We have set SAIL...

We bought tickets for our Transatlantic Repositioning Cruise in December of 2022. Yes, we do like to plan ahead. After all this time, we have finally embarked on our Grand European Adventure. We will be without phones and the internet for several days... a vacation from everything. I'll blog once I can and as often as possible, trying to share the travel magic. Please wish us "fair winds and a following sea".

We boarded the ship and instantly became overwhelmed by all there is to see and do. This is sensory overload exemplified! We are beyond excited. For those who haven't seen our luggage, this photo shows it in all its glory. We have perplexed the other travels we've spoken with about it. Fun stuff.
We can't get into our rooms until later so we strolled through Central Park and were entranced. An outdoor sanctuary with winding walkways and lush foliage, it is definitely a place to escape the crowds, whether with a good book during the day or for a romantic dinner at night. It is of seven neighborhoods, each with its own distinct ambiance and venues. More than 10,000 live plants and flowers give Central Park its wow factor. The greenery combined with vine-draped awnings, stone wall accents, benches and other park-like touches give the space a quaint, charming feel. We even heard nature sound effects, via speakers hidden in the plants, like birds chirping and frogs croaking. We'll spend a lot of time there.
What a view from Deck 15!
This is me, writing this blog! It is all one big pinch me moment and I look forward to sharing it with you.

“To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,
To gain all while you give,
To roam the roads of lands remote,
To travel is to live.”
― Hans Christian Andersen

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Our Purposefully Laid-Back Day

We chose Lauderdale-By-The-Sea because it is a very cool, easy going town without a lot going on. It was just what we wanted for our final day before traveling abroad.

After coffee and breakfast on our porch, we headed out to just delightfully meander.
Our Welcome Mat was a sweet reminder of what we already knew... "Life is better in Flip Flops".

What fun to have my feet in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
This was a sad sight. Lauderdale-By-The-Sea’s pier, Anglin’s Fishing Pier, was damaged by the wind, rain and waves created by  Tropical Storm Nicole in November of 2022. The pier has a long history in the city, going back to 1940. It was destroyed in 1963 and rebuilt. A year and a half later and it's still is destroyed. So sad.
Tacocraft Taqueria & Tequila Bar was the location of lunch and some postcard writing to the grands. It was also the perfect people-watching spot, with unique food and live music.
Steve and I shared the taco platter with my selection being comprised of mushroom confit, roasted corn, cotija cheese, and cilantro crema. Yum.
This town has a lot of midcentury architecture. I loved this font.
This poster was plastered on the side of a car and I just had to share it. There are things in life that that strike me as funny/interesting, MarryDave.com is one of them. The guy is sincere and the website is worth reading. I wish the best for him. Wow.

Bench sitting, a favorite pastime!
We have passed this church bell tower (c. 1959) a few times walking to the market. I found it to be very cool. It is just another architectural element that makes this village feel of another era. We picked well.
I don't think one photo could sum up the day better than this one! Life is Good!

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Warm Greetings from Florida!

With an 8 AM flight out of San Diego, wake up time came early and the drive to the airport was uneventful. So far, so good!


I was in heaven. Four hours of uninterrupted reading and unlimited drink service... what a way to start a vacation! And my book of choice, The Greater Journey by David McCullough is a real page-turner. Thank you, Kim for the perfect literary recommendation for this journey.
We are calling the village of Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, incorporated in 1949, home for the next two nights. When we arrived, we were greeted with warm sea breezes and idyllic strolling about opportunities.


I was drawn to these breeze blocks. By the way the meaning of FRENCH LEAVE is an informal, hasty, or secret departure. I love that.
Iconic Florida singer Jimmy Buffett named one of his albums “A1A” in honor of the coastal highway that winds along the Atlantic Coast. In March, lawmakers approved legislation (HB 91) to rename all 340 miles of State Road A1A as Jimmy Buffett Highway. I only wish they had gotten the signs up for us to capture the new name. What fun.
After our day of travel, home in our little condo by the sea is just perfect for Steve and me. Tomorrow, we hit the beach!

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My Emergency Root Canal...

If there was ever the perfect time for a root canal, it was now! It's a good thing I've been ready for our upcoming trip for weeks.

