This is the first part of the final leg of our trip: Katakolon (Olympia) Greece, Athens Greece, Mykonos Greece, and Kusadasi (Ephesus) Turkey, Tempuratures ranged from high 60’s to a high of 75 in Turkey.

This leg of the trip started once again in Civitavecchia. This is where additional friends joined the trip. We were very happy to greet Rosy and Al, Julie, and Pat and Jimmie. We left Civitavecchia on 4/29. The next full day we were at sea on our way to Katakolon (Olympia) Greece. This was a relaxing day at sea. The weather was sunny and warm and I spent part of the afternoon on our veranda cloud watching. I love looking at the clouds. It reminds me of my parents and I could feel their presence and that fills me with well being.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Our excursion in Olympia was to the Magna Grecia Olive Farm. Got a full education on olive growing and the products made from the olives. We had “tastings” of olives, olive oils, and jellies. Everything was delicious. We had a traditional lunch with music and traditional dancing. We saw a 1000 year old olive tree! Good thing they would ship to the US because we bought several bottles of olive oil, jellies, and olive oil shampoo and lotions. a great day from sunrise to sunset!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Athens was a 2 day stop. Day 1 Jimmie had arranged a private tour for us so that we could see as much as we could at our own pace. The Acropolis is a rocky hill in the center of Athens! In 1975 the Greek government began an effort to restore the Parthenon and Acropolis structures. The really important and fragile sculptures were transferred to the Acropolis Museum. The Parthenon is a former temple on the Athenian Acropolis dedicated to the goddess Athena. Herodes Theatre is on the way up the slopes to the Parthenon. This walk is not for anyone with knee or ankle problems. The climb up is steep and slick rocks. This could be how the expression “you’re on a slippery slope” started!! The Acropolis museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and surrounding slopes. The museum is incredible. The top floor was designed on the “same axis as the Parthenon and has the identical cardinal orientation ” (Wikipedia). In other words, it has the same dimensions to display the entire frieze of the temple. With all of the windows and the elevation you can glance out and see the acropolis with the Parthenon in plain view. There are many sculptures on display. This was quite a day and ended with my decade changing birthday celebration! As I said to friends there is something to be said for celebrating a big birthday in an ancient city…EVERYTHING is older than I am!!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The 2nd day in Athens we took another private tour with Rosy and Al, Julie, and Jimmie and Pat. This one was a “foodie” tour of the old city. This was a walking tour and took us for baklava, olive oils, greek coffee, a stop at Miran’s Charcuterie and then another stop for slovaki and a beer. Needless to say we were not interested in having much for dinner. An observation: Athens is loaded with graffiti. Some of it is full sides of buildings and very well done. Perhaps the artist was commissioned to do it. But there is plenty of the usual looking graffiti which can really take away from what you are looking at. Another thing in Old Town was a section of a street with umbrellas hanging! I saw umbrellas hanging in Paris and now seeing umbrellas here, I decided to research this when I got home to see if there was any correlation. My brother and sister-in-law had been in Puerto Rico while I was away and they too saw an umbrella display. I researched this and found out about The Umbrella Sky Project which is an art installation by a Portuguese artist Patricia Cunha. These art installations have been spreading color and joy and love in streets around the world since 2011. I am assuming Athens was part of it.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Next stop Mykonos. We did lots of walking around in Mykonos and investigated most of the shops. We had a terrific lunch looking out at the water. The octopus salad was amazing. I found lots of treasures to bring home and I will enjoy my new jewelry! Tom and Al enjoyed their time too sitting on a seaside bench while Rosy, Julie and I shopped. I love how our husbands enjoy each other’s company.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Kusadasi (Ephesus) Turkey. This was one of my favorite stops. The first part of our excursion took us to The House of The Virgin Mary. It is said that Mary spent the last years of her life here. We were lucky enough to be able to go to mass. I felt very spiritual and connected here. When we shared the sign of peace with each other we had tears in our eyes. After the mass we wrote a note and put it in the wall of intentions. I asked to protect my family and for peace for my family and the world.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

