New Years Eve

Good morning!

What will you be doing tonight to celebrate the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011?

We are aboard Freedom of the Seas so our plans are to enjoy a formal party (see above), then...

...a delicious dinner.  That image above (filet mignon and lobster tail) and the one below...

 ...the "sampler" dessert were taken in Portofino, the specialty Italian restaurant aboard Freedom of the Seas.

We will toast the new year with a glass of sparkling water.  :)

Have a Safe and Happy New Year, my friends!

Lois

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 Marquis by Waterford Brookside 8-Ounce Champagne Flutes, Set of 4

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Grandeur of the Seas in Georgetown, Grand Cayman

Good morning,

We sailed into Georgetown, Grand Cayman, under very cloudy skies.  I looked out of our stateroom window aboard Freedom of the Seas and noticed Grandeur of the Seas at anchor.  Grandeur is also a Royal Caribbean International ship.  By the time I went up two decks to Deck 12 to get a good angle for a picture, the skies opened up and the sun put a spotlight on Grandeur.  Wow.  How pretty!

Grandeur of the Seas (74,000 gross tons) is less than half the size of Freedom of the Seas (154,407 gross tons) so there is quite a size comparison for anyone who could have gotten a picture of us together in the harbor.  The smaller size doesn't diminish the cruise experience on board Grandeur, though.  It is a terrific ship.

Grandeur is a sister ship (both Vision Class) to Splendour of the Seas, a ship where My Honey and I spent a great deal of time together over eight years.   

Aboard Splendour we sailed East and West in the Mediterranean, all the way up through Europe into the Arctic Circle, Brazil in South America, and North America from Canada into the Caribbean.  Such wonderful memories.

I turned around and got a shot of Grand Cayman where the clouds still hung over the island.

I was so fortunate to have the sun cooperating for that first picture!

Lois

Check out Watery Wednesday.  :)

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 Frommer's Portable Cayman Islands

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Skirt for 18" Doll - Knit

Clothing for 18" Dolls is available for purchase at 

EvensensProductions.com

Knit and crochet patterns to make clothing for 18" Doll are also available.

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 Bernat Satin Print Yarn-Luxury Ombre

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Rainy Day at Labadee, Haiti

Good morning,

Not every day on a cruise ship or tropical island is a sunny one.

This is Labadee, Haiti, where we encountered rain and mist that wasn't all bad. 

Although it wasn't a good day for a picnic at the beach, the mist provided some nice images....

...of the mountains.  Do you see that little speck out there in the water, just right of center in the image?

Here's another shot zoomed in on the man in the boat.  He is a Royal Caribbean employee and is waiting for departure of our ship, Freedom of the Seas.

Although it looks very misty, we do have enough visibility to leave.

The carts had just returned all supplies and equipment to the ship and we were pulling away from the dock.

Our bow thrusters easily pushed us away...

...as we watched the waves crashing into the island just below the walkway we have walked many times before, but not today.

I have some images on a sunny day at Labadee here if you would like to take a look.

I'll surely go ashore again in the next few weeks, too, to capture more images on a sunny day.

Very best,
Lois

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 Frommer's Caribbean 2011 (Frommer's Complete)

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More Freedom of the Seas Christmas Decorations

 Good morning,

Here are a few more images of Christmas decorations on board Freedom of the Seas.  The tree above is outside of one of the dining rooms.

 Leading up to Christmas, every time I went for a stroll around the ship I found something new had been added.

 These are pictures of a Christmas village I found on Deck 3, outside one of the dining rooms.

 I attempted to take a little video of this, but after three times of people walking in front of my camera, I resorted to a collection of still shots.  ;)

 It's a beautiful display that certainly took a very long time to construct.  I loved seeing the manger scene and all the detail of the village.  The train was very nice, too, although not running while I was there.

Back in our suite, I added more to our tree.  I used that table runner (pattern here) I made when we came on board to cover the base of our small (Charlie Brown?) tree.

I believe I have already posted a picture of the tree with the little blue baskets (pattern for larger version here) filled with candies wrapped in gold paper.  Another tree addition are the little Santa hats (pattern here).  I went ashore a few days ago and bought two packages of candy canes.  :)

And, after taking the picture of the tree, I have added a blond Barbie doll dressed in a long gold dress (lower left corner of this image - I crocheted the dress, of course!) as our Christmas angel.  ;)

I made the springy doll (pattern here) dressed in blue in the above picture to give as a gift. 

So our little tree of hand made decorations is complete.

I hope your Christmas was Merry and that you are still enjoying the season!

