Day 89, 3/30/2013 - Eat, today I ate out twice to make up for not eating out yesterday, lol. One last coupon at La Madeleine for a free pastry. I chose their new orange dream cake. My good friend treated me to lunch. A much appreciated treat after my tough week. I joined another friend for dinner at Allen Wickers Pub. I, of course, had to sample their fish & chips. Quite nicely done. Pray, my prayer today is that I be ready for whatever comes my way in the coming week. I tend to be rather naive and get blind sided by people whom I trusted. This doesn't mean that I will stop trusting, but will pray that I not be so naive. Joy, my joy is that I will be with family tomorrow to celebrate Easter.

Day 88, 3/29/2013 - Eat,  today I did not eat out. If you have been reading my blog at all, I know that is hard to believe. I created some pretty tasty nachos when I got home from work. I worked hard on this Good Friday getting publications completed, newsletter, Good Friday and Easter bulletins. Of course no Holy Week is complete without either printer or computer problems. I had a minor glitch with the new printer. Good thing I have experience with such, I was able to work around the glitch and all will be repaired next week. Pray, today I pray for my friends who have lost a family patriarch, a husband, a father and grandfather. Grieving such a loss is never easy even when expected. I pray that they will be able to celebrate the life of their loved one as they grieve their loss. Joy, my joy was in enjoying my new furniture as I had my morning coffee, took a brief nap and watched evening TV.

Day 87, 3/28/2013 - Eat, had Pappadeaux tonight with friends. Hot smoked salmon and shrimp gumbo. Good food, service, not so good! This is part of the deal when you eat out as often as I do. I will take the good food any day, but having both good food and service is preferred. You never know what may be going on in a service provider's life. I try to give a little grace when this happens. Pray, my prayer today is for peace as I make another hard decision and major change in my life. It is so hard to know when it is the right time to leave certain things behind in order to move into more healthy patterns. We are creatures of habit and bad habits are definitely hard to break. This prayer is another one that I have repeated often over the past 2 years and will continue to pray. Lord, give me peace. This year's Holy Week moving toward the joy of Easter has certainly been "eye opening." Joy, my joy is two-fold today. First, a good friend waited at my place for 3 hours for my scheduled furniture delivery. And, second,  I now have a new sofa and dinette. The emptiness of having no furniture has now been filled. Oh, that it was as easy to achieve spiritual fullness!

Day 86, 3/27/2013 - Eat, had one of my favorites at Applebee's, Oriental Chicken Roll up. Was different than it has been. Restaurants! Why mess with a good thing? I liked this entrée the way it was. My only complaint about Applebee's is that they seem to change their menu almost weekly! Anybody else with me? Pray, I pray for those afflicted with addictions today. Said it before, saying it again, addictions are thieves  They steal from all within their grasp! And the denial that goes hand in hand with addictions is maddening. God bless those who get away from the addict who is in denial. This is my daily prayer. Joy, hard to find joy today, as it was a very difficult day for me emotionally. I confided in a good friend tonight about what troubled me today. My joy was realized when she listened and wept with me. She agreed that I had another hard decision to make and then in turn treated me to dinner. Thank you to this friend and the many friends who have supported me through these difficult decisions!

Day 85, 3/26/2013 - Eat,  today we went to Chili's before our usual Tuesday rehearsal. Still feeling in the grips of a cold, I ordered soup and warm pretzels with cheese. Two great tastes that went well together. Pray, I prayed for a short rehearsal so that I could get another good night's rest. Prayers were answered and our rehearsal that usually is done by 9 was done by 8:30. Joy, hard to find the joy when you aren't feeling 100%. My joy was in the music at rehearsal. Once I get into a rehearsal my troubles and ill feelings seem to subside. For small segments of time I am totally immersed in the music with not a care in the world. For that I am thankful!

