Glorious Spring!

This is an absolutely gorgeous spring day...it is so nice to have the sun shining after over two days of heavenly rain--not a normal pattern in our part of the country! I hope you are enjoying a lovely day as well.

You CAN teach an old dog new tricks! And I am here to tell you that these two old dogs are slowly learning new eating habits and new foods. Here you see one of the appetizer servings on our cruise--now the food I am preparing at home HARDLY looks like this,

but it is fun to try eating the vegetarian/vegan way. I am trying lots of new recipes, and so far they have been successful! We both feel very well AND are losing weight..now we just hope those blood numbers are going in the right direction as well. So any of you who want to share a good vegetable, legume or grain recipe with us, feel free to send it on!

We will leave Palm Sunday in our RV with our destination being San Antonio to spend Easter with Jo and Scott, but first we will have a few days at Llano State Park on the Guadalupe River outside of Junction TX--a place we have been wanting to visit and this is the time. On our trip home from El Paso last week we notice the Texas wildflowers are beginning to bloom, so we look forward to seeing bluebonnets on this next part of our trip.

May the joys of this Holy Season be yours, as we walk with Jesus.

Healthy Cruising with Special Friends!

Last week we joined Jim and Sandy Alsup to celebrate Ralph and Sally Green's 50th wedding anniversary on a "Taste of Health" cruise aboard the Italian ship, Costa Magica. And indeed it was a magical week! We never lacked for delicious, beautifully presented healthy meals...or stimulating, hilarious conversations...creating memories that we will never forget!

And you are thinking "healthy cruise"? Jim is a cancer survivor of over 15 years through prayer and the macrobiotic diet. This is the 4th year that Taste of Health has offered a macrobiotic cruise...we numbered over 700 of the 2900 guests, had our meals served in one dining room where those of us who were not macrobiotic oriented could order off any of the menus--regular cruise fare, vegan, vegetarian, wellness--just about whatever you wanted. We were treated to the opportunity to attend 4 classes offered each day by very knowledgeable instructors--from diabetes management by Dr. Neal Bernard to cooking classes by Christina Parelli (whose TV show "Christina Cooks" is seen on many PBS stations) We had our own excellent macrobiotic chef, Mark Hanna, and his meals were amazing. Jerry had received a diagnosis of diabetes just two weeks before we set sail, with 3 months to get his blood sugar count down to normal or else, so we felt it was really a gift from God that we were going on this cruise. We came home healthier, lighter in weight, and determined to change our eating habits.

One of the Hilton "talents" which we are always happy to share with others is "hanging spoons". Now you have seen Jerry with one of his lesser-known talents, and he did his best to teach others around us to also hang spoons.

We had many opportunities to give thanks to God - the beauty of His creation all around us; the glory of all that beautiful water everywhere--and when you are from West Texas, its doubly impressive; the precious gift of wonderful friends with whom to share all these experiences; quiet time for reading and meditating, or walking the track on the top deck of the ship; the beautiful young people (primarily from the Philippines) who made our stay so comfortable; and most especially, for the gift of one another in our own marriage and these exceptional 2 1/2 years since Jerry's retirement.

We cherish you all!