Lady Traveler Travels the 7 Seas on a WWII ship

~ You cannot discover new oceans until

you are willing to lose sight of the shore ~

Photo of me on deck of the MS Restoration, raising my hands to God,
thanking him for a successful--and challenging--voyage!

Have you ever had a day when everything was going great ...

dancing on the deck of a ship in the middle of the Mediterranean ...

when suddenly, out of nowhere,

there's a rifle staring you in the face?

Well, that was me.

Entering the port of Sochi, Russia in 1995 to pick up Russian Jews.
Liv, the beautiful ship's nurse, and I on deck of the MS Restoration.
Note: Liv went to heaven on August 2017. She had recently married,
and was a strong pro-life advocate in Norway and Sweden.
She is missed.

I'm going to take you back to 1995.

Here is Chapter One of my book:

1

July 1995

Within minutes of the MS Restoration's entering the Haifa harbor, an Israeli gunboat sped from the port and circled the World War II vessel.  Two soldiers aimed their deck-mounted machine guns at the ship. Another soldier shouted instructions in Hebrew through a loudspeaker.

     The captain of the MS Restoration responded over the ship's radio, "Please speak to us in English!"

     Rosie grabbed the rail.  "Do they think we're terrorists?"

     Jesse touched her arm.  "Rosie, calm down."

     "They think we're pirates."

     "Just calm down," her husband repeated, holding her hand.

     "Will they make us jump overboard?  I don't have my life jacket," she spoke, fighting back her fear of water that was trying to surface once more.

     "Rosie, you must get hold of yourself."

     Her mind raced as she gazed up at the man who'd brought her on this unpredictable journey.  Jesse's right.  What's come over me? Rosie asked herself, all the time wishing she didn't have to go down below to the head.  She didn't dare leave his side.

     The ship, her fellow crew members, and their special passengers--the Russian Jews--had finally reached their destination.  No more troubled waters.  No more hurricanes.  No more delays.  On this hot July morning, they were home free--or so they thought.

     Rosie looked at the crew, poised as if they were ready to hit the deck.  "Isn't this ironic?  We've traveled halfway around the world, and this is the welcome we get."

     "Stop your engine!" the soldier shouted.

     Within seconds, they were dead in the water.

     Rosie's stomach churned.  She hung her head over the side of the ship and let it rip.  She wiped her mouth with a hankie, then grabbed hold of Jesse's arm.  She'd heard stories about people who'd experienced close calls.  Her seventy-year-old father once told her about the time his ship almost went down in the China Sea during the war.  "At that moment, my whole life passed before me," Talmage said.

     Feeling lightheaded as the Israeli soldiers glared at the Restoration through their binoculars, Rosie wondered if this was her moment.    

end of Chapter 1

(60-second video of crossing the Atlantic Ocean, sailing by Istanbul, and Israeli gunboat in Haifa Harbor is available on my website)

After being in mothballs after WWII,
this is the MS Restoration after dry dock in Seattle, Washington 1994.
The beginning of her complete make-over. Isn't she pretty?
Believe me, she was a mess!
What began as a week of volunteering, Rob and I stayed 14 months
as volunteers on her maiden voyage to Haifa, Israel.

Map of Restoration's 1994-95 maiden voyage from Seattle, WA to
Panama, Stockholm, Sweden. Scandinavia. England.
Latvia.  Greece.  Russia.  Israel.
I visited places I never dreamed of.
And a few places that I had.

We sailed under the two bridges of Istanbul, on our way to the Black Sea.

One of many lessons I learned during this journey:

If God can bring an old ship out of mothballs and use her for such a time as this,

how much more he can use us for that which he has planned for us.

The crew truly saw God do great things before our eyes,

on shore, and mile after nautical mile at sea.
Many miracles.

I consider it an honor to have been chosen to be a small part of God's prophetic word

to help bring the Jews home to Israel.

Always remember,
it's never too late to say yes to what God has called you to do.

Whether big or small, the task that he has chosen for you is 

GREAT in his eyes.

The Restoration transported almost 2,000 Russian Jews

before she was laid to rest.

If you haven't read my book, jump on board

for a great adventure!

Until then,

I wish you oceans of travel blessings!

Shout and sing for joy, you people of Jerusalem,

because the Holy One of Israel does great things before your eyes.

Isaiah 12:6

You can order at www.amazon.com/author/www.sharonleaf.com

or go to my website:

www.sharonleaf.com

My 72nd year portrait

Lady Traveler travels in Florida

Lazy Lady Traveler in Florida

Anything, everything, little or big

becomes an adventure

when the right person shares it.

Whether you are traveling in 

Alaska or Florida,
or somewhere in-between,

make sure you take time to ... 

Photo by Shawn Watson Photography

Rob and I have enjoyed our month in Florida.

We had to cancel the Florida Keys due to the damages of the August 2017 hurricane.

So instead we spent time in other areas ...

... Tampa ... Orlando ... Winter Park ... Ocala.

There is so much to see and do in this lovely state ...

... water sports ... golfing ... hiking ... outdoor theme parks ... to name a few.   

Although this has been the coolest January weather Florida has experienced in a long time,

we still spent a lot of our time outdoors.

What I missed most was spending late night evenings

around a fire, chatting, drinking, eating, watching our outdoor TV ...

... and walking around in shorts and flip-flops.

We still found joy in our ordinary days.

We visited friends along the way, which is always delightful.

We met new friends along the way, which is always interesting.

We visited little towns, ate their delicious food,

walked their quaint little streets, and

soaked up the friendly atmosphere.

A great little town with lots of history

Ybor City is just west of Tampa.
Cuban cigars were once manufactured here.
Thousands of cubans worked in the large factory.

Lots of yummy eateries here so take your pick.