Day 84, 3/25/2013 -  Eat, went to an old favorite, Cheddar's. Feel a cold coming on so I ordered their baked potato soup and one of their hot honey butter croissants. Just what the doctor ordered. Pray, I prayed today that the length of my cold will be short. I will do the best I can to get sufficient rest. That is a tall order for this night owl. Joy, my joy was in preparing for Easter and the arrival of new furniture. One Easter decoration is a banner that my mother quilted for me several years before she passed. I always enjoy putting it up even for a short period of time each year during Easter and Eastertide.

 

Day 83, 3/24/2013 - Eat, had the Simona plate at Casa Cha Cha, rough Tex-Mex. Very good! All the things I like, enchiladas,  guacamole,  crispy tacos and more. Pray, today I prayed for good weather, well, at least no rain. Prayers were answered, it was a beautiful,  clear cool day. Joy, my joy today was realized when my friend came and picked up my old sofa bed and dinette. Out with the old to make room for the new! Looks a bit empty right now. Isn't that part of the Easter story, that we empty ourselves so that we can begin anew with the risen Lord? Perhaps part of my spiritual journey is to learn the  importance of emptiness and how through emptiness I can come to a more full relationship with God through Christ.Definitely things to contemplate this week leading up to Easter Sunday.

Day 81, 3/22/2013 - Eat, today was my first time to experience the meat fest at Rafain Brazilian Steakhouse. Don't get get me wrong, I have experienced this type of dining before but this was superb.  I overindulged because it was so good. Great food, wine and friends. Pray, I prayed that the new equipment install go well at the office. Seems to have gone well with no hitches. Hopefully Monday's work will go well also. Joy, my joy was in having plans with friends on a Friday evening. Just last week I had the post birthday blues. What a difference a week can make in mind, body and spirit.

Day 82, 3/23/2013 - Eat, went to Brio Tuscan Grille after the Symphony for a late night dinner. Had angel hair pasta with shrimp, roasted tomatoes,  artichoke hearts and of course garlic. Dinner, bread, wine and the company of friends was all delightful. Pray, I prayed that I accomplish phase 2 of the "spring clean/closet clean up." Prayers answered, my daughter called and that was just the push I needed to get going on my day's tasks. I was able to weed out the seasonal clothing from my overcrowded closet. The newly assembled wardrobe is now in the garage with off season clothing. That would be winter sweaters and such, which is odd to do when we are having the last burst of cold weather and temps are plunging into the 30's tonight. That's cold for Texas on March 23, but not totally unheard of. Joy, my joy was in going to the Plano Symphony for music from West Side Story and the young artists. It was awesome. The young artists this year were amazing!

Day 80, 3/21/2013 - Eat, stopped by one of my favorite haunts for drinks and dinner. BBQ chicken flat bread and a few cucumber martinis. Excellent! Having friends who own and operate the restaurant made the evening even better as I was greeted by several. Pray, my prayers today were for self assurance. It is hard not to second guess yourself when making big decisions with your life and money. I pray that my self assurance will improve with time but that I not be foolish with my money or life decisions. Joy, I found joy in the simple art of shopping for furniture. The last time I bought furniture on my own was about 30 years ago. Yes, you guessed, it was pre marriage, kids and divorce.  It was a little scary having feelings that I was over extending myself. But overall it was a good feeling. As I said a few days ago, I am empowered and I will live the rest of my life finding joy in every day.

Day 79, 3/20/2013 - Eat, enjoyed the rest of my Endless Enchiladas from Sunday's lunch at On the Border. Not bad. Pray, I prayed all day for relief from a migraine. Skipped rehearsal,  to go home to dark, quiet room hoping and praying for relief. Prayers were answered in time to enjoy my leftovers. Joy, hard to find joy when you are experiencing a migraine. The joy was in getting relief, thanks be to God!

