2025 Christmas Newsletter

Here is my Christmas newsletter to friends and family. We had a wonderful 2025 with lots of things happening and a big trip.

January:
We enjoyed watching the fireworks usher in the new year! We visited the Manatee Lagoon and saw lots of manatees. On the way home, we stopped at the Jupiter Lighthouse and took the tour. We also watched the inauguration of our newly elected president. We also went to the Wakodahatchee Wetlands. My online graduate classes started this month and lasted through April.

February:
We visited the Kinetic Art Show in Boynton Beach, which we always enjoy. We took a 5-day Celebrity cruise to Key West and Nassau. We had wanted to go to Key West, and this was better than driving the long distance. Of course, we didn’t even get off the ship in Nassau. We also attended the Lake Worth Street Art Festival, which spans two days. We watch them get started and then go back the next day to see the finished artwork. Don celebrated a birthday at the end of the month.

March:
We started off the month by walking around in the Hypoluxo Scrub Natural Area, which is near our house. We also spent a week in Orlando attending Kaeli’s softball tournament. Deanna booked a 3-bedroom condo, so Lauren and her family joined us. We got to know her husband, Ed, and her two children better. We loved spending time with Harley and Milo!

April:
We returned to South Carolina in time for Easter. We were able to get the huge pecan tree that fell during Hurricane Helene removed, and we got our HVAC system replaced. I’m glad we had it removed before the annual Easter egg hunt that is held in our backyard. I also sent Stephanie’s children the knit octopus that I made, and they liked them! At the end of the month, we met Lauren and Stephanie’s families at the Riverbanks Zoo. It was wonderful getting to spend the day with all of them!

May:
We went with the senior center members to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. We had never been there before, so it was a lot of fun. On the way home, we stopped at the Varsity for dinner. We also finally got our roof replaced on our house after 14 months! I was so excited!

June:
Most of the month was spent repairing our kitchen. We had the ceiling replaced and painted. Then we painted the kitchen cabinets and got a new gas stove and gas dryer. Sometime during this time, Don fractured his back and was unable to do much else after that. He was in so much pain that he couldn’t even put on his socks and shoes. Thankfully, physical therapy and time helped him heal.

July:
My friend Sheila came over to watch the fireworks with me. Our town has a wonderful firework show. I also taught my Furman practicum class online during this month so we didn’t get to do much. At the end of the month, we went to Charlotte for the stamp show and had a lot of fun. We saw a friend from our FL stamp club there.

August:
This month involved a lot of physical therapy and dental appointments. At the end of the month, we went to Atlanta to the postcard show there. We also saw a friend from our FL postcard club there. My wedding gown was displayed at the history museum in the vintage wedding gowns exhibit.

September:
We hiked with our friends in downtown Greenville at the beginning of the month. In the middle of the month, we went to my knitting retreat on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We hiked during the day and I knit in the evenings. It was a perfect time for both of us. When we left the retreat, we headed to Washington, DC, and spent the week there. We stayed in a Hyatt near the Dulles airport and rode the metro into the city every day. What a wonderful way to celebrate my birthday! On the way back to SC, we stopped to visit my knitting friends, Marlicia and Tahlia, in Front Royal, VA.

October:
In mid-October, we returned to our Florida house. It was nice to go where it was warmer than SC. We were able to go to the beach and go swimming. It was great to see our neighbors and visit our favorite restaurant again.

 
November:
We went on our first Viking cruise. We flew to Paris and spent 2 days there. Then we got on the ship in Trier, Germany, where we cruised down the Rhine River ending up in Basel, Switzerland. After 2 days in Zurich, we flew home to FL. It was a fun but exhausting trip!

December:
Time to decorate the inside and outside of the house. I didn’t have time to do it last year so I’m glad we did this year. We are visiting places nearby that we enjoy and just plan to enjoy the season.

We hope you enjoy this holiday season and that it is filled with lots of love and laughter!

