And Yet Another Cruise-Part 6

3 Mar

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

I’ve pretty well described Disney’s Cruise Line ship Wish for you, so I’ll move on to the things we did on the islands where we docked.

Our first port of call was Nassau, Bahamas.  Fred and I have been to Nassau many times, and weren’t too thrilled to be back.  However, the island has “cleaned up” quite a bit since the last hurricane that devastated the island.  We decided to take an excursion,  one we’ve done before but enjoy none-the-less.   It was a type of “glass bottom boat” ride…actually a semi-submarine.  There was the upper-deck, where the crew maintained the boat, and the passengers sat – on the way to the designated observation area, and also on the way back to the dock.  After climbing down a short ladder, the passengers went to the “below” deck, where there were fold-down stool seats situated in front of each port-hole window.  There we could look out and see everything under water.  The level of the water’s floor, where they took us to see the underwater life, varied from about six feet to 30 feet.  Lots of seaweed, fish and we saw two sharks who were “resting” or sleeping on the bottom of the sand.  Wow!

Our second port of call was Disney’s island – Castaway Cay (pronounced key – don’t ask me why). 

 All Disney ships going to the Bahamas stop at Castaway Cay for a day.  I have grown to love this island, even if we do nothing more than walk around, walk in the sand, sit or stretch out on lounge chairs in the sand and people-watch as they play in the water.  Since neither of us are “water” people, we just enjoy watching people enjoying themselves as they play in the water. 

Photo Credit Disney.com/Wherever I May Roam blog

 We have walked the island many times – out to the lookout tower,

 down the runway, and just around the activities Disney offers.  We have rented bicycles and ridden around the island.  I am not comfortable on a bicycle, so we don’t do that anymore.

However, we had planned to take advantage of some water bicycles and paddle out and around the protected area.  Unfortunately, the wind was up that day, quite a bit, and so they were going to cancel that excursion.  We did get a refund, but were disappointed that we didn’t get to do that.  Perhaps next Disney cruise to Castaway Cay we can do it.

We took the tram down to Serenity Bay – the adults only beach.  We walked along the water on the sand, sat in some lounge chairs in the shade, and just rested.  There is a bbq eatery in Serenity Bay, and we had our lunch there…including some of their soft-serve ice cream!  A really nice set-up.  Some of the ship’s restaurant servers go to the island and work the eateries on the island, so perhaps one will see the servers from our tables on the ship.  We didn’t, but it’s possible.

Fred in front of the food set-up

Back to the ship and prepare for our supper hour and the last night’s performance of Aladdin, which was excellent. 

Then the overnight sail back to Port Canaveral and disembark.  We always carry our own luggage, and so after a quick breakfast we just walk off the ship, through Customs, get into our car, and drive home. 

Another Disney cruise under our belt!  Now we need to book an 11th cruise, so we can take advantage of those extra perks!!