For the last two weeks, my front tooth has been bothering me. Yesterday, it progressed to the point where cold caused a great deal of pain. On the way to an early dinner, Steve suggested we pop by Ethos Advanced Dental Care as we had met Dr. Sewell at the Greek Festival, of all places, and really liked him (my primary dentist is in Tahoe). He actually took the time to see me and suspected that, based on my various complaints, I needed a root canal. He then called the endodontist and secured me an appointment for today!
Dr. Shawn Anderson at Precision Endodontics confirmed Dr. Sewell's diagnosis and proceeded to commence work on making me pain free.
This is me, numbed and happy! I can't believe how the stars aligned for this very fortunate fix for me. I am so grateful for all who made this possible. On to our travel adventuring. Woohoo!

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Meet My Aunt Margaret

I have to confess, I have no interest in genealogy. The family I focus on are those members who are still living. Sadly, for the last almost 30 years I had forgotten my Aunt Margaret.

When my Dad's Navy career took him away from Des Moines, Iowa, we rarely returned. In 1998, on a Haerr Family road trip across America, we found ourselves in my parents' hometown and we connected with my family there. I had a close relationship with my Dad's aunt, Rosalie (on my left). When we met up she invited Margaret and her daughter Theresa... at the time complete strangers to me.
I have been sending Christmas cards to Margaret ever since not really recalling how we are related. In my last holiday hello, I asked her to remind me of who she is to me. She wrote back with these two photos writing, "Dear Denise, I am your Aunt. I am your Dad's youngest (half) sister. Someday we need to talk!" This mid-1960's photo op was arranged, again by my great Aunt Rosalie, who was the one who tried to hold the family together. I never met any of my other aunts with Margaret being the last Saffell link.
This is the only photo of my Dad's Dad that I have ever seen. The gal with him is his second wife, Margaret's mother, Julie. I met my Dad's mom once sometime before her death in 1967. She was the only grandparent still alive by the time I came along.

Regarding my newly reacquainted Aunt Margaret, I did give her a call and we have had lovely conversations since that initial one. It goes to show it's never too late to make relationships happen. I so value the connection to my Dad she offers. Just another reason to continue to send Christmas cards!

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Terry's Tax Day Birthday...

When Terry and I were trying to choose a day for her birthday lunch, she excitedly said that her taxes were done so let's to it on her actual day... Tax Day!

A little historic background about this day. President Abraham Lincoln first added a federal income tax with the Revenue Act of 1861 to help fund the Civil War. Taxes were based on assessments not voluntary tax returns, the date they were due varied. The act was later repealed, re-adopted and then held unconstitutional. The 16th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1913, which gave Congress the authority to tax all incomes. The first filing deadline in 1913 was March 1, which was changed to March 15 in 1918 and finally to April 15 in 1955, to allow for more time for people to prepare their returns. The deadline remains on April 15 today, unless it conflicts with a holiday or a weekend.
So for the first few years of Terry's life, her birthday didn't have "Tax Day" written next to "Terry's Birthday" on a calendar. For us, today, it was just the celebration of this unique woman's arrival in the world. 
The birthday girl's suggestion of this dining venue, The French Skillet Café in Murrieta was just perfect. I know it wasn't about 'me' but French Onion Soup and an Almond Croissant... she chose well.


Hours of catching up, dining well, and celebrating... this was the best way to commemorate the day!
"Your birthday, as my own, to me is dear...
But yours gives most;
for mine did only lend Me to the world;
yours gave to me a friend."
~Marcus Valerius Martialis

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Oceanside for Art, Music & Goodbyes

Oceanside is one of those places for me and when there are new exhibits, Oceanside Museum of Art is a must-visit detour.
Today, there were three new exhibits we were very excited to see.
Hands On Design pays homage to the rich craft traditions that flourish in San Diego and celebrates the skilled hands and creative minds of the Allied Craftsman of San Diego.
This juried exhibition presents work that exemplifies the diverse materials, expertise, and strength of creativity of these Craftsman, the oldest professional organization of craft artists in Southern California, in addition to contributing to a broader community appreciation of contemporary craft. Wow, I'd say!





I wish I could write about each of these amazing works of art. You'll just have to get to OMA before the exhibition closes in August.
I do have to mention Judith Christensen's Definitions and Descriptions. I mean it's crafted from coffee filters! According to her artist statement, "What we do every day matters. Every day I have my morning coffee, scroll through the news, then empty my coffee grounds into the compost, keeping my coffee filter to create another page for this installation."
She continued, "Communication also matters. Many of the words we use to talk about the environment are 'loaded,' carrying associations beyond the word's actual meaning. 'Coal' to an environmentalist can connote something quite different than what 'coal' implies to a coal miner. When these associations are very disparate, communication is difficult to impossible. As I began to question my own preconceptions and associations, I felt it was essential to start at the most basic level of communication, word definitions. And that is what each of the coffee filters does. One week I focused on botany, another on passive solar architecture, or physics, or chemistry. So many disciplines contribute to our understanding of caring for this Earth we inhabit."