2025 Year of Gnomes

I joined a knit-a-long where you knit a gnome every month. It’s a lot of fun so I thought I’d share my gnomes with you. 

1. January 2025 gnome, 2. 2/20/2025 February gnome, 3. March 2025 Gnome, 4. April 2025 Gnome, 5. 5/2/2025 May 2025 gnome, 6. June 2025 Gnome, 7. 7/5/2025 July gnome, 8. August 2025 Gnome, 9. 2025 September gnome, 10. 10/10/25 October gnome, 11. 2025-11November, 12. 2025 Santa gnome

Traveling Home From Zurich

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We were given the option of putting our suitcases in the hall at 5:30 am or bringing them to the lobby ourselves by 6 am, so we decided to do it ourselves. This was much better because I was able to put all my last-minute things in the suitcase. When we got to the lobby, there was a breakfast bag that included a stuffed pretzel with butter, an apple, and orange juice. The pretzel was very good! At 6:30, we boarded the bus and were taken to Terminal 2. A bunch of us were going to Philadelphia. After we checked our bags in, we had to go through security. Then we had a long walk to find our gate.

While we were waiting, I saw a couple that we had seen on the ship, but I really didn’t get a chance to talk to them much. I don’t think we ever had a meal with them, so I asked them where they were from. When she told me that they were from Greenville, SC, I asked them if they knew my friends Dick and Kathy. These were the people that Kathy told me to look for when we were on the cruise! I can’t believe we had been on the same cruise and never connected until we were on our way home. 

The flight to Philadelphia during the day was much easier than a nighttime flight. The middle seat is really cramped, but I was able to watch movies. I stayed away the whole 8 ½ hour ride. Going through the Philadelphia airport was very nice and went smoothly. We had to go through Passport Control, pick up our luggage, walk them through to another place, check our luggage back in, and then go through Customs. Then we walked almost a mile to our gate to get the plane to Palm Beach. 

The 3-hour flight to Palm Beach went smoothly. After we got our luggage, I texted Donna. She said Bob, and she was on the way. We got home just before it started raining really hard. 

After we unpacked, we went to bed. By this time, we had been up for 24 hours. 

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Zurich, Switzerland Day 2

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We spent the night at the Radisson Blu hotel at the Zurich airport. The room is so dark that we had to use a flashlight to see in our suitcases. We went to the breakfast buffet at 6:30, and it was nice. There were only seats for about 40 people, and there were 176 of us. No one mentioned that there was another dining area around the corner. Everyone at dinner was complaining about how dark the rooms were. 

At 7:45, we were in the lobby to get ready to board the buses. We were driven to downtown Zurich on a scenic route with nice views. Then, when we arrived in Zurich, we had a walking tour. It was cloudy when we started, but it rained on and off while we were walking. Those who didn’t want to do the walking tour could return to the hotel. 

At the end of the tour, we were given three options. We could return to the bus and go back to the hotel. Or, we could stay in town and take one of the shuttle buses back at 2:30, 4, 5:30, or 8 pm (the meeting place for this shuttle was not very clear, though). Or, we could take a train or Uber, or taxi back to the hotel. We chose to go back to the hotel. 

We walked to The Circle again and had lunch at McDonald's (I didn’t find out until I saw my credit card transactions at home that the total was over $25 USD!). Then we went to Migros (the supermarket/department store) where Don bought more chocolate. After that, we returned to our room and repacked our suitcases. I was able to call the front desk and ask about weighing our suitcases. When we took them to the front desk, a girl took us to the back (maybe a loading dock) and let us weigh our suitcases. Don’s suitcase was 19 kg, and mine was 17 kg. American Airlines allows 22 kg. So we are okay. 

Original Photos by Pat Hensley

Basel and Zurich, Switzerland

Click here for more pictures: Switzerland Day 1

It was pouring down rain this morning! We boarded buses at 9 am and headed for our tour. We arrived downtown Basel at 10:15 am and had a one-hour tour. It rained the whole time, but we got some free time to have lunch and shop. We found a store to buy some chocolate. After exploring around town, we found a McDonald's for lunch. We also went to the department store, Pfauen, to use the bathroom and found a wonderful eating place on the 5th floor, but we had already eaten. We were back on the bus by 1:45 pm. It took about 90 minutes to drive to Zurich, and a lot of us took a nap.

