Memories . . .

On April 2, I turned 50 years old! It's hard to believe, but I finally hit half a century (now that does sound rather mature, I guess). Some say that "Life begins at 50!" I will have to take their word for it, as I have a lot of living left to do in the next 30-50 years!! :)

I have been celebrating my birthday since March 28 -- no kidding! We were in Orlando, FL, on vacation with Frank's parents, Frank, Jr., and Mary, as well as sister-in-law, Mary Elizabeth. Our good friends, Lisa and James Zeman, and their four children came to spend the day with us at Sheraton Vistana. We had a great time catching up and just "hanging out" with the kiddos for the day! The highlight for me was when the girls, Maddie, Hannah and Kristen, sang "Happy Birthday" to me in front of many people as it was karaoke night. They did an outstanding job and I got hugs and kisses from all the kids when they left that night. I wish we had more time together, but truly enjoyed what time we had . . . The fresh strawberries that the Zemans delivered to us that day were scrumptious and added to our morning meals for several days. Thank you for your generosity and thoughtfulness. I love you!

The rest of our vacation was spent lounging by the pool; taking naps; eating great meals; conversing with the fam; and relaxing as much as possible. We also took in a couple of shows, the "Arabian Nights" and the "Blue Man Group" at Universal. Mary Elizabeth treated all of us for my birthday (and Frank's too) to see the "Blue Man Group" and they were awesome! Not a word was spoken, but there was a lot of communication and entertainment. One of the "Blue Men" took a walk into our section and came between me and my sister-in-law, placing his hand on my head to balance himself. He gave me the strangest stare before he used my head as a rail/post -- made me laugh hysterically!! We also were able to attend a Spring Training Game at Disney between the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox -- it was a good game, but our Sox didn't come out on top . . . The two couples took a little gambling trip aboard the "Sun Cruz" casino ship out of Cape Canaveral one afternoon, but no luck this time around. We had a good time though and enjoyed the cruise itself. Finally, we had a nice dinner out on my 50th birthday with a friend from GTMO, Pedro Bennett. I was sooo happy to see Pedro and to know that he is doing well. I feel connected to Pedro and want the best for him. It was great to see him and to catch up on life! Hopefully it won't be so long between visits in the future!!!

When I returned home and got unpacked, Easter was just around the corner . . . My family had another party for me on Easter Sunday to celebrate my 50th and it was wonderful. Almost everyone was there and we enjoyed a feast of honey baked spiral ham, homemade scalloped potatoes, deviled eggs, fresh spinach, broccoli, green beans, tossed salad, snowflake rolls, and Frank's "made from scratch" carrot cake -- yummy! It was a feast and there were leftovers for everyone to enjoy the following day!! Frank and I left the party about 6:00 p.m. and headed to Chrysler Hall to see Jennifer Hudson and Robin Thicke in concert. They were both amazing! Robin opened the show and did a great job, but Jennifer . . . Jennifer blew the roof off the house! That girl can sing!!! I was already a huge fan, but now I'm Jennifer Hudson's #1 fan! :)

There's still another celebration to come as Mom is taking me on a cruise to celebrate my 50th in May. We are headed to the beautiful Caribbean, May 21-30. I can't wait as it has been too long since I've seen that beautiful blue green water in September 2007 (when we left Guantanamo Bay, Cuba). I will enjoy every minute that we're at sea on deck this time around, unless there is foul weather. I will post pics from that trip when I return. I think that's enough for this post, so will end by saying that "50 is the new 30" and I feel great -- hope you can keep up with me!

Ciao!

Ellen

I was reminiscing today and looking at some great photos that we took when visiting Alaska and Seattle with Frank's folks a few years ago. Thought I would share some of the best pics with all of you on my blog. Feel free to copy as screensavers or whatever.

We've been fortunate the past 25+ years and have taken some awesome trips. The cruise to Alaska was definitely one of our best. We celebrated Mom and Dad's 50th wedding anniversary while taking in some of the most beautiful scenery in the world -- literally! If you haven't been to Alaska yet, consider taking a cruise. It's worth the expense and you won't forget it anytime soon! Enjoy the pics!

Have a terrific day!

Ellen :)

P.S. I threw a few pics of Seattle in too as we stopped there in both directions before/after our cruise to Alaska. Seattle is a great city and I want to go back for more sightseeing and fresh, wild salmon at Salty's!!