Sunday, August 18, 2019

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2008. Days were long in the hospital! Which was why I am grateful Mattie loved to create and build. Though cancer wiped away any gross motor skills he had, Mattie's fine motor skills were very much intact. You could always find Mattie painting, building with boxes or assembling Legos. Not to mention performing magic tricks. We tried to keep Mattie busy as it helped pass  hours upon hours in the hospital. 







Quote of the day: When things are bad, we take comfort in the thought that they could always get worse. And when they are, we find hope in the thought that things are so bad they have to get better. ~ Malcolm S. Forbes

Our ship left Boston harbor last night at around 10pm. It was a truly remarkable sight to see Boston at night, lite up like a Christmas tree. 

Last night we went to Sabatini's, which is a specialty restaurant on the ship. I would safely say it isn't worth the extra money to have this experience. In fact, I probably can give someone a how to lesson, on how to survive a Princess Cruise. 

On our sail away, we passed a Fort. This is Fort Independence. It is a granite bastion fort that provided harbor defenses for Boston. Located on Castle Island, Fort Independence is one of the oldest continuously fortified sites of English origin in the United States. The first primitive fortification, called "The Castle," was placed on the site in 1634 and, after two re-buildings, replaced circa 1692 with a more substantial structure known as Castle William. Re-built after it was abandoned by the British during the American Revolution, Castle William was renamed Fort Adams and then Fort Independence. The existing granite fort was constructed between 1833 and 1851. Today it is preserved as a state park and fires occasional ceremonial salutes. Fort Independence was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

Boston at night. If Peter were with me, he would be able to tell me everything we were seeing. 

This light belongs to a lighthouse! Boston Light is a lighthouse located on Little Brewster Island in outer Boston Harbor. The first lighthouse to be built on the site dates back to 1716, and was the first lighthouse to be built in what is now the United States. The current lighthouse dates from 1783, is the second oldest working lighthouse in the United States (after Sandy Hook Lighthouse in New Jersey), and is the only lighthouse to still be actively staffed by the United States Coast Guard, being automated in 1998 though there is still a keeper acting as tour guide. The structure was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964.

Princess Cruises is about marketing and promotion. They are wonderful at trying to get you to spend money. They are not very successful with us. They take photos of passengers at all our stops. Each photo is $15. What we do now, is take a photo of their photo! 

Our photo coming off the ship in Boston.

This is a Peter-ism. He takes a photo of all our Ship's newsletters for the entire trip. It serves as our travel log! In honor of Peter! 

This was my view this morning! Steep in fog. I could hear the ship's horn all morning warning other vessels of our presence. 

On board, the ship has boutiques! Remember Princess is about SELLING and more SELLING. Guess how much this heart shaped pendant is????? If you guessed over $110,000, you win!

As the day has worn on, the fog is lifting. This has been the calmest water cruise I have ever taken. I hardly feel the ship moving or rocking. The Atlantic today is like glass. 

The beauty of the water! Somehow being on an ocean really helps you understand just how big our world is, and our every day life is just a small component of the bigger picture. 

We have met some incredible crew members on this trip who have taken excellent care of me and my parents. They are:

Breakfast and Lunch: Oxana and Rollin
Dinner: Mauricio and Andre

In the Sanctuary: Dinish