From here we went on to the ruins of Ephesus. This was totally incredible. There is just so much history in this part of the world. Some of the things you see fills you with awe when you think about how much was accomplished. The Great Theater here is amazing. It was constructed in the Hellenistic period and was remodeled many times in the Roman period. It is the largest theater in the Asia Minor. There are 24,000 seats and 1,000 standing places. There are still concerts in the ruins. Many are at the Library. One of the places that gave us a good laugh was the “public toilets”. Imagine all these men sitting around sharing the news of the day. It is said that slaves “warmed” the seats! We all decided we’d never be able to go! There are running competitions between the Greeks and the Turks as to who was responsible for so many of the names of things and expressions we all use today. One that our guide shared on our tour was the story was how when Cleopatra and Mark Anthony came to Ephesus “the red wine would flow”…and so began the expression putting out the RED CARPET for special events. The journey will continue to Rhodes, Crete and Naples in my next blog.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

After disembarking the Marina (Oceania Cruise) on 4/19 in Southampton UK we made our way to London Heathrow for a flight to Rome.

We arrived in Rome and met the driver we arranged to have pick us up and take us to the Hotel San Giorgio in Civitavecchia. That is where we will board the Holland America Koningsdam for a 20 day cruise. It was only one night at the hotel thank goodness, because the room left a lot to be desired. The concierge thought he had done us a favor giving us a “suite”. For this hotel that meant the queen size bed was up a full flight of carpet covered metal stairs that was the “loft”. The bathroom was downstairs so we opted to sleep on a pull out couch in the “living room “. It was Ok, particularly after a glass of Chianti. The rest of the hotel was fine. They had a nice small restaurant/bar and breakfast was included.

• 

• 

• 

• 

We boarded the ship on 4/20. This is a larger ship than the Oceania ship we were on previously. This one has a 2,650 passenger capacity. We were meeting friends for this cruise. We joined one of my best friends, Maria, and 9 of her friends from Florida. The 12 of us were doing the entire 20 day cruise. At mid point we would return to Rome and 5 more friends would join us for the final portion of the cruise. These friends are also “forever” best friends Rosy and her husband Al, Julie, and Pat and Jimmie.

There were a few things that bugged me about this cruise line. Granted, Oceania is more expensive, but this line charges for EVERYTHING. If you wanted coffee at a time other than meal time, you had to pay. If you drank bottled water in your room it was charged to your room. Laundry service was $30.00 /bag (not a large laundry bag) and for the internet there was a charge of $159.00 for the duration of the cruise. The good news was we had plenty of clothing with us (although we did do some laundry so it was all clean going home) and I decided that the kids hearing from us and posting could wait until we were in ports, so I passed on the internet connection. As far as the water goes, I came back on board with a giant bottle of water every day we were in port. In addition, there was an extra charge to have dinner in their specialty restaurants. We did go to two of their specialty restaurants and found that dining in the grand dining room was just as good. In the plus column, there were several bars and fabulous live music which was different at each bar. Billboard on Board featured dueling pianos or karaoke. BB King’s Blues Club was sensational blues. Rolling Stone Rock Room had a live band playing great rock and had the biggest dancing crowd. Lincoln Center Stage featured classical entertainment in the afternoon or early evening. That completed “Music Walk”. There was also entertainment every night if you chose to go to one of 2 shows at World Stage. We saw some really good shows-comediennes, a magician, a couple of local cultural musical shows brought on the ship while we were in port, a really good dance group and singers. By far our favorite was Vox Fortura. These 4 singers were Britain’s Got Talent semi finalists in 2016. They were incredible. We came home with a signed CD.

Our first full day was at sea and it was Easter Sunday. Mass was celebrated in BB King’s Blues Club. Wow. Sounds like strange place for mass, but it was fine and a very nice mass. The remainder of the day was very un-Easter. I went to the spa and got a gel manicure, there was a Captain’s luncheon, and then that afternoon at the Panorama Bar there was a Martini Tasting.

The first part of this cruise started in Civitavecchia (Rome), Dubrovnik Croatia, Kotor Montenegro, Split Croatia, Korcula Croatia, Kerkira (Corfu) Greece, Catania (Sicily) Italy, and back to Civitavecchia. Temperatures ranged from 67-68 degrees in Croatia, 77 degrees in Corfu and 73 degrees in Sicily. The weather was wonderful. I prefer to say mostly sunny than partly cloudy!

Croatia has been on my bucket list for a very long time and it did not disappoint. Dubrovnik was our first stop and it is so beautiful. We took an excursion into the mountains. We stopped at a local place for coffee in Cavat (Caffe Bar Amor)and then another stop for lunch at Konavoski Dvori a lovely restaurant in Konavle which is between Snijeznica mountain and the Adriatic Sea.

