It's been a while since I blogged so I guess I have a little catching up to do here. We traveled so much in the spring that recently I've been enjoying lazy summer days at home. Our garden is doing well; I've been taking long walks usually during the morning; I've been knitting and reading, not accomplishing so much but just enjoying every day.
Last week we spent a day at Shipshewanna, a beautiful Amish community in the north of Indiana. You can learn more about Shipshewanna here. It is known for the beautiful farmland and countryside, hard working people with a cultural difference from mainstream America, and restaurants with delicious home cooked meals. We happened to be there on a flea market day so it was interesting walking around and looking at everything. It is a very nice place to spend a day.

This is the finish line of Cathy's 10 km. race on Saturday morning in Woodstock, Illinois.

The Runners

Cath and Scarlett are runners. Saturday morning Cathy ran a 10 km race and Scarlett ran in a 1/2 mile kid's run. It was fun to watch them. The morning was very hot so afterward many people cooled off in the water park. I had a good time watching everyone!
































Sasha, Scarlett, and Cathy

Going Home



We had a lovely visit with Steve, Marta, Gabe, and Ali. Today we are going home and I'm going to miss them all so much. The next time I see them, Gabe and Ali will have learned new things and will be at different stages of their lives. Since I last saw Gabe in January, he has progressed a lot in learning many things; he speaks knowledgeably about many topics such as dinosaurs and animals; he can tell long and interesting stories in two languages; he can write his name and is beginning to write other words; he understands a little about basic math. Ali at 3 1/2 months can laugh, communicate well with her eyes, let you know if she wants to be fed, changed or allowed to sleep. What will they be doing the next time we see them? I can only wonder.

Happy Girl

Ali enjoys playing with her parents and now she can laugh out loud!

The Swimmer



Steve exercises almost every evening in the pool. He has a harness which allows him to experience the exercise benefits of long distance swimming while remaining stationary. It is having a good effect because his shoulders and upper arms are increasing in muscles.

Sleepy Time

Smiles in the Morning

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!



Saturday was Tony's birthday so we celebrated with dinner in a special restaurant followed by delicious pastries. Gabe was helpful in blowing out the candle!

Gabe and Ali



Ali is only three months old but already she and Gabe love each other.

The Cookie Helper




I'm always looking for a good chocolate chip cookie helper and Gabe is an enthusiastic helper. He enjoys "checking" the chocolate chips sometimes when my back is turned so the quantity of cookie dough tends to disappear!

Ali is a very happy baby. At three months old, she communicates well with her eyes; looking in her eyes you can see how she feels. She smiles easily and often, and she is very responsive. She is just starting to use her hands a little: she sometimes looks at her hands as if to say, "What are these? Where did they come from?" Ali is an easy baby and very undemanding. (Jack and Lib: the pink outfit that she's wearing is the one you sent! Isn't she cute in it?)

Here's Gabe and Steve enjoying the pool.

Gabe is 5 Years Old

Florida!

Saturday I traveled to Florida to Steve and Marta's new house which they just moved into a month ago. It is very beautiful and comfortable with the unique style of Southern Florida.
Most importantly, I was there to meet Ali (pronounced Ah-leh), my newest granddaughter. She is 3 months old, full of smiles especially when she wakes up in the morning, very happy and easy. She loves her mommy and daddy and thinks her big brother Gabe is funny.
We celebrated Gabe's fifth birthday on Sunday. He had a beautiful cake and presents and was very happy. The five years since his birth have passed very quickly. Gabe and Steve enjoyed some time in the pool as you can see in the picture.
Marta is doing well, very busy with caring for the children and settling into the house. It is a pleasure to spend some time here.

Traveling Again!!!
This spring has been a traveling time for me. I went to Tom and Kelly's house for two weeks to help Kelly with Matthew and Tyler. After going home for a few days, we went on our cruise. Now I've been home for a week and......guess what I'm doing on Saturday? Traveling again!

Where am I going? Here's a hint......I'm going to meet someone small, new and pretty. Also I'm going to see someone big, handsome, and interesting to talk to. Stay tuned and find out where I'm going next.....

(After this next trip, I promise to stay home for awhile.)