Day 78, 3/19/2013 - Eat, I was treated to dinner tonight at one of my favorite places, Texas Roadhouse. Nothing like ordering "Roadkill" for dinner. Translation: chopped steak smothered with cheese, onions and mushrooms. Quite tasty. Pray, I pray that I will pick up momentum as I "spring clean" and purge my overabundance of stuff. Phase 1 of the "spring clean" was the purchase and assembly of a covered wardrobe so that I can store "off season" clothing in my garage. Joy, my joy is in the realization that I am empowered. Empowered for success. Empowered for independence. Empowered to live the rest of my life in joy! Cheesy, I think not, I choose to find joy in every day.

Day 77, 3/18/2013 - Eat, FREE dinner at IHOP, I'll take it! Carbs and more carbs, my favorite. Didn't have many carbs today, so maybe it balances out. Pray, I pray that I be better equipped to deal with all of my extra "stuff." Too much stuff in my garage, closets, living and bedrooms, kitchen, etc. I purged greatly 2 years ago when I moved from a 4 bedroom house down to a 1 bedroom space. I did it before and I can do it again! Getting rid of "stuff" is both physical and mental. We hold on to things for far longer than we need to. Thoughts like, "I'm going to get down to that size again" and "This trinket has great sentimental value" tend to cloud our mind and judgment all too often. When I get down to a more manageable amount of stuff, I will be able to live within my walls. This will improve my mind, body and spirit. Joy, my joy today came via UPS. Into every life a little bling must fall, right? I received a blingy box, blingy bag and ring from one of my best friends who has been there and continues to be there for me. Thank you my friend for bringing the bling (and joy) into my life!

 

Day 76, 3/17/2013 - Eat, endless enchiladas was enjoyed today at On the Border. OMG, they just kept coming. The server said she made a mistake and ordered an extra plate, so I had endless enchiladas to go. That with chips, salsa and queso...I was so full. Had to go home and take a Sunday siesta. Definitely at least another meal or two in those left overs. I did enjoy eating alone at a restaurant, not something I was always comfortable with. There are several things that I have done alone in the last several years. We get very used to "the status quo" and when it changes abruptly it can throw us a bit off kilter. Pray, I pray for energy for the coming week. Feeling a bit tired and rundown. Hoping that rest will regenerate me. Joy, my joy today was in enjoying my morning coffee. It was somewhat gloomy outside so I had coffee indoors next to the purple tulips that were gifted me. They cheered my morning.

Day 75, 3/16/2013 - Eat, another birthday coupon used today, had fish and chips at Red Robin with my son, James. I have eaten so much this week in my celebrating. I feel as if I could go for a week without eating and not get hungry. Pray, I prayed that the lost (or temporarily misplaced) might be found. I panicked when I couldn't find 2 checks to be deposited to my bank account. I freaked and prayed for about 4 hours before I went to my car and the lost was found. The checks had fallen out of my bag and were on the floor board of the back seat. Thank you, Lord! Joy, my joy is in my many friends. After feeling so down last night, I awoke and decided to put the flowers, cards and gifts all together. I was overwhelmed with love and joy. Not because I received things and gifts but because I am so blessed to have the friends , love and support that I do. I could not have made it through the past two years without each and every one of them.

Day 74, 3/15/2013 - Eat, today enjoyed some of the birthday leftovers. First things first, for breakfast had my FREE birthday drink from Starbucks. I chose my favorite smoothie, protein and caffeine,  the best of two worlds. Also, had regular coffee in my new Starbucks mug, my friends know what I like. Enjoyed the leftovers for lunch and dinner. Pray, I pray for myself today. The life of a newly single person can be the loneliest on the weekends. After the week of work and celebrating I found myself feeling very lonely and down on this Friday evening. Everyone else goes home to family and/or a spouse on the weekends. Don't get me wrong, I have no regrets. Due to matters out of my control, there was no choice other than divorce in my situation. Most weekends it doesn't get to me but today it snuck up on me. So, I pray that I will get to a better place soon. This too, shall pass! Joy, I have vowed to find joy in every day. It was difficult today. I decided to call my good friend, Susie. She went through divorce several years ago and helped me get to the other side of today's hurdle. My prayer was answered almost before I prayed it. And that was my joy today, the words of reassurance from my good friend.

