ADVENT INTERLUDE -
We have returned from a short cruise to celebrate our 25th anniversary and played hooky for the second Sunday in Advent!!! Since this is when we married, this was the time for our trip to the Caribbean!
We sailed on an ocean liner - yes - it spent the summer in Europe and it was huge!
We were fortunate to have a stateroom with a private balcony and enjoyed every moment we were on it. Nice to be able to have some privacy and not have to be on deck with so many others. We savored fine wine with our mostly wonderful dinners. We had a night in Ft. Lauderdale and enjoyed some fine Irish fare. We had an actual beach day on the company's private island and I even took to the water - I couldn't help it as I'm drawn to water - and had a bit of a swim in the shallow waters that were crystal clear.
The only disappointment was the stop in Freeport when we were to stop in Nassau. More's the pity, we ended up with less port time in a place not as nice as Nassau. I think we should've gotten a bit of a refund.
But all in all, the time away, the warmth, the sunshine, the palm trees, the water, and not having to do anything - no cooking, no cleaning, no dishes, etc. was ever so lovely.
The stateroom was roomy with a couch and a large comfortable bed and that great balcony.
All in all, a short, but good time away even in the middle of Advent.
Now, it will back to flurry of the season and preparation for Christmas Eve. I already have the next 2 Advent Sundays in hand. So, my focus is on Christmas Eve and the Sunday after Christmas.
After running errands, doing laundry, it's nearly time to pick up the boys who spa-ed on the farm. It's been awfully and strangely quiet without them at home. The bonus was my being able to sleep in late today!
It's always good to be back home - although I could've been gone another day or two.
As it is, I'm thankful for the time away and apart and LH, as well.