Back From Alaska!

Well, I'm a day off this week! I have been all week because we got home late Monday and so Tuesday became Monday and oops...

Now it's Thursday (for real!) and I forgot!

But here I am and oh my stars, I just had a week I'll never forget. We went to Alaska, our kids gave us a cruise for Christmas (this is the line you need to repeat to your blessed, grown-up children: "Ruthy's kids gave her a CRUISE for Christmas!"

:)

It was the most amazing experience of my life. Other than having my children, but here's the thing, once you have children, well... you HAVE them and they demand things, need things, want things, deserve things.

Nobody needed a darn thing in Alaska, LOL! Except maybe my credit card.

I can't begin to describe the wonder or the majesty. Of course I will try, because I will most likely set a book or two up there, but it was magical... reverent... glorious.... awe-inspiring.

And seeing the mountaintops begin to crumble and form lush spaces for green valleys below was like watching the Earth change before our eyes.... A real-time image of geological wonder.

I saw bald eagles that flew past us like crows in a cornlot, humpback whales, orcas, (killer whales), sea lions, sea otters and people!

I HAD SO MUCH FUN!

God bless my children for thinking of this because I'd have put it off and put it off and put it off... and then maybe would never get to go.

So that's my recipe for the week: Alaska! And I had baked Alaska, but it really wasn't the baked Alaska I have in a recipe book.... but it was still delicious!

Brava, ship chefs and bakers!

Notice that we're in shirts. We had to take our light jackets off about 9:30 in the morning... we prepped for winter and had a great week of 70-75 degrees and sun! They assured us this wasn't typical, but we were okay with it! This is by "Emerald Lake" a lake that looks like a Caribbean shoreline because it used to be ocean. (and yes, it's in the mountains). The coloring is what happens when crushed sea shells mix with silt and form the lake bed. Gorgeous, right? It was frozen solid last week. :)

Timing is everything!

It's so good to be back, but I was crazy delighted for this chance to see something just extraordinarily different. Is this a busman's holiday, do you think? When the northern girl goes farther north for a cruise?

LAUGHING!!!!