Day 73, 3/14/2013 - Eat, you would think I would have the day after birthday blues. But today was another good day. Used another coupon and enjoyed Texas Roadhouse with my Mothers of Twins group. Eating, something we do every day to sustain life. Why not enjoy the experience? I have discovered that it is a social experience for me. I enjoy visiting with friends as much as good food and entrees. Pray, I pray for all going through chemotherapy. This topic is close to my heart since one of my good friends is going through it. It can save your life but is so hard on your body. So, today I pray for those battling cancer with this treatment. Joy, my joy is in my Mothers of Twins group. I've said it before and will say it again, they have always been there for me. They did not disappoint today and and surrounded me with birthday blessings.

Day 72, 3/13/2013 - Eat, today is my actual birth date, 3/13/13. I know what you're thinking, too many 13's. But it was my lucky day. I had a yummy "Sock it to Me" birthday cake gifted to me. Also, enjoyed a repeat of Carrabba's menu for birthday dinner. Birthday food was awesome! Pray, I prayed early in the week to see and/or hear from my 3 children this week. My prayers were answered. Had dinner with one son on Monday and received texts, calls and chatted with my daughter today. My other son was passing through town and wanted to crash at my place overnight. Heard from all 3. Birthday prayers answered. Our God is an awesome God! Joy, I was showered in joy today! One of the women's groups at the church where I am on staff showered me with birthday cake, cards, flowers, gifts and song. I received perhaps the funniest singing card ever from my boss! Had dinner with good girlfriends and enjoyed "Happy Birthday" in Italian. My heart is full!

Day 71, 3/12/2013 - Eat, today I used more coupons. I am beginning to understand how people get addicted to couponing. I was treated to lunch by my boss to On the Border and used another coupon to get dinner at Brooklyn's Pizza. I attempted to order an "old favorite" from Brooklyn's,  Alfredo pizza with bacon. They got a little carried away with the bacon so I am calling it The Baconater! Almost too much bacon, and that's hard to do for me. Of course I have no problem finishing all food set before me. Pray, today I pray for a good night's sleep. My schedule is always off for about a week following the time change. I am doubly impacted this year since I was on Central time, then went to Eastern for a week on vacation, then back to Central for a week, then the time change which was like going back to Eastern. No wonder my brain is confused. Joy, my joy is in having a job and new friends to celebrate my birthday with. I am thankful for my employment and blessed to be treated to lunch.

Day 70, 3/11/2013 - Eat, today my birthday was celebrated with family. Enjoyed Carrabba's Italian Grill. I love, love, love their Calamari Ricardo,  just the right "spicy" in the sauce. For dinner it was my usual, Pasta Weesie, with shrimp, fettuccine, Alfredo sauce and mushrooms. What's not to love there? I was slightly disappointed that they no longer have Creme Brullee on their dessert menu. But, when it's free, beggars can't be choosers,  right? They brought me Sogno Di Cioccolata "Chocolate Dream" instead and sang "Happy Birthday" in Italian. Pray, my prayer today is for political unity. Is that a term? If not, I'm creating it. I am so weary of political discussions popping up with one or more people taking sides and speaking very strong opinions aligned with political parties. Yes, we are a democratic nation and with that comes many freedoms. The freedom I would like is to not participate or be included in these political discussions just because I am present. Many times I never say a word, but the "pop up" discussion continues even though I contribute nothing. We live in one nation, under God. Is political unity possible? I hope so and pray for it today. Joy, my joy was in celebrating with family. I hope I will never take them for granted. They show me unconditional love and bring joy from the inside out!

