Message From Above

After dealing with so many tragic stories in the news lately, and being smack dab in the middle of yet another flooded rental, it was nice to see these pictures in the New Orleans' sky over several days last week.  These messages from above came at the perfect time for me.  It's always good to get some positive news, and what's better than words of inspiration in the midst of a beautiful blue sky!

For the first few days, it was a mystery who the good samaritan was behind these words in the sky.  It was finally revealed that a New Orleans business owner, Frank Scurlock, was responsible for hiring the Kentucky-based skywriter, Nathan Hammond.  Nathan is one of a handful of professional skywriters in existence.

Mr. Scurlock said that he hired the skywriter to remind people that goodness will prevail if you let it.  Nathan was hired to spread some joy over the city for 10 days, with three messages per day.  So how much does it cost to spread this kinda joy?  It's been estimated to cost between $20,000-$25,000 so far, and Scurlock has plans for the skies of Baton Rouge in the near future.  Beyond that, he has even bigger plans.  According to a recent article, Scurlock "has a big concern for the violence that has been going on locally and nationally, and this has a local scope and hopefully a future national scope". 

Just goes to show, there are still good things (and people) in the world.  This guy earns my "heroes" label.  Now where did I put my sunglasses?  The future is bright, and love is in the air!

Hasta luego ... until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!

A Day Of War

As the Japanese fleet was headed to Pearl Harbor, Americans were enjoying the sun and sand in Honolulu.

A week ago today, Ken and I went to the WWII Museum with my Dad, our daughter and future son-in-law.  My birthday was a few days earlier, and instead of dinner out or gifts I wanted tickets to the museum.  Our daughter's fiancee was able to score five free tickets from his boss!

Let me tell you ... every American should spend at least one day at this museum.  We thoroughly enjoyed our visit, although it was a sobering experience.  I really didn't know many details of the war, and the museum did a great job of presenting a ton of information in a way that was easy to understand.  The 4D movie produced with Tom Hanks (about 45 minutes) was a must see!  I left with a much greater knowledge of what caused the war and how it finally ended.  What happened during those six years in between were both awesome and awful.

Our country was pretty much thrown into the war when Pearl Harbor was bombed by Japan on December 7, 1941.  We quickly sprung into action, as we were fighting Japan and their Emperor to our West while fighting Germany and Hitler to our East.  The women stepped in to replace the jobs the men had left behind and production of planes, tanks and ships exploded.  

I found it interesting that the Higgins boat was produced in New Orleans, and tested in Lake Pontchartrain.  With a big gate that dropped down in the front, these amphibious boats were able to carry a massive amount of men and jeeps/equipment from ship to shore.  Over 20,000 boats were produced, and the shipyard went from about 75 employees to over 25,000 within five years.  Needless to say, the war made Higgins a very wealthy man.  General Dwight D. Eisenhower later said that Higgins "won the war for us". 

Eisenhower and his staff made some tough decisions, such as whether or not to move forward on D-day when faced with terrible weather.  Ultimately, Eisenhower's staff was divided and the decision fell on Eisenhower himself.  After much thought, he decided to move forward and invade the shores of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944.  Stories of seasick and exhausted men on the Higgins boats faced with the dreaded words, "Drop the gate".  Once that gate dropped, they were in waist deep water fighting for their lives ... many didn't survive.  That first wave of men were virtually wiped out. 

Our country also came up with some brilliant ideas.  In order to throw off Hitler, a Hollywood movie crew created and placed fake tanks and military equipment in a different part of France than we actually attacked.  Hitler, the coward that he was, ultimately committed suicide on April 30, 1945 when faced with defeat. 

On the other side of the world, we were fighting Japan.  Our men didn't realize how prepared Japan was, and when they first saw explosions throughout the night in the distance they cheered.  They didn't realize that those explosions were our men being blown up.  The Japanese soldiers were brutal and were more than willing to die while killing Americans.  Ever heard the term kamikaze ... that was the name given to the Japanese pilots that committed suicide by flying their plane into ships.  There were about 4000 kamikaze pilots, and about 14% of them hit a ship.  Even after the defeat of Germany, Japan wouldn't surrender.

After hearing about D-day, soldiers were relieved to hear that they wouldn't have to invade the shores of Japan.  The newly created nuclear bomb took care of that with two bombings of Japan in August, 1945.  The picture below is a test of the nuclear explosion in the Marshall Islands.

