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April-May-June 2006 Travel Tip: Be sure to check the Foreign Entry Requirements for the countries you plan to visit. Some countries in South America like Brazil and Chile charge $100 or more upon entry. On the World Wide Web: Writer's Wanderings Karen's Homepage Grandparenting column Smiles: I was hard pressed to find a suitable souvenir for four-year-old Tyler on our trip to Antarctica. Knowing he would not appreciate the fleece vest with "Antarctica" embroidered across the back, I decided to give him a mini-iceberg. We had a fresh snowfall when we arrived home so I packed some nice white snow into a large plastic container and froze it. He was thrilled with his "iceberg" and immediately floated it in the bathtub. He rescued it from melting and it is now at home in the family freezer. "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." Matthew 12:34 Looking for a speaker for your next event? Some of Karen's topics: Living Happily Ever After Keeping Fuel in Your Tank Be a Barnabas! For more topics and information go to my speaker information page.
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Greetings
Family and Friends! We just returned from a cruise aboard the Celebrity ship Millennium. Most of you probably heard the news about 12 of our fellow passengers who died in a tragic accident near Arica, Chile. They had arranged their own tour of Lauca National Park and were returning from the mountains when their van swerved to avoid an oncoming truck and they tumbled down and embankment. The hush that enveloped the ship that night as the news spread and the captain made his announcement echoed the sentiment: There but for the grace of God... Many of us had been on tours that day. We had all traveled narrow roads precariously perched on inclines. Lines formed at the computer center as we all knew that the news would reach home quickly and there would not be names mentioned until families were notified. Thoughts of loved ones were first on our minds and then thoughts and prayers of those families who would be hearing the worst. The cruise line handled the situation with grace and respect. They went out of their way to help the friends the victims were traveling with and the families that needed to travel to Chile. On board ship, they set aside a room for those who wanted to remember, to pray, or to meditate and included a book for all to sign their condolences. At the next port, Callao, Peru, a rabbi embarked and was available to the B'nai B'rith group who had suffered the loss of their travel companions. A memorial service was held in the Celebrity theater and was attended by about 300 people. People picked up their spirits and the rest of our cruise was quite enjoyable. The loss was not forgotten but the remembrance that life has to go on was grasped. In A Pickle, my most recent novel about a 70 year old widowed pickle entrepreneur who mistakenly puts marijuana in her pickle recipe is in the hands of three publishing houses who are looking at it seriously. The next step is for one of them to take it to their publishing committee and have it considered for their book list. The process is painstakingly slow--especially when you are the author waiting for word. I will keep you updated. Not ready to pack your bags for adventure? Take a look around your own community. So many time we overlook the wonders of God's creation right in our own backyard. Note: If you've enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it on to a friend. They can subscribe at my website. Unsubscribe from JOURNEYS, |
From Mountains to Seas, Papua New Guinea “Shout our name from the mountains to seas, Papua New Guinea.” The strains of their national anthem still play in my mind. I expected a great dive adventure. I didn’t expect to fall in love. Perhaps it was waking anchored in calm inlets to hazy purplish sunrises with the distant call of exotic birds, or looking out at the lush green islands of Milne Bay that contrasted sharply against the clear blue skies and deep blue waters that drew me in. Without a doubt it was meeting the wonderful people of the villages that dot the islands so far away from the usual conveniences we take for granted. Silently the dugout canoes sliced through the water from each village as we neared. Men, women, and children in canoes congregated at the sides and back of the live-aboard with fresh fruits and vegetables to trade for staples like rice and sugar. Some displayed crafts of wood and shells to sell or trade for T-shirts. Some fished. But all watched as we came and went in our dive gear. We were the entertainment for the day. The paradise above was magnified in the treasures below. Abundant colorful marine life in all shapes and sizes played over a patchwork quilt of colored corals. An abundance of lionfish, countless varieties of nudibranchs, endless fields of anemones each with their guardian clownfish, and the unusual, including the hairy ghost pipefish, kept us going back for more. On this 10 day trip, we were limited only by our ability, stamina, and common sense. (Read more)
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