Sunday, December 24, 2017

Sunday, December 24, 2017

Tonight's picture was taken in December of 2007. This was Mattie's last Christmas before his cancer diagnosis. As you can see Mattie was wearing another adorable sweater, he had his antlers on, and his Christmas train running around the tree. This photo was featured on the cover of our 2007 Christmas card. 


Quote of the day: Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart...filled it, too, with melody that would last forever. ~ Bess Streeter Aldrich

This is a photo that Cristina, our waitress, took of us last night on the Viking Sky. We were at the Ship's specialty restaurant and I would have to say the specialty restaurant is a TON better than the regular restaurant. The food is better prepared and tastes completely different. 

I want to mention that the Viking cruise ships are owned NOT by a corporation, but a family. So it is a family run business, and as such it has a very cozy and more personal feel. Nothing is marketed or pushed on you and what I noticed is the crew seems to be happier. 

The crew still work in 7 month contracts and so many are parents and separated by thousands of miles from their loved one. Many are working on cruise ships because the income they can make on the ships is three times what they could earn at home, to help support their families. So it is truly a personal sacrifice these individuals make for the stability of their families. The beauty of Viking is they give their crew free Wifi, to connect with friends and family, free laundry, food, room, and so forth. This isn't always the case on larger commercial cruises. I think this is a noteworthy fact, which makes me happier to know the bigger picture of what my vacation is supporting. 

I can't tell you how many crew members on this ship thanked me for taking the time to talk to them, to learn about their lives, and to greet them everyday. I am not sure why other passengers don't do this, but to me part of the beauty of living is interacting with others and learning about them. 

Last night when we got back to our cabin, Peter told me to come outside. At first, I saw the sea at night and of course the ship creating waves through the water. But when I looked up......

There was an incredible Mattie Moon! Somehow being over the water and seeing the moon, hit me in a more profound way as to who is missing in our lives. Not that I am not aware of Mattie's death on a daily basis, but the mind is a beautiful thing. It can protect me at times, and other times, the reality is more transparent and raw. 

Literally the Viking Sky blew its horn three times this morning. Probably around 5am, and it scared me out of a deep sleep. When I got up around 6:45am, here is what I saw.... Miami. 

Miami looks impressive from one's balcony. 

Can you see the shorter high rise in this photo? The one closest to the boat. It had a ticker tap going across it that said..... GOOD MORNING MIAMI! I caught one of the O's in this photo. 

We are staying in Fort Lauderdale until Wednesday. When we checked into our hotel room, this was the beautiful intercoastal view outside our window. I of course added the Christmas decorations. 

After lunch, Peter, my mom, and I took a 3.5 mile walk on the boardwalk of A1A. Each year there is a huge holiday decoration by the beach. Last year it was completely different. This year it is a snow man. Love his ORANGE! 

Of course no day is complete without checking in on Sunny! Sunny has had a hard adjustment while we have been gone. Refusing to eat. But now that they have added fresh chicken and rice to his meal, he is back to eating. I love how Dogtopia text messages me daily on Sunny's progress. Between their messages and the video cam, I know exactly how he is doing and know he is in good hands. Sunny is the reddish dog on the left, sitting on a cot! Later this afternoon, we tuned in and Sunny was playing around with a black lab!