We arrived at the Radisson Blu hotel, which is right in the Zurich Airport. It was a little chaotic, and we weren’t given much instruction about how to get to our rooms. After we were given our room keys, we dropped our stuff off in the room. Then we went exploring. We could have taken a 5 pm shuttle to town, but we would have had to wait until 8 pm to come back. Instead, we found out that we could go to the Circle and find lots of food. We found a food court (with McDonald's, KFC, and other places) as well as a grocery store. After eating dinner, we went to the grocery store for some Coke Zeros and more chocolate. When we got back to our room, our luggage was there, so we could get comfortable and relax. The only TV channel I could find that spoke English was the BBC News channel, and I was able to put on the closed captions.

Original photos by Pat Hensley

American Cats

The U.S. #2372-75 1988 22¢ Cats postage stamps were part of the “American Cats” series issued by the U.S. Postal Service. These stamps were released on May 1, 1988, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Each of the four stamps showed a different popular cat breed: the Exotic Shorthair, Maine Coon, Manx, and Siamese. The stamps celebrated the beauty and variety of cats, which are some of America’s favorite pets. Designed by artist Nancy Stahl, the stamps were colorful and realistic, showing the cats in natural poses that showed off their personalities.

Collectors loved these stamps because they highlighted the special qualities of each breed. For example, the Maine Coon is known for its long fur and friendly nature, while the Siamese cat is famous for its blue eyes and chatty personality. The Manx is easy to recognize because it has no tail, and the Exotic Shorthair looks like a Persian cat but with shorter fur. These stamps helped show the diversity of cats and reminded people how much joy cats bring into our homes.

National Cat Lovers Month is celebrated every December. It’s a special time for people who love cats to show their furry friends extra attention and care. Cats have been our companions for thousands of years and are known for their playful, curious, and independent personalities. During this month, cat owners might buy new toys, share cute photos, or donate to animal shelters. It’s also a great time to learn more about how to keep cats healthy and happy through good food, regular vet visits, and lots of love.

Many animal organizations use National Cat Lovers Month to help more cats find homes. Shelters often hold adoption events and share stories about cats waiting for families. People who already have cats can celebrate by spending more time with them or teaching them fun tricks. Whether you have one cat or many, this month reminds everyone how special cats are and how much joy they bring into our lives.

References:
Cat stamps from the author's collection.
Mystic Stamp Company. “U.S. #2372-75 1988 22¢ Cats.” https://www.mysticstamp.com/Products/United-States/2372-75/USA/
Linn’s Stamp News. “1988 22¢ Cats Stamps.” https://www.linns.com/
National Today. “National Cat Lovers Month – December.” https://nationaltoday.com/national-cat-lovers-month /
Cat Fanciers’ Association. “Celebrating Cats All Year Long.” https://cfa.org/

Strasbourg, France

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We got off the ship at 8:45 for our tour of Strasbourg. There were five ships in this port, and some of them were docked side by side, so passengers from other ships had to go through other ships to reach the shore. The bus ride to the town was about 15 minutes, and we walked around the town. Our guide took us to a free and clean restroom near the Cathedral. Unfortunately, we couldn’t go inside the Cathedral because it was Sunday. The architecture of the Cathedral was very ornate. We also went by St. Thomas church, where Mozart played, and Albert Schweitzer also played the organ. 

After the tour, we had an hour to go shopping before we returned to the bus. There were a lot of decorations with storks because every year the storks stop here as they migrate to South Africa. Some nests could be 1000 lbs!

