Windows

I invite you to scroll through these photos,

telling stories with no words.

Barred up windows, open windows, 

windows with character,

abandoned windows and

windows displaying results of tender care -

bursting forth with beauty!

They say that when God closes a door

He opens a window.

Let me throw open the shutters and

behold the beauty of His sovereign plans.

Doors

There was something about the many styles of doors 

that caught my attention while we were travelling.

Doors depict safety, privacy, welcome, 

a blockage or an opening . . .

Coming back from our trip and looking at the fall ahead 

we will find new ways to do life with family spread about

as well as look forward to a soon-to-be-born baby.

It's a door of new beginnings in family dynamics,

maybe a revolving one, but a door of expectancy

to enter with faith and assurance that the Lord goes with us all.

I'd love to know if there are any favorites or
guesses as to were these were taken.

Is there an open or a closed door in your life at this time?
I pray you know God's leading and peace today.

On Board the Ship

Sailing on a large cruise ship, such as the Regal Princess that we were on, can be like a vacation on a mini island all on it's own, even without the docking and tours of cities you may stop at. Finding things to do really is no problem at all. I took some pictures, but they do not tell the half of it.

While we walked the walking/running track, we passed people playing basketball, soccer or table tennis. There was zumba dancing, mini golfing and numerous exercise stations, besides the actual gym. This particular ship had a glass walkway extension. If you look at the bottom right hand photo you can see the glass bottom.

During the day different classes were offered, such as this one by the head chef. There is probably a name for him and his sidekick, but I forget. They were a comedy act on their own. We had a tour of one of the three galleys. Spread along the sideboards were samples of 100 ways to do potatoes. They told us they would be doing another 100 the next day. (And I thought the potato was a dying vegetable.)

Staggering facts, such as that 20000 meals are being prepared on the ship daily, just amazed us, especially since the food was top quality and served with pride. Breads and pastries all get baked on site, so they are always fresh. It is hard not to sample. There are times we come home from vacation and I'm happy to cook again, but this one made me feel like there just may be one less Mennonite girl that can cook than there used to be.

Almost any time of the day or evening, walking through the atrium or past smaller theaters and lounges, you could find a spot to listen to live music performances.



In the evening, after a later dinner, our choice was a movie under the stars or a music show. Our favorite was the Beatles. . . come alive again. This exceptional show was done with a running slide show of actual footage of the era. The songs, some long forgotten, were still there in our memories and brought a lot of happy feelings back. We smiled and laughed, reminiscing . . . yesterday!

I could talk about
people we met, 

sunsets
and romantic sail offs.

I guess I just did.

The day to disembark came all too soon.

To France and Farewell

Posting from home now . . .

I want to finish up with the stops we had

and maybe later in the week, describe the happenings on the ship.

The last full day of the cruise landed us in Toulon, France

and we took our final bus tour.

We had registered for a tour of a Medieval town by the name of Hyeres.

As we drove along beaches, past vineyards and eventually through town

our tour guide kept talking about "Yers" . . .
making us wonder if we were on the wrong bus . . .

but eventually we clued in to the pronunciation.

Hyeres is picture of Medieval times with its many arches and

influences from the time of Queen Victoria and Napoleon the Third.

Medieval burgs,

churches that look like military fortresses,

 and narrow streets 

allow you a glimpse into the middle ages.

The town is situated on a hill, overlooking the sea, with a fort at the very top.

Our guide had a strong French accent and was telling us of how the people used to run 

for protection when they saw the parrots coming from North Africa. 

Although I understood, I saw the blank stare in my H's eyes until he realized what she meant.

 Running from pirates made so much more sense, 

but for the rest of the tour, we envisioned otherwise.

 I ended up laughing so hard, I cried. This was good.

To get up to the fort, we walked through a beautiful garden once belonging to the American novelist Edith Wharton who used to winter here. Its terraced steps and beautiful flowers made for a nice climb to the top.

where we had a view of the town's tiled roofscape and beyond, to the sea.

It was a birthday like none I've had.

On our way down we stopped at a hole in the wall cafe

and ordered some crepes.

The best I've had.