spent most of the time walking around Â trying to seek shelter from the rain.

I was fortunate to get a few photos in spite of the downpours.

I passed a large memorial of the Great War which was from 1914 – 1918. Click here to read more about it.

These flowers I saw were pretty but I’m not sure what they are. Anyone have an idea?

There were many palm trees. I liked the way they look like they’re waving.

As I passed through the downtown area, I saw this woman put a basket on her head and start walking. It appeared as if it was a natural occurrence to her. I don’t think I’ve ever balanced anything like this on my head. I wonder what was in it?

Woman with Basket on head — Woman with Basket

As I continued walking along, we ran into this fountain. I’m not sure what the name of it is. It didn’t need any running water as plenty of water was falling from the sky.

Continuing on our walk, we passed the Parliament Building. Unfortunately, we didn’t check to see if they had any tours going on.

On all of the islands I visited, it seems that the fast food companies have left their mark.

As my husband and I waited for the rain to subside, I tried to take pictures of what was around me.

The vendors, I’m sure, were also disappointed in the weather. Not very many people shopping today.

I kept clicking away to take pictures as we walked from shelter to shelter to get out of the rain. They certainly had enough drains to keep the water flowing. I’m guessing that the downpour we experienced is not an unusual occurrence.

Well, it was disappointing that we couldn’t get around as much as we would have liked but Â that’s okay.

Some interesting tidbits I found out about Barbados:

Civilians are not allowed to wear camouflage clothing as it is reserved for the military
Bridgetown is the one and only city outside of the continental North America that George Washington ever made it to. The house where he stayed at is in the Garrison Historic Area
The grammy-winning musical artist, Rihanna, is from Barbados

My husband and I took the shuttle back to the ship. This would be the last island that we would visit on our cruise. Tomorrow we are at sea all day as the cruise winds down.

As we sailed away, we had a fantastic view of the sunset.

Dinner came soon enough as did bedtime. I always looked forward to the chocolates that were left on the bed by our cabin steward.

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Caribbean Princess Cruise – Day Five (5)

Our cruise days are flying by pretty quickly. Day five arrived and we were ready for another excursion. Today we arrived on the island of Dominica. I liked this island the best because we were on a bus off and on for five hours that took us through most of the island along with a couple of stops along the way.

Christopher Columbus landed in Dominica on November 3, 1493. Prior to his arrival, the island was inhabited by the Carib tribe who continue to occupy the island even today. They speak English in Dominica and the population is approximately 73,000 people. The currency here is the East Caribbean dollar although the U.S. dollar is widely accepted.

Our tour bus was waiting for us at the end of the pier. There were many guides available as different tour excursions were leaving from the same area.

After boarding the bus, we were driven up to the top of a hill. Looking down, we could see our cruise ship, the Caribbean Princess.

In addition, there was a small area off to the side where you could shop for local art or buy drinks. The bathroom was across the street and it has a bucket outside where you can contribute a U.S. dollar. Although I used the bathroom while I was there, I did not pay the “voluntary” dollar as the door had no lock (or handle for that matter) and another woman who needed to use the facilities walked in on me. A very embarrassing situation — fortunately I was washing my hands at the time.

I wasn’t quite sure why our tour bus took us up on this hill except perhaps to see the view as later we went back down the hill and up another mountain. The area is very lush and green. There are many (and I do mean many) potholes that our driver was careful to avoid. Besides the driver, a female guide spoke to us throughout the tour about the places that we were passing. I was surprised at how much knowledge she had of the area. Perhaps she has done this many times before. She also answered many of the questions that we as passengers had about the island.

Our next two destinations were a waterfall and a beach that has black sand. It took us quite a while (in my mind) to get to the waterfall. We were told that we had about 15 minutes at this location in order to spend more time at the beach so I think people were hurrying.

The name of the place where we were headed is called the Waitukubuli National Trail. Once we arrived, I was awed by the Â dark greens that seemed to fill up my senses. (It reminded me of the song by John Denver called “Annie’s Song” which starts with the lyrics “You fill up my senses like a night in a forest …” Â The tall trees, bushes and clean air smell left me feeling exhilarated. I “knew” that there were many creatures living in this forest.

