I've made a decision. I'm cutting out sugar. 

OK. Not all sugar. I love my Newman's Own Pineapple Salsa. I'm sure there is sugar in there. But I'm not going to ADD any sugar to anything. Not a thing.

Not even my tea.    GASP!!

I LIVE on sweet tea. I have spent my children's college education on McD's sweet teas.

BUT - no more. 

I will be a NEW PIRATE!! LEANER, and PEACEFULLER! 

Wish me luck.....

TEN THINGS TO SEE WHILE VISITING ST. AUGUSTINE, FL 

according to me, the Peaceful Pirate. No one twisted my arm, keel hauled, or lightly suggested I mention any of these choices. They are strictly my opinion. 

in no particular order:

1)  St. George Street

      Unique shops, nice people, great food

2)  Side Streets

      Don't forget to peruse the side streets. There are more wonderful stores and eateries around the corners.

3)  Flagler College

      Asheville, NC has the Biltmore House. St. Augustine has the Ponce de Leon Hotel - now known as Flagler College. Absolutely breathtaking. Including the largest private collection of Tiffany Glass.

4)   Lightner Museum (in the Alcazar Hotel)

       An eclectic collection of any thing and everything. Talk to the volunteers - they are very knowledgable! And take a listen to the large collection of music boxes - it's not what you think!

5)  Cafe Alcazar

       Hungry for  delicious spanakopitas or maybe homemade french onion soup? How 'bout having it served in what was once the deep end of the world's largest pool at the turn of the 20th century? If you look up you may just see the remains of the original rope trapeze that once entertained guests!

6)   Castillo de San Marcos

        My personal favorite. So much history. And the gun deck has arguably the best view in St. Augustine.

7)   Fort Mose

        The very first legally free black settlement in what would become America. 120+ years before the Civil War. And if you have never heard of Francisco Menendez -you should. Absolutely amazing man.

8)   St. Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum

        The largest collection of authentic pirate artifacts in the world. Under one roof. And I happen to know a tour guide there. Say hey to Mad Marie if you see her. :)

9)    Pizzalleys

       I love their pizza. It makes me happy.

10)  Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park

         This is where it all began. Not Jamestown in my native Virginia. Right here where archaeologists found evidence of Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles' original settlement. In fact, after visiting here - check out the First Colony exhibit at the Government House off King Street. Here you will find many of the artifacts found on the FOY property.

OKAY - there you have it. These are some of my favorites. What are yours?? Please leave them in the comments! I would love to hear from you!

It is better to give - unless no one wants to receive it!

A few years ago, our Captain was unemployed and we were struggling to make ends meet. We were feeling pretty low.


One of the coldest snaps was whipping through these parts for a few nights - some of the coldest on record. So the family and I visited a thrift store to buy some old blankets to distribute to any unlucky souls we found without a warm bed. Surely that would raise our spirits.


We drove to an overpass of our local highway - I had often seen a few homeless gathering under that bridge. We had hand warmers, blankets, and gloves to hand out.


We took the exit ramp off the highway and stopped at the traffic light. My first mate rolled down the window and called out to the freezing strangers "Would you like a blanket?".


The loud traffic noise was too much and all the strangers could respond was "WHAT??". Just then the light turned green and we drove off to circle around again. After a few minutes, we were again back to the red light. "WOULD YOU LIKE A BLANKET???". One of the homeless gentlemen trotted over with his hand up to his ear as if to say "can't hear you". Our light turned green - we were off again.


After a fourth time of screaming out the window with only a confused response, we finally threw two blankets and warmers out the window and sped off.


We drove around to find two more homeless who refused our blankets.  It was getting very late and we were all very hungry. We had one more blanket and the Captain ordered "We will not eat until the last blanket has been given away".


We must have driven for over two hours - until finally, on a sidewalk downtown, we saw a gentleman laying flat on his back. We drove around trying to find a place to park with no luck - finally the Captain ordered his first mate to drive around the block while he jumped ship to give the blanket to the gentleman. 