May 6 Venice




Today was the last day of our trip and it was perfect! During the morning our ship was sailing through the islands approaching Venice. People gathered at the railing on the front of the ship to watch. As we got came near to the city, a small boat attached to the front of our ship and guided us in. We docked in Venice about 11AM so then were free to go ashore. We decided to walk to the city which took just a few minutes. Soon we could see wide and narrow canals with lots of different modes of water transportation: water taxis, small rowboats, motor boats, many kinds. Venice was more than I imagined: the central feature of water making it unique. We enjoyed walking through narrow streets next to canals. So beautiful.
This evening was one of my favorite experiences from the trip. We had an evening gondola ride through the city. First we went by water taxi to the gondola station. After a walk through the central section, we boarded our gondolas. To our surprise, our gondola featured the musical entertainment, an accordion player and tenor singer to serenade our group of gondolas as we rode through the narrow canals of Venice finally arriving at the Grand Canal. One of the houses that we passed had an inscription that it was Mozart’s house when he was living here in Venice. As we were enjoying our gondola ride, the lights of the city came on and it was truly charming.
Early tomorrow morning we prepare for our journey home. We will be transported to the Venice airport for a flight to Amsterdam, then continuing later to Detroit. It was a perfect trip. Everything went smoothly and was very enjoyable.

May 5 Dubrovnik, Croatia



As I look out our window I can see a bay with sailboats and blue water surrounded by high mountains, the town of Dubrovnik with white stucco houses and orange tile roofs. It is a beautiful place full of tourists from all over speaking many languages. We Americans are a minority here but regardless I am always recognized as an American. I always wonder why that is; what makes me look American? I don’t know.
This morning we gathered for a tour called “Dubrovnik’s Riviera”. We went by bus out in the countryside along the sea to a small village named Cavtat, a very beautiful place. We had wonderful views along the way. We got out for awhile and had time to walk around. Always on the tours we have a native guide who speaks English, giving a lot of information about the history and whatever we’re looking at. Then we went by bus back to Dubrovnik stopping in the old part of town which dates back several hundred years to watch a folkloric show. The dancers had very colorful costumes and good dancing skill. (I have short videos to show on my blog later.) Then we could walk through the old town which featured a fortress like wall with moat and high gates. We have seen many seaside fortifications like this which included high walls for protection from invaders from the sea.
This afternoon we will be sailing to our final destination, Venice. Usually the ship is sailing while we are sleeping and during the day is in a port so we can get off and explore. The captain just announced that our speed will be about 23 mph and we will cover a couple hundred miles tonight.
We have a required disembarkation meeting in a while so they can explain to us what happens when we leave the ship in Venice. Also the crew will be saying goodbye to us. I think it will be a musical program with the crew singing. The Cabin cleaners and dining room workers are from Indonesia and the Philippines. They are always smiling and cheerful.

May 4



Today we were in Corfu, Greece. It is a sunny town with a gorgeous bay filled with sailboats, yachts, ferries, and cruise ships. After breakfast we set out to explore the town. It is filled with all kinds of stores, some high end, lots of sunglass shops . Every town we’ve been to is congested with traffic so that it’s a little scary to cross the road. I’m finding things very expensive, maybe double or triple what I’d expect to pay, so I just haven’t shopped but enjoyed walking around and seeing things. We always go to a supermarket whenever we come on one to see the different items in that kind of store.
This is an eating cruise. There is a large buffet restaurant on the 9th floor of the ship where you can eat almost any time. The buffet has a salad bar, Asian corner with sushi, rice, noodles, a couple of entrees, an Italian corner, a sandwich line, a dessert line, and offering various main dishes like fish, chicken, vegetarian, all kinds of food. Also there is a special dining room where we can make reservations and be served as in a high end restaurant. Usually when we make those reservations we are seated with various other people so we’ve made new friends and had lots of interesting conversations. Last night it was two couples from Holland and a Korean American professor and his wife. This evening we had dinner with a lovely and interesting British couple. Also there are a few other places to eat on the ship. In fact you could almost eat for 24 hours and the food is quite good. (I feel kind of fat! I did walk loops around the deck this afternoon for 40 minutes but…….)

May 3


Today we are in Katakolon, Greece. There is a very beautiful seaside community; the weather is warm and sunny.
This morning we had a tour called “Ancient Olympia and Zorba”. We got on a bus and rode for about 40 minutes to the ancient city of Olympia, the site of the first Olympics, which dates back several centuries before Christ. The ruins are there, some in not great condition because of earthquakes, destruction by various people, and fires. I actually ran (jogged) the length of the ancient stadium and I have a video to prove it!) for snacks and a Zorba show. The snacks included Greek wine (orzo?? Not sure if that’s spelled right), olives, meatballs, cheeses, bread, vegetables, and watched a show of Greek dancing. It was fun.
When we arrived back to our ship, we decided to walk through the town of Katakolon, a very touristy but beautiful place. I’m not doing any shopping, finding everything very expensive, but it’s fun to walk around and see everything.






This is a video of our tour group and guide.