• 

• 

• 

• 

After lunch we came back into Dubrovnik and went to the walled city. We just explored all of the streets and shops. I took lots of photos of doors which I will cover in a separate blog. We left the walled city after sampling the local wine and buying some treasures to bring home. Leaving the port that night was so beautiful as all the lights were coming on in the city.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Our excursion in Kotor, Montenegro took us up into the mountains. Talk about hanging on while driving up the mountain. There were hairpin turns on extremely narrow roads. We had lunch in Njegusi at a place called Konoba. We had a delicious lunch of smoked ham and cheese with “Black Wine” which is their red wine and my husband tried the local beer Niksickol. I found a wood flute to bring back for our grandson. I’m sure he will play it so much that his parents will be ready to shoot us! After we concluded our sight seeing tour we went on our own to explore the walled city here. I was looking for a post office to send the kids a postcard (my grandson likes to get mail). Also found more wonderful treasures to bring home.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The next stop in Croatia has been on my bucket list since 2007 when I first read about it. The port we stopped at was Split. I had done research months before the cruise to find out how I could get to Zadar. I hired a car and guide to drive 6 of us a little over an hour to see the sea organ. “The Sea Organ is an architectural sound art object located in Zadar, Croatia and an experimental musical instrument which plays music by way of sea waves and tubes located underneath a set of large marble steps.” (Wikipedia). This was created in 2005 by architect Nikola Basic. He also devised another piece that connects to the Sea Organ called The Greeting to the Sun. This is set at pavement level. It is 72 feet wide and represents the solar system. It is driven by the sun. By the time the sun is setting, glass panels generate enough power to light up the waterfront. It is really something to see and hear. This was a big check off of my bucket list. I could have sat on those steps all day listening to the sounds that were created. (Go to You Tube and find “sea organ Zadar Croatia” and listen to it) After this we walked around the town and found a great place for lunch. It was very windy today and it felt grainy. Our guide told us it was the “red rain” or “dirty rain” which blows up from the Sahara and it happens every year. Cars get totally covered in sandy dirt!

• 

• 

• 

I had quite the experience on the ship after we sailed away from Split. I just talked about how windy it was and one is told to be very careful opening the door to the veranda. Well, I was stepping out on our veranda to get a photograph and I literally got sucked out the door! The door into our room also flew open and it had been locked! Thank goodness my husband was there and he dragged me and the door I was clinging to back into the room. A perfect lesson on listening to what you are told. Obviously the crew has much more experience than a passenger about the wind tunnel that can be created under the right circumstances.

Korcula, Croatia is one of the most beautiful islands I have visited. It is very low key and artsy. It was a magnificent day and the water was crystal clear and multiple shades of blue and green. We sat outdoors at a restaurant and people-watched and had a delicious leisurely lunch. After lunch we just walked all around and I had a great time taking photographs and looking into shops.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Corfu, Greece is not one of the prettiest places we’ve visited. We found our way around by ourselves again today. After taking an on/off bus tour to see the old city we explored the street markets and stopped at Taverna To Paradosiako, an outdoor café, just before a parade started through town for Greek Orthodox Easter.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Sicily. We docked in Catania. The symbol of the city is Fontana dell’Elefante in the Piazzo Duomo. It is said that the ancient elephant possesses magic powers. We did another local bus tour to see the sights and the coastline. We then found a piazza with a restaurant to have pizza and local wine. Sicilian wine happens to be a personal favorite. My husband and I both love Nero d’Avola. This red wine grape can only be found in Sicily. It is delicious. Had fun shopping for a Sicilian Marionette for our grandson.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

After Sicily we had a day at sea before arriving in Civitavecchia where our friends would join us for “Part 3” of our European adventure…Olympia, Athens, Mykonos, Ephesus Turkey, Rhodes, Crete and Naples. Lots to come!

Some friends have said that this was a trip of a lifetime. We have had some excellent adventures before this one and I plan on having many more trips!!

This one was much longer than any we have taken so far. We were gone for 5 weeks. We combined two cruises.