The Captain ran off into the darkness as the steam from a street grate obscured our view. When we drove back around to rendezvous , the Captain ran out of the steamy fog and jumped into our vehicle - his mood having soured. 


It seems the homeless gentleman was a passed out drunk. So he threw the blanket over him and left him. I asked "did you tuck it under him so it wouldn't blow off?" 


  "Yes!" he sarcastically replied, "and I sang him a lullaby!!".


OK - so this night did not leave us feeling warm and fuzzy. And we all drove home hungry and irritable. 


But since then, we have shared that story with many friends. And we've laughed harder each time we tell it. And the most important part is: our kids have asked to do it again. Now I'm sure that if they remembered how they felt that night - they certainly would not ask! 


But its how we REMEMBER events, that make all the difference. Now it is remembered as one of the funniest nights we have ever had together. And, truth be told, if every thing had gone right that night - the good feeling may have lasted a day or two. But nothing to blog about!


There is something to be said for one bad night - finding the funny parts and sharing the memory of it can make many ordinary nights... awesome!

This borders on braggin' - and that is certainly not my intent. 


But I wanted to share a little joy with you. I stood in line behind an older couple the other day. After checking out, the gentleman noticed a harmonica by the register. He regretted not seeing it sooner and, as the cashier was bagging their items,  regaled me with stories of how his father could make a harmonica "talk". 


I suggested he buy it and give it a shot. He briefly considered it, but, like we all do, thought of every reason why he shouldn't and followed his wife out the door.


 As I handed my purchases to the cashier, I decided to throw that harmonica in there. As soon as she rang it up, I threw it to one of my crew members and he hastily chased down the gentleman and handed it to him. 


There were a thousand reasons why I shouldn't have done that, but sometimes you just have to give in to a whim and not think about it.


 So in your travels, if you see an elderly gentleman making a harmonica talk - make sure you stop and listen. And give in to those positive whims!

Did I ever tell you how much I love people?? I mean, really, really enjoy them?


It's a good thing since some of my best crew are people. 


I recently met Elaine and Josh - at the Grist Mill Gifts store on St George Street in St Augustine. Elaine has had that store for 27 years! One day I'll have to ask if she'll sit down with me and regale me with stories about everyone she's met. 


Down the street I found Mik and Chris Medley - two brothers who own a great shop called Surf Culture! I've often thought about learning how to surf - maybe, just maybe. Actually kite boarding would be cool. Hmmmm...

More of my latest travels.....

We are just leaving The Seychelles, a group of beautiful islands in the Indian Ocean.  The beaches are white sand, but it's the water that is especially stunning - all the marine colors you can imagine:  green, blue, aqua, aquamarine, purple.  And so clear you can easily see the fish swimming around the coral.  And the fish, too, come in a wide variety of colors and patterns.

Here is where the giant coco de mere palm tree grows.  The huge nut that is shaped like - now do NOT giggle - butt cheeks is actually an inedible double coconut seed.  It grows nowhere else in the world and we were thrilled to see so many of the trees which are now protected by the government.   We also gaped at the giant tortoises, friendly big beasts whose shells are about 3 feet long.  I fed them grass and palm leaves and patted their very rough shells.  When he looks at you the tortoise seems very wistful.
And we saw fruit bats!  These are real bats, but they look like crows when you see them flying high above you.  Like the coco de mer and the tortoise, they're huge!
In order to get up to the best viewing spot on the capital island of Mahe and on another island named Praslin, we had to drive up some very high hills with some very winding and tortuous switchbacks.  When one looked out the window, all that could be seen was the water far below.  But what a spectacular view when we got to the top!!
Off Mahe they are reclaiming land from the sea and "building" a new island, a very expensive island with unbelievably expensive houses. More later...

My travels! From Dubai to India.

Hello Crew!


Your friendly captain is sailing from Dubai to India. Please enjoy my latest Ships Log entry!