Day 69, 3/10/2013 - Eat, first day of the "spring ahead" time change. First order of the day for me was sleeping in. Guess I still need to recover from vacation, which seems rather oxymoronic to me. I enjoyed some favorite "comfort/go to" foods. This included corn salsa, tomato basil soup from La Madeleine and fresh baked peanut butter cookies, yum. My favorite kind of day that even included a Sunday afternoon nap. Pray, I pray for peace this week as I turn another year older. I pray that I can simply enjoy the celebration with friends and family rather than getting bogged down with how old I am. It's only a number, right? Joy, my joy today was in "spring budding" as we "spring ahead" in time. The trees outside are beautiful as they blossom in readiness for spring. Having been in the Caribbean last week, I am more than ready for warmer days.

 

Day 68, 3/9/2013 - Eat, today went for girls night out to Goodfella's Wood fired pizza. They have great Bruschetta and of course pizza. We had Margarita pizza and what we affectionately call "The Meatasaurus. " Everything was great. Pray, I pray that I be able to deal with relationships, old and new in a caring and effective way. Relationships, whether intimate or friendship, are I believe the most difficult things we deal with in this life. Joy, my joy was in girls night with several friends. You've heard of the movie, "Scent of a Woman?" Tonight's dinner was all about the scent of a man, namely our server at Goodfella's. It was fun watching Laura swoon every time he and his fragrance came near us. As I told our young server, "I may be old, but I'm not dead." His scent was delightful! Good times!

Day 67, 3/8/2013 - Eat, TGIF, today is about happy hour, not eating. Decided to mix myself several pomegranate martinis and have some munchies. It's tough coming off of the vacation high and enjoying happy hour every day...lol! Pray, today I pray that I will have a productive weekend. I have many tasks at hand. Joy, my joy is having the weekend ahead of me and a morning to sleep in before the "spring ahead" time change.

Day 66, 3/7/2013 - Eat, made Rotel Mac & Cheese today. Since the birthday eating has begun, might as well enjoy some good comfort food. Right? Pray, my prayers today or for those who struggle financially to take vacations. Joy, my joy is in the afterglow that I am still experiencing from my cruise last week. I am blessed that I was able to go on and afford this trip of a lifetime.

Day 65, 3/6/2013 - Eat, the birthday coupons are rolling in for this year's birthday. Today I enjoyed a free "personal size" mud pie at Humperdinks. Before our lavish dessert we shared a good old fashioned Ruben sandwich.  Guess maybe the diet will suffer until after the birthday eating is over! Pray,  my prayers today include a friend from church, Jackie. I sang with her for years in the church choir. Her daughter and I have the kinship of both having twins. I pray for Jackie and her family as they deal with a recent diagnosis. May God guide them on their new path. Joy, my joy is in having friends to celebrate life's occasions with. Had a wonderful time eating, laughing and talking over dinner and dessert today.

Day 64, 3/5/2013 - Eat, today it's Rosa's Taco Tuesday. Delicious,  I actually miss my Tex-Mex when I go out of Texas on vacation. So, dieted all day to enjoy Taco Tuesday. Pray, my prayers today continue for friend, Rosemary, and her parents. It is so tough to consider a changing living arrangement for your parents. Joy, my joy today is in getting back to my Tuesday handbell rehearsal.  I enjoy a week off every now and then but am joyful to return to the music and friends.

Day 63, 3/4/2013 - Eat, back to shakes and meal replacements, must lose cruise pounds! I will admit, I kind of missed the morning knock on the door from room service. Had to brew my own coffee and fix my own meals. Had mac & cheese meal replacement, amongst others. Very spoiled after 8 days of room service, buffets and formal dining! It wasn't gourmet but it was not bad. Pray, my prayers today are for my friend, Rosemary and her parents, Herman & Virginia. The prayer that Herman recover quickly and Virginia feel comfort in knowing God is in charge. Joy, my joy is in turning the page of my "Plan B" calendar. The title saying for March is "Art Does Not Have To Match Your Sofa." Further reading says, "...art is not meant to decorate your home...it is meant to decorate your soul. It breaks all the rules and shakes off the dust of everyday life. With a power like that, who cares if it matches your sofa? Let it match your soul!" Wise words that brought joy to my day.