It was a great cruise!

~~~~~~~~~~The End~~~~~~~~~~

*All photos are credited to Judy Wills, with the exception noted.

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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Hope in Growth

1 Mar

Guest Post

Rebekah Lyn

Reblogged from Rebekah Lyn’s Kitchen

As a teenager, I visited the local zoo and had a close encounter with a bird in the aviary. It landed on my head and its feet became tangled in my long hair. I recall my boyfriend at the time finding it hilarious before he helped shoo the bird away. That gave birth to a healthy distrust of birds for many years.

Jump ahead to 2010. My parents bought a place in North Carolina and we spent a good deal of time on the back porch whenever I visited. They had bird feeders, and I found myself enjoying the finches, nuthatches, cardinals, eastern towhees, and tufted titmice that flitted in for a bite to eat. As time passed, the porch was extended and a hummingbird feeder added.

By 2019, I enjoyed the birds so much, I sought out a unique experience during a trip to Ireland, a morning with a falconer. My friend and I had the chance to hold a hawk, a falcon, and a couple of owls. We sent them out in flight and received them back on our arms and I absolutely loved it! When I posted a short video on social media, my friends who knew about my fear of birds couldn’t believe it.

My friends didn’t see the gradual change in my heart toward birds. They just saw this surprising image of me with a bird of prey on my arm and a grin on my face. Similarly, when we first ask Jesus into our lives, or when we renew our faith by spending more time with Him, our lives should reflect a change that makes those around us ask what has happened.

What does all this have to do with hope? The apostle Peter said, “In His great mercy He has given us new birth and a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fail.” (1 Peter 1:3-4)

Followers of Jesus have a living hope in Him that provides comfort and encouragement through all things. We grow in this hope as we study the Bible, fellowship with other believers, and pray. We move from a fear of death to a delight in eternal life in the company of the Almighty God. That is something to get excited about and want to shout from the rooftops. Is there anyone who wouldn’t welcome a life without physical pain or illness, without hate and anger? Eternity with God, in harmony and rejoicing, was the plan for us all along.

When I sit on the patio or take Ollie for a walk and hear the song of the hawks that live nearby, I no longer fear they will land on my head. Instead, I remember the thrill of holding one of these magnificent birds and how much God has changed my life. That change is available to you too.

Don’t forget to check out the resources page I am developing with content I have found encouraging, that has taken me deeper in my walk with God, and generally builds my hope.

If you want to know more, email me at authorRebekahlyn@icloud.com

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My Brightline Train Trip:Part 2

28 Feb

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

New Years Day (1/1/2024 Continued)

I was surprised at how quickly the passenger exchange took place at the West Palm Beach station.   Within about two minutes the train was moving again.  The train picked up speed, and before long we had passed thru Lake Worth Beach, Boynton Beach, and Delray Beach, before arriving at the Boca Raton station.  Another quick passenger exchange took place, and we were off again.  We quickly passed thru Deerfield Beach, Hillsboro Beach, and Pompano Beach, before arriving at the Fort Lauderdale station.

Photo Credit: https://www.flickr.com/fortlauderdale/brightline/station/

Since it was New Year’s Day, and most of the museums were closed, our plan had been to visit the Museum of Discovery and Science first, and then catch an Uber to a restaurant on Los Olas Street for lunch.  Then after lunch we had planned to catch another Uber to the beach for a stroll in the sun, before returning to the Brightline Station for our 3:25 pm return train ride back to Orlando.

Photo Credit: https://onthegrid.city/museum-of-discovery-and-science

However, when we exited the Brightline Station, and were looking around for which way it was to the museum, a Brightline electric courtesy shuttle (Ridecircuit) driver across the street called us over.  She explained that as Brightline ‘Premium’ passengers she was available to take us anywhere we wanted to go within a 5-mile radius, FREE!  We were not aware of this amenity, and immediately took her up on the deal.  Since it was getting close to lunch time anyway, and the Ridecircult shuttle was right there, ready to go, we decided to change our plans and have lunch first.

Photo Credit: https://www.ridecircuit.com/fortlauderdale