My son spotted a “creature” on a tree. He has a really keen sense of when there are animals or creatures around. I’m not sure what it is. I showed the picture to my uncle who lives in Puerto Rico and he thought it was a grasshopper but I didn’t think so. It was pretty big and clung to the tree. I guess we could have made it move to see if it hopped but then I would have had a heart attack and wouldn’t have been able to blog about it. Â (laughing)

Do you know what it is?

Our walk on the path had gone smoothly enough until we reached the steps that go down to the Emerald Pool.

It’s a long way down but somehow it didn’t feel strenuous as I was distracted by the trees around me. There were a lot of people heading to the pool.

We were told that we could swim in the water although it was cold and I was prepared to do just that. The pool looks like a grotto. It is a little chilly but not cold. I walked down the path which eventually became rocky. Taking off my socks and shoes I stepped on the rocks one by one until I was knee deep in water. It felt good. We were told that swimming in this water can make you feel 10 years younger. I must’ve spent about 10 minutes standing in this water. I had decided not to swim in it as I would then have to sit on the bus in a wet bathing suit as I had not brought along a change of clothing. (In case you’re curious, I did not appear 10 years younger when I returned home but perhaps that’s because I didn’t actually swim in the water. I can hear your disbelief but — who knows?)

The pool reminded me so much of a grotto that it brought back memories of a movie I had watched when I was a little girl that was called “The Song of Bernadette.” It was about a young girl who claimed to see the virgin Mary at a grotto. If one was dipped into the water of this grotto, which was located in Lourdes, France, (it has been said) that one could be healed of many ailments. The small town has a population of around 15,000 but approximately 5,000,000 tourists and pilgrims make their way to the here. Any of you been there?

Okay well, back to reality and not memories …

I made my way slowly back to the trail that I had followed to the pool. The guide was at the bottom of the trail and told me that there was another way back but it was 5 minutes longer. I decided to take the trail that I knew. Unfortunately I had forgotten my asthma inhaler and I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it to the top since the climb up was a wee bit steep. Huffing and puffing and moving very slowly, I finally reached the top of the trail.

Back on the bus, we started out for our next destination which was a black sandy beach. When we arrived, our tour guide gave us a coupon for a free drink which we quickly turned in. Finding chairs to sit on, we bought some chicken since we were pretty hungry by then. We donned our swimming suits and took a swim in the ocean. Black sand is hot! I practically ran all the way down to the water’s edge.

After an hour, we headed back to the bus and were taken to the cruise ship. But, before we boarded the ship, we walked around the downtown area. It’s really pretty. I had to visit the local church on this island also.

The stained glasses windows in this church were really pretty.

There were people in the church so I didn’t take too many pictures of the inside so as not to bother anyone who was praying. Back outside, we walked back to the ship. The streets are very narrow but there is a lot of architecture on this small island — old and new.

I love the colors that they use on the outside of some of the houses and apartments. They are so cheerful!

Compare this new house to the gas station we walked past …

Back at the ship, the afternoon activities included:

Jenga Challenge
Movie – The King’s Speech
Xbox Kinect
Seminar on Reversing the Signs of Aging
Mr. Sexy Legs Competition (no, I did not attend this)
Chanel Fragrance Event

There were many others — these are just a few that the ship highlighted in their daily activity sheet.

Dinner again was at 6:00 p.m. The entertainment for the evening was called Comedy Showtime from New York City with Sarge. I have to say that he was really funny. He’s a comedienne, piano player and singer and he does all three things very well. He used the band as his back up and asked the audience what we wanted him to sing. A few people shouted things out. Then I shouted “John Denver!” His response was “I must have the wrong audience.”

It was so funny. A woman a couple rows in front of me shouted that she wanted country music so he had the band play some country music while he sang. I decided to get up from my seat and sway to the music. After a couple minutes he noticed that I was standing and “swaying” so he asked if I would go up to the stage. Gladly! Before I walked up the steps to the stage (where he waited with his hand outstretched for me) I took my shoes off. His response was “Uh oh, she’s serious.”

He then had the band play another country song and he and I danced on the stage. It was hilarious and I had a good time. Meanwhile, my husband and son were trying to crawl under their seats pretending they didn’t know me. Such serious family I have!

I hadn’t had that much fun in a long time. Sarge performed his heart out even though, for some reason I couldn’t think of, there weren’t very many people there for this performance. Hmmm … I wonder if our time together was caught on tape. (laughing)

Bedtime, along with its chocolates, came soon enough.

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