My Daughter The Doctor

Cruising to the PINK SHELL

So...usually in June here in Punta Gorda,  sailboaters are "laying low"  (staying in port) to avoid those pesky afternoon thunderstorms which are prevalent this time of year.  But did that stop us?  Oh no...we decided to lead an Isles Yacht Club cruise to a new destination - the Pink Shell Resort and Marina in Fort Myers Beach!  Check out our group photo on the right (just double click to make it bigger).

Surprisingly, 23 boats signed up - but OOPS, 4 of them were on a waiting list because the marina was full.  In the end, 16 Isles Yacht Club boats and 6 "Landcruisers" participated in our fun-filled weekend.  We started off on Friday with a yummy pot luck on the back deck overlooking the marina.  Fortunately, the weather cooperated (no storms, a nice breeze and SHADE) - YEAH!  Everyone had a great time socializing and eating, but the highlight was a little ice-breaker game called "Two Truths and a LIe."  Everyone got to tell some interesting truths and make up some whopper lies - and the group had fun guessing which one was the lie.  There sure are some great IYC storytellers in the club!

The next day most of us went to dinner at the Parrot Key Restaurant where we enjoyed a free cocktail of our choice.  The weekend ended on Sunday, Father's Day, with a nice breakfast with home-made pancakes courtesy of Erica!

Sunset on Fort Myer Beach
 

We stopped at Useppa for one night on our way back to Punta Gorda.  Fabulous time with a great club!

Memorial Weekend PGSC Cruise



Sunday Morning

I counted thirty dinghies on Punta Blanca's little beach! The Punta Gorda Sailing Club's Happy Hour was a happening this Saturday afternoon of a glorious Memorial Day weekend. 

Our forecast for the weekend weather read:

Weekend Weather Forecast

Great!  With the East wind, we sailed down to Marker Five.  On course for Pelican Bay with the wind behind us, we opted to motor as to not miss Happy Hour.

Although sixty to seventy boats were already anchored in the bay, we had no trouble finding a good spot.  Tents and beach umbrellas sprouted on the beach.  Upon tables a feast of hors d'oeuvres grew as cruisers arrived. 

Noel, acting as social director, soon got the games underway.  Joanne and I entered the dinghy race and lost. We lost the blind dinghy race. We lost at Ladder Ball.  We lost at "Fill the Bottle with Sea Water" race.  We lost badly at "Pictionary in the Sand."   Joanne served as "Admiral"  in the "Guess the Number, Get Splashed" game. 

Victors received a bottle of wine; we who participated in everything, lost every time received nothing. Joanne shamelessly demanded a bottle for participation and Noel later presented her with one, a merlot from Trader Joes. Shameless hussy!

The wind did blow; it blew up a moon to light the anchorage at night and a beautiful sunrise to begin the day.  The day of the big barbeque remained relatively cool for this time of year.  Before the hamburgers, hot dogs, watermelon and lots of side dishes were consumed, some us played "Pass the Trash."  I won!   Latter in the afternoon,  we had alot of fun playing beach volleyball in the Gulf.  

Monday morning five boats, Fancy Free, Pig Pen, Seadaddler, Forever and Eagle's Wings headed up the ICW to Englewood Beach Anchorage where we had dinner at the White Elephant.  Before dinner, Joanne and I dinghied down to Stump Pass where Joanne took a swim on a beautiful afternoon.
 
To avoid predicted scattered thunderstorms, I decided to leave early Tuesday morning quite to Joanne's chargrin; she wanted to stay another day.  We motored out to the ICW at 6:50 AM, made the 8:30 Boca Grande Bridge opening and motor sailed to just past the spoil banks north of Boca Grande.  Then we motored into the East wind to Mark Five before a spirited sail home between six and seven knots with reefed main and genoa.  We docked about  1 PM and started cleaning up.  Late in the afternoon storm clouds blackened the sky south of us but never reached us. What a great weekend!

A Tribute to My Mom

Joanne with her Remarkable Mom

I'm honored to be the daughter of a remarkable woman from the “Greatest Generation."

My mother, Marie Walter McDermott was born in 1920, the year that Congress finally ratified the Nineteenth Amendment, which gave women the “right to vote.” I think that Mom must have sensed this female birthright because she never let the gender-biased restrictions of the early 20^th century of “being a women” prevent her from following her dreams.

For instance, she told me that her family was willing to finance the college education of her brother, but not for HER, because money would be wasted on a female who would only wind up married with kids. This was the 1930's mindset of many of that time, but it didn't stop Mom. After working long hours as a secretary in New York City's Rockefeller Center, she commuted via subway to Columbia and furthered her education by taking night classes.

When she was in her early twenties, World War II erupted and her younger brother was drafted into the Army. Against her parents' wishes, she heeded the call and enlisted in the Waves, ready to do her part for the war effort. She served her country proudly and even today tries to attend her fellow women vet meetings. As a young girl I was impressed by her stories of her Wave adventures - - and even more so, her travels after the war. Mom did not “settle down” as expected by her family. She boarded a bus with Wave girlfriends and traveled across the country and even worked in California for a time. Sometimes I chuckle when she wonders why her children live in different parts of the U.S. - must be something in the genes!