Our friendly Ridecircult shuttle driver took us to Los Olas Street and showed us the “Restaurant Row” area.  We checked out the many great restaurants as we rode thru the area and asked her to drop us off at the Cuba Libre Cuben Restaurant.   

Photo Credit: https://www.cubalibrerestaurant.com/in/fortlauderdale/

She gave us a phone number to call for our next FREE Ridecircult shuttle ride to the beach and she was on her way.  At the Cuba Libre Restaurant, we sat at an outdoor table where we could “people watch” and admire the many antique and luxury cars cruising up and down the crowded Los Olas Street.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

The Cuba Libre Restaurant doesn’t look all that big from the Los Olas Street entrance, but it is huge inside, because it is located on a corner lot that I didn’t notice when we exited the Ridecircult shuttle out front.  I can just imagine what last night’s New Year’s Eve festive atmosphere must have been like, with a full crowd and all that great Cuban music and dancers. Just the place to be to celebrate the New Year in.            

Photo Credit: https://www.cubalibrerestaurant.com/in/fortlauderdale/

However, at 11:30 am on New Year’s Day, as you can see in the photo below, there were nothing but empty tables, set for the lunch crowd, for us to choose from.  We ordered their Ropa Vieja plate (one of Billy’s favorites) served with plantains and black beans and rice.  There was enough for two, so we split that delicious meal.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

After that delightful meal, we called for our next Brightline FREE Ridecircult shuttle pickup for a ride to the beach.  This time the man who picked us up had a serious problem with his vehicle’s running gear (it was making a lot of noise) and said he hoped it would last until he got us to the beach.  We made it to the beach, and he dropped us off at the Cortez Street entrance to the beach, just north and across A1A from the Elbow Room.  Then he headed off to his repair station for a replacement vehicle.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

The weather was warm by now, and the beach was crowded with sun-worshipers.  We were both surprised at the sight, as it had been cold enough in Orlando (this morning) that we both had left our houses with jackets on.  It is amazing how different the weather can be in just a short distance traveled south this time of year in Florida.  We walked the beach for a while and then realized that the time for our 3:25 pm Brightline train back to Orlando was getting closer, and we needed to allow time for our Brightline FREE Ridecircult shuttle to pick us up and get us back to the station. We called for a pickup and watched for him, as the traffic up and down A1A was really heavy.  Our shuttle finally arrived and the trip to the station was very interesting.

Photo Credit: https://www.ridecircuit.com/fortlauderdale

—–To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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A Thing to Remember

26 Feb

My Take

DIVoran Lites

Isaiah 40:31

Photo Credit:Pixabay

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary: and they shall walk, and not faint.

DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

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And Yet Another Cruise-Part 5

25 Feb

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Our stateroom was typical of most of the Disney ships…perhaps just a smidgen larger than the older ships.  But it has all the amenities that the other ships has.  Over the bed was a print of a scene from the movie Frozen.

Over the sleeper-sofa is a print from Frozen as well – Anna and Elsa.

There is always a TV in the room – and always with our stateroom number (6664) and our name on it.

We could watch TV movies, see where the ship is headed, the weather, the activities onboard, etc.  A wealth of information at our fingertips. 

The remainder of the room is much like all others – desk with built-in shelves and drawers, along with a small refrigerator. 

 Also the closet…two sides separated by shelves with a safe.

And the two separate “bathrooms” that we enjoy so much.  One side with the tub/shower (this one had a glass door rather than a shower curtain!  Yay) along with a sink, mirror, and glass shelves.

Separated by a wall is the other room – with the toilet, a sink, mirror, and glass shelves.

So easy for us both to get ready for the day with our own mirror and sink.  One of the greatest aspects of Disney ships!

We had a room with a veranda, but the weather was cool/windy enough that we didn’t have opportunity to take advantage of the veranda.  Shucks!