I could go on and on about what I learned during our "day of war" at the museum, and I wasn't even able to read/watch half of the stories available!  There were so many stories ... some told by written posts and others told by veterans through short videos.  There were pictures of veterans on a touchscreen, and by touching their face their story began.  One elderly black veteran told the story of seeing a wounded sailor lying on top of a gun, needing assistance.  When he grabbed the wounded man's shoulder to ask him where he'd been hit ... his entire shoulder and arm came off in his hands.  He stuffed his fist into the sailor's wound until a doctor arrived.  The old man said, "You don't forget about something like that".  No, I'm sure you don't.

The museum also has lots of relics and pictures from the war ... some of them heart warming and some really gruesome.  I've continued to think about what I've learned over the past week.  War is a terrible thing.  I now wonder what my own grandfathers experienced during the war.  I wish they were still alive to tell me.  My mom's dad was a merchant marine, and I think of the picture of him in uniform with my grandmother ... so handsome.  I need to get a copy of that picture.  My dad's father (also handsome in uniform below) was a radio bomber and was stationed on the islands of the Pacific.  He never spoke of the war to my Dad, but he did tell my grandmother a funny story.  He said that the island women were topless and given t-shirts by the American soldiers.  The women graciously accepted the shirts, but they felt they needed to make a few changes ... they cut holes in them to let their breasts hang out!

While at the museum, we were able to find a brick with my grandfather's name on it.  My dad had purchased the brick when the museum was built, and it also shows my grandfather's date of birth and death.   Also while at the museum, my dad pulled out a small blue velvet pouch that contained a cross inside.  He said that the cross was carried by his grandfather (the father-in-law of my grandfather below) while fighting in World War II.  I never knew of this cross, and I can only imagine the stories it carries.  Again, I wish I could ask.

 

Edward A Daspit, Sr ... radio bomber

As you can probably tell, our visit to the museum moved me and that is why I highly recommend that you visit it if you're around New Orleans, LA.  It's a history lesson that we should all experience.

 

A few days later was Thanksgiving, and I thought again of the veterans that have tried to live a normal life and put the war behind them ... while the rest of the country moved on and forgot.  I also thought of the many that gave their lives for our freedom.  Could you imagine what our country would be like if Hitler had won the war?!   On Thanksgiving I also thought of today's war and the new wave of killed and wounded Americans ... so many.  

Lately I often find myself frustrated with my own circumstances ... this year hasn't produced what I was sure it would.  But, when I think of the freedom I have and what my ancestors endured for that freedom ... I am truly thankful.  On Thanksgiving, I had a great meal of fried turkey and all the fixin's with my husband, our daughter and her fiancee at the local Copeland's restaurant.  Good food, wine and great company ... couldn't ask for a better day!

Hasta luego ... until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!

One Of Those People ...

Photo courtesy of www.diananyad.com

When I heard that one of my heroes, Diana Nyad was once again attempting to swim from Cuba to Key West, I was impressed beyond words.  Although she had never completed her attempts, her accomplishments were still amazing and incredibly demanding.  In fact, when her last attempt didn't go as planned I wrote about her, still inspired by her endurance and determination ... stopping isn't failing.

Although I already thought she was a success for chasing her dreams, I was thrilled to watch Diana Nyad reach her dream and swim to the shores of Key West.  She is now the only person that has ever swam from Cuba to Key West ... on her 5th attempt and decades after her first attempt.  As the map on her site says ... "She freakin' made it"!

At 64 years of age, Diana Nyad is one of those people that inspires.  After completing her nearly 53 hour swim and walking onto dry sand, Diana spoke with a swollen tongue from jellyfish stings.  She had three things to say ... #1:  Never, ever give up.  #2: You're never too old to chase your dreams.  #3:  Never a solitary sport, it's a team.  If those three things don't reflect the great character of this woman ... she made sure to give credit to those who helped her dream become a reality.  Of course, she did the hard part! 

Diana's words and determination will stay with me, and I'll remind myself of them when working towards our own dreams.  On her blog, she says, "The journey was thrilling but the destination has brought tremendous internal satisfaction".  Our journey has been tough, and sometimes we feel down but we won't give up.  Some folks say it's all about the journey, but really ... who are we kidding?!  Our "journey" into becoming cruisers sucks more than not.  We're looking forward to our destination of leaving the dock ... with no destination.  That will bring our own share of internal satisfaction, probably because of the journey.  Okay, I get it.  Kinda reminds me of the Buddhist teachings that I try to follow.

