About You & Me: Vacations!

My husband Neil and I just returned from a wonderful cruise to the Caribbean — a much needed break from cold winter days and also a respite from our daily parent-care work. Our ship was the Regal Princess, and we joined two couples we’d hit it off with on a previous cruise — Dorothy and Howard, and Amy and Alvan. Good friends are forever!

I took a fat research book with me, read it all the way through and accumulated 14 pages of notes. What better way to enjoy tropical breezes than with a great book and a sea view! I came home excited to get back to my novel-in-progress GILT, and was delighted to realize I managed to iron out two troublesome plot glitches during our vacation.

I thought you might like to see a few photos.

Neil and I doing what we do best — relaxing!

We’re at port here. Neil’s taking a photo of another ship that has pulled up beside ours.

One of the many gorgeous islands we visited during our two weeks in the Caribbean.

Cruise ships offer a variety of Broadway quality shows. This photo was taken in the Regal Princess Theater, our “place to be” nearly every evening.

One of my favorite activities on board ship is the opportunity to watch “Movies Under the Stars,” complete with blankets, lounge chairs, and kind waiters who serve popcorn or warm chocolate chip cookies and milk! (Cookies and milk for me!)

A new-to-me activity on this cruise was “Free Paint,” which was set up in the piazza in front of an audience! Each painter (six to eight at a time) was given a blank sheet of art paper on an easel, brushes, and a tray of water colors like children might use. No models, no ideas, just paint! I worked up my nerve to try it, and it was so much fun I participated in 3 Free Paints over the length of the cruise! This is my best painting. You can tell I’m not an artist!!

Tell me about you! What is your favorite kind of vacation? Have you ever been on a cruise?