Just to share with you what a great time we're having, I'll give you a few highlights:
In Dubai I took the world's fastest elevator to the observation deck of the world's tallest building.  It was an unbelievably smooth ride.  And the view was outstanding.  At the Mall of the Emirates I saw the indoor ski slopes.  Seriously, people were taking the ski lift up and skiing down on man-made snowl.  There was even a sledding slope for kids.  The crew and I watched from a window in the restaurant, and it was like staring at a Christmas card!
We wondered why virtually all the houses in Oman were painted a brilliant white.  It turns out that it's the law!  If you want to paint your house a different color you have to pay a very high tax.  Our guide says it would cost him $700. to get permission to paint his house a different color.  It does make for a pretty picture and it seems to cool things down a bit.


In Mumbai, India, we stared at the Outdoor Laundry.  This is a huge area, as big as 10 football fields, that has dozens of huge laundry vats (enormous sinks) and probably 1,000 clotheslines.  Hospitals, hotels, restaurants send their linens and uniforms to be washed there by hundreds of men who do them all by hand!  Then they hang the pieces out to dry in the hot sun.  It's an amazing sight:  thousands of tablecloths, sheets, pillow cases, and shirts all fluttering in the breeze.


The traffic in Goa, India, is unbelievable!  It's heart-stopping to watch the way the cars and trucks pass one another, with barely an inch to spare.  The roads here are very windy, and when you look ahead and see a truck bearing down on your bus in the same lane, it's pretty scary!  Fortunately we've had great drivers!


The ship is holding up well thanks to this remarkable crew! We're having a marvelous adventure. Will report more tomorrow!

I'm starting to like Thanksgiving much more than Christmas.


Thanksgiving is cooking and eating. It lasts for one day. No gifts are involved and football reigns.


Christmas is great if you have kids - to see their footed PJ's tippy toe down the stairs to see a mountain of gifts is true joy. But other than that, it's a month and a half of the same songs, crowded stores, and the same questions over and over "are you ready for the holidays?" "have you finished your shopping?".


Thanksgiving is pure. Just being grateful and eating - a lot.


If we really want to get back to the spirit of the Christmas Season - we should only give food and money to those in need. Wouldn't you much rather give $25 to a homeless shelter than spend it on a Chili's gift card for  your boss? And let Christmas day be an even bigger feast than Thanksgiving. That would be perfect.


But what do I know? Maybe I'm just jealous because there is no song called "Deck the Dock".

Wow!! If you haven't experienced the Holly Trolly at St Augustine's Nights of Lights - then you certainly must put it on your bucket list.


I'm trying to decide what made it so spectacular:


    The special glasses they handed out that turned every light into a colorful, sparkling snowflake?
     Or the festive holiday music they played on our trolley?
     Or the contagious chipper spirit each driver conveyed?
     Maybe the incredible art galleries! Or the friendly people!!
     Orrrr...the period costumes on some of the townspeople.
     The incredible artisans!

Manatees by TG Rice

      (While admiring his artwork - ask artist and shopkeeper TG Rice to show you his finger!)
      There is so much to choose from.


       Oh wait! I think I forgot two very important details! BOGO with coupons from the Holly Trolley for Kilwins (can you really have enough fudge?) and  beers at Ann O'Malleys! Yep - that may have been the kicker.


        Thanks to Cruisers Grill (yummy burgers!) and Ann O'Malleys, I introduced myself to Shocktop this weekend. I may have just found myself a new favorite beer.


         May have to do it all next weekend!
       


      

Life is good. Really, really good. Not much else to say other than that! I wish joy for everyone. I truly, truly do.

I'm so HAPPY!!!!!!!

And I wish for all the people I meet to be as happy as I!

I take full responsibility for my love, my luck, my decisions, and my attitude!

I have no regrets, no guilt, no coulda, shoulda, wouldas...

Life is wonderful to me because I am wonderful to everyone I meet!

If you are not happy, look within. What can you change? Do not blame others...it only makes you weaker.

I'm a true Peaceful Pirate!
And I surround myself with others like me!

What makes a Peaceful Pirate?

At first I kind of left Peaceful Pirate up to the imagination of the reader. Who is he to you? What does he represent?

It's time now to truly define Peaceful Pirate - what he stands for, and what he doesn't.

