Five dolla. Five dolla.

Unlike the other ports you have seen here, I have been to Cozumel several times, the first in 2001 on our very first cruise. Eleven years later, it hasn't changed that much. When we got there on Friday, there were four other cruise ships already there.

There is enough bling in Cozumel for everyone in the world to have some. The shopkeepers are highly competitive and stand outside their shops, trying to entice you to come in.

Tourism is the biggest industry here. The town is relatively clean and safe as long as you stay in the dock area. Some people returned to the ship with loads of merchandise they had bought in the shops.

I always feel a little weird when the flag flying is not the Stars and Stripes.

I don't know who this statue honors, but everyone gets pooped on sometimes.

Someone was wise enough to put a park in the middle of town.

Nothing is priced in the stores. Apparently, they look at you and decide what you can afford before they give you a price, which averages about four times what they really want. If I am interested in something, I decide what I think it is worth and offer them half of that. I tire of that quickly, however; Cozumel is entirely too hot for haggling.

Standing in a 'ship canyon'.

Gotta go; gotta hurry back on the ship...something exciting is happening this afternoon!

Comments

Amish in Stantonville, Tennessee

Last week, my sis and her hub went with us to the Amish community near Stantonville, Tennessee. It was a beautiful day, and we love driving to new places and finding new treasures. We enjoy these mini-trips we take together, where we giggle a lot and get caught up on everything. Also, the squirrels ate all our tomatoes, so we needed to find some to buy. You know the food you are buying is fresh when they bring it from the field while you are standing there waiting for it. Here is part of what we brought home, and it was all delicious. Stantonville is located in McNairy County, Tennessee, northwest of Shiloh National Military Park.

Holy Smoke Pie

I think it was in the late seventies that I first had Holy Smoke Pie. It was at a party at Debra Morris Harville's house. After we ate, Debra had to give the recipe to everyone there. I came home and made it for my family, and it has been a favorite since then. I always make it at holiday dinners, because I believe tradition is important. It has become a favorite of our granddaughters. I've heard it called Chocolate Delight, Four-Layer Chocolate Dessert, and other odd things. We call it Holy Smoke. Here is how I make it: Chop us a cup of pecans; set aside. Add a stick of softened butter (NOT margarine) to one cup of self-rising flour. Cut the butter into the flour. Add the chopped pecans, and work it all together. Save two tablespoons of the pecans to sprinkle on top. Pour into a 9" x 12" pan that has been sprayed with cooking oil. Spread it over the bottom of the pan. It helps to use your hands (o...

Out of the Dirt: Bragg-ing

Like every reader, I have my favorite writers. There have been so many that have stirred my emotions and made me a part of their world, and I'm thankful for that. The one is love the best, the one I cherish , is Rick Bragg. Yesterday, Rick was in our area. We were privileged to see a newly released documentary about his life called Out of the Dirt . Afterwards, he talked to us about family and roots. His first book, All over but the Shoutin' , was recommended to me years ago. Very early in the book, I was thinking, "Who is this? He is writing about me, about my family." I have never actually met anyone in the book, but they are all my neighbors and kinfolks. His other books are just as well-written. In his book, Writing for the Soul , Christian author Jerry Jenkins had this to say about Rick Bragg: I read other writers and strive to be like them. I read others, like Rick Bragg, the Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist, and simply surrender, knowing I will ...

Faith, Folklore, and Friends

Search This Blog