Thursday, December 31, 2015

Dances with strangers...

OK, so there I was, minding my own business... Tending to the folks at my end of the table and enjoying the company and the ambiance. It was today, New Years Eve, and we'd gone to La Palapa Griegga for dinner and entertainment. The show turned out to be music (Mark et al) and while the meal was delicious (Kathy had rack of lamb and I had steak and lobster... and we shared) the music included fabulous selections of many of my favorites .... Toe tapping, thigh slapping.. great music!

And, there I was... keeping up with the base on my legs and the table (and having a marguerita or two :-) and wondering how it would go if I asked Kathy to dance (Being Mexico and all, we try to behave). When Mark called for a "mosh". Not knowing what a mosh was, I watched and learned (quickly)... Lots of folks stood up at their tables and began to gyrate. And so I did too; I love to dance. And then Kathy joined me and, slowly, the rest of our table moshed on in.

And that's when I noticed a gentleman... slightly older than myself, hanging on to his white, plastic chair and letting his feet begin to move. Now, he could have been Fred Astaire or some other dancer... but me... I'm just me, and I sidled over and offered him my hand. Well, didn't he take it and didn't the two of us just dance our toes off for the rest of the song. We jived and we did other steps and he was a great lead....(yes, I can follow :-) . it was great!

The evening (spent mostly at Kathy's side) was terrific... But I wanted to tell you about the dance... Because, much like the ferry trip from La Paz to Pichilingue, I have experienced something outside my norm; a moment to remember.

I hope that each of you have experienced such a moment this year... And Kathy and I, and Princess Sophie, wish each and every one of you... the blessing of peace in your life and the opportunity to enjoy dances with strangers. Reach out a hand... in 2016. Have a great one!

CJ

Sent from my iPad

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Wishing you all the best for 2016 and OOPS... There goes the phone.

Hi everyone... from sunny, cloudy, windy, warm, cool and sometimes darn right cold... San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico.  First let me say we hope everyone had a good Christmas...  and we want to wish you all the best in 2016.  May we all survive El Niño and have the good sense to set attainable goals in the new year :-)

We're enjoying our time here in San Carlos. We really miss seeing our cruising buddies in La Paz and Mazatlan but know you are all well and enjoying life as it comes.  And we miss our friends at home too.  Sue and John, having returned from helping us, are tucked into their warm, cozy home in Crofton... and Craig and Alison have just finished a great (albeit too short) visit with us on their quest for warmer temperatures.  SSpirit is coming along in her rejuvenation. Many systems have been either replaced or renewed...and there are still a couple to finish. All that will come in due course. Sophie had a bad spell with two bleeding ulcers in her tummy but, with the help of Vets in Hermasillo, has recovered well.  So, things here are just ticking along in an unhurried way. This being the year it has... we re planning to leave early and enjoy a camping trip drive home.  We hope to visit friends and parks in the areas of Phoenix, Yuma, Lake Havasu and finally Palm Springs... before pushing north through Oregon and Washington to home.

Being at the dock has allowed us to keep in close touch with friends and family... by email and by telephone.  The OOPS part of this note is to tell you that for absolutely no reason... and much against all orders to the contrary... Kathy's cell phone leaped out of her pocket and hit the deck with a heart stopping crash this morning.  While it seems to still have a pulse, it is definitely unconscious as I write and, until we acquire a more positive diagnosis, we must assume the worst; we will be cell-phone-less until further notice :-(  Sorry about that. At least we still have email and Magic Jack :-)

So, for now... know we are well.. and wishing you all a wonderful 2016.  Adios for now.  CJ