The first leg of our trip was a transatlantic crossing on Oceania. We left from New York on 4/5 and ended in Southampton UK 15 days later. The weather when we left NYC was 43 degrees with on and off showers. We love cruising with Oceania. The ship we were on was the Marina with a passenger capacity of 1250. It is a perfect size. Cruising with Oceania is a great experience. The service is outstanding and the restaurants are fabulous. We immediately got into the swing of things and checked out the ship after the drill. We had champagne in our suite and then headed to the Martini Bar before dinner in the Grand Dining Room. Throughout the rest of the trip we had made reservations for each of the specialty restaurants. They are Jacques (Jacques Pepin’s French cuisine), Red Ginger (Asian fusion), Polo Grill (steak, lobster etc) and Toscana (Italian). Each of the restaurants is amazing. There is staged entertainment on the ship every night but it is more low key than on the large ships. There is also a piano player in the martini bar and classical music every day at the Grand Bar. Afternoon tea is served daily. Everyday there are enrichment lectures or games, cards or movies and art classes of some sort and, of course there is the casino. There is something for everyone. My favorites were the enrichment lectures given by Peter La Sorsa who spoke several times about Traveling Safely, How to protect Your Valuable Asset when Traveling, Email Security, The Future is Here, and the best one, Talking With Your Mouth Closed! What an education in how to read body language. The cooking demos were also excellent. I could go on and on, but I should get to the places we saw.

On 4/7 we docked at Saint John NB, Canada. The temperature was 25-49 degrees that day. When we arrived at the pier there was ice on the water. The excursion we chose was to see the Reversing Falls Rapids at Fallsview Park. This phenomenon is caused by the Bay of Fundy’s tide, which rises 28 feet in the day. When the tide is low the river empties into the bay. The water churns and causes rapids and whirlpools and the river actually flows backwards. We also went to the Carlton Martello Tower. It was built for the War of 1812 but was not completed until 1815.

On 4/8 we docked in Halifax, NS, Canada. The temperature was 27-34 degrees that day. Thank goodness we were prepared. I brought a puffer jacket and I wished I had gloves. The excursion we picked was Peggy’s Cove. It is a very quaint fishing village and is famous for it’s lighthouse. The town, even in a cold, gray state was beautiful. I felt like it could be a backdrop for a romance novel…”She saw him pull up in his car and thought what is this stranger doing here at this time of the year?” You can make up the rest of the story…

We had heard in town that there was a forecast for 8-15″ of snow approaching. When we got back to the ship the Captain had decided we needed to skip or next stop at Newfoundland and get a little bit south for the crossing to avoid the storm.

• 

• 

Although we did not experience problems with too much rocking, on 4/9 we woke to about 18″ of snow on the decks. What a surprise! I guess I just never gave any thought to where snow goes when it falls in the ocean, but when there is a surface it accumulates. The staff was having a great time clearing the snow off of the deck with trays. Many on the staff are from Indonesia and the Philippines and had never seen snow. Snowball fights ensued and snow angels were made on the decks before it was all cleared. It was fun watching them enjoy this.

We were at sea until 4/14. We kept ourselves busy with activities and making friends with our bartenders at our favorite bar-The Martini Bar. Our bartender had a great policy, no glass shall be empty at her bar! It was always fun meeting different people at the bar. One afternoon we met a really nice couple from Kalamazoo Michigan (Kathy and Ken).

The weather was becoming more and more rainy as we entered the Celtic Sea and the seas started kicking up. Thank goodness we don’t have problems with seasickness. One night we had a table at the window and you could see the waves crashing on the side of the ship. Good thing we had an excellent bottle of Pouilly Fume to accompany our dinner at Jacques.

On 4/14 we arrived at Cork (Cobh) Ireland. The weather was rainy and chilly but it only made Cork more green and beautiful. The weather has certainly been wild. Here I was envisioning a romantic transatlantic crossing being all cozy under blanket on the chairs on our veranda particularly today since it was our wedding anniversary. But that wasn’t getting us down because we had an excursion to the Jameson Distillery in Midleton. Very interesting to see the whole operation and of course have a tasting there too. After that we went into their pub and tried a Jameson and Ginger and lime. For our anniversary dinner we had a delicious Italian dinner at Toscana.

The rain and rough Celtic Sea made it necessary for the Captain to make the decision to stay another day in Cork which meant we would be skipping Dublin. So glad that we have been to Dublin previously or we would have been disappointed. But the extra day in Cork was very enjoyable even in the pouring rain because we ventured out and found a great shop where we found lots of treasures and beautiful Irish sweaters and caps that my husband looks so good in. Tonight (4/15) we left Cork and at dinner in the Polo Grill we experienced some more rough seas. We must have dropped after a wave crested and you could really feel the drop. My husband said we went into a huge pothole. Everything in the room shook, my glass jumped up from the table and we heard a crash from the kitchen. There was also a very sad news bulletin that there had been a fire at Notre Dame in Paris. My heart hurt just thinking about this magnificent cathedral having a fire. It is one of the most beautiful places I have been to. I had hoped we would see it when we went to Paris on the 18th, which was Holy Thursday.

