The Best Laid Plans...

...sometimes get revised. Life is a little like the synopsis for my current work-in-progress. I think I know how things are going to go, but sometimes, my characters throw me a curve ball.

So it is with our plans for the big cruise. We'd intended to fly out to San Diego on Friday, spend a leisurely evening there and board the ship around noon on Saturday. Then we heard that the pilots' union for the airline we booked may go out on strike on Friday. They have rejected the company's offer and the 90 day cooling off period ends Thursday. Even if they have a little slow down--a sick out, for example--on Friday, we could be totally screwed, sitting in a midwestern airport waiting to be rebooked on another carrier while our ship sails off into the sunset.

So we decided to be pro-active.

ROAD TRIP!

We had the oil changed on the van. Made all the last minute arrangements to leave early, booked some hotel rooms along the way and decided to take the scenic route. It'll take 3 hard days of driving to cover the over 1700 miles between here and there. Those southwestern states are oh, so big. So we'll be heading out at oh:dark-thirty tomorrow morning.

On the plus side, I no longer have to worry about how heavy my suitcase is. On the minus side, I'm probably overpacking now.

Mack and Charlie are not too happy. They think suitcases are phooey. Nothing good ever comes a dog's way when those things come out of the closet. But they have a designated dog nanny who loves them and will stay with them while we're gone so they don't even have to leave home.

If this is the worst thing that happens on our trip, it's not so bad. Now we get to wander through Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before we reach the Golden State.

I'll send you pics from along the way. Thanks for coming with me! Oh! And if you haven't signed up to Follow by Email, now's the perfect time. Just input your email addie in the form under my photo, confirm and you're good to go!

Easter Thoughts

When we travel, I tend to gravitate to art museums. There's just something about art that makes me think, makes me feel, and nourishes my soul. A few years ago, we were blessed to take a cruise around the British Isles. In Glasgow, we went to the Kelvingrove Museum. Not only is it a spectacular building, the collection is very rich.

I was delighted to discover that my favorite Dali painting, Christ of St. John of the Cross, was on display there. I'd seen it in books and online numerous times, but to be able to gaze on this huge canvas in real life was a deeply moving experience.

I love a number of things about this work. First, there's the almost geometrical balance, the triangles formed by the cross beams and Christ's arms. There's a perfection in mathematics. To me, this speaks of the perfection of Christ's atonement.

Dali always described this work as his "cosmic" Christ. But his subconscious didn't let him keep the Savior at such a distance. Below the floating cross, humble fishing boats, like the ones in the village where the artist grew up, are tied up on the shore. Despite Dali's attempt to create a metaphysical Christ figure, his paint brush made it personal by putting in elements from his childhood home.

Lastly, the perspective of this painting intrigues me. It's a God's eye view. It reminds me that whenever God looks at me, he sees Jesus first. I can't tell you what a relief that is!

This painting has caused a lot of controversy over the years. When it was first displayed in 1951, some folks thought the Point of View was a stunt. Others were offended because there's no blood visible on the Christ figure. In 1961, a viewer even threw a stone at the painting and tore the canvas with his bare hands.

But when I look at the painting, I see my Savior suspended above this troubled world, covering my sins and forming a bridge to God with His own body, And it fills me with thankfulness and peace.

__________________________

Lexi and her husband are traveling again in a week. They'll be cruising to the South Pacific, where she hopes to discover some of the places that inspired the impressionist master, Paul Gauguin.

Want to come along on Lexi's new adventure? Sign up to receive her blog posts by email. Just type your email addie in the form in the right-hand column under her photo. 

That way you'll never miss a moment!  

A Tiny House Moment

In 13 days, the DH and I will embark on the voyage of our lives!

Yep, we'll board the Holland America Westerdam in San Diego, bound for Hawaii, Tahiti and a host of other stunning islands before turning back to the US. The Westerdam is a medium sized ship, hosting under 2000 passengers with a crew of about half that number. It's not quite the floating sideways sky scraper some of the really big ships are. For example, Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas can accommodate over 6300 passengers (and probably 3000 crew.)

There's no rock climbing wall on the Westerdam. No water slide. No miniature golf. No ice rink. (No joke. Just in case bobbing around in the ocean doesn't make you unsteady enough, some lines let you strap blades to the bottom of your feet!)

We lovingly refer to Holland America as the "old fart" line. Mostly because we'll be among the younger cruisers aboard. But we've traveled with Holland for a number of shorter vacations and really enjoy the laid-back atmosphere. It's quiet. The music is more my speed. We'll be more likely to hear a string quartet in a lounge than rap.

But as I was doing some packing the other day, the DH and I were both in our small laundry room running into each other while we sorted things out in the cramped space. And it occurred to me that not only will we be cruising to exotic locales for 30 days, we'll also be sharing a 212 square foot cabin.

For 30 days.

I've often marveled at the folks on HGTV who chuck their sprawling houses for teeny tiny living spaces. I wonder how they manage to store their clothes and stuff and keep from tripping over each other.

I suspect I'll find out.

Of course, on the ship we'll have a steward to help us keep things tidy. And there's no space wasted on a kitchen in the cabin. All in all, I doubt I'll feel too claustrophobic since we have the whole ship as our backyard.

And that's sort of the point of a tiny house, isn't it? The folks who live in them want to spend more time out of the house having adventures. Well, that's the plan...

I'll keep you posted and share some pictures from our trip all the along the way!