By Emily Dickinson
I did a pretty poor job (no job) of blogging (bragging?) about my recent Mediterranean cruise. For some reason, I was thinking about the day we had in Nice, France, on April 22, 2023. Our ship docked in Villefranche-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, where many celebrities summer, and home to Monaco, the Cannes film festival, and Monte Carlo. There were excursions to these locales, but we didn't have an excursion planned so we 'winged it.' We did a little research, and I was keen to get to the roof top of Museum of Modern Art and Contemporary Art in Nice, for "the best views in the city."
We hopped right off the ship, no tendering needed, and explored the welcoming area of the port before boarding a Hop On Hop Off bus to Nice. Good luck figuring out how to get a ticket.
We drove past the beautiful Promenade along the water, before the bus turned onto a city street and abruptly stopped. No explanation was given, but everyone had to get off. Since I had a destination and tourist map in hand, we took off on foot, and quickly found ourselves at the Promenade des Arts. We were seated at a street cafe looking around when we figured out the museum was just to the right of us.
Sidewalk cafe with extremely slow service
Betsy taking pics in the Promenade des Arts while waiting for our food
MAMAC
The climb to the top of the museum was, interesting, we skipped looking at the most of the art, running from one escalator to another to stairs, to finally arriving on the roof. The building seemed pretty beat up and old. Not like an American museum. But the views from the roof did not disappoint!
The curvy walkways and heights gave me chills. You can't really tell without the 360 degree panoramic how bizarre this space was.
Pano- looks cooler on Facebook 360
Bird's eye view of Nice
Pano- you could literally step over this rail and jump. It freaked me out.
We somehow found our way back to a Hop On stop and toured back to the ship. I was beginning to feel woosy and became sick by the next day.
Wow, I just saw some Facebook drama on a community page, throwing around the "Karen" word. Can I first say, I'm so sorry to all the good Karens of the world? I know a few, no, I know many, and now they get a bum wrap for having been given a name that has become synonymous with white entitlement and privilege.
Now to admit the hard part. I had judgmental thoughts about the post "Karyn" so rudely commented on. Luckily I think before I click, most of the time.
This morning I woke up to a text message asking me to make a casserole for a family in need. Do I want to do it? Do I have time to do it? Not really, but guess what? Yesterday we smelled gas in the house and I called Ameren to check it out. Suffice it to say, we are safe and down $619 in our checking account. Probably half the families in our town couldn't have afforded the bill on the spot like that. They would be out of their home, probably have frozen water pipes, and who knows how they would scrape up that kind of money to fix the problem and have their gas turned back on? Did I mention the temperature was in the single digits?
Not only did Ameren provide prompt service, our local heating company came out within an hour and spent nearly 4 hours repairing four gas leaks. We are truly blessed this was taken care of so promptly. The least I could do was pack him a warm dinner to go.
I don't know what it's like to flee a domestic violence situation with multiple children, although I was technically homeless with a child once upon a time. I always knew I had family support, though I was loathe to ask for help. This "Susan" needs to check herself and make the casserole.
Reflections of 2023
I left my job of almost 9 years and embarked on a new adventure with more hours, longer commute, and new technology challenges. One silver lining is viewing the stunning sunsets on my drive home. Dusk on the open prairie is unmatched. I do often think of Calvin sitting on the beach watching the same sun go down over the ocean.
I started an Instagram series "Wednesdays in Oquawka" where I photograph interesting little gems in this Mississippi River town. I also dine with the local seniors occasionally and that has been a fun way to connect with the community I now serve.
Betsy and I took a true dream vacation to the Mediterranean in April. 10 days and nights at sea from Venice to Barcelona, around the boot of Italy. Every day was a new port and exciting adventure. Honestly, my favorite part was sitting on our balcony after a tiring day, watching the other passengers board, and pulling out to sea with, again, gorgeous sunsets behind breathtaking shorelines, mountains and cliffs.
I joined a Book Club this fall, something I have always wanted to do, and like my mom, I am the "old lady" of the group. I see why she values this so much, getting to know some new faces and personalities, listening to how they speak and think about life. Excluding me and one other older woman, the average age is probably 40.
As always, the Out of the Darkness Walks sustained my mission to honor and pay forward Adam's life, and I get much more in return than I give.
Watching my kids succeed in the world has been my biggest pride and joy. When I have a down day, I think of them and their impact on the world, and I can't help but be happy. I am forever grateful they let me be part of their lives.
Pat has been by my side almost 33 years. Through the occasional testiness, frequent snoring, and ups and downs of life, we have found a way to laugh and peacefully cohabitate and reach our goals together.