There are three main dining rooms/restaurants on each ship – excluding Palo and Remy, the high-end eateries that cost above the cost of the cruise.  One interesting thing about the Disney restaurants – the servers “follow” those eating at their assigned tables from restaurant-to-restaurant each night.  So you get to know your servers, and they get to know you and your eating habits.  For instance, we had been assigned table number 119.  We sat at table 119 in whatever restaurant we were assigned each night.  We also had the same table mates at each restaurant.

Our first night, we were assigned to eat at Arendelle, table 119.   Here is our table number in brass.

There is some of the “decorations” on that brass, that goes along with Frozen.  It is the same as that flower embroidered on the napkin.

 And here is the sign for Arendelle.

I think we sat “in the round” surrounding an elevated stage, for when we were eating, the performers were above us, and we were seated around the stage.  Interesting.

The second night we were at a more “formal” restaurant – Roy Disney 1923.  I neglected to get a picture of the sign for the restaurant, but here is a dinner plate and salt and pepper shakers with 1923 on them. 

 I tried to get a picture of our table number (119), but the lamp was not lit, so it’s difficult to see it.

Our third night was at World of Marvel restaurant. 

 Here is Fred holding up our table number. 

Since neither Fred nor I have seen any of the Marvel movies, this “interactive” restaurant was a bit of a disappointment to us.  Not the food nor the table mates nor the servers.  But there really wasn’t much “interactive” going on – not like Animator’s Palate on the older ships.  However, toward the end of the meal, Spiderman made his appearance – and the children loved it!  He would go to the table where there were children and strike a pose with the children so their parents could take a picture.  Cute.

The food is always good on a Disney ship…that’s something you can count on, and we always enjoy our meals.

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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Hope in Letting Go

23 Feb

Reblogged February 23, 2024

Rebekah Lyn’s Kitchen

2 Votes

This past week was rough. It started Monday when a coworker arrived in a foul mood that deteriorated throughout the day. By Tuesday morning, his attitude had rubbed off, leaving me anxious and edgy. Combined with poor sleep, a never-ending to-do list, and news of unexpected expenses, by Thursday night, I was snapping at everyone and Friday was a slog just to make it through the day.

It’s easy to allow the circumstances around us to dictate how we feel. Perhaps if I’d stopped listening to podcasts on Monday and played my praise music instead, I would have been able to take my eyes off myself and my surroundings. When I made the change on Thursday, I already had days of tension and anxiety to let go of. I’m thankful God can handle it when I drop a whole cart of baggage at His feet. Sometimes I unload the cart like a dump truck, letting it all go at once, but other times, like this, I wrestle to let go of each piece.

A few of the bags I’m clinging to are concerns for people I care about. I know I can’t change the outcome. I can pray for them, lend a listening ear, but it’s up to God to heal their brokenness. For a fixer like me, stepping back and letting God work is a challenge.

When I stop to listen to my heart and surrender my worries, I remember Jesus has already overcome all the troubles of this life. For those who follow him through faith, He offers the gift of rest. He is ready and willing to take our burdens and set us free. The troubles we face can seem insurmountable, but they are only fleeting. We can find hope in letting go of our worries and entrusting them to God’s care.

I’m not saying we give up or expect an instant change in circumstances. Rather, by spending time in His Presence, He will instruct us on what we need to do. We may need to keep praying, we may need to move forward, or we may need to accept a helping hand that He brings into our lives. Only through quiet, focused time in prayer, worship, and studying the Bible can we prepare our hearts to hear that direction.

I read a great analogy this weekend: “To release your problems to God means to let go in your spirit. It’s like a trapeze artist who performs in a circus. When the trapeze bar swings her way, she must let go of the bar she’s holding onto so she can grab the new bar.” (Kent Crockett, If God Knows What I Need Why Should I Pray?)

Take time today to let go, quiet your thoughts, meditate on a favorite Bible verse, sing a favorite song, and let God carry your burden. I have started a resource page with links to books that have influenced these blogs as well as music I find encouraging. I’ll continue to update it throughout the year.

Rebekah Lyn

Rebekah Lyn

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Is It Me?

22 Feb

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