 Day 55, 2/24/2013 - Pray, Joy, Eat is the order of the day. Pray, I pray for safe travel to Miami, 5:45 a.m. flight. After staying at the airport because of the early flight I was awake at 3 a.m. and finally got up about 3:30 rather than drifting off to sleep just in time for my 4 a.m. alarm.  It was a good thing that I got an early start since my terminal and gate # had changed. Thank goodness for Skylink at the airport, I arrived at the gate just in time. Prayers were answered and I arrived in Miami ahead of schedule with no complications. Joy, all in our vacation party arrived safely and by 2:30 or 3 we were on the Carnival Glory. Vacation officially on! Lynn and I had a very nice Ocean View room. Eat, let the unlimited buffets begin. After brunch at about 11 we were all hungry by 3. We enjoyed a late lunch and late dinner. Before dinner we had a martini tasting at what would become our favorite ship bar, The Alchemy. We each chose 4 martinis we wanted to try on the sheet given to us. Our bartender,  Iouana, then mixed up the selection and you guessed which was which. Marilyn and I both guessed correctly, of course,  and the prize was a wine charm. Very fun. For dinner I chose fettuccine with sausage and mushrooms. Creme Brulee and coffee was my choice for dessert. All was great for my first day on a cruise ever!

<pics: room with view, martinis, Carnival Glory>

Day 56, 2/25/2013 - Eat,  day 2 on the "all you can eat" cruise ship Glory. Room service with coffee and bagels started the day right. We docked at Nassau, Bahamas at about 7 a.m. Our group of 4 decided to tour Atlantis and aquarium for our excursion. Beautiful and amazing resort. A little local shopping for souvenirs then back on the boat before leaving or get left at 2. At our late lunch aboard ship I saw an amazing carved watermelon. Pray, I pray that Marilyn feel better before dinner as she developed headache and nausea in the afternoon. Prayer answered,  she rested and we all readied ourselves for the formal/elegant evening of dining. With everyone looking fabulous in their formals, we made our way to the Promenade deck for some photos so that we can remember how fabulous we looked. Dinner was excellent with lobster on the menu, I had pasta carbonara with cherries jubilee for dessert.

 <pics:  Linda/Lynn/Marilyn/Brenda formal dresses, 

Atlantis Resort, carved watermelon> 

 
Day 57, 2/26/2013 - Eat, today being Marilyn's birthday and a whole day at sea, we decided to sleep in a bit and meet for birthday brunch at 10. We gifted Marilyn with a small princess tiara to wear for the day...adorable! Delicious smoked salmon with bagels and my Eggs Benedict. Later in the afternoon it was High Tea in the dining room with a wonderful assortment of teas, biscuits pastries and yes, more smoked salmon. We felt very prim and proper. Pray, my prayer today is for good cruising. It it amazing being on a ship this big and taking 44 hours to arrive at our next port, St. Thomas. Joy, my joy is in being on this cruise with these 3 friends in this moment. And in sharing Marilyn's birthday. Another great day!

<pics: bagels & smoked salmon, Birthday Princess Marilyn,  High Tea>

Day 58, 2/27/2013 - Eat, today was another great day of eating. We had a great breakfast in the dining room. Mine a simple selection of pastries and scrambled eggs with cheese. Then after almost 2 days of cruising we docked in St. Thomas US Virgin Islands. We went ashore to tour the area on our own before heading to Magen's Bay for our excursion of the day. Marilyn and Linda were in need of floppy hats to help protect them from the sun. After brief shopping we ordered some pizza "to go" from a great local pizza place, Cafe Amici. Magen's Bay was and is one of the 10 best beaches in the world. Beautiful! Pray, my prayers today are for my friend Ann's family. As we docked in US territory and all of us began receiving emails from several days at sea, I received word that Ann had died after a long battle of several cancers. She was a beautiful person inside and out and always accepted everything she was given to deal with with grace and dignity. Yes, prayers and love to her family on this day! Joy, my joy was in seeing Lynn's face as we pulled into St. Thomas.  It had been on her bucket list for years, she was so excited tears of joy filled her eyes. We returned to the boat after our day of sand and sun and had another fabulous dinner served to us. We all toasted to my friend Ann, we will miss her smile and sense of humor that was always there no matter what she was dealing with.

