I love Vacations!

10 Things I loved about our Cruise to the Bahamas

 (and vacationing in general!)

                                 

1.  Love seeing new sights!  Especially the clear clear waters of the ocean in the Caribbean!

2. Going with a bunch of couples!  That's the way to vacation!  Go with several like minded couples that way you can all get together but you can also break up into smaller groups and hang or play games or just giggle :)

3. Not having to do anything!  Seriously, could a vacation be any more easier or relaxing??  Just get on the boat and there you go!  No times to be anywhere or do anything.  Food is practically jumping into your mouth and any given opportunity!  Entertainment is around every corner! The bed makes itself!

4. OK, did I mention the food!  Every time you turn around there's a new buffet popping up!  Don't like what you got ..no problem!  go get something else!  Try a little of this and a little of that or a lot!

5. The excursions!  While they aren't necessary to purchase ..they are kind of fun to do!  Everything is all planned out and you just follow the guy with the sign to the next bus or boat and voila! Snorkeling awaits!  Snacks await you!  

6.  Spending down time.  Sometimes it takes my brain a good 2 days to really relax and not think about everything I have to/should have/need to do...but this time I got right on the boat and didn't think about a thing till I got home.  A much needed break for the brain!

7. Elegant night.  One night of the cruise is a night everyone gets dressed up.  I love seeing everyone in their fancy duds!  I hardly ever have an opportunity to dress to the nines so it's nice to be able to dust that dress off and wear it!

8. People taking your picture everywhere!  Everywhere you turn there's someone wanting to take your picture.  That's nice because most times I'm the designated picture taker in our family and I have lots of pics of everyone and everything but very few with me in it!  No obligation to buy any of these but it's nice to have them taken and be able to buy them if you want to.

9. Spending time with my honey bunch.  Now sometimes this can be a double edge sword! Sometimes too much togetherness is a little...well....too much togetherness.  But this time we had a great time just sitting and hanging together and people watching or whatever.  

10.Great memories!  I love building friendships and bonding time with people.  We will have some great laughs and wonderful stories to tell in the years to come.  So thankful we could enjoy this great cruise!

Past one's prime pooch studying advanced manuevers

Learning new stuff when you are old is hard.  The saying goes you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Well maybe you can but the old dog doesn't like it very much.

I'm trying to relearn 2 things.  One,  the violin.  I used to play when I was younger. I haven't played in a long, long time.  Probably about 30 years.  I was recently encouraged to pick it back up again after a friend of mine also started back.  I remember how to read music.  I remember how to play.  It's just the playing that sounds well...a little like a cat got stuck under a rocking chair.

I'm also trying to learn chords on the piano.  I sit down with all the best intentions.  I try a few chords and then I get frustrated.  Why can't my brain figure this out!  Over and over and over I plug away at it. It's starting to make a little sense.  But it's still hard. I wish I would have learned when I was young and my brain was fresh and mold-able.

Knitting is another thing I'm taking a crack at.  I know how to make 2 things: scarves and now dishcloths!  Thank heavens for Youtube!  That's the only way I figured this crazy knitting thing out!

It is rewarding to learn something new.  I just want to be good at it all of the sudden.  I just want it to turn out great right away.  But it doesn't work out that way.  It's a slow process.  It's try and try again. It's mess up and mess up some more.

Life's kind of like that too.  We make mistakes.  We learn. We grow.  We make some more mistakes. The older we are the harder it is to learn.  The more rigid and set in our ways we become.

But if I keep at it.  Get counsel.  Seek advice.  Watch others.  This old brain can create new synapses.
It's not impossible!   I have a song and a dishcloth to prove it!