My Quicksand of Forgetfulness

  Dear RJ, Emma, Jimmy, Zoe, and any other future grandchildren, I am writing you a letter today from my hotel balcony in Cebu, The Philippines. I just ate a seafood lunch with Grandpa at our beach hotel. It is almost 100 degrees here and very humid. It is a stormy day with a view of the ocean from our hotel balcony. The rain is coming down, but scuba divers are still going out to look at the tropical fish. Grandpa and I went swimming here with our masks and snorkels. We saw many colorful fish and sea urchins. We are eating fresh seafood daily and walk around this tropical Filipino Island. The locals are very friendly and the children are always trying to sell us something from their baskets full of magnets, pencils, pens, and shells. I ask them if they went to school today and finished their homework before going out selling in the local restaurants. They always say YES! Public schools are free in the Philippines for grades K-12. The schools are small with a few swings and slides ...

How did we end up on this idyllic island in The Phillippines? It took all day to get here from the capital city of Manila. We flew on an early morning plane and then took an all-day taxi across the island and finally arrived for dinner. It is a Pacific paradise with a balcony view of the ocean, pools, and a short walk to island restaurants and bars. The Filipinos are friendly, kind and have big smiles. Cebu Island has two seasons: wet and dry. It is a relaxing place for my mind. and body too. I read, swim, write, swim, walk the beach, swim again and by then it's sunset by the beach. Cebu was known for trading long ago, and I will trade this island for peace of mind any day. Our morning begins with a cup of coffee on our balcony with a sea view followed by an ocean swim. We discovered two scary sea creatures while snorkeling today. Triggerfish will bite you if you get too close to their baby fish. They swam up to my husband to protect their babies. Jellyfish attacked me and left a r...

Who me? Couldn't be! I'm backpacking around the world now with my husband and staying on the beach in Guam. It is absolutely beautiful with clear blue water that stretches beyond the cliffs into the skyline. We wade out for 15 minutes of shelling in the late afternoon. We're in a cove surrounded by cliffs of lush green bushes and palm trees. It is perfect for snorkeling and we can walk out forever. It drops off to 7 miles deep at the edge of the skyline. Ships used to dock in this harbor and deliver clothing and goods to Guam long ago until a smallpox epidemic spread across this cove and no one came here for years. Most of the local cove population died and was not replaced for years. Now it is full of fancy modern homes owned by doctors and lawyers driving fancy sports cars. They owners hardly come outside to look at the ocean view on their balconies. I guess they are used to it! It was in our tiny one-room house perched over the ocean last night that the USC Hospital in L...

How am I so lucky to be on the run around the world? My husband and I have a lot of free Air Miles to use while we can still walk, talk, and remember where we are! So we each have a backpack and are on a five-month trip overseas. We began in Las Vegas and will travel far and wide in our big, wonderful world. Our first stop was a place I have always wanted to visit and our only stop in the U.S.A. We began in Hawaii and met up with my sister Anne and her Hawaiian husband Paul. It was everything I expected and more. Paul still has a brother and sister who live there. They shared memories of growing up on the idyllic island and took us to their favorite beaches, restaurants, and sites. We had a Hawaiian dinner with leis, dancers, ukulele, and tropical food. The white sand beaches, clear blue water, and palm trees were mesmerizing. Surfers were everywhere walking barefoot with their boards in the city and along the beach. I could have watched them surf all day. We even heard a Doobie Brothe...