We took a trolly tour and hopped off at the River Walk
where we had a bite to eat outdoors and basked in the warm sunshine
while listening to cool jazz.


Meanwhile, back at the American Coach Association rally ...

I received my Lazy Days drivers course certificate!
Look out USA, here I come!

Is there a dream you have to accomplish something?
Perhaps take an art class, a writing class ...?
fill in your own blank!

We enjoyed getting together with old friends ...

Is there a friend you would love to talk to?
on the phone, or in person?
What's holding you back?

... and meeting new friends too.

Make yourself available to make a new friend!

This huge banner was one of my Christmas presents from Robinski.
Never too big, right?

We stayed four days near Orlando in Winter Garden.
We had a nice visit with friends, Kurt and Diana Lindsey,
and planned another one until the Florida flu found me.

Although I was fighting the Florida Flue,
we took an evening stroll on Main Street in Winter Garden.
You can tell that I was a bit under the weather,

but I was determined to explore and enjoy this lovely village.



We drove north to Ocala where we spent time with our So-Cal friends,
Frank and Debbie Johnson.
We stayed longer than planned due to a bout with the 'Florida flu' AND
because we didn't want to go home to

COLD weather.

Our old friends we knew in So-Cal, Frank and Debbie, have the cutest dog ever.
This is my new friend, Buddy.
(don't tell Popcorn)

I told Popcorn about Buddy.
She's okay with my new friend as long as I
take her for extra long walks around the RV campground.

My 72nd Birthday!
We took a leisurely road trip to Gainesville, Florida
(45 minutes north of Ocala)


We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Harry's Seafood Bar and Grille.

My favorite dish, shrimp and grits.

I highly recommend Harry's Seafood Bar and Grill
for shrimp and grits, or ...

... just a great big hamburger and fries and chili!

What could be better after lunch than a stroll through
Lachua Trail where alligators run free.
And beautiful birds as well.

I highly recommend Lachua Trail when you visit Gainseville, Florida

A dozen of these lovely creatures were playing, then
sunning before dinner time.

Then a leisurely drive back to Ocala.

A "friendly" reminder at The Ocala RV Campground Resort

A few days later we took another road trip to The Villages
(35 minutes south of Ocala).
The Villages is a HUGE retirement resort
that is filled with much to do.
The Villages has the best of everything, including the finest
medical centers, golf courses, and restaurants.


We ate lunch at a nice restaurant on the lake,
Lighthouse Point Bar and Grill.
I declare, I have never been around so many people
that look just like me!
Grey hair, wrinkles, liver spots ... you get the picture.
It was a little scary at first.
Then I realized that everyone
is at the point in their lives where they
"just wanna have fun!"
while we can!

A day without shrimp and grits is like a day without sunshine!

An after-lunch stroll along the boardwalk

There are too many moments for me to share on this blog.
What I've learned on each road trip we take:

Enjoy the moment.
Each moment will soon become a memory.
Make moments that will warm your heart.
Because you'll need those warm memories
on a cold, cloudy day.

(another little pros from almost-famous author ... me)

I wish you oceans of travel blessings!

You will show me the path of life;

in Your presence is fullness of joy;

at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11

Lady and the Sea  and  Lady on the Run are available at www.amazon.com/author/www.sharonleaf.com

www.sharonleaf.com

My 72nd birthday portrait

Lady Traveler in Berlin - Part 6

Berlin in the Fall

Part 6

My European Trip September 2017

There are many places I have been,

Places I have never seen,

Places I would love to see,

Places that I never will.

The most delightful part

of my traveling scene

is embracing friends once again,

and spending precious time 

with our beloved family.

(the above is not a poem, 

only words that spontaneously 

came from my heart)

Trip of a lifetime with family

The Berlin Wall
Torn down.

There will always be Berlin.

The food. The museums.

The streets.  The canals.

The wall.  The history.

Three days in Berlin

Our time in Berlin was short.

The days were cloudy, cold, and even a
great wind storm swept through the city.

What warmed our hearts was the time we spent with

son and daughter.

Xyla, Robinski, and Jason
Their smiles and laughter made the rain go away!

We traveled by bus, by metro, by train.

And we walked.

Amazing how us seniors kept up with the youngins.

Well, at least we tried.

Note to young folks when traveling with

your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles:

When they look like they're ready to pass out,

suggest a stop at a local cafe for a drink and snack.

I guarantee that they will say, "Oh, what a great idea! Lets do that!"

Mean stepmom and son

Met our California friend, Tamara, a famous opera star!

Where to stay:

If you like privacy, more room to stretch out,

cook, or fill a frig full of snacks,

I suggest a BnB.

We stayed in three BnB's and loved them,

had a balcony in Italy and Spain.

If you want room service, stay in a hotel.

We stayed in a nice hotel in Barcelona, Spain

and the concierge found us a beauty salon

across the street and up the stairs from our hotel.

Perfect!

BnB in Berlin

Comfy beds at BnB in Berlin

I love German food!  Wienerschnetzel is my favorite!

There were many delicious entrees to choose from,

and beer galore.

I'm not a beer drinker, so I guess that's why
I loved Italy more ... oh, the heavenly wine!

I recommend everything!

Well, I did pass on this dish.  Can you guess what this is?

Rob and Jason loved this delakasie




Now, it's time to say farewell to Berlin,
and our six-week European holiday with Jason and Xyla.
Thank you, again, from the bottom of our hearts,
for giving us a trip of a lifetime.
Rob and I have traveled the world,
but this was extra special because
we were with you!



Surely goodness and mercy
shall follow me all the days of my life: 
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23:6

sharonleaf.com

The new me.
I'm re-inventing myself as a
blond-on-my-way-to-a-silver-lining!