After the war, she met and married my Dad and settled into the role of wife and mother. But she was no traditional Mom. She juggled cooking, housework and more importantly, the raising of 5 children. Since my Dad was not very good at “fix it” jobs, Mom would tackle all kinds of non-traditional household tasks from repairing the toilet to painting a ceiling with young children in tow. I remember once that she literally saved the house from burning down by tossing blankets over a fire that my little brother started in his bedroom.

After working for the Lipton Tea Company one summer while I was in college, I encouraged Mom to apply for a position there. Of course, she landed the job and began another career in the Consumer Services Department. When her boss retired, she did not think twice and applied for his position. At that time, men were in the management ranks. But, Mom persevered. The company even sent her for an interview with a psychologist to make sure that she could handle it! Of course, she could. Mom was offered his job with the caveat that she could not expect the salary that her boss received. That just was not done! She did not waste time grumbling. She assumed the position and of course, excelled. Eventually, the company had to increase her pay to an equitable level. But it took her some time to “pay her dues” and break Lipton's “glass ceiling.” After strong women like Mom, other women were promoted at fairer salaries.

After her retirement from Lipton, Marie became a caretaker for my Dad, who had macular degeneration, which left him with very poor eyesight. Mom still found time for keeping fit with daily pool exercise and took art lessons. The walls of her condo apartment and our homes are filled with her creations.

When Richard & I retired and moved to Punta Gorda, Mom decided she liked Punta Gorda, too. She decided to move to South Port Square, and today lives independently there! At age 90, she relocated there and made a host of new friends! When she called Century Link to order high speed internet, they told her that “they just didn't have many requests from South Port Square for that kind of service.” When they found out that she was 90, they decided to do the installation for free! She has fun on the computer with her football pool and keeping up with her grandkids on Facebook and Email. Why, Just 2 weeks ago, she decided that she wasn't getting enough outdoor exercise. So, she went over to Acme Bike and ordered herself a recumbant tricycle!

I'm so honored that Pat Cote asked me to speak about my remarkable Mom. She had always been my role model and influential in helping me attain my own personal and career goals.

Thanks, Mom, for being a role model to the women of our family and to others along the way.

 

 

Speech given by Joanne Collins at Isles Yacht Club for Mother's Day 2013

If It Is Easy, It's Not for Us

Wow! What a remarkable experience to travel to Israel and see the Holy Land with Father Jerry, Father Bob and the rest of the Sacred Heart Pilgrims. At the conclusion of our trip we discussed our favorite “top five” moments that will live forever in our memories.

Joanne's Favorite five are:

• Mass on a boat on the gorgeous Sea of Galilee
• Riding camels to dinner at Abraham's Tent tent in the Judean desert
• Lathering with mud and bobbing in the waters of the Dead Sea
• Everyone singing on the bus as we excitedly entered the ancient city of Jerusalem
• Looking at Richard's gorgeous blue eyes as we renewed our Wedding Vows at the Church Peter-in-Gallicantu.

Richard's Favorite five are:

• Witnessing pilgrims from all over the world attending the religious sites we visited especially the Romanians singing at the site of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem and the Ethiopians struggling up the Mount of Temptation outside Jericho – These pilgrims make the sites holy. 
• Riding the camels to Abraham's Tent and feeling the evening breeze in the Judean desert. The English words Wind, Breath and Spirit merge into one word in Hebrew: Ruach. Let's all say that word together, now.
• Experiencing the geography of the Galilee, Golan Heights and the Judean Desert. I can follow the Jesus' route from Galilee to Jerusalem in my mind. I understand the importance of the Golan Heights watershed for the Sea of Galilee, the water supply for Israel. In the Middle East, water is everything.
• Driving a Tom Car ATV to the Syrian border. Here one can witness how peaceful this part of the world could be.
• Being baptized in the Jordan River. Last in line, as I watched almost everyone ahead of me grimace as they anticipated a dunking in the chilly water, I decided to be happy. And I was! When I listened to the old spiritual, Michael, Row the Boat Ashore, many many years ago, the Jordan River formed deep and wide in my mind. In reality, it is not the wide Mississippii. In the song, the Jordan is a metaphore for life that we must cross in good fashion to reach the other side. The song is still as beautiful as ever. 

 

The Babylonians destroyed the first temple in 586 BCE; the Romans burned down the second temple on the very same day in 70 CE. The Muslims built a mosque called the Dome of the Rock at the exact location of the temple in 691 CE. Some believe the third temple will come down from heaven. When it does - talk about a collision of religions! A merger, although it could happen, is not likely in the Middle East. Marian, our guide said Israelis have a saying “If it's easy, it's not for us.”

 

It was very easy for us, riding along in an air conditioned bus, staying at two five star hotels and eating at wonderful restaurants. Religious sites although sometimes crowded were made holy by the presence of pilgrims from all over the world. The pastoral border with Syria was peaceful. The roads were smooth and well marked. From our isolated tour bus, everything was as normal as suburban America. I know it isn't but I would have no fears planning a second trip with a Lonely Planet guide or a Friendship Force exchange.