Several works encouraged us to "Broaden Your Experience". I loved being allowed to touch stuff. When does that happen in an art museum? Fun!



How about Mary Cale Wilson's Rug. She wrote, "In this project, I am exploring the interplay between contradictions and dualities. I am particularly intrigued by opposites such as hard and soft, welcoming and unwelcoming, and fragile yet sturdy."
..."My creative work thrives on defying norms by using functional materials in unconventional ways. I aim to provoke thoughtful contemplation by transforming ceramics into representations of materials like rugs. This process reflects the notion of memory and captures moments frozen in time."




Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! by David Fobes evoked nostalgia in a way. He took a vintage paint-by-number painting and turned it into a collage. According to David, "The concept of this work is a simple manipulation of the original serene paint-by-number image of two fishermen turns a peaceful moment into one of surprise and trepidation. I fear we are in a delusion of serenity in this time of climate change, and by the time we finally take serious notice, we will be in the whoa! moment."

..."Collage has been an ongoing part of my practice since I was at least twelve or thirteen years old. I have developed a unique process of working with these very delicate paint-by-number works from the 1950s and 60s. To achieve the desired result requires a high degree of patience and skill." So dang creative!
"Founded in the mid-20th century, the Allied Craftsman of San Diego emerged as a collective dedicated to preserving and advancing traditional crafts. This exhibition is a testament to their commitment to artisanship and the timeless artistry of working with one's hands. The wide range of works and stories presented here highlight the vibrant and dynamic crafts community present in San Diego." –Juror Guusje Sanders
COASTAL EXPOSURES: 10 years of Photography at The Osider Magazine. For over a decade, this awesome, local publication has documented and told the stories of the Oceanside community in a photography-based print magazine. Co-founder and professional photographer Zach Cordner has curated the finest and most unique images of the city of Oceanside for this exhibition. The backbone to each issue is the fine photography showcased within the pages, shot by an eclectic group of Oceanside photographers who tirelessly document the city’s rapidly changing beauty. This is a collection of images that stand out over the last decade.
I was drawn to a kind of 'shrine' to Bruce, the Trench Coat Guy. Surf towns are full of characters. Spend enough time in any beachside community and you’ll surely find them, especially in one with the kind of waves that makes people want to set roots and stay for a while.  Oceanside’s Bruce Parker is one of this surf town's staples.
Retired USPS employee, 73 year old Parker has been patrolling the Oceanside pier for years, donning his trademark trench coat with a camera and phone in hand. He posts videos from the beach, reporting on conditions and spreading good vibes on the internet. His coat is not just a gimmick. It weighs as much as 75 pounds when wet but that hasn’t stopped Bruce. In fact, it’s a necessary piece for him to enjoy the ocean as much as he always has. He adopted the look because of a battle with melanoma. I have never met Bruce but because of this exhibit, I hope to one day.
There were dozens of images documenting the true uniqueness of this seaside oasis. Fun stuff!


VING SIMPSON: INSIDE OUT: Art from the Oceanside Studio, 1994-2023. I was delightfully surprised by this colorful mix of symbolic forms, representations of abstract thought, and expressions of shared universal mysteries which are at the heart of the work by Ving Simpson.
Created for more than twenty years at the artist's Oceanside home studio, this installation is a "nonlinear representation of years of creative artistic endeavors, processes, and materials crafted with primal and soulful qualities. A central focus of the gallery is a recreation of the shelves that lined the artist’s studio, displaying an array of small, emblematic sculptures. The objects and compositions are minimal in form, often consisting of repeating patterns in rows and columns. They are constructed from a variety of traditional and non-traditional materials including silver, bronze, wood, metal, tar paper, found objects, and glazed and unglazed clay bodies."





After all the incredible art, we had a meetup with incredible local, Brady at Stone Brewing Tap Room.
Toe tapping music was provided by the fantastically entertaining Johnny Deadly Trio. With influences based in American roots, surf, dark blues, jazz, and wild rockabilly, this is a group I'd go out of my way to see perform again. WOW.
"For they (art and music) are not the thing itself;
they are only the scent of a flower we have not found,
the echo of a tune we have not heard,
news from a country we have never yet visited."
-C. S. Lewis

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