In actual history, Pirates were the most disgusting, vile humans that ever roamed the seas. There I said it. Only in Hollywood have we seen 'heroic"pirates like Errol Flynn and, of course, Jack Sparrow. Um, CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow.

However, three years ago (where has the time gone?), I was visiting Madeira Beach, Florida around the time of the annual John LeVique Days Pirate Festival. I felt like I had stepped back in time since everyone was in full 17th century regalia and I was the only one wearing shorts and flip flops.

I couldn't help but be swept up in the nostalgia of old fisherman villages, sailing ships, and pirate lore. I've always been drawn to tall ships, lost horizons, and that warm tropical salt spray you can only get from the high seas. I was in the best mood and tried to find a t-shirt to reflect this incredible spirit. Every shirt I came across had skulls, crossbones, swords, knives, and even blood. Words included "beatings, planks, etc".  Yet none of this described the pirate in me.

I began to imagine, in this day and time, what kind of pirate WOULD I be? What kind of pirates would exist? And I realized, I didn't have to imagine it at all! They are all around us - Peaceful people that love the ocean, island life, and warm breezes.  Instead of   demanding others to follow their lead, they inspire by the life that they lead. They do not need armed crews to destroy those that are different, they instead gather and extend their arms to toast to our differences.

They are Peaceful Pirates. And I am proud to be a part of a fantastic crew.

Are you a Peaceful Pirate?

I'm an addict

Negative thoughts creep in my head. It sets the tone for the rest of the day. These little "movies" that I create in my head,  anger, sadden, or frustrate me.

I walk out of my cabin on the deck of my ship and see every "fault" that should be addressed. Chipped paint. Tattered sails.

Suddenly, a porpoise pops his nose above the water to greet me. And I laugh.

I study his beauty. His strength. His joy.

When he disappears beneath the surface I find I'm smiling. When I look back at the ship, the paint doesn't seem so bad. The sails not so tattered.

Negative thoughts are an addiction. It is an ongoing chore to stop them. But when I do - it literally becomes smoother sailing.

Satellites are smarter than us

So after an annual exam, my Doctor suggested I get a routine blood screening. His assistant gave me a list of several locations to choose from - with maps on the back. This paper was produced by the company that owned the labs. It had highly detailed directions, phone numbers, and maps for each of the twelve locations in my area.

Of course, I picked the location closest to me. I left early this morning hoping to be seen right away so I could get a great start on my day.

The first location did not house the lab for which I was looking. Instead it was a small sandwich shop. Hmmm.

So I made a phone call to the number and it had been disconnected.  I searched for the next closest. My GPS showed it was 12 miles and 20 minutes away. So off I went.

My GPS had me turn into the parking lot of a shoe store. I verified the address on the shoe store's door as the address for which I was looking. I called the number associated with the lab at this address and it, too, had been disconnected. Double hmmmm.

Now I'd given up on this paper I was given. The words and maps just didn't convince me any more.

I proceeded back towards my ship but decided to speak the name of the lab into my GPS to see if the great satellite in the sky had a more current location than the company itself that provided my maps.

Lo and behold! My GPS lady suggested I take my next left and THERE! Behind a bank and down a side street - THERE was my destination!

I skipped into the building and beamed my smile towards the receptionist. I was so happy to see her! If she only knew how many miles I had traveled...how many locations I had surveyed.

She asked for my paperwork and she saw I had their very own copy of the directions and maps in my hand. I gently suggested " you may want to update this list. A couple of the labs are no longer there". She sat up cheerfully and thrust her hand towards a file. "I have updated ones - would you like one?".

To find an appropriate vein, the nurse didn't have to ask me to make a fist. I was one step ahead.

Keep on dreamin'....

I was talking with my son yesterday. His very first exams are coming up and he is one to day dream instead of study. I started to give him the typical parental speech...then stopped myself.

I ended up telling him "Son - you have a great gift! You like to day dream. Keep it up. Day dream as often and as much as you can. Set time aside to study so you can keep your grades up, then go back to day dreaming".

You see, we need day dreamers. Lots and lots of day dreamers. Day dreams created this great country of ours. What if we had told Henry Ford not to day dream. Einstein? Edison?