Very best,
Lois

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 Crochet Angel Ornament Set of 6

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Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, Everyone,

I hope your day is as joyous and peaceful as is ours here aboard Freedom of the Seas.

Christmas hugs,

Lois

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 Charlie Brown's Tree with Blanket - Multicolor

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We Are Ready

Good morning,

We are ready for Christmas here on board Freedom of the Seas.

Our "home" is beautifully decorated.  The halls are decked...

...our tree is beautifully trimmed...

...and we have finished our last minute shopping.

We have a wonderful dinner planned and have clergy on board to lead us in celebrating the arrival of the Christ Child.

We are ready to share the peace and joy of Christmas here aboard Freedom of the Seas.

Tomorrow will be a sea say and we will concentrate on our family, friends, and the joy of being together at this beautiful time of the year.

All the best to you, wherever you are celebrating this joyous time of the year,

Lois

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A Christmas Together 

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Decorating!

Good morning,

I'm still busy decorating here on board Freedom of the Seas.  I crocheted that happy Santa with adaptations to my Springy Doll (pattern here.)  

I'm also making some other decorations that I hope to finish and photograph to share here, too.  ;)

Early this morning I walked out into the hallway near our stateroom and the sky lights allowed stunning rays to light these poinsettias.  Just gorgeous!

Are you ready for Santa at your house?  ;)

Very best,
Lois

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 Rope Climbing Santa Decoration

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Pictures From Just Before the Snow and Cold

Good morning,

I've been so busy with travel images that I haven't yet shared the few I have here today. 

That vase above sits on Hyde Park Square in Cincinnati.  The vase was part of one of the items decorated, then auctioned for charity sometime after our famous Cincinnati Flying Pigs that I featured some time ago.

While visiting the Great Smoky Mountains and Cherokee, North Carolina last month we saw that their decorated art object is a bear.  I will have to collect pictures of these pieces of art as we travel.  I've seen others in other places, but have not gotten pictures of them.  I can't believe I could have missed such important pictures!

That lovely vase at the top is across Hyde Park Square from these buildings.  We were here to pick up some American Automobile Association maps before our trip South a week or so ago.  The sky was still a beautiful blue and the weather warm until just after we left.

And, here is another image of beautiful blue skies that I took while we were still in Cincinnati.  At the time I took this one, two of our grandchildren were in the car with us.  It was pretty exciting to see the Good Year Blimp that day. "Did you get a picture of it, Grandma?"  I hope the kids enjoy seeing that blimp picture! 

So, those are a few images that help us remember that the skies were very blue recently and will be again someday after the snow and cold there right now. 

Very best,
Lois

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 Radio Control Goodyear Blimp (Style May Vary)

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Motion in the Ocean - Freedom of the Seas

Good morning,

Here is a video taken on Deck 4, Promenade Deck, of Freedom of the Seas on another sea day this week.  We were moving at about 22 knots and the wind was against us. 

While watching the movie you'll hear the sound of the wind (quite loud) and there are little splatters of sea water on the lens.



I thought this would be a really cool idea to take the video, but had no idea it would take all morning and through lunch to get it to upload with my Verizon Air Card while in a US port.


Enjoy!

Lois

Check out Watery Wednesday!

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 Ocean in Motion!: Surfing and the Science of Waves (Fact Finders: Extreme!)

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Christmas Shopping in St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.

Good morning,

Today we are in St.Thomas, U.S.V.I.  The weather is warm, but not HOT as it is at the opposite time of the year.

We went ashore to do a little Christmas shopping.

There are Christmas decorations everywhere...

 ...sometimes strung between the palm trees.  ;)

 We had club sandwiches and Diet Pepsi at Havensight Mall.

 Then on to a little more shopping around the corner at Havensight Pharmacy.  This Santa dances.  Just darling!

 Then it was back "home" to our "mother ship."

It's not quite the same to Christmas shop in the tropics, but the Christmas spirit is surely here.  We bought My Honey a new baby camera.  We had made most of our purchases at home in Ohio before we got here and the gifts will be delivered at the appropriate times by our daughter, Catherine.

I remember my first visit here in St. Thomas many years ago.  I got the biggest kick out of the holiday decorations strung between and among the palm trees.  It's still quite pretty, especially at night.

I hope you enjoyed stopping in St. Thomas with us today.  It's quite lovely to be here at this time of the year.

Very best,

Lois

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Thomas Kinkade Musical Santa Claus Christmas Figurine: Santa's Christmas Dance by The Bradford Exchange 

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