In 2007 my husband and I purchased land in the North Carolina mountains with no immediate plans to build. But as we observed the challenges of building there, we decided to go with a prebuilt modular home. In 2008 our son found us a great deal on a model that we fell in love with.

We decided to save money by doing a lot of the interior finish ourselves. Once the home was delivered , we took two weeks off work and headed from Florida to North Carolina.

We were blessed to stay with friends from Florida who spent summers there. Not only did they give us a place to sleep, they made sure we had a nice meal every evening. We were so tired at the end of the day, it was wonderful to enjoy a meal and conversation. They have moved on to Glory now and I miss their sweet friendship.

I wanted the new home to have color, not monochrome walls. I chose soft blues, greens and even some gray. I was very pleased with the colors. Back at work during lunch, I was telling the group about the colors I had chosen. One person commented the colors were very Martha Stewart.

That comment rankled. I hadn’t even thought of Ms Stewart. Weren’t the color choices mine?

They were and they were’nt. The grocery store check out lines are flush with home style magazines. Martha and her successors were in my head. LOL

Those of us who raised children know well how they were influenced by cereal ads on the television.

And don’t get me started about the heavy influence on the children during the Christmas season. The must have toys!

Now is 2024 we are surrounded by 24/7 media. An evening of television isn’t simple entertainment. It is crafted for influence and has been for years. Product placement in a scene is coveted. We see it without taking it in, but the product is in our subconscious.

I am choosing to take my subconscious back. How you might ask. I plan to be more attentive to why I want something and why I think something. I don’t want to be a part of the chorus or a star. I simply want to be myself, liking what I like, disliking what I don’t. If I see the herd heading one way, I want to stop and ask, is this me or am I being manipulated.

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My Brightline Train Trip-Part 1

21 Feb

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

New Years Day (1/1/2024)

This day started early for me as I needed to drive to Orlando, Florida to meet my son, Billy, for our first ever Brightline High-Speed train ride.  After a quick breakfast, I made the 35-mile trip from my home in Titusville to Orlando on SR-528 and found the Wally Park off-site parking (As I mentioned in the Prolog, I chose the Wally Park off-site parking because the Brightline Station parking directions at the airport Terminal “C” seemed a little confusing, and I didn’t want to deal with the potential of being late for our 8:50 Brightline departure).

Photo Credit: https://m.facebook.com/WallyPark

It only took the Wally Park Customer Shuttle about ten minutes, after picking me up, to take me directly to the Brightline Station entrance located in Terminal ‘C’ at the Orlando International Airport.  That included two stops at airlines to pick up other passengers.

Photo Credit: https://www.google.com/search=Wally/Park/Shuttle

I took the escalator to the 3rd floor where I met my son, Billy, at the Brightline Station ticket area.  We used our e-tickets to enter the 1st class lounge to wait for them to call our 8:50 train.  I was surprised at how comfortable and spacious the lounge was.

Photo Credit: https://touringplans.com/brightline-train-to-orlando/

We were able to avail ourselves of an assortment of self-serve complimentary breakfast items such as scrambled eggs, sausage, home-fried potatoes, cheese cubes, and sliced ham.  Coffee, soft drinks, and bottled water were also available.

Photo Credit: https://upgradedpoints.com/travel/brightline-train-review/

I was impressed with the eco-utensils provided to us to eat with at the 1st Class Lounge, and later on the train.  Even though everything provided to eat with was recyceable, the wooden cutlery was so different from the plastic utensils I am use to receiving at most fast food places (and even at some restaurants) now days.  It was a unique experience.

Phot Credit: Bill Lites

When our 8:50 am train to Fort Lauderdale and Miami was called, we took our bottled water from the lounge, and proceeded thru the entry turnstiles (with our QR Code), down the stairs to the train on Track One, and entered the 1st- class car.  We found our reserved seats on the single seat side with a table between the seats.

Photo Credit: https://thepointsguy.com/news/brightline/

Billy got busy setting up his Speed Tracker App in his iPhone so we could track the speed of the train on our journey.  The train was only lightly loaded with passengers, and I was amazed at how smooth the train ride was from the Orlando Airport (Terminal ‘C’), east along SR-528 to Brevard County where the track turned south toward Miami.

