Day 36, Year 11: Trip to Mayaguez
Date: Friday, November 27, 2015
Weather: Partly Sunny with Afternoon Showers, High in the 80’s F
Location: At Home with Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco, Aguada, Puerto Rico

Early this morning Mark and I borrowed Justin and Jo’s car and went into Aguada to run some errands. Then this afternoon, we went with Jo, Ziggy, and Coco to Mayaguez. This is a small city just south of here. Jo and the kids were going to a movie with friends, so Mark and I dropped them off and explored Mayaguez. We were really interested in seeing the waterfront and specially the area where sailboats would anchor. We can’t imagine how Christopher Columbus ever landed here in Aguada as the surf is so big. All we can figure is that he must have arrived in the summer when there is almost no surf. But south of here in Mayaguez the surf is much less. There was only one sailboat anchored out, but it does look like it is possible. After exploring Mayaguez we went back to the shopping center where we had dropped Jo and the kids at the Caribbean Cinema. We went into the Home Depot there to find some Christmas lights for a tree Jo is creating and Mark tried to buy some Band-Aids at Kmart. But that attempt was thwarted by the huge lines at check-out. Mark came out empty handed saying he now knows why today is called Black Friday. It is because if you go shopping on this day, you’ll end up wishing you were dead! When we got home, Jo continued working on her Christmas tree while Justin fixed dinner. After dinner we all called it a night, going our separate ways to rest up before the weekend begins.

151127 Day 36 Puerto Rico–Christmas Tree

Day 35, Year 11: Quiet Thanksgiving Day
Date: Thursday, November 26, 2015
Weather: Partly Cloudy with Late Afternoon Rain, High in the 80’s F
Location: At Home with Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco, Aguada, Puerto Rico

People always talk of the calm BEFORE the storm, but today was more like the calm AFTER the storm . . . the storm being five grandchildren 8-years of age and under all together. But early this morning Heather, Jed, and their three boys drove the rental van back to the San Juan airport and caught the 12:20 pm Jet Blue non-stop flight back to Boston. It got so quiet here when they left that the silence hurt your ears. The one boy and one girl left here make a little bit of noise, but add three more boys to that and you just always get something resembling a storm!

After the early morning farewells, we all did our own thing. Unfortunately, Mark was not feeling great. He has some sort of tummy upset and thinks he might be getting another urinary tract infection, so he needed rest. Coco came home from England not feeling good and yesterday she spiked a fever that she still has today. Jo is not feeling great and Justin is fighting the terrible sinus infection he brought home with him from England. So they all needed rest. That just left Ziggy and I who are still holding our own for now. But with so many not feeling good, it was definitely time to into slow gear. Ziggy and Coco watched some kid programs on Justin’s computer while I did a wash and hung it out to dry. Mark and Justin took naps and Jo stayed awake to keep watch over the kids. Later in the afternoon Ziggy brought his Lego collection over to the guest house and Justin and I played Legos with him while Jo and Coco napped. Mark, Coco, and Jo joined us for Thanksgiving Dinner left-overs and then we all went on a walk down to the beach to enjoy the moon. Mark and I read stories to the kids and called it a night. Between barking dogs and crowing roosters, none of us got a lot of sleep last night, I think it is time to turn in and hope for a quieter night.

151126 Day 35 Puerto Rico–Quiet Thanksgiving Day

Day 34, Year 11: Family Thanksgiving
Date: Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Weather: Partly Sunny, High in the 80’s F
Location: At Home with Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco, Aguada, Puerto Rico

It has been years since we have been together with both of our children for Thanksgiving and we have never had a Thanksgiving with all of the grandchildren. So this was a very special day.

151125 Day 34a Puerto Rico–All Together Now

And it was also a very busy day. Ziggy and I walked up the street early this morning to visit with the Goldstones and I didn’t get back to Justin and Jo’s until they checked out of the rental home at 12 noon. I chopped celery and onions to make stuffing and helped Heather pack up all the food supplies to take to Justin and Jo’s. We also did laundry and before we knew it, check-out time had arrived. Early on, Jed took Ollie to the beach while the ‘gang’—Sam, Jonah, and Ziggy—walked back to Justin and Jo’s to play. Eventually Sam came back and went to the beach to join Jed and Ollie, but they all returned sooner than expected as Jed was concerned about the water quality. Evidently it rained up in the mountains last night and the run-off from a nearby river flowing into the ocean caused the water to turn brown. The brown comes from the color of the soil but it is also indication water quality issues. Unfortunately, the water quality issues are not usually reported for a day or two. So to be on the safe side, Jed cut the beach stay a little short. Once we had everything moved it was time for lunch. Ollie had the idea of having pumpkin pie with whipped cream for lunch, and many of us made that choice. After all, it was our Thanksgiving Day and we had a huge pumpkin pie we had bought at Costco. So there was enough to have it for lunch and for after dinner. After lunch, it was time to start the cooking for our Thanksgiving feast. Heather, Jed, and boys headed out to a beach further down the coast where the water quality was not supposed to be an issue. But again, they returned early. This time it was not because of water quality. Jed stepped on a sea urchin and needed to get home to take care of that. As Heather said, that was a beach trip they just should not have taken. But as long as they were back, Heather pitched in with the kitchen crew preparing the feast. And a feast it was—chicken, turkey, local fish, stuffing, gravy, cranberry salad, kale and carrot salad, breadfruit mashed like potatoes, baked squash, broccoli, and more pumpkin pie with the added addition of pecan pie, both topped with whipped cream. Jo, Ziggy, and Coco all need gluten and dairy-free foods so I brought Olivia’s gluten-free stuffing from Whole Foods back home. Jo made the most amazing gluten and dairy-free pecan pie. I think it might be the best pecan pie I have ever had. And we also had a gluten-free pumpkin pie and gluten-free cornbread that was part of J&J’s weekly box of locally grown veggies and other food goodies. Jo also made fantastic gluten-free gravy using Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Flour. It was nice to have the local addition of breadfruit and squash grown here in J & J’s garden. And we prepared all of this food without an oven. We roasted the chickens and squash on the grill and used a big toaster oven to bake the stuffing and the turkey breast. Needless to say, we all feel like stuffed turkeys tonight!