We are so grateful we could experience the Holy Land - What a blessing!  Remembering Marian now, "Take what you need, leave the rest. Let's go!"

Church of the Holy Sepulcher

May 10 -  Entering the Old City of Jerusalem through the Jaffa Gate, we passed a Falun Gong demonstration, adherents of which have been persecuted and tortured in China.   After a short walk along narrow streets lined with shops, we arrived at the  Church of the Holy Sepulcher located where Jesus was crucified and buried. The church having had a tumultuous history is now adminstered by the Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox and two other organizations.  A decree by the sultan in 1853 fixed responsiblities for various parts of the church among the various communities. Everything was fixed!  A short wooden ladder below a second floor window hasn't moved since!

Inside, we climbed up a short flight of stairs to a small room. A Catholic chapel, the XI Station of the Cross, lies on the right and the Greek Orthodox chapel, the XII Station of the Cross, on the left. The XIII Station, A wooden bust, Our Lady of Sorrows, stands between the chapels' altars.  We also viewed a huge rock that was split when Christ was crucified.

The church is really a complex of chapels and holy sites.  I was much confused as the crucifixion occurred on Calvary, a small hill just outside the city's gate.  A lot has changed in two thousand years -the city's walls moved and the hill is now inside the walls but the second floor is Calvary?   Future pilgrims might profit by study before visiting. See also:

Church of the Holy Sepulcher - Website
Church of the Holy Sepulcher -Bible Places   

Of course, the holy sites are packed with pilgrims. We returned to the ground floor to stand in line to see the Coptic church's altar placed where Christ's feet were in the burial chamber.  Another long line leads to a Greek Orthodox chapel at the place where Christ's head lay; we missed this one.

Before leaving the church we assembled in the church within a church, the Catholicon, for a short devotional service.

After an hour or so in the Christian Quarter for lunch and shopping, we bussed over to the Garden Tomb for Mass, our last one for the trip. 

We enjoyed a fine dinner at the American Colony. Our guide, Marian and our bus driver, Gabby, received presents from us and in turn, Marian had presents for Fathers Jerry and Bob.

We were up early for what seemed like a short bus ride to the airport for our ride back home.  The plane was late taking off so we missed our connection in Newark. After a short stay in a Newark hotel, we flew to Fort Myers early the next morning.   No complaints from me - In the year 330, a pilgrim on his way to Jerusalem exchanged donkeys 230 times on the first leg of his trip from Bordeaux to Constantinople!  No donkey exhanges for us - we are so blessed.

Jerusalem - May 9

This morning we returned to the Mount of Olives to the Church of Pater Noster .  A cave below the church is celebrated as the place where Jesus taught the disciples the Lord's Prayer.  Large stone scrolls of the prayer of the Our Father written in dozens of different languages line the walls around the church.  They were just amazing!

Next, we bussed over to Mount Zion.   In a courtyard outside King David's Tomb, Father Jerry "high-fived" with a group of Israeli school children on lunch break. Above King David's Tomb on the first floor of a building facing the courtyard is the Cenacle, the site celebrated as the location of the Last Supper.  Actually, the upper floor was a mosque. In Jerusalem, buildings come and go depending on who is in charge - a synagogue, numerous churches, and a mosque stood at this site. So, I found it a little more than difficult to connect the room with the Last Supper of Judean 1st century, the  Italian renaissance of the 15th century, or anything else.  Looking at the wall (see pictures), the big stone bricks at the bottom were laid down by Jewish people, the medium sized bricks in the middle by the Crusaders and the little bricks at the top by the Muslims.

Next up was Mass at the nearby church of  Saint-Peter-in-Gallicantu where we renewed our wedding vows.  The church is located where Peter is believed to have denied Christ three times at the house of a high priest, Caiaphas.  Below the church are caves one of which may have imprisoned Jesus before his trial.  The website linked above shows a number of excellent photos of the church.

After lunch we walked into the old city through the Lions' Gate to the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed a crippled man.  The road through the Lion's Gate becomes the Via Dolorosa. We bypassed the First Station of the Cross and entered the Convent of the Sisters of Zion. Stone slabs making up the floor of the basement were once the floor of a forum and before that the pavement of the Antonia Fortress where Jesus was condemned by Ponitus Pilate. So this was our First Station of the Cross.

We continued to follow the Via Delarosa to the Fifth Station of the Cross and turned to make our way to the Western Wall. The wall is no longer called the Wailing Wall because the Jewish people have no reason to weep at the wall anymore.

The men and women pray at separate sections of the wall. Soon a third section will be added for couples, a development that the ultra orthodox are not happy about.   The men pray at the wall closest to place where the Temple stood on the other side. The Romans burned down the temple in 66 AD and the Muslims built a mosque at the exact same spot in the 7th century.  Jews and Christians are not allowed in the mosque called the Dome of the Rock so the wall has to do.

We slipped prayers for relatives into crevices the wall, mine in the men's section and Joanne's in the woman's section.

Security gates guard each entrance to the Western Wall area. Notice in the pictures that one of the young girls in uniform carries an automatic weapon.  

We exited the area, found our bus and returned to the hotel for dinner and bed.