Settling in

 It doesn’t take long for the glow of vacation to fade when the trip home is over 12 hours from getting up to getting here… not to mention the horrible return to cold (but not snow!) and dark. This morning is as gloomy as the weather could get with a bit of icy rain and heavy dark clouds.

Three giant piles of laundry are ready for the washing machine, almost all the detrus from the trip is cleared off the table, although the big black suitcase is still a jumble of all the non-clothes stuff we brought… 

We had a grand welcome home, starting with the pretty lights left on outside to greet us and then an exuberant greeting from all the pets. Pat had cleaned the house and left a few little lights on - it was a welcoming scene. 

Before the glow fully fades I’ll step back into time for a summary. Both Carm and I had a wonderful time! Kirsten and Shawn were the perfect travel companions - they made the trip awesome!!! I was sick for almost the whole time (not covid - tested a few times), but with them there it made everything okay, although there were lots of times that I was a party pooper and ducked out of the fun early. 

We had some fun excursions, the pinnacle on Bonaire with a sailing trip on a Chinese Junk and snorkelling. The water was crystal clear and the beach white sugar sand. The experience was a trip back into the carefree summers of my teen years where I too scrambled around the sailboat like some sort of lightly tanned monkey. 

Kirsten and I watched hours of ‘Love Boat’, sometimes together, sometimes apart. The show is a cheesy look back at the late 70s - so funny at times.

Because I was sick with nausea and a bit of a cold, I didn’t partake in as much food and drink as I should have, so only gained ½ pound which in my mind is a huge waste of opportunity!

Awesome!

“An awesome trip with an equally awesome sister and brother-in-law”

“the pepper boy”

“little grey dog cuddled up against my legs”

“getting home”

the last 3 days

 The last 3 days

Well, it’s Monday morning, our last sea day, and I finally went back to the half written Curacao post… only to find that it is corrupted! This is not the first google docs post that has been f’d up this trip. Luckily I had sent Mom an email of a few of the other posts that I had written earlier in the trip so I was able to recreate them. I hadn’t sent the Curasau one yet as it was only half written…

So back to Saturday. We docked early (I think), met up with Kirsten and Shawn for breakfast then got ready for a trip to the shore. We didn’t have an excursion booked as we planned to just wander into town.

The heat and humidity was like walking in a sauna - sweat poured down my back, soaking my clothes as we poked around the old part of the city. Narrow alleyways branched off from the main shopping district - pretty. We split up from Kirsten and Shawn so that we could all go at our own pace - Carm and I were somewhat slower as I still wasn’t feeling the greatest.

The dock and town were joined by a long floating pedestrian bridge that is driven out of the way to allow for boats to enter the protected channel - we were lucky enough to see it in action!

I didn’t last long in the sun so Carm and I headed back to the ship, changed into our bathers, then went for a swim. A cold drink brought our body temps down to normal.

Supper was a special affair at the up-charge Italian restaurant - oh my goodness - we were all so stuffed! I had a lamb skewer as my starter and I don’t think I’ve ever had lamb as good. After supper Kirsten and I retired back to our room for an episode of ‘Love Boat’ - we laughed ourselves into coughing fits!

Sunday was the first sea day on the way home. We all had breakfast in the buffet, a window seat that gave us a view of dolphins riding the wake of the ship! So exciting!

Later we spent time on our huge balcony watching the flying fish leap from the water and skip across the surface like smooth rocks on a pond. We saw hundreds of them! Of course with the hot weather we had to spend some time up by the pool :-)

It was formal night so we all dressed in our finery for a rather long supper in the dining room. Kirsten and I had the lobster :-) The service was particularly slow so we didn’t nab our favourite seats in the theatre but had to sit in the first few rows. As it turns out they were fantastic seats for the last production show. The singing and dancing was fantastic. So much fun! And well, the male dancers were good ;-)

For once, Kirsten and I stayed up for a drink after the show - specialty gins at ‘Take 5’ while we listened to some jazz. We should have been doing that every night!

I’m in bed late this morning… not asleep but trying to recapture the last few days. Today is our last day before the long journey home. It's a sea day so will likely be much like yesterday with swimming, sun, and more food. It’s been an awesome trip… I’m sad that it’s ending but will be happy to be home to see the pets. Carm is excited to see his little princess Lupa!

