"7 Quick Takes Friday" #3: A Tale of Two Travels, etc.

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First of all, when you finish reading this (if I don't lose you before you even get to #7), you should take a moment to click on the link to Jennifer Fulwiler's "Conversion Diary" located at the end of this post.  Jennifer is absolutely wonderful, and so are a lot of the bloggers who post "Quick Takes" at the end of her blog each Friday. I have discovered some gems very much worth reading--and even "met" some very interesting women--since I started participating in this weekly blog-sharing event two weeks ago.

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Secondly, my iPhone is still hanging in there!  It's nothing short of a miracle, considering what happened to it back on January 16.  Word to the wise: if you happen to drop your cell phone into a swimming pool, or a lake, or the ocean, or any sort of tank filled with water, try the old rice trick--stat!  After I dropped my phone into..into a swimming pool (yeah, that's it), I immediately submerged it in a bowl of rice and left it there for a day or so; and although some of the minor functions aren't working perfectly anymore, for the most part my phone seems to have survived its near-drowning. 

Not that I'm extremely attached to my iPhone or anything...but to say I'm relieved that it's still working is a huge understatement.  

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If you haven't entered the ornament giveaway contest on my blog, you can still go to the January 28 post to join the fun.  All you have to do is leave a comment with a guess as to how many Christmas ornaments I had on my tree this year, and you could win a hand-crafted wooden Santa ornament.  (On January 29, I posted a photo of my decorated tree, just to give you a leg-up in the guessing department.  There are a lot of ornaments on there, as you can see.)

This is my second contest/giveaway at "String of Pearls."  I decided to be a total copy-cat and try it, after seeing this sort of thing done on some of the blogs I enjoy reading.  I have never won anything when I've entered them; but take heart, dear readers: when you enter a contest on this blog, the number of participants is bound to be pretty low, so the odds of winning are in your favor!

The prize!  (He's 5 and 1/2 inches tall, made of sturdy pine and hand-painted.)

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I am writing this post days in advance. because I'm going to be a little busy on Friday.  (It's really only Tuesday the 29th as I write this--fooled ya!)  The reason I wanted to get my "7 Quick Takes" finished ahead of time, so that all I'll have to do is push the "publish post" button on Friday morning, is that on Thursday evening I will be boarding an airplane piloted by my better half and headed for Barcelona, Spain.  My husband is a commercial airline pilot who routinely flies to European destinations, and as an empty-nester, I have finally gotten to the point where I can be convinced to accompany him on some of his trips across the great big ocean.  (If you read my blog on any kind of regular basis, you've probably heard me talk about my fear of flying and my efforts to overcome it.)

I saw a news report recently that said many people who frequent Facebook are beginning to have self-esteem and jealousy issues because of all the pictures their friends post on there--especially pictures of awesome vacations taken to exotic locales.  So before you think I've got an oh-so-glamorous life and start to feel the green-eyed monster taking hold, keep this in mind: I will spend about 7 and 1/2 hours on an airplane, which is nothing short of punishment for me; then my husband and I will take a nap for a few hours, get up and sight-see in Barcelona for one day, have a nice dinner, and go to bed early enough for him to be well-rested for the return flight; and the next day, I will spend about 7 and 1/2 hours on an airplane again.  I'll be in the air over the Atlantic more than I'll be on the ground in Spain.

That being said, however...I did go shopping at Barnes & Noble with my husband today (Tuesday), and we picked up a pocket-sized Barcelona guide book, which we've been poring over.  So I must admit, I'm getting pretty excited about the trip!

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Speaking of travels to exotic locales, my middle son (26) and his lovely girlfriend are on a 5-day Caribbean cruise* as I write this.  They flew to Miami last Friday and boarded the ship on Saturday, and right about now they are living the life, I'm sure.  On Saturday they texted me a couple of pictures, right after they'd gotten settled on board, and shortly after the texts came through my son called, sounding very excited.  (In the middle of our conversation, he had to pause to speak to a waiter who'd come by to ask if he or the lady would like a cocktail.  When the drink came I said I hoped it had a little umbrella in it, and he laughed and said it did.)

The really sweet thing about this son is that while beginning the awesome experience of his own first-ever cruise, he was actually thinking of his father and me.  He asked if either of us had ever been on a cruise, and when I said we hadn't (because I figured my husband's time aboard Navy ships didn't really count), he said, "We should do this--the whole family--with you and Dad on your 35th anniversary!"  How thoughtful and loving that boy is.  I just adore him!  (Our 35th is about three years away, so that gives me some time to contemplate being on a boat way out in the middle of the ocean--a fear that on my long list of phobias ranks second only to flying!)

*(They are a CatholicMatch.com couple, so no worries--it's all on the up and up!)

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If you'd like to order a copy of my novel Finding Grace, I am able offer it to my blog readers at a discounted price.  On Amazon, the cost is $17.99 plus shipping & handling; I have a number of copies and I can send you a signed one for $15.99 (and that includes s & h).  To contact me about making a purchase, just click on the "Email me" link, above right.  (You're probably thinking, "Another plug for her book!  She's shameless!")

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I hope I'm going to get some beautiful photos while I'm in Barcelona, and I will be sure to post them on my blog next week.  In the meantime, here's a picture of the La Seu Cathedral (found on-line, pre-trip), which I hope I'm actually seeing in person as you're reading this on Friday.

Adios, amigos!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!