Her statement about never being too old ... doesn't she look great?!  I swear I hate it when I hear someone who is physically capable of doing whatever they want say, "Oh, I'm too old to do that".  What a lame excuse.  Anyway, since I'm into fitness ... Diana Nyad is also an inspiration in staying fit and looking great at any age.  She is a true athlete.

Photo courtesy of www.boomerturnons.com/

Diana Nyad is one of those people ... a true role model.  We need more like her don't you think?

Hasta luego ... until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!

The Pessimist ... Blind & Deaf!

St. Thomas, USVI

As I read the above quote I knew I liked it, and then I noticed who said it ... Helen Keller!  I'd assume that everyone knows who Helen Keller is, but I also forget my age so ... Helen Keller was born in 1880 and just two years later was left blind, deaf and mute due to an illness.  Imagine it ... you can't see and you can't hear so how are you going to learn how to speak or communicate with people?!  This dark and quiet life was starting to get to Helen Keller, and she became rebellious and hard to handle.  A pessimist would say that this little girl had no future.  Most folks thought she needed to be institutionalized.  However, Helen Keller was lucky to have optimist parents who were determined to find someone to help their daughter.  Their persistence lead them to Anne Sullivan, who was committed to teaching Helen Keller sign language through touch.  Ms. Sullivan was finally able to break through with the tormented child at an outdoor water faucet, where she taught her the sign for water.

Helen Keller not only learned to communicate, but she also graduated from college, performed in local theater, wrote several books, and became a world-famous speaker ... advocating her support for people with disabilities, women's rights, and birth control.  Even with all of her obstacles and challenges, she kept a positive attitude, lived a full life and made a difference.

If you've never seen the old movie, "The Miracle Worker", you should check it out.  Keller's teacher, Anne Sullivan was the "miracle worker" and it's about her struggles and accomplishments with Helen Keller as a child.  I remember seeing this movie when I was a child and it has stayed with me all these years.  Even as a kid I was amazed at the little girl's incredible challenges and her teacher's undying commitment.

As Helen Keller said ... the pessimists never discovered the secrets of the stars or sailed an uncharted land.  If you're cruising or plan on cruising like us, you've endured your share of pessimists.  They tell you that you don't have enough experience, that you'll encounter pirates, that you'll get bored or go crazy living on a sailboat.  The pessimists are the blind and the deaf!  They spend so much time on negative thoughts and what "can't" be done, that they fail to see the potential in life.  We'll choose the optimistic path ... and like Helen Keller, we'll open our eyes!

Hasta luego ... until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!

Stopping Isn't Failing!

Photo courtesy of msnbc.msn.com

As I was drinking my coffee and watching the morning news yesterday morning, I heard that Diana Nyad was debating whether or not to continue her swim from Cuba to the Florida Keys.  For her sake, I was hoping she could continue.  Whether or not Ms. Nyad continued her swim, she was a success and a hero to me!  However, she had been trying to achieve her dream for over 35 years and she deserved to achieve her goal.  On her fourth attempt she'd already endured 41 hours of swimming, numerous jellyfish stings on her lips and face, hypothermia, and a bad overnight storm.

Diana Nyad's plan was to celebrate her arrival in the Florida Keys along with her 63rd birthday, which is today.  Unfortunately, she arrived in the Keys ... without achieving her dream.

Ultimately, the jellyfish were her greatest challenge and the main reason for stopping her swim.  As she said on the Today Show, "It was devastating.  On the other hand, it's like life isn't it?  We don't always get what we want.  All our dreams don't come true. This is a big, big, larger-than-life dream.  This journey over the last three years has been magnificent.  What I've learned, and the spirit of it, I don't have any regrets."

This morning I saw a clip on the news of Ms. Nyad, and she said, "I'm not a quitter.  Maybe this isn't possible.  Things aren't like they used to be ... those jellyfish".  Her words really struck me.

When hearing her comments about the jellyfish, I recalled hearing about the invasion of giant jellyfish in Japan and how it's thought to be a cause of pollution in the ocean.  I couldn't help but wonder of Ms. Nyad's experience with jellyfish was also an indication of man's bad habits.