Thank you Steve Jobs and Bill Gates for day dreaming! Or else I couldn't post this message!

The only product name we don't pronounce

I love M & M's. Love 'em. 

They are a part of me. Literally. I've had a bit too many. BUT (see! That's a big BUT) I am too intimate with them to call them by their initials. To me they're mmm and mmmms. 

Yesterday I asked a grocer which aisle held the mmm and mmmms. He looked at me rather perplexed. So I changed it to M & M's.  "Aisle 3" he replied.

Then I asked where to find M, I, L, & K.

I admit it. I was wrong. I thought St Augustine shut down at 5PM. Nope. Tonight was magical - I was with two of my favorite crew members. (Not my only favorites...I wish you all could've been with me). We were walking down St George and were very surprised to see most of the shops were open. The street was bustling. It was perfect weather. 70 degrees. Clear sky...a sliver of a moon. Incredibly good pizza. There ate too many shops to mention but two of my favorite stores are Peace Frogs (well, duh!) and Aquamarine. Oh Aquamarine...how I love thee. If I owned a store...you would be it.

St. Augustine. This is our closest thing to a European town. The buildings are the oldest in the US. The people are friendly. And there ain't nothin like seeing shadows of curious tourists cast upon the old walls of Fort Castillos De San Marcos on a moonlit night. And, since no cruise ships stop there, the stores are eclectic and interesting! There is a not a multitude of t-shirt shops vying for tourist dollars. Instead, there are amazing artisans and shop owners simply doing what they love and hoping you'll stop by to say Hi.

Please, visit St Augustine. Better yet, please share with me your favorite spot and why. I'd love to hear about it. 

Random observations...

So I was behind a car today that had three bumper stickers- two said "Guitars United" the other was the emblem for the Electricians Union. I wonder if he plays electric guitar?

I passed a Catholic Church that had a sign inviting their congregation to bring their pets for "Blessings of the Animals". It got me thinking - Do animals sin? My dog knows right from wrong (like chewing a shoe) - so if he does it, should he go to confession? 

One thing I know for sure: 9 times out of 10, if I smile at someone - they smile back. Those are darn good odds. And it sure feels good.

The saying "If momma ain't happy, ain't know one happy" is so true. So I try to tell every Mother I see that they're a good mom. That has the potential of a large ripple effect to a lot of people.

Three immediate ways to make your life more peaceful

You're stressed. You're worried. You don't know what the future holds in store - but you don't think it looks too good. Wars are everywhere. How can you possibly wish for a peaceful world? Here's how:

1)  Define "world". We often wish for "world peace"...what does that mean to you? If you're thinking global - then that's a pretty daunting task. But how is your world? With whom do you surround yourself? Look around you right now - is there turmoil or calm? This is your world. And you have full control. You can ignore the people arguing around you - you can switch the radio channel - you have lots of choices. Make YOUR world as peaceful as you can.

2)  Turn off the news. No if, ands, or buts. Turn it off. The news organizations do not get ratings telling you good news. That's not being cynical. Its a fact. So just turn it off. Do you really need to know about the murder five states away? Does it affect your story? Which brings me to #3:

3) Know your story.  I once asked a friend how they were doing - they answered "not good" and proceeded to tell me how an acquaintance got mugged the night before. How their mother was not well. And how two of their friends were in an argument with each other. I couldn't help but think - but I asked how YOU were...you listed everyone elses problems.  It's important to know your own story and not to empathize so much that you confuse others' misfortunes with your own. The fact was, this particular person was in great health, was going on vacation in a week, and had just aced their exams in college. I'd say they were doing pretty well!

These are three IMMEDIATE ways to allow more peace into your life in this very moment. So take a deep breath. Block out the outside noise. Reign in your negative thoughts. And allow peace to blossom in you. You deserve it!

Time to start a-bloggin' again!

It's been a while since I've blogged. But I'm back...and ready to share my thoughts with this peaceful world. I welcome all comments! Share your thoughts with me! Let's get this ship movin' again and sail from port to port meeting new peaceful pirates! I know you're out there!