Awesome

“everything”

“the lamb skewers”

Friday November 25 Bonaire

 Friday November 25 Bonaire

We got to sleep this morning as we didn’t dock until almost 11:30am and our excursion wasn’t until 3:30 in the afternoon. Carm and I mooched around getting breakfast at the buffet and coffee at the IC, then retired to our room for a great view of the docking process. The heat and humidity is high.

I’ve been a bit congested with a tiny sore throat that I think is due to the air conditioning in our room blasting in my ears. I think the up and down of our drive yesterday may have screwed up my left ear as I’m having an intermittent sharp jab just below my ear every few minutes. Very unpleasant and made for a fitful sleep.

After we all got organised we wandered off the ship for a walk around… we could see the vessel that we’d be having our excursion later on docked in the bay… a Chinese Junk! Excitement mounted as we wandered down the waterfront especially once we spotted tropical fish in the crystal blue waters. There wasn’t a terrific amount to see in the town… and we were anticipating our trip.

A little rest and a slather of sunscreen got us ready for our 3:35 excursion - a 3 hour tour! Zodiaks ferried us out to the waiting boat where we had to clamber aboard the mighty craft. Soon everyone was on board and we were sailing out to a deserted island for some snorkelling and beach time.

As the young skipper (Orus) and his crew, with their young lythe tanned bodies brought me back to summer days of my youth when we’d spend summers sailing down in the Thousand Islands, a swimsuit and t-shirt our only attire, our bodies brown with the sun. We were nimble and quick with our bare feet and sea legs. I’m rarely envious of the young, but if I could have traded places with them…

I recalled people we’d met years ago that also had a Junk and wondered where they were now - were they also on some tropical island giving tourists a taste of paradise?

It was idyllic… the past and the present. The sand was white sugar, water azure blue, sky resplendent with dramatic clouds. 

Kirsten and Shawn did a drift snorkel and saw tons of fish. Carm and I putzd around the beach as neither of us had ever snorkelled - experienced swimmers only! It was still wonderful - we’ll be practising in the pool next summer!

On the sail back to the ship the sunset was outstanding - a sliver of moon hung in the sky, highlighted by rays from the setting sun. 

Magical.

Once back we changed and met up for supper at the little pizza restaurant, then an early night for me - I was beat!

Awesome

“heat and humidity”

“sunset”

“reliving those halcyon summer days”

Thursday November 24 Granada

 Thursday November 24 Granada

A bit more rain greeted us this morning as we motored up to the island of Granada, the lush green hills testament to the amount of rain in this region.

Kirsten and I went down while Shawn and Carm went up to the buffet. Our excursion was scheduled for 8:50 so we had to speed things up a bit! Luckily, our last excursion is tomorrow afternoon so we’ll be able to sleep in a bit :-)

Another little van/bus hurtled us up, down and around the beautiful island, although today’s driver was a little less frenetic than yesterdays… still, I could hear Carm do a few hail Mary’s at some of the steep hills and hairpin turns.

Our first stop was a rum factory - the ambrosial smell of molasses was strong in the first section of the original factory - they export it all over the world. As usual there was a tasting at the end ;-) I bought 2 bottles of high proof rum to make infusions…

We loaded into the bus for the trip to the ‘Tower’ great house and garden. The driveway was a little gash in the foliage with barely room for our driver, Vincent, to turn around, but by some sort of miracle he did! The house itself was lovely with restored mahogany floors and 14 foot ceilings. The woman giving the tour was a charming descendant of the original builder from over 300 hundred years ago.

Unfortunately the rain was coming down in buckets so the garden tour was given from the wide veranda. Mangos, avocados and a myriad of flowering bushes and trees lined the grassy lawn… the only flat spot on the island I think!

We made it back to the ship in one piece, grabbed coffees, and crashed in our room.

My ears are still screwed up from the up and down! And I’ve got an intermittent jabbing sharp pain under my left ear.

Back at the ship I rested for a while (Carm climbed up to the 16th floor for some swimming), then Kirsten and I wandered around the ship aimlessly until we decided on some fruit and tea. We rested some more (I’m reading a great book by Graham Norton!), then met up for drinks and dinner.

Right after dinner, at about 8:30, Kirsten and I left the boys at the table with their dessert while we retired to more comfortable quarters to indulge in some ‘Love Boat’. We laughed ourselves into coughing fits!

Awesome

“the views!“

"My negative COVID test"

“turkey dinner”

Wednesday November 23 Dominica

 Wednesday November 23 Dominica

Grey clouds with a bit of rain obscured the sky as we docked in Dominica. We crossed our fingers that it was only temporary… (it wasn’t)...

Kirsten and I headed down to the IC while Carm and Shawn went up to the buffet. I seriously could not face 7 flights of stairs so early in the morning! Also, the breakfast at the IC doesn’t have the overwhelming selection of the buffet and it’s easy to make some healthier choices.

It was a morning of hurry up and wait as we filed into the theatre to get our stickers for our excursion and then file onto little rickety vans to wait a bit longer for the road to clear. Soon we were hurtling up, down and around narrow roads as we wound our way around the volcano to the rainforest on the other side of the island.

The drive was hair raising!

I have been feeling nauseous for ages but when paired with a bit of motion sickness I was woozy when we got off the bus for a walk to the Emerald Falls. The walkway down to the falls (a 10 minute walk) was gravel and flagstone - somewhat slippery but better than what I was expecting! In my mind we’d be climbing over slippery rocks so I was glad to see the manicured path. Down down we walked… I stopped halfway as my legs were totally rubber and my stomach wanted to heave from the driving! Kirsten, Shawn and Carm made it to the bottom and back up again - they are obviously stronger than I am!

Next stop - a black volcanic beach where we swam and lounged by the ocean… in the rain for some of it! We had 2 hours of relaxation before reboarding the bus for the trip back to the ship. I sighed with relief when we were safely stopped.

Our guide was a charming Indiginious man - he told us all about the island with an easy laugh and smile. Perhaps our best guide ever :-) He had some stories to tell… first about his experience in the hurricane that basically wiped out the island several years ago. He’d been pinned under a fallen concrete wall and fractured his spine. It sounded terrifying. He’d also been an extra in one of the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean' movies - the scene with the cannibals I think. He met Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp. Next time the movie is playing we’ll look for him!

We had a few hours till supper so Carm swam and I relaxed in our room. Whew! 

Supper was early tonight with the plan of getting to bed a bit earlier, unfortunately service was really slow so we didn’t make it out in time for the early show :-(  So we mooched around the ship shopping and listening to music till it was time to grab some seats in the theatre. The show was great (Five Skies) but of course ended so late - another late night with an early morning tomorrow.

Poor Kirsten is struggling with a cold. She’s tested herself for covid which was negative but that doesn’t cure her… She’ll end up hating cruising!

Awesome

“Kirsten’s negative covid test”

“breakfast at the IC - green smoothie, chia pudding, eggbite”

“making it safely back to the ship!”

Tuesday November 22 St Thomas

 Tuesday November 22 St Thomas

Another beautiful day - hot, sunny and humid. We were up earlyish and had a leisurely morning on the ship before disembarking at 11:30 ish for a walk around town.

Stepping out of the ship was like stepping into a sauna - blessed heat! The crowds were thick as we wandered in and out of the tiny shops selling all manner of chatchas (including some really rude, and by really rude I mean REALLY rude pipes!). Kirsten, Shawn, Carm and I left the maddening crowds for the 2 mile walk into town. 

First stop, a dollarama type shop for cheap bottles of water. By that time the sweat was soaking our shirts so the first bottle was guzzled. The first bit of road was horrible with a narrow sidewalk and traffic whizzing by… I had visions of one of us being wiped out by a car or big truck. Eventually the sidewalk took a turn to the water and widened out to a nice promenade.

I thought we’d never reach the old town but we did. A barrage of jewellery shops lined the narrow cobblestone road - there must have been a hundred shops selling both high end jewels and cheaper stuff. In and out of the bedazzled merchandise we wandered I found a pretty necklace and earring set at one of the cheaper stores!

Some of us were limp with exhaustion as we faced the 2 mile walk back to the ship. I didn’t think I’d make it! Unfortunately I was too hot and sweaty to take advantage of the great prices in a little shop with rash guards and swim trunks. 

I could barely make it up the 4 flights of stairs back to our cabin - we’d already done 10 flights up and down in the morning! I collapsed on the bed - Carm changed into his bathing suit and climbed another 7 flights to the pool. We sure earned our supper!

Supper was great again - I had a tom yum type soup and scallops, Carm had a steak. By 8:30 we were finished (I was really finished!). Kirsten and I skipped the show in favour of an early night - Carm and Shawn found a bar for more conversation.

I’m actually writing this Wednesday morning as I couldn’t think straight at the end of the day yesterday - my head had hardly hit the pillow and I was asleep. No ‘Love Boat’ for me last night!

Awesome

“everything”

“walking in the sauna like heat”

Monday November 21 Sea Day

 Monday November 21 Sea Day

I slid open the door to our huge balcony only to be blasted with high winds and spray from the slightly rough seas. We chose the wrong side of the ship! It was sunny though so no real complaints ;-)

Carm went off to run leaving me time to get showered and ready for a day at sea. I met up with Kirsten to go down to the fifth floor to the IC (international cafe) for a latte and almond croissant, I added a green smoothie to my plate just so I could consider it a healthy breakfast (ha ha). Then we climbed the stairs to the summit of the ship, all 12 (yes that’s TWELVE) flights of stairs so that we could walk on the walking track for a MILE. The wind almost blew us off at times - I grabbed the railing and Kirsten’s hand to keep her from flying off the side of the ship.

After all that walking we were tired and thirsty so of course had to indulge in a mimosa! We sat in the shade for a while then used the app to find Carm. He wasn’t far away so we tracked him down - I knew he’d not be lonely for us and sure enough, found him chatting with a lovely couple from Scotland. Kirsten and I joined them for a while but coffee was calling so we walked all 11 flights downstairs to the IC for a nice coffee to bring to our rooms. That meant walking up another 3 flights of stairs…

That black dot is Kirsten!

It was time for some quiet time in our rooms.

It Is perhaps a bit shocking but by 2pm I was starving so we met up with Kirsten and Shawn at the little pizzaria place for some (surprise) pizza for the guys. Kirsten and I had eggplant rolled with angel hair pasta. Then Shawn and I shared a calzone which had tons of red onions but was surprisingly tasty.

It was time for some quiet time in our rooms…

Tonight was formal night so we gussied up in all our finery and me in my sausage outfit for another late dinner in the dining room. First we met up in the jazz lounge for gin & tonics. A very civilized start to the evening.

We met up later for lunch then parted ways again for a bit more quiet time! Carm and Shawn did some saffire shopping.

A text from Kirsten alerted me to the time… I was lost in a book but it was almost time to go to supper… I've never gotten ready so fast! It was formal night and the bling came out of the bag! 

In the line to get into the dining room Carm heard his name as the couple ahead of us turned around! She knew Carm from work!

Supper was a long affair but we managed to pass the time! Duck pate then beef tenderloin stuffed my belly… no room for my own dessert but I did sneak a few bites of everyone else's! 

We were finished in time to catch the late show… it was good but could have been more up beat - I didn't fall asleep but was ready for bed, but not before an episode of the Love Boat!

Carm and Shawn are out like night owls - Kirsten and I are not night owls…

Ship life 1/covid 0

Awesome

“my lovely sister”

“walking in the crazy wind”

“a mimosa in the shade”

“a cheerful Shawn when we brought him tea and treats in his room”

“our windy balcony which dried off in the afternoon”

Sunday November 20 Princess Cays

 Sunday November 20 Princess Cays

First stop: Princess Cays in the Bahamas. The beach!

The weather was sunny and hot, the perfect day for a day at the beach. But first things first - breakfast! I was more than slightly disappointed that there was no lox, but I did find another type of smoked salmon and of course there was the bacon ;-)

After a leisurely breakfast we had better coffee and then boarded the shuttle to the island. It was crowded but we lucked into 4 chairs in the shade but we didn't linger there, the ocean was calling us! Oh, the water. Thoughts of snow were just faint flickers in the back of my mind!

I'm not sure how long we stayed in the water… I was pruned by the time we emerged. Fruit and umbrella drinks fortified us for the hard work of relaxing in the dappled shade!

Later in the afternoon we parted ways with Kirsten and Shawn for a while - we went back to the ship (after standing in a super long queue) while they wandered up and down the beach. Back in the room I had a little rest/nap then got ready for supper for 7. Carm and I went down to the piazza a bit early for a predinner drink - Kirsten and Shawn joined us in time to go into the dining room for another amazing supper.

The service was amazing so we made it into the theatre in time to get some prime seats for the production show ‘Rock Opera’. The show was fantastic with some really great singers and dancers… but I was so tired that despite the loud music I almost fell asleep in my chair! After the show we went to a bar for a cranberry and soda, then it was time for me to go to bed (it was almost 11pm), while Shawn and Carm went looking for the football game - they were too late and had trouble finding a place to find a beer.

I slept like a log - if I could bundle up the whole bed, mattress and all, into my suitcase I’d bring it home!

Awesome

“beautiful blue waters”

“bobbing in the warm sea”

“smiling waiter in the dining room”

“Bonnie Tyler’s ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart”

“Sound of Silence”

“everything else!”

Saturday November 19 On board

 Saturday November 19 On board

Saturday was another grueling but exciting day as we got our vacation started. Kirsten, Carm and I were up reasonably early and spent some time with coffees down by the pool while Shawn worked, poor guy. He missed out on our walk around ‘the villages’ and along the beach. Along the way we grabbed some smoothies and returned to collect Shawn and check out.

It was almost noon when we called the uber for our drive to the ship… Miraculously we were able to fit all our suitcases into one vehicle! The ship loomed large on the horizon as we made our way to the port and suddenly the rush of embarkation was upon us.

Long winding lines of people snaked their way through security and check-in but we made it through quickly and were soon on the gangway! Some b—hy lady shouted at Kirsten for making a wrong move so she was a bit rattled and didn’t have full effect of getting onboard. I don’t know why people could be so rangy at the start of their vacation but I guess there’s always a few…

We got to our staterooms and did a quick unpack of our carryons then met up again for a wander around the ship to look for FOOD! We found it! The ship wasn’t serving lunch in the dining room so we ended up climbing the stairs to the buffet (7 flights of stairs!) which was fine. By then it was almost 2pm so we didn’t gorge ourselves but I did sign on and reschedule our supper reservation to 7pm. We wandered around some more, stopping first for a bon voyage pina colada! Downstairs to the piazza for coffees and then back up to the 16th deck for sail away.

The crush of people was overwhelming at times - everyone hasn’t settled and spread out yet. We wore our masks a bit but not all the time… hardly anyone else was wearing them so covid here we come!

Sail away was late and I was feeling nausous so I went back to our room by myself - I almost missed the Princess song on the horns! After a short rest in our cabins we met up for a 7pm supper which stretched to 9pm… our waiter was new and the service was terribly slow… We managed to pass the time chatting :-)  

We did make it to get to the theater for the comedian but we shouldn’t have rushed as he wasn’t very good. Or maybe I still wasn’t feeling well and very tired. Afterwards, Carm and Shawn painted the town red while Kirsten and I headed to bed. I had a fantastic sleep - I’ve got to find a mattress like this at home!

Carm has done a brain dump on Kirsten and Shawn so perhaps they are overwhelmed! 

All in all a great start to our vacation.

Awesome

“seeing the ship in the distance”

“boarding in a reasonable time”

“suitcases arrived in our room!”

“our cabin - we upgraded to a mini balcony this time so there’s lots of room”

“Kirsten and Shawn’s mini suite!”

“proseco at supper”

Friday November 18 Getting There

 Friday November 18

It’s 6:30 am on Saturday - Carm is snoring beside me but I’m wide awake (although slightly cotton headed) with excitement. 

The actual travel to get here was as expected, a gruelling series of hurry up and wait… starting at our 2:30 am alarm clock and ending with a slightly rough landing (but nothing like the time I landed sideways in NZ). I was glad that the flight was only 4 hours as the seat had my neck and back in spasms - I was near tears at one point. Unfortunately the guy in front of me reclined his seat all the way so I could hardly move.

It’s always a crap shoot when I’m sitting in the middle seat that the person next to me might be unpleasant or maybe distasteful, but the older gentleman (and I do use that term specifically) was lovely and we had some nice conversations.

But forget all that - we were here. Next was the anxiety ridden wait at the luggage carousel to see if our bags arrived - with shouts of hurrah they were in our hands and even unscathed. Whew. Princess here we come.

The next adventure was getting to our hotel. The taxi driver didn’t know where it was and his gps was sending him in every direction except the correct one. Thankfully, in my hysteria of getting ready, I had downloaded the Fort Lauderdale map into Google Maps and it deftly guided us to our destination - the ‘Royal Palms’ one block off the beach and in a high end condo area.

We had decided to try a hotel off the beaten path and away from the big chains partially to save some money but also so we’d be in a more interesting area. Checked in, dragged our bags up and down some stairs, through giant jade plants and finally to our slightly dinky room with a strong smell of mildew. Ah, it was okay but nothing to write home about (but wait, isn’t that what I’m doing right now.)

But! On our way to our room we passed through the pool area that had a little bar/tapas bar with seating among the tropical plants. After we settled into our room and got set up with the wifi, we ventured out for a little walk. There were some restaurants (not big chain ones), bakeries, and a juice/smoothie bar that looked like a possible destination for a light breakfast to ready our bellies for 10 days of gorging. 

One block east and we were at the beach which seemed to stretch out for eternity - I think we could see Miami in the distance. The wind was blowing a gale and the entry into the water was a little steep so we forgo sticking our toes in the water.

Gosh, we were exhausted as we’d basically been awake for over 30 hours (cause how could we possibly sleep!), so we trundled back to the hotel to wait for Kirsten and Shawn to arrive and get a cat nap.

A few hours later we got a text that they’d landed and had their (somewhat broken) luggage. Twenty minutes later they were checking in so we dashed to the office to welcome them. Excited chatter carried us late into the evening :-) We were all hungry so after they dumped their stuff into their room we enjoyed an evening of tapas and conversation. 

So excited! I can’t wait to see their reaction when we walk up and into the giant floating city that will be our home for the next 10 days.

AWESOME

“luggage at the carousel”

“nice gentleman sitting next to me on the plane”

“the beach with it’s roiling waters”

“the most awesome of all was seeing Kirsten and Shawn”

“the shrimp”

spinning in one spot

 First real snow this morning. I had to drag Adia out of the house and encourage Lupa to venture out under her own steam. It took them a minute or two to walk like 4 legged beasts but soon they were zooming around. It was immediately apparent that Lupa was going to have to lose her lovely leg furnishing as they quickly became giant balls of snow. Poor wee thing looks like she has stilts for legs now!

Like a knight in shining armour, Carm exceeded husbandly duties and drove me to my pedicure appointment today so I wouldn’t have to walk/drive in the newly fallen snow in my flip flops. 

I spent a ‘certain’ amount of time today looking for the hair styling powder that I was sure that I’d seen and decided not to pack… well, it seems I did pack it, not only in one of the myriad of ziplock bags containing all manner of stuff, but also into my carryon which was already zipped closed. I found it tonight when I went searching for ANOTHER thing that I’d already packed! 🤪 Oh boy, talk about spinning in one spot just getting dizzy and not advancing a single inch.

Almost every morning I ask Carm what he wants for supper tonight to which he always answers ‘I don’t know’... well thanks for your input! I got away from the habit of menu planning a week ahead but when we get back I’ll start again as it takes some of the angst away from the day. I’ve been in a rut with cooking, the same things are on infinite repeat; time to go back into my notes for ideas.

We ventured out of the house for a little shopping Monday so I could try out the new N95 masks. It’s tight so no air puffs out under my glasses fogging them up. They do leave a mark on my face, but I can live with that.

Saturday we had Pat, Trudie, and Leo over for supper - just exploded eggrolls, but what the heck! I wasn’t in the greatest of moods - partly from feeling slightly stressed out about Covid and also I’d been super nauseous all day, keeping a bucket nearby just in case… We did get the tires changed - winter here we come!

Speaking of winter, we remembered to put winter gear into the car BEFORE leaving on our trip and coming home to a snow covered car…

Monday was my first night trying to sleep without a bedtime helper… not great. Took emergency meds which helped. I thought I would try to go to bed later this week in prep for a busy trip, but alas, I’m also getting up earlier - bookending a shorter night asleep in bipolar world is a big NO. I ended up in bed at 6:30 last night. We have to be out of the house at 3:15 AM on Friday so I’m going to be a wreck by the time we get on the ship. I hope I can sleep on the plane.

Obviously the photos were taken a few days ago! I should have gotten my camera out for some snowbunny pictures.

Awesome!

“sunny day”

“Lupa running in the tall grass, disappearing except when she pops up to see where we are”

“scale down another pound… side effect of days of nausea I guess”

“finding a navy blue puffer coat at liquidation - I’ve been wanting a blue one for ages and this one is xxl so easily fits over my flannel shirts”

“seeing the indents on my tummy that have lost fat”

“stocking up on gum for the airplane”

“little grey dog cuddled up against my legs”