Mighty Ships

 I was watching a show on TV about cruise ships. Each show detailed one particular ship and I was curious. I’ve never seen a cruise ship but gather they can be massive. I had a friend who canceled a cruise because she couldn’t do the walking.

The distance to areas on the ship were quite far apart but the worst, for her, was the walk to get to the exit off the ship, then the long walk on the pier beside the ship to get to their docked destination. 

In the show I watched the ship in length was the same as an eighty storey building.  There were so many levels I can’t remember. The side looked like an apartment building with narrow little balconies with glass doors. 

If I remember correctly there were 1500 employees and almost 4000 guests. The ship left Miami and was sailing for a week through the islands, stopping at a midway point in Mexico. The plan is to dock in the daytime so guests can disembark and enjoy the local tourist attractions. The ship then sails all night to their next location. 

On this episode there was a storm brewing as it was hurricane season. It was determined that they couldn’t reach their end destination of Miami and hoped they could shelter in one of the island harbours. The only other choice was to ride out the storm in open water.

They reached the island and were able to dock. I was in awe when I saw this huge boat manoeuvre its way into the docking space. First they have to enter the harbour where there was room for six ships to dock.

But they couldn’t just pull in, they had to back in, so first was to turn around. Turn around! The harbour was big but the overhead camera showed that there was not a lot of spare room. Once they were turned around they had to get in position to back up, with a long dock on one side and another cruise ship in the next parking space. 

I laughed when they showed the driver, pilot, looking in his rear view mirror. How much good can that be given the length of the boat. There have to be some very specialized electronics helping him as he slid that huge boat in with nary a miss and stopped her tight alongside the dock. 

And I have trouble backing up my van. 🤦🏻‍♀️

I was left with two thoughts at the end of the show.

One, who would book a cruise through the islands and the Gulf of Mexico in hurricane season?

And two, what do they do with all the waste generated by thousands of people in a limited space?  Interesting thought when you read about the pollution of our oceans. 

Organization

 I bought a nine drawer organizer years ago when I was frustrated, unable to find the proper tool or equipment when needed. I labeled each drawer and, over time, added items as I found them in some obscure storage spot.

This is how I found myself with a drawer full of scissors. And a varied collection it is. 

The rule has always been that no one uses my sewing scissors. Meant for use with fabric only I put the fear into my kids, (just joking, sort of) if I should ever find them cutting paper with my shears. My kids had no fear and many of the scissors in the drawer are sewing scissors delegated for craft use.

There are barber scissors, kids small handed scissors and scrapbook scissors that make funny edges.

I am as obsessed with scissors as I am with pens and paper. Which is why there are so many pairs in the drawer, even new ones purchased on sale.

If you have an organized spot for a particular item you can hoard to your heart’s content, until the drawer if full of course. I still have a bit of space left.

Me: Once Upon a Time

 I have fun with my grandkids sending them old pictures. I found one of me and sent it. Of course they had no idea who it was.

I have a hard time remembering that young person. Cute dog though, and still a dog lover. Figure this photo about 68 years old. Man, I an truly and old lady. 

My Favourite Mug

 

I read this paragraph on Facebook this morning and had to laugh as I was drinking coffee, at the time, out of my favourite mug  

It’s large and has hand painted flowers on it. What makes it special is that it was a gift from my staff when I was leaving that facility to work in another town. That was in 1999, so I’ve been drinking my morning coffee from it for 23 years.

I’ve had other mugs that were also gifts, that became chipped and should probably have been discarded when I cleaned out the cupboard.  For sentimental reasons I keep them and put them to some other use. Like holding my paintbrushes on my paint cart.

Another old mug holds scissors, crochet hooks and a couple of pens next to my bed where I crochet at night while watching television.

I can always find a spot or use for a mug, especially those that make me smile when remembering the source.

Angel Food Cake

 I baked an angel food cake yesterday but left the cleanup of the cake pan to today. I left it to soak and scrubbed it clean this morning. It’s an odd pan, two pieces, one like a deep cake pan but with the bottom cut out, the other an insert with a hollow cone standing in the middle. 

As I was almost elbow deep in hot water, scrubbing, I paused to think about how long I’d had this pan. How many times I had packed and unpacked this pan, each time making the decision to keep it, even though it often sat in the cupboard, unused for stretches of time.

Angel food was the cake of choice for all the birthdays when I was growing up. Angel food cake with chocolate icing and ice cream on the side. I don’t remember my Mom ever making a cake from scratch, as she really didn’t like baking. Angel food cake from a mix is so easy, just add water and beat it for a minute. Mom’s kind of baking. (Sorry Mom, love you ❤️ But your talents lay elsewhere).

I suppose I followed the tradition and bought my own pan when I was married. I have to figure I’ve had this pan for forty years.

Forty years.  That beat up old pan, awkward to store, awkward to pack and awkward to clean. I find myself teary eyed, remembering family, and all those occasions celebrated year after year with Angel food cake. Sometimes it’s the simple things that mean the most.