The guide told us this story that parents tell their children about how babies are made:

The stork is sitting above a hidden lake. When a parent wants a baby, they go to a well and yell down the well, saying they want a baby. This wakes up the old gnome. The old gnome takes his net and tries to catch girl or boy souls in the lake. Girl souls are harder to catch than boy souls. When the old gnome catches one, he gives it to the stork. If the parents put a piece of sugar on their windowsill, the stork will deliver a baby to them.

Around noon, we headed back to the boat and had lunch. Darryl from Abiline, TX joined us (Beth, Barb, Betty, Don, and me). He told us about Grand Circle Travel, which we want to check out. After lunch, we went back to our cabin to pack, and then it was time for Afternoon Tea. After tea, we went back to our cabin to finish packing. 

After dinner, we went back to our cabin. We have to have our suitcases outside our cabin by 6 am.

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Speyer, Germany

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Today, when we got off the ship, it was below freezing, and there was frost and ice everywhere. They even announced a warning about how slick it was outside and to be careful. At 9 am, we took a bus to Speyer and had a walking tour. We went into the cathedral, and it was pretty. Someone said we were doing an ABC, standing for Another Bloody Church! This made me laugh. Then we walked around town. We passed a phone booth for children to call Santa Claus. They talk privately in the booth and teel what they want for Christmas. It is recorded and the next day, it is written in the newspaper so parents can look for their child's name and age and find out what they want for Christmas. 

We had an hour after the tour to go shopping. Barb, Beth, and another lady from Pennsylvania joined us as we explored. Then we all took the bus back to the ship. We heard Elliot talk on the phone that another cruise ship had lost 2 of their guests and was looking for them.

After lunch, we returned to Speyer on a bus at 2 pm. It was a 20-minute ride to the town from Germersheim, where we were docked. As we were walking, we came across another yarn shop and I just had to buy yarn! Then we found a store that sold mittens that reminded me of the thrummed mittens I had knit for Don. They were so nice and warm that I bought them. At 5 pm, we took the shuttle bus back to the ship.

 

At 6 pm, Elliot talked about the disembarkation procedure. All that information was very overwhelming! Our orange tags were waiting for us in our cabin, along with instructions about the day we leave. At 6:30 pm, he gave a port talk about Strasbourg, France, where we will visit tomorrow.

For dinner, we joined Barb and Beth (from Lebanon, PA) and Joyce and Myron (from Canada), and we had a great dinner. We really enjoyed talking with all of them!

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Mainz, Germany

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We met our tour group at 9:15 am and had a walking tour of the old city. 80% of the city was destroyed in WWII. The market, which is held 3 days of week, was occurring and there were a lot of people in town. We went to the Guggenheim Museum, which was held at the Museum of Natural History since the original museum was being renovated. We got a demonstration of how the press worked, and we saw four of the original Bibles that were printed. After the tour, we went to 2 yarn shops and I bought some yarn.

Around noon, we returned to the ship for lunch, and it was very slow, but eventually we finished lunch. Then we walked back into town, and we stopped at the department store where we bought 2 boxes of chocolate-covered cherries: one with vodka and one with wild punch. Don also bought some wild peach rose wine. We walked around town and enjoyed seeing the architecture.

We returned to the ship around 4 pm and signed up for an appointment with the program director, Elliott. We had time to eat 2 of our cupcakes and they were delicious! Elliot connected us to the Viking rep, whom we talked to over the phone in our cabin. We ended up buying 2 certificates for future cruises and booked a cruise for next year, and only had to give a $50 deposit.

Around 6, we had a cocktail party and then a port talk. For dinner, we sat with Jayne and her mom, Betty (Charlotte, NC), and Barb and Beth (Lebanon, PA). We had such a great time talking with them! After dinner, Jayne invited us up to their room to see what a verandah suite looked like. It was 2 rooms, where one room was the bedroom and the other room was a sitting room. The sitting room had a balcony that you could sit out on, and the bedroom had a French balcony (door opened, but no room to sit).