<pics: Magen's Bay, Cafe Amici pizza, St. Thomas gangway> 

Day 59, 2/28/2013 - Eat,  today we docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We sampled some fabulous appetizers while in town at Cafe Puerto Rico. Chicken Chunks (chicharrones de pollo), Fried Cheese (queso frito), Corn Sticks (sorullitos de maiz) and Alcapurrias (Puerto Rican stuffed fritters). We also enjoyed perhaps the best fresh squeezed limeade and fresh fruit punch ever! Who knew non-alcoholic could taste so good? Marilyn, Linda and I toured the fortresses of San Juan. Everything in San Juan is up hill so maybe we burned off a few cruise calories. Rested a bit while others shopped then treated myself by purchasing a little duty free bling while on the boat. Pray, my prayer is that Lynn will feel better soon. She seems to have caught a cold while on the cruise. Joy, we celebrated my March birthday today since Marilyn and Lynn both have their birthday while on the cruise. It was another fabulous day on vacation time. Don't worry be happy!

<pics: El Morro Fortress, San Juan appetizers & drinks

 from Cafe Puerto Rico, Brenda> 

Day 60, 3/1/2013 - Eat,  today was Grand Turk, British West Indies. Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, had a margarita of course. We all shared the loaded nachos for our taste of Grand Turk. Tonight was another formal dress night of the cruise, we all looked marvelous! Dinner hasn't disappointed yet and tonight was no exception. Several items worth photos, Chateau Briaone, Chocolate Amaretto cake. Pray, continued prayers for Ann's family as they grieve Ann's death. Joy, my joy today was found in Grand Turk, BWI. I stepped outside of my comfort zone and went snorkeling and SNUBA. We went about 20 feet beneath the surface with diver's umbilical air supply on a raft. It was amazing, can't believe I got a little anxious.  No need for anxiety, pure joy!

<pics: Margaritaville drinks, Chateau Briaone,  Grand Turk> 

Day 61, 3/2/2013 - Eat, today is Lynn's birthday so everything is an eating celebration. Breakfast, room service with coffee and birthday bagels in bed. Lunch, Guy Fiori birthday burgers with Chocolate Extravaganza for dessert. Dinner, birthday champagne and multiple selections. Pray, I pray that I am able to fit everything as we pack for disembarkation tomorrow. Joy is in celebrating Lynn's birthday aboard the cruise, my awesome roomie. We are now the same age for 11 days.

<pics: Guy Fiori burger, chocolate extravaganza, Birthday Princess Lynn> 

Day 62, 3/3/2013 - Eat, today is the last day of the cruise. So, the last of free room service, endless buffets, towel animals, chocolates set on a pillow and formal dinners. I spent most of the day at Miami International Airport. I was fortunate enough to spend most of it in the American Airlines Admiral's Club. It was much better than waiting in the main airport with a few perks. So, maybe a little better than average "airport" food. Pray, my prayer is that the flight not be delayed, 7 hours in an airport is enough for anyone! Joy, my joy is that I was able to upgrade to 1st class. This makes all the difference in the world when flying on a "classed" airline such as American. Warm nuts, cocktails, dinner and dessert was served. Oh that I could live the "1st Class" life all of the time. The best way to come off of a 9 day vacation! This was a vacation of a lifetime for me. I have wanted to go on a cruise for about 25 years and I am so glad it finally happened and with 3 great friends! An absolute perfect week...nothing but joy!

 <pics: Linda/Brenda/Marilyn/Lynn formal dinner night, 

Towel Buddies, 1st class dinner>