On 4/17 we anchored at Saint-Malo, France. Temperatures were 51-66 degrees. It was like we entered another world. For this stop we opted to get ourselves around the beautiful walled city. It was a gorgeous day and perfect weather to explore. We stopped at Aux Epis D’Or a creperie Grill for a ham and melted cheese crepe and a glass of wine. We stopped in a beautiful church and a few shops. We then headed back to the tender to get us to our ship. The tide was out and we saw a very strange site. There were boats just sitting on the sand. I guess if you have a boat your schedule revolves around the tide.

• 

• 

• 

• 

4/18 Paris. I have been to Paris twice, but on my bucket list was “April In Paris”. The weather was incredible. It was in the high 60’s. A perfect day to see one of the world’s most beautiful cities. We viewed all of the “must sees”. We saw the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Elysees, Le Louvre and of course the Eiffel Tower. We had lunch with Kathy and Ken at Matignon. It felt very Parisian. A great day for sure.

• 

• 

• 

• 

This was our last night on the ship. We told our new friends that we would meet again.

4/19- disembark in Southampton UK. Head to the airport to fly to Rome to continue our adventure.

What a fabulous trip and we have so much more to come.

I always recommend that you shop your own closet before deciding what to buy for a new season. This season the designers are showing several things that I am very excited about.

Here are some ideas to give you instant style.

Tie Dye/Hombre/Dip Dye. I am so excited that this is having a “moment” this season. Back-in-the-day I even did my own in the sink. I am very fond of all things Boho chic. There are tees, sweaters, skirts and pants to choose from in this look.

Pleating. LOVE everything I have seen that is pleated. I bought a pair of wide leg pleated pants in golden yellow at Zara. I can’t wait to wear them. There are beautiful pleated skirts available in solids and prints. There are also some great looking tops with pleated backs and/or sleeves. Some of what I’ve seen has some shimmer and shine, some are in chiffon.

Dresses. Dresses continue to trend and there is a great assortment to choose from. There are bohemian midi length dresses in prints with soft lines and maybe some soft ruffles. There are also knit dresses and fit and flare styles.

Wide Leg Pants. There are lots of great pants this season that have lots of movement. There are full length pants and cropped pants. Some have front or side slits to give even more movement.

Trench Coats. If you need a coat this spring, make it a trench coat. But, make it interesting and not the usual beige! Go for red or gingham check or plaid.

Blazers and Dusters. Blazers are trending again. Most fall to the top of the thigh. Dusters continue in importance. Most fall to the knee.

Prints. Lots and lots of prints. There are florals in all-over prints as well as placement prints. Standout Stripes, camouflage, and animal prints continue.

Denim. Denim is never to be forgotten. You will see the usual tailored styles as well as some styles with flounces in denim this season. Shades of denim are also being mixed.

Embellishment and Embroidery. Very big this spring. Pant legs, blouses, jackets with all kinds of embroidered designs.

Color. The reports old us that “THE” color of the year is Living Coral, but I have to say that there is more in yellow, deep pink and red out there rather than coral for now.

Accessories. You MUST get at least one pair of dramatic hoops. Frontal Hoops are on trend. Headbands are trending. Straw handbags in every size are a must-have.

That’s all for now. Have fun!! I’ve photographed the print of one of my personal favorite tie dye tops. So glad I keep my favorites.

Retailing at the “brick and mortar” locations has certainly taken a lot of hits in recent years with all that is available for online shopping. Retailers are constantly trying to come up with something to grab the attention of the shopper and regain some of the dollars she has to spend.

Well, a new concept has come along. A store has been opened at Westfield’s Garden State Plaza in Paramus. It is called The Gathering Shops. What is so exciting about this store is that it is a space that will feature emerging designers selling boutique type clothing, jewelry, home goods, kids clothes, beauty products and I guess just about anything that they choose to showcase. This is a new market experience in an open space. It is inspiring and many handmade products are gathered for your shopping experience. The designers will switch out every 2-3 months. As the designers are rotated there will be exclusive events. It is such a welcoming space. The concept will encourage the shopper to make The Gathering Shops a regular stop to see what is new.