Another thing that really struck me was her statement about not being a quitter.  I totally agreed with her, and was hoping that she wasn't beating herself up for having to put her health first.  As her news story was being introduced, some idiot reporter said something to the effect of ... "Diana Nyad's attempt to swim from Cuba to the Florida Keys was a failure".  I got so angry when I heard that.  A failure?!  Just the fact that she'd attempt such a thing ... for the fourth time, and at 63 years of age ... come on man!  How insensitive!

The final thing was her words about not always getting what we want and her magnificent journey over the past three years in her attempts to achieve her dream.  All of this made me wonder, "What is considered a success?  What's considered a failure?"

I think that going for your dreams and doing your best is a success!  The end result may not be the desired result, but it does NOT mean failure!

My thoughts then went to our dream and plan to go cruising.  WHEN we go, will we be considered a failure if we hit a reef the first six months and sink our boat?!  Will we be considered a failure if we decide we've had enough after a year or two ... or ten?  What if we realize that we hate cruising?  Does that mean we've failed?  My answer ... hell no!

It takes guts to go for one's dreams, no matter what they are.  Stopping after making every effort and doing your best is not a failure!  Never trying because of fear and insecurity ... that's the failure!

So, "Happy Birthday" Diana Nyad!  You are amazing and a true success story!

Hasta luego ... until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!

Memorial Day - A Child's Story

On this Memorial Day, I wanted to remind everyone to remember the fallen men and women in our military.  When doing a little research on national parks for my Frugal Friday post, I came across an interesting story about Memorial Day, a young girl, and her act of kindness.

On Memorial Day, there is an annual tradition of decorating soldiers' graves with wreaths and flowers.  This tradition began shortly after the Civil War, and was first suggested by the women of Columbus, Georgia 1866. The custom went national two years later through the adoption of a May 30th date by the Grand Army of the Republic, a Union Veterans organization.

In February 1862, Confederate prisoners of war were held in warehouse buildings for about a month.  The prisoners that died there were buried in the Greenbush Cemetery in Lafayette, Indiana.  In the spring of 1868, a committee was organizing the annual ceremony and received a wreath from a local girl.  Attached to the wreath was a note that said:

"Will you please put this wreath upon some rebel soldier's grave.  My dear papa is buried at Andersonville, and perhaps some little girl will be kind enough to put a few flowers upon his grave".  -  Jennie Vernon

The wreath that Jennie provided was placed on a grave in the cemetery, and the story of her kindness was reprinted throughout the nation that summer.  It turned out that Jennie was twelve years old, and she had lost her father at a military prison near Andersonville, Georgia in 1864.  Her father is buried in the Andersonville National Cemetery .. Section K, grave #2428.

It's not known if anyone placed flowers on the grave of Jennie's father in 1868.  However, her story is a reminder of Jennie's father and all of our nation's fallen soldiers.  Please take this day to honor them!  If you'd like to read the article, you can find it here.

Memorial Day has also become thought of as the beginning of summer, so I hope you all have a great day and a great summer too.  Thanks to our military, we still have our freedom!

Hasta luego ... until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!

Veteran's Day!

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day!  Please take some time to remember those that have fought for our country and those that are still fighting today.  These brave heroes have fought for us, and we can not truly know what sacrifices they have made for us.  Some have given their lives, others their limbs, and many their peace of mind.  Some never come home, and those that do need our appreciation, respect, and understanding.  The battle never ends for so many of them.

By the way, today is also the 236th birthday of our Marine Corps!  Celebrate their birthday, celebrate your freedom!

Last year I shared an article written by the Saints quarterback, Drew Brees, regarding Veteran's Day.  While I am a New Orleans native and huge Saints fan, this article can be appreciated by everyone.  Therefore, I'm reposting this again.

WWII Vets Still Deserve Our Attention

By Drew Brees

As with many men in their 30s, the demands of building a career and family mean my gaze is focused on what's ahead, not what's behind. I do, however, enjoy reading about history — especially military history. But it took a trip to Okinawa, Japan, to make me realize the deep, if not always visible, connection between America's youngest generations and its "Greatest" one.


In April 1945, Okinawa became the site of one of World War II's bloodiest battles between invading U.S. forces and the defending Japanese. My grandfather, Ray Akins— then a 19-year-old Marine from Brady, Texas — was in the thick of it. As I walked around the island I realized I was walking in his footsteps. I stood at the spot where my grandfather stormed the beach with the 1st Marine Division. I imagined the noise and death surrounding the soldiers as they first set foot on the island.