Photo Credit: https://apps.apple.com/speedometer-speed-tracker

Billy said the highest speed he recorded along this straight stretch of track was 125 mph!  Billy also loaded the Google Maps app in his iPhone so we could track our progress as well as the train’s speed.  As the train slowed down for the turn south, we began looking for familiar sights along the train route adjacent to US-1.

Photo Credit: https://www.pinterest.com/cocoa-florida-water-tower/

We saw the big Cocoa water tower, and Rockledge Square.  Then somewhere along this southern portion of the route, we must have moved onto a short piece of the FEC track, because the train began to rock and roll enough to make a few people sick.  That was the only short stretch of rough track that I remember during the entire trip.

Photo Credit: https://www.istockphoto.com/motion-sickness/

Luckily, this didn’t last long, and we were back on a smooth ride.  Then we passed over the Eua Galle River, Crane Creek (Melbourne), Turkey Creek (Palm Bay), St. Sebastian River (Sebastian) bridges, and thru the small towns of Wabasso, Winter Beach, and Gifford.  Then we passed thru Vero Beach, Jensen Beach, skirted the St. Lucy River inlet, thru Port Salerno, and Fort Pierce, before arriving at our first stop at West Palm Beach.  As the train was slowing, there was an announcement telling passengers who were getting off at this station to gather their belongings and prepare to exit the train, as“This stop would only be for a few moments.”

Photo Credit: https://www.theledger.com/brightline/

—–To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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Vitally Joined

19 Feb

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Romans 12:6

The human body has many parts and organs, each with a unique function. And so it is in the body of Christ. Though we are many, we’ve all been mingled into one body in Christ. We are all vitally joined to one another, each contributing to the others. 

DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

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And Yet Another Cruise-4

18 Feb

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Another thing about Disney ships that I enjoy is all the tile mosaics on their walls.  I’ve always enjoyed the ones they did in the Cabanas (huge curved wall). 

Photo credit – Judy Wills

The ones on The Wish are just as wonderful.  This one of Cinderella and the Prince is quite large,

Photo credit – Judy Wills

while the two of Pinocchio are smaller but still amazing.

  • Photo Credit-Judy Wills
  • Photo credit – Judy Wills

And then there is this mosaic on the floor just before entering the Walt Disney Theatre

Photo credit – Judy Wills

There are some other things about the Disney ships that I enjoy.  Take a look at this light fixture in just an ordinary hall on The Wish.  Cinderella’s pumpkin coach and horses, along with stars.

Photo credit – Judy Wills

And here is an ordinary water fountain, trash bin, and towel dispenser…but decorated in something not-so-ordinary.  More of those “little things” that I enjoy so much.  This is up on deck 11, where the Marceline Market is, and the pool area, etc.  Sorry, I don’t remember what the “ff” stands for.

Photo credit – Judy Wills

One thing I have always enjoyed on any of the Disney ships is the carpet – there is always a neat design.  Sometimes it’s just “sea” life pictures.  But we found, on The Wish, it was more theme types…such as this Cinderella’s castle and coach.

Photo credit – Judy Wills

It was on a long carpet on the landing on our deck 6.  This castle is the center of the design.  This other design, which has the pumpkin carriage (look closely), was on the carpet on deck 6, as you step out of the elevator, and was the center of the design.

Photo credit – Judy Wills

The carpets on many of the Disney ships (especially the older ships), have a design that tells you whether you are going starboard or aft.  The carpet on The Wish didn’t seem to have that design – unless I just can’t see it!  This is the main design down the long hallways…pumpkin vines perhaps?

Photo credit  – Judy Wills

And these designs are a repeat in the pattern.  This first one has hidden pmpkin carriages in it (look closely again)

  • Photo credit for all three carpet photos – Judy Wills

The other two designs are just stars and flowers.  Quite unique and beautiful.

On deck 3, is a unique little watering-hole, that was inspired by the movie The Princess and the Frog.  It is called The Bayou.  It is a short little place, but has live entertainment during the evening hours.  It’s cute and looks inviting…if you are into that kind of thing.

  • Live entertainment in the evenings

Photo credit for all three photos – Judy Wills

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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