I could not leave without making a purchase. I chose the 4Way Bag in luminous. Whatever light you catch changes the color of the bag. It is made by junell5 (retail $65.00) The bag reminds me of origami! There are 4 ways to snap the bag into shape and the straps can be made long or short. Nothing like having fun with a new purchase. The following are 3 of the four shapes. Tote, tote with flat bottom, diamond, and there is a cube shape too. Make a point of stopping by The Gathering Shops. Maybe one will open soon in a mall near you.

• 

• 

• 

2019 has stared off with a bang. Not only have temperatures been freezing but I had absolutely the worst case of strep throat. I was in bed for a good portion of the month and could not put any fashionable thoughts together. For me, that is saying a lot! We did not even have a dinner out until the 17th. Everyone was teasing that all the local restaurants were organizing a search party.

Now that I am feeling better I thought I would give you a look at the colors for spring summer 2019.

My source for this is Pantone. The palette is quite glorious! The “mindset” for the season continues to give us colors that are empowering. They communicate confidence and lift our spirits. The colorful hues are allowing us to be creative in how we each will combine the colors. Bringing together high fashion and looks from the street, Pantone has given us the following top 12 “stand out” colors and 4 classic neutrals (Soybean 13-0919, Eclipse 19-3810, Sweet Corn 11-0106, Brown Granite 19-0805)

That’s how the color palette shapes up for spring and summer 2019. Anything goes for color combinations. Be confident and creative with your choices.

Next blog will be about what you need to have in your wardrobe for the upcoming season.

Another year is finishing up. Hard to believe. The years just keep going faster and faster. As we move into a new year, it is a perfect time to reflect on what has happened and what you expect and want for the next year. Do you feel that in this year you achieved something that was important to you?

Hoda Kotb had a terrific interview with Maria Shriver in the fall. Maria Shriva was talking about “manifesting your life forward”. This made an impression on me. In order to manifest your life forward you have to envision your life in the future. What do you think will be there for you and who do you want with you. You have to envision it to achieve it. The possibilities are endless. Just allow yourself to see it.

Somewhere along the way this year I read something that I think is perfect when thinking about resolutions for the new year. “Those who understand don’t judge. Those who judge don’t understand”. There is no reason that we should judge each other. We need to support each other and learn to live harmoniously. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone felt this way? Let’s all try to make that happen.

I hope that each day surprises you this year. Be Happy.

• 

We spent a lot of time on the road in September and October of this year.

The destination for the BIG road trip for the year was Orlando Florida to go to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Disney World. We love going to Disney and we love to make it a road trip. This year was complicated by Hurricane Florence which was going to be right in our path. But, nothing stops us! So we headed in west and then went south. This just added to our adventure. Our first planned stop was Johnson City Tennessee.

We left NJ and went into Pennsylvania. We made a stop at a Cracker Barrel for breakfast. Walking in to their store was a Holiday Trifecta! They had Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas merchandise. Something for everyone!! After breakfast we continued the drive. Loved some of the billboards along Interstate 81. There was a large sign directing you to an “adult store”. A minute later was a sign telling you that “Lust Leads to Hell”.

We continued into Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia. In Virginia we started seeing a lot of power service trucks heading to the Carolinas to be ready to help. The plates on the trucks were NY and Massachusetts. The sky went from beautiful blue to black clouds. The sky was reflecting the changes to come. We were in Bristol Virginia for Rush Hour. We were doing 78 mph. Not like the rush hour traffic we are accustomed to at home. Next we entered Tennessee and hit Johnson City 30 minutes later. We were ready to stop for the night. It was Happy Hour and we were hungry for dinner. We stayed at the Doubletree Hilton. Hiltons are always my first choice. We settled in and went to the bar for dinner. We love having dinner at the bar especially when we travel. I think the bartender was looking for a good tip when she asked for proof before serving our drinks. We all had a good laugh! Met interesting people at the bar as we always do.

The next day the weather was beautiful. Sunny and 83 degrees. Perfect. Our next stop was Warner Robbins Georgia. The route we took was so scenic. We drove into North Carolina and passed through The Cherokee National Forest heading toward Ashville. This stretch of the drive was so mountainous that there was a long period that Tom didn’t have his foot on the accelerator. We passed a field of wild poppies and sunflowers in Weaverville North Carolina. Soon we entered South Carolina. Another fabulous billboard read “Don’t Wait. Communicate”. Hope everyone passing reads that one.