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Koblenz Germany

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We finished breakfast early, and since we didn’t have to meet for our tour until 9 am, we got off the ship and wandered a little. We walked to the big statue of Wilhelm I at the German corner. It was an impressive, huge statue! The corner is where the Moselle River joins the Rhine River. We went through 19 locks to get here.

At 9 am, we met our tour guide, Michael, who retired from the German army, and he was a fabulous guide. We walked around the old city of Koblenz, which had been 99% destroyed in WWII. The cutest thing we saw was the rolling eyes clock, where the eyes of the face move constantly. On the hour, the tongue sticks out! We also liked the thumb statue! Barb took our picture, and then we took a picture of Barb and Beth at the thumb. Later, we exchanged picture,s which is much easier than trading phones. 

After the tour, we had 90 minutes to explore, so we went back to the Omas Kuchen and bought 6 cupcakes. The guide recommended this place, and it looked delicious. Then we went to an arts and crafts store where I found some yarn! The 100g balls of yarn were wool, cashmere, and nylon for 13 euros each! I picked one, and I had Don pick one so I could make us more socks.

We got back on the ship in time for lunch, which seemed to take a long time. Then we bundled up so we could sit on the sun deck as we sailed down the Rhine River. At 2:30, Elliot was going to narrate what we were seeing. Jayne and her mom, Betty (from Charlotte, NC) sat with us. The wind made it so cold up there, but we had beautiful views of the castles on each side of the river. Eventually, I went and got our bath towels to put over our legs. I tried to knit, but my hands got too cold. At about 5 pm, it got too dark to see anything, so we went to the lounge to hang out. I was able to knit the heels into my socks.

At 6 pm, Elliot gave his port talk and talked about future cruises until dinner time. I enjoyed having my rib-eye steak for dinner. At 9 pm, we went to the lounge to hear a duo playing medieval music on the bagpipes and drum. I was so tired that as soon as we got back to ur cabin at 10:30, I went to bed!

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Cochem, Germany

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After breakfast, we got off the ship for our tour in Cochem, Germany. There were three parts: first, we walked into town and took a city tour, then boarded a minibus that took us up to the Imperial Castle. After the tour of the castle, we got on a tour bus and had a winery tour in another town.

It was really cold when I got up in the morning, and my watch said it was snowing. Yet, when we started the tour, it was just cold and rainy. The tour guide, Silvia, said that it only snows about 5 times a year, so I guess this morning was one of them!

The Imperial Castle was very old and was almost demolished by Louis XIV in 1689. Then Louis Ravene bought the castle in 1866 and renovated it. It took 10 years to renovate it, and he only lived in it for 2 years before he died. In each room, his initials, LR, were hidden somewhere in the room. There was a witch’s tower that was one of the only things not demolished by Louis XIV, and legend is that a witch protected it.

After the castle tour, we went to a wine tasting in another town, and it was fun. We had 2 glasses of Riesling wine and a red vinegar peach aperitif. After the wine tasting, we returned to the ship in time for lunch. In my rush to get on the ship to use the bathroom, we forgot to scan our cards, so during lunch, they asked that a couple of guests from specific rooms report to guest services. Imagine my shock when I heard our cabin number called. I left the table and ran to the check-in scanner, where they scanned our cards.

After lunch, I took a shower while Don went to the sun deck and watched as we sailed down the river. At 3:30, the captain showed a video about how the ship operates. Then we were able to go to the wheelhouse and walk inside. There were 2 groups, and I was in the first group, and Don was in the second group. While he was in the wheelhouse, I stayed on the sun deck and was able to watch us go through the lock. After that, we sat in the lounge until it was time for Elliot to give his port talk.

After the talk, it was time for dinner. They had wedding soup and a charcuterie selection on the table. Then we got dinner from the buffet featuring German food. The chef also walked around giving out big soft pretzels.

We were docked in Winnigen, and people went on a wine tour after dinner, so I thought we would go ashore to visit the town. But after dinner we went up to the sun deck to look at the town, and it was really dark, so we didn’t see anything that we wanted to go ashore.

Original photos by Pat Hensley