Birthday - Cruise Style

Emile celebrated his birthday on Monday in Sydney, Nova Scotia.   We arrived early in the morning and after breakfast he went ashore for a tour at Fort Louisburg.   It was a reenactment and I think he really enjoyed it.

I stayed behind to do some birthday things.  Our room stewards were extremely helpful in making it a festive occasion!

Happy birthday to my sweet husband.

Green Gables

For several weeks I've been looking forward to this visit to Prince Edward Island and to the home that was the inspiration for "Anne of Green Gables".   I recently read the book for the first time and have been enchanted by the wonderful story that has entertained and inspired for generations.

 
The house was one that was often visited by the author as a child.   The rooms have been restored and furnished in as they would have been at the time the book was written.

We could even walk "Lovers Lane" and other paths that Anne invented.    It was delightful!

  

Quebec

Thursday was spent in Quebec City.   We spent a few days here on a vacation several years ago and it is one of the most romantic cities in the world.   As with Montreal, French is the official language and the city has a lot of French influence.

When we selected our tours we were sitting in our living room at home - not thinking about the temperatures in Canada in October.    It was a very brisk 41 degrees and windy when we set out for our walking tour of this beautiful city!

The Hotel Frontenac is a beautiful property in the upper city.   The board walk of the hotel is bordered by the St. Laurence River and has breathtaking views of the city below.    We spent some time there in the afternoon enjoying "high tea" and confections. 

We walked through some beautiful cathedrals and churches downtown before making our way back to the ship.    Here are a few pictures...

By the end of the afternoon, we were VERY happy to get back to our room and warm up!

Fall Foliage....

In Florida, we only have two seasons....summer and January.    So we get excited about an opportunity to experience fall foliage.      We booked this cruise several months ago - Montreal to Miami.    We will board the ship later today and set sail this evening.

We flew to Montreal a couple of days early to enjoy the city.   Unfortunately the first day was spent in airports after cancelled flights and being rerouted - but we arrived safely.   

The view from our hotel was beautiful - exactly the color I had hoped we would see!  We walked through a spectacular Basilica that was nearby.   It's hard to imagine the work that went into creating this place of worship.   I could sit inside for hours just taking it all in...

The day was cool and very windy, but that didn't stop our walking tour.   Montreal has a complete underground city that includes restaurants, shopping malls and even a train station.   I found a wonderful creperie for lunch and plenty of window shopping to keep us busy.

Hoping we will have good internet service so I can update the blog as we continue our journey!
 
 
 

Ordinary Days....

Ordinary Days....

Life has been really busy lately and I had almost forgotten how wonderful it is to have an ordinary day.    A day without appointments.   A day when I can go for a leisurely walk....or read a book....or try a new recipe...or write a letter...or even clean the house and nothing has to get pushed aside to make room.

Fall is in the air and it feels wonderful.   Cooler mornings and nights.  Blue skies with lots of puffy white clouds and lots of sunshine.     Living in Florida we don't see much of a seasonal change so we have learned to embrace even the simplest changes.    

I always get a little nostalgic at this time of year.   It's such a wonderful family time and brings a smile to my face remembering holidays of the past and celebrations yet to come.   I'm reminded of friends who are currently facing challenging times; as well as friends and family who have overcome challenges to arrive at this present moment.    I am thankful for my friends, and my family, and the wonderful faith that my mother instilled in me as I was growing up (even when I didn't want to listen).

Happy Fall.    I hope you can soon enjoy an ordinary day....they are good for the soul.   I think I might try to package together an ordinary WEEK!!!

Kicking Off Wedding Season

Labor Day weekend was the "official kickoff" for Tyler and Mallory's wedding season!   Brandon and Esther hosted an engagement party for them at our house and it was a ton of fun!   The evening had a luau theme, and everyone dressed the part.   Friends and family gathered to celebrate with them.

The most fun of the evening was the games they put together for the event.   Even I couldn't answer many of the trivia questions!   My favorite by far was the questions/answers that put Tyler and Mallory in the hot seat - it was priceless!

Thanks to everyone who was there for them - now less than 7 months until the big day!!!

Asheville Wedding Weekend

Ever since the proposal last Thanksgiving, we have been excited about being a part of Liz and Jamie's wedding.   His parents have been friends of mine since 1984 and over the years they have been more like family than friends.   

It was a "destination wedding" in Asheville, North Carolina - one of our favorite retreats when we want to get away from Florida.   The couple found the PERFECT wedding location - a venue called The Farm that they reserved for the entire weekend.    We arrived a little early to help Karen get some things together and I had so much fun helping her create the room for the rehearsal dinner!!!

The entire wedding weekend was a beautiful blending of cultures.   Liz is Jewish and Jamie is Episcopalian and they wanted their marriage to not only join them as husband and wife, but also to show how the two religions could be joined.   It was perfect.

Wishing Liz and Jamie a lifetime of happiness!