Listen to the vets.


Suddenly, a rush of emotion came over me, and I had to know what my grandfather was thinking at that moment. So I called him, from that very spot. I told him where I was, and with tears rolling down my face, I asked him to recall that day.


"I was 19 years old on April 1, 1945, and my birthday was in May. I was just trying to live to be 20," he told me. I will never forget that conversation, and neither will the future generations of my family. Had a Japanese bullet killed my grandfather, I would not be here. Nor would my sons.


When I returned home, my grandfather told me more stories about the war: the surge of patriotism after Pearl Harbor; his boot camp in San Diego; his adventures in China and his encounters in the Pacific. I met more veterans when I joined the board of the National World War II Museum , the New Orleans institution that Congress designated to honor and preserve the stories and deeds of the Greatest Generation for the future. Listening to the veterans' experiences moved me greatly. All Americans should hear them. Especially our kids. But they need to be heard soon.

Wisdom from Steve Jobs

Last night we heard the sad news that Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, had passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.  While we're not fortunate enough to own an Apple computer, i-Phone or i-Pad, we can not help but have heavy hearts today.  This man was brilliant and he changed the world forever.   In fact, if it were not for his contributions, we would not be able to blog and connect with all of you.   Thanks to Mr. Jobs we'll be able to keep in touch while sitting on our sailboat in a beautiful anchorage.  His advancements in technology have definitely changed the cruising world!

A lot of cancer patients say that the disease has given them a new appreciation of life.  I don't need cancer to value every single day, and I hope that neither myself nor any of my loved ones ever have to face death in the face like Steve Jobs did.   Here are a few of the quotes from Steve Jobs ... may we all learn from his wisdom.

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.  You are already naked.  There is no reason not to follow your heart.  Stay hungry.  Stay foolish."

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.  Because of almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important".

Steve Jobs had such ambition and drive.  People like him make me feel so lazy and ... well, stupid!  We're not all genuises, but we can all learn from a man like Mr. Jobs.  Follow your dreams, live your passion, and live your life ... not somebody else's!

Rest In Peace Steve Jobs ... you will never be forgotten!

Hasta luego ... until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!

Tequila!

Ken and I finally got a break from the rain this past weekend, but sailing was not in the plans.  This past Saturday we spent the day moving our daughter into her new apartment in Baton Rouge.  She's already starting her second year at LSU, and she's no longer staying in a dorm.  Instead, she will be sharing an apartment with three other girls.  So, Saturday was spent lugging boxes up a flight of stairs and getting our daughter set up for the next year.

Sunday showed a good chance of rain in the afternoon, and we really weren't up to practicing how to sail in bad weather.  So, it was off to the French Quarter for lunch and drinks!  We decided to try a place on Bourbon St. called "Rita's Tequila House".  Rita's sells great Mexican food and has just about any kind of tequila that you could imagine.  A couple of  "Top Shelf" margaritas with chips and queso ... really good!

Cheryl with Tom, founder of Republic Tequila

While sitting at the bar enjoying our lunch, a guy sat down beside Ken and ordered a shot of Republic Tequila.  We struck up a conversation with the guy, and it turns out he is one of the founders of Republic Tequila!  His name is Tom and he is a really nice guy.  Tom was interested in our future cruising plans, and he mentioned a couple that he met that took off to travel in a simple manner.  This couple traveled the West on horses, along with two mules to carry their luggage.  Wow, I thought we were thinking "out the box", but that couple has us beat!We enjoyed hearing about how Tom came to make and sell tequila.  He bought Ken and I each a shot so we could sample his product, and it's really good stuff!  I wonder how many bottles of Republic Tequila we can fit on our sailboat  ... hmmm.  We were so glad that we had the opportunity to meet Tom, and we know he will find success with his awesome, 100% organic tequila.  He's already had success with a certain chili I'm sure you've heard of.  Who knows who you'll meet when sitting at a bar!

Republic Tequila is fairly new to the market, and it is gaining popularity across the nation.  It's based out of Texas and founded by two real cowboys!  To find out more about Republic Tequila, check out my post on Pickled Pirate that I wrote!

Hasta luego ... until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!