We arrived at the Hilton Garden Inn in Warner Robbins Georgia (outside of Macon) just in time for Happy Hour. We checked in and headed to the bar for dinner. We got happy hour drinks and a delicious dinner. The bar was hopping. Totally full. We met 3 men who were pilots waiting to be deployed after the hurricane comes on land. They then do searches for people, ships, aircraft. We also met some other business travelers who stay there frequently. Very lively conversation. Did I mention how much fun it is to have your dinner at the bar when you are on the road?

The next day we headed to Ponte Vedra Florida to spend the weekend with our friend Maria. We had a terrific weekend of food and wine and great conversation with Maria’s friends. We also took a ride to Amelia Island for lunch one day.

Then it was on to Disney World. We always stay at the Boardwalk. What is so good about staying on property is that once you get out of the car you don’t get back in it until you leave. Disney always says “welcome home” and you know what, they really make you feel like that.

Our friends Carol and Tony joined us for a couple of days to go to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival. We enjoyed the wine lecture and tasting we attended. It was given by Ana Balbo from the Susana Balbo vineyard in Argentina. Very interesting presentation and the wine tasting was good. There were food kiosks all around with small plate tastings from all over the world. But, I have to say, it was so hot that we had to keep going in and out of air conditioning because I thought I would vaporize! Epcot also had a concert series for the event called “Eat to the Beat”. We saw Sheila E and she was fabulous. Very high energy! All in all it was a great week. We spent time at the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Disney Springs. We had amazing dinners at many restaurants at Epcot (my favorites are France and Morocco) as well as on the Boardwalk (Trattoria and Flying Fish) and Disney Springs (The Boathouse). We did lots of shopping for Christmas at a variety of shops at Disney Springs.

By the time we were leaving Interstate 95 had reopened after the hurricane. We made a stop the first night at a favorite place. Clark’s Inn in Santee South Carolina is a perfect stop on your drive. They have a really nice restaurant and bar and with your night’s stay there is a full breakfast included. There is also a beautiful gift shop. Is there anywhere that I can’t find a place to shop?

The second night we stopped in Manassas Virginia. Originally we thought we would drive straight home but there was traffic and we decided to make a stop. We stayed at a nondescript Best Western that was the only place available. Won’t do that again. The next day we rolled into the driveway at our home. It was a great road trip.

Usually when I travel there is something that peaks my interest and I come home with a flurry of photos. This trip it was clouds. All of the changes going on in the atmosphere made for some spectacular clouds to look at. It also reminded me of when I was a kid and how my mother and I would sit out on our front lawn and look up at the clouds and tell each other what we thought we saw. It made me smile to think about this . I think that is why my head is always in the clouds!! Here is a sampling of the photos I took.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

No more than a week later we got back in the car to go to a suburb of Chicago to see my friend Susan who had recently moved there. She moved to be near her mom who is 100 years old. She is just the best daughter. On the way we stopped in Cleveland. We stayed at The Cleveland Hilton Garden Inn. We had made a date with Mel and Merle for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Lola Bistro. How great is it to be able to meet a friend from high school and have a fabulous dinner in Cleveland? The next morning we drove on to Chicago. This road trip was geared to just having a visit with Susan and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

We really had a good time on both of these road trips. I am trying to decide what our song should be for the trips. Choices are “On the Road Again” or “Get Off my Cloud”. What do you think?

THE color for 2019 has been selected. Coral, and all variations,  has always been a favorite of mine. It is so warm and inviting. “Coral Sands” brings to mind beautiful beach resorts. It is sociable, optimistic and full of joy. Coral is a color found in nature. It is a sunset color.

I’m thrilled that this color will permeate all areas in 2019.  My personal choices for color are in the Sunset Palette. According to Leatrice Eiseman in her book More Alive With Color, the elements of fire and earth underscore the Sunset palette. These are the colors that make me happy.  There is so much to the psychology of color.  I think everyone should take the time to analyze how they feel when they are wearing certain colors or look at colors. It is very telling!

Living Coral will warm up our visual field this year. I hope that we see it in home décor.  It is a natural for apparel because it is such a cosmetic  color. Who wouldn’t want to be warmed up with coral?