151125 Day 34b Puerto Rico–Family Thanksgiving

Heather, Jed, and boys are staying here at Justin and Jo’s with us tonight and they will be leaving early in the morning. I think we will have a relaxed day at home tomorrow until mid-afternoon when Justin, Jo, and kids go to a Thanksgiving pot luck dinner with friends. We probably have enough left-overs to feed all of their friends.

Day 33, Year 11: Relaxed Mix and Match Day
Date: Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Weather: Sunny AM, Partly Cloudy PM, High in the 80’s F
Location: At Home with Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco, Aguada, Puerto Rico

It was a relaxed day here. Having two houses within walking distance of each other has been fun. We can mix and match kids with different adults to let everyone do what they prefer. Some want to be at the beach while others want to stay at home and read and play. So today Mark and I started our day at Justin and Jo’s and then walked with Ziggy and Coco down to the rental house. Jo went to her exercise class and Justin went to work in his office on the second floor of the guest house. Jed, Sam, and Jonah were already at the beach when we got there, so Mark walked Ziggy down to join them. Mark came back and we had breakfast while talking to Heather and watching Coco and Ollie play. Then Heather went to the beach, Mark went back to Justin and Jo’s to do some work, and I read and played with Coco and Ollie. The day continued like that until evening when we all drove to Rincon to the Pool Bar for dinner. This is fantastic place to take kids for dinner as they can jump in the pool and swim or watch surfing videos on a big screen while waiting for dinner. Oh, I forgot to mention that in addition to having a swimming pool, the Pool Bar is a sushi restaurant. Fun for all!

151124 Day 33 Puerto Rico–Dinner at the Pool Bar

Tomorrow is our family Thanksgiving Day and on Thursday Heather, Jed, and boys fly home. Sam, Jonah, and Ziggy have really enjoyed their time together. Unfortunately, Coco has not been feeling great and tonight she crashed. She developed a fever while we were out to dinner, so we are hoping she will feel better tomorrow. But even if she were in top form, she and Ollie just wouldn’t have bonded like the older boys. For one they are both three and still much more concerned about what each of them wants to do individually. Add to that the fact that Coco is all about girl stuff and Ollie doesn’t even begin to comprehend why she is so concerned about what she is wearing. Coco is convinced that she is a fairy princess and her greatest concerns are about what she is wearing. Ollie could care less if he were wearing clothes. So we are going to have to give these two a couple of years before they can be best ‘buds’ like the older boys

Day 32, Year 11: Waterfalls
Date: Monday, November 23, 2015
Weather: Sunny, High in the 80’s F
Location: At Home with Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco, Aguada, Puerto Rico

Today was all about waterfalls. We packed a lunch and headed inland to San Sebastian to the Gozalandia (also known as Las Cataratas or El Roble) Waterfall. In Spanish waterfalls are called cascadas or saltos, and Gozalandia has not one, but two, waterfalls. We decided to climb up to the highest waterfall and then work our way back down to the lower one. Both were beautiful and loads of fun. The highest waterfall has a rope swing and a path leading you to a spot about a third of the way up where you can walk under the falls and come down into the pool if you feel like Indiana Jones. There is also a rock you can climb to and jump into the pool if the swing is not your thing. Justin and Ziggy have done the jump off the rock before, so they led the way today. It took him a while, but finally Sam decided to take the plunge as well. And everyone but Mark and I walked up the path and under the falls. We stayed below to get photos. The lower fall did not have the height of the higher fall, but was quite interesting to look at. Justin, Jo, and Ziggy climbed up and under the fall and then found a little cave they could swim into by going under water for a short distance. Heather joined them in this adventure. But even for those of us who were not so adventuresome, there was plenty of fun to be had just playing in the water.

151123 Day 32 Puerto Rico–Waterfalls

Tonight we all gathered at the rental apartment for a taco dinner and a game of charades. Tomorrow will be a beach day and on Wednesday we will have our early Thanksgiving as Heather, Jed, and boys fly home on Thursday. The little cousins are really enjoying their time together and it is such a joy to watch them. Our only problem is that the time is flying by.

Note: Mark and I moved from the rental apartment to Justin and Jo’s guest house tonight. We will stay here for the remainder of time in Puerto Rico.

Day 31, Year 11 Getting Together with Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco
Date: Sunday, November 22, 2015
Weather: Sunny, High in the 80’s F
Location: Simply Modern Retreat, Aguada, Puerto Rico

Early this morning Justin and Ziggy walked over to visit. And that was the beginning of a wonderful beach day with our five grandchildren, our two children, and their spouses. Jo and Coco joined us for a family breakfast and the little ones all played with Legos that were a gift from Oma and Granddad. The morning beach trip was just a short walk down the street from where we are staying. Justin carried both his old surfboard that we delivered this trip and the surfboard that Jo, Mark, and I gave him for Christmas last year. The surf was still rough today, so no good waves for surfing this morning. But it was delightful to watch the grandchildren playing with each other. I got a real kick out of Jonah and Ziggy chugging water, wondering what they might be chugging on the beach a few years from now! After our morning beach time and lunch at our place, the little cousins all walked down to Justin and Jo’s to play. They were introduced to Uncle Justin and Auntie Jo’s animal menagerie, built with Legos, and explored outside. We then packed up and drove a few miles south to another beach, looking for calmer waters. But they weren’t to be found today. At Marina Beach in Rincon, where the water is usually calm, the surf was breaking on shore with a vengeance. We had hoped to snorkel here, but it was just too rough. But a little way off the beach, the water was calmer. So we rented a couple of paddle boards and paddled them out beyond the breaking surf to have some fun. Ollie and Granddad had a nap in the van and Coco and I went to the beach bar to get rice and beans for her to eat. Then one by one the other grandchildren found us and had snacks in between paddle boarding and body surfing. Jonah and Coco entertained everyone in the snack bar with their cheeky dancing, especially when “You Got to Move It, Move It” played. What a crew!

Tonight we had dinner at the rental unit. Before dinner, Justin had one more run down to the beach with his surfboard and this time he was able to catch the waves. Heather and Jed prepared the dinner and all was delicious. Then we headed to downtown Aguada for dessert at Utopia. It was a wonderful with our family. And Justin and Jo are planning another wonderful day tomorrow. They are taking us up into mountains for a rainforest waterfall adventure.

151122 Day 31 Puerto Rico–Beach Day with the Little Cousins

Day 30, Year 11: Let’s Go Surfin’
Date: Saturday, November 21, 2015
Weather: Sunny, High of 80 degrees F
Location: Simply Modern Retreat, Aguada, Puerto Rico

The west coast of Puerto Rico is always surfing country, but if you were a surfer today would definitely have been the day to be out there. There were high surf and rip current warnings. We walked down to the beach before we knew this and Mark and I were amazed at how different it was from when we were here last Christmas. Last year the beach here was calm with a few surfing waves. Today it was just one huge crashing wave after another. Mark, Jed, and the boys braved the beach while Heather and I went into town to get fresh fish from the Saturday morning fish man and pick up a few more items from the store. We joined the beach bums when we returned. Sam had been diving into those crashing waves the whole time we had been in town while Jonah and Olie had played at the edges. It was just too rough for them to enjoy, so we went back to the apartment for lunch and then all of us except Heather and Ollie set off to find a beach with kinder waves. We ended up at Playa Pico de Piedra a little further south in Aguada and had a great afternoon. When we got home the Goldstone crew headed to the beach here to watch the sunset and then we had a great dinner followed by a game of charades. We are looking forward to visiting with Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco tomorrow as they got home too late tonight to visit.

151121 Day 30 Puerto Rico–Beach Fun at Playa Pico de Piedra

Day 29, Year 11: San Juan to Aguada
Date: Friday, November 20, 2015
Weather: Partly Sunny, High of 85 degrees F
Location: Simply Modern Retreat, Aguada, Puerto Rico

Today we made the transition from the hotel in San Juan to a two-bedroom apartment in Aguada on the west coast of Puerto Rico. We are diagonally across the street from Justin and Jo’s, but we won’t get to see them until tomorrow night. They are flying in from England and will arrive home tomorrow night. In the meantime we will continue to enjoy the warmth and sunshine. We just have to walk to the end of the street from our apartment and we are on the beach, so tomorrow will be a beach day.

We spent our morning enjoying the three pools and the beach at the Caribe Hilton. The once very swanky hotel is showing signs of wear. But the location is fantastic. At low tide we could stand on the overlook and watch tropical fish swimming below. The kids enjoyed playing between the pools and the beach. They had up-close and personal experiences with iguanas and we even found a hermit crab in one of the pools. We figured that was not where he meant to be, so I picked him up to carry him back to the ocean. I was not as careