WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

People we meet along our way

and how they can influence our lives.  A is a physical education teacher and has a masters in sports medicine from Portugal.  He has introduced us to Tai Chi, Sit and be Fit as well as Aquafit.

TUESDAY TRAVELS

 

Let me tell you about our first week on the cruise.  We only visited 3 ports of all as Key West was cancelled. 

In Belize we took the tender ride into the dock and traveled by bus to a manatee swamp. Here are some pictures of our trip:

Belize VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

The next port od f call was Mahogany Bay in Honduras.  Here we were docked and walked off to a beautiful beach.  We also found free WiFi,  We walked both the boardwalk and in the water by the beach:

The last port of call was Costa Maya Mexico.  We were able to dock however the Celebrity Solstice was not able to get in because of the high winds.  We shared a taxi ride with our friends J and B:

Costa Maya Mexico VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

It has been fun with lots of sun and sand and water.

MEET ME ON MONDAY

 

1. What was the first live concert you ever attended?

Gordon Lightfoot

2. What colors look best on you?

purple, green and blue

3. What is one thing about you that most people wouldn't know?

most people know everything about me as I can’t keep a secret

4. Who would you call to be bailed out of jail?

DH (Dear Hubby)

5. What do you think is the greatest invention of your lifetime and why?

The telephone as it provided me with a job which I could retire from.

Answer them on your blog and link up - or answer them in the comment section below -

Grab a badge for your post:

href="http://www.actingbalanced.com/"
target="_blank"><img alt="Acting Balanced"
src=" http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l60/momfromcanada/actingbalanced6.jpg" /></a>

SUNDAY IN THE CITY

 

As you know my city has been moving around for the last couple of weeks as we travel away from home.  My pictures today show some of the places we have been calling home.  Hope you enjoy them!

 

This is the Crow’s Nest where we see where the ship is taking us.  We have also had several dances as well as our Sit and Fit classes here.

This is the Ocean Bar are evening entertainment as we dance to a 3 piece band.  From 8 pm to 8:45 pm we have this room to ourselves and they play our requests.

This the Casino where we lost $5 on the slot pull with group from Cruise Critic.

This is the Explorer Lounge/Library and Computer Room where we have asked our computer questions as well as exchanged my books.

This is the entrance to  the dining room The Rotterdam where we are enjoying some great meals.

This the Lido pool where we catch some rays as well do a few laps.

SATISFACTION SATURDAY

 

It is finally Saturday and it has been a satisfying week.  We have met some wonderful people who have shared their company with us for this week.  Unfortunately they are leaving the cruise so we must bid them farewell.  It is amazing how quickly we form friendships and how sadly we must say good-bye.  We shared dancing and laughing together.  We were also challenged to a rummicube game.

F who will be named DH (Dear Husband) in the future shared a beer in Costa Maya Mexico. We wish our new friends a safe trip home and may we meet on future cruises.

The other side is that I also renewed a friendship in our small world.  While in Honduras I met a former worker who retired from Bell in 2004.  What a wonderful surprise !!  She says she recognized me by my laugh.  It was great catching up and of course retirement agrees with her. Do you know who it is?

FIVE QUESTION FRIDAY

It's that time of the week again - when I share five answers with you to questions posed at

 

1. What's your favourite way to spend down time (alone or with a significant other)?

Alone- a nice hot bath with a really good book
With hubby – on the dance floor doing a waltz to “Kissed by a Rose” by Seal

2. Are you the kind of person that wants things more as soon as you know you can't have it?

I don’t handle it well.  The prime example was the Christmas before my 16th birthday when I wanted a hair dryer and my parents gave me a set of luggage.  I pouted so hard that I packed up presents in the suitcase and went back to bed.  I have gotten my wishes granted since then.

3. If you were given $1000 to spend on yourself, what would you buy?

A new laptop! I need one and the kids gave me gift cards toward the purchase when I get back. Any funds left over are for the next cruise.

4. Do you ever go out to eat by yourself?

Occasionally –I am part of a retirement group without Fred.  I do meet my retired co-workers.

5. What company would you want to do a blog review for?

I suppose a travel agency who would like a review of other cruise lines and I was compensated for the trip.

Posted byHeatherat2/23/2012 | Labels:Five Question Friday |

 

THRIVING THURSDAY

 

We have landed in Honduras and have found an internet cafe.  F and I are sipping Strawberry Smoothies beside the clear blue waters of the Caribbean.  The beach has clean white sand. F is complaining his neck could get sour as he watches the bikini babes.  Tough life!!

This retiring and cruising make a great combination.  On board our ship is a woman who is infamous as she has more cruising days than the captain.  We are being treated like kings and queens.

Every where we look someone is commenting on our ballroom dancing.  It has been a great vehicle for meeting people.  As for using it to lose weight I don;t think it will happen.  The food is just too good.

Watch for my Sunday  blog and feel free to leave a comment.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

 

Please come back to my Sunday post – Sunday in the City for more and I will explain this picture.

TRAVEL TUESDAY

 

Greetings from Sea on the “ m s Ryndam".  We have met a great group of people.  F set up the meetings through his “Cruisecritic.com”  affiliation.  If you are thinking of going on a cruise and want to hear cruiser’s thoughts this is a great website to visit.

Among the guests are several ballroom dancers so after dinner from about 7:30pm until we tire out we ballroom dance.  We dance to a 3 piece band although they have been minus a drummer since the beginning of the cruise.  A new one will come on board tomorrow as we stop in Belize.

Unfortunately we have not been off the ship as our stop-over in Key West Florida was cancelled.  The ship had mechanical problems and the captain felt it would be unsafe to dock the ship. This meant that we could not find an internet access off the ship so we are trying out the WiFi on the ship.

Please forgive me if you are looking for my blog as is could be delayed.

Meet me on Monday

 

1. What is your favourite kind of soup?

Tomato soup

2. What was the last movie you saw in a theater?

Fantasia at an Imax with my daughter, C and my husband F – I fall a sleep in a quiet comfortable seat while the whales were swimming

3. What is your least favourite TV program?

Friends

4. If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you name it?

Life is a Highway – and I am in the driver’s seat.

5. What 3 places that are on your bucket list to visit?

Australia, New Zealand and Japan – we were booked on a Pacific Rim cruise for 72 days in September 2012 however because of the earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand the trip was cancelled.  We will find another way

Sunday in the City

		Charleston at the South Carolina Aquarium VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

F and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the South Carolina Aquarium.  Thanks to F for his technical advice.
I hope you enjoy our visit as much as we did.

Saturday Satisfaction

Well the week is coming to a close and so is our visit with our awesome grandchildren R, L, and E.  We have had a wonderful visit with H and W.  The week and a half have just flown by.
R got her birthday money and will chose to spend on bowling and getting a blue streak in her hair.
L is talking much better and is now known as the “muffin man”  for his love of chocolate chip muffins.
E just wants to grow way too fast.  He no longer wants to sit in his high chair.  He also likes to jump, climb and be totally involved in all things electronic.
Please visit W’s blog http://www.waynewsmith.com as he has had a very exciting week with most of hopes and dreams coming true.
We also want to thank H for setting up my post and being a wonderful hostess.
F has kept us up on new travel plans as he has had the time to look on the computer for more exciting places to visit.
My blogs may be a little scattered next week as we cruise without a lot of internet access. Also please try to leave a comment so I know how to improve my blog.
It has been a very satisfying week of retirement and I am still not tired.

Five Questions Friday

It's that time of the week again, where I bare my soul... or at least tell you a little more about myself...

1. What do you do when you are really upset to calm yourself down?

Make a cup of tea and sit down to read a book

2. Do you go all out for V-day or is it just another day?

It is just another day.  Of course there alot of extra hugs and kisses
3. Are you more or less productive when Hubs is away?

Since we are both retired we sort of work when the mood hits us and F is not very far as we are away
 4. What is your favorite time of day and why?

All day since I am retired and don't have a schedule
.
5. What is your go to karaoke song?

I once won a karoke contest with 3 other girls and a fellow worker named Guy.  We sang "My Guy".

Thriving Thursday

Now back to my retirement!  F and I had a very interesting Wednesday.  We gave our daughter H and her husband W a night away from the childre R,L,and E.  The good news is everyone was asleep by 9pm.  There were no fights and no trips to the emergency ward. 

E did give us a challenge as he can climb almost anything and dared us with his antics on top of the toy box.  Thank goodness for Sesame Street as a sleeping pill. 

L got on the school bus at 6:20 am, R made her school bus after 8 am and E stayed in his crib until 9am.
F thinks he made have an afternoon nap to recover but the kids were terrific.

I may have to change the title - retired and tired after our babysitting adventure.  As someone once quoted "there is no sitting in babysitting".

Everyone enjoy your children because the grandchildren are the real blessings.

Wordless Wednesday

I now have time to watch the birds!

Travel Tuesdays

One of the best parts about travelling is planning for the trip.  Our countdown for this trip started last fall when my husband  F and daughter H started looking into inexpensive cruises on line.  We already have a major cruise later in the year which you will hear about later.

H also wanted us to spend some winter time with her and the grandchildren.  The plan came together with a cruise out of Tampa which leaves February 19th.  We have got a further dicount on the cruise when the price dropped in November.

This cruise is really about relaxing as we have been to to the Caribbean before.  We chose this one because it is on favourite cruise line, Holland America.  By visiting H and her family we will be a days drive away.  We did not want to fly.

Now F is on the internet and cruise critic.  He has found us an excursion in Belize and has arranged to meet up with a group with he has met on line. he has also planned an adventure when he stop in Key West.

The anticipation of packing and just being away is what dreams are made of. I can not be bored yet. We are looking forward to dancing and the great food.  F also plans to get lots of exercise by walking the Promenade deck after every meal. We also want to enjoy the sunshine and maybe even a little swimming.

We will start the countdown for the next one later.

Meet me on Monday

Thanks to Acting Balance for hosting this event.

Here are today's Questions:
 

1. Are you planning anything for Valentine's Day?

Nothing much except to babysit our grandchildren

2. What song automatically popped into your head when you saw this question?

She loves you yah! yah!

3. What did you have for breakfast today?

I had a grapefruit and cereal which I shared with E 16 mos

4. Where do you keep your keys?

In my pocket or attached to my wallet which was a gift from my granddaughter E 4 yrs

5. Who was your favorite teacher from when you were in school

I had several favourite teachers - Mrs Heal (kindergarten),  Mr Turner (grade 6) and Mr Ford (high school).

Welcome to my first blog!

I retired from Bell on December 31st, 2011.
 My husband F has been retired for 5 years and has been anxious for me to join him. I have some great plans to keep us from being tired and bored.

So far my first six weeks have felt like a vacation.  My plans are to spend time travelling and with our family.
We have 3 children:
H who is married to Wand has 3 of my 5 grandchildren, R 14, L5, and E 16 months.
C who is married  to P for just over one year.  They are still in the honeymoon stage. And
M who is marrried to M and has the other 2 grandchildren,  E 4 and F 1 year.

Our first trip has started.  We are spending just over a week with H and her family.  So far we are keeping busy following the boys around.  We have visited Caw Caw for an afternoon walk to see the birds.  I have had lunch with H's PEO group and shopped for 2 new dresses. We have also walked downtown  and shopped for gifts to take home .  We are off to an early dinner to celebrate the  birthdays.

I hope you will follow along as I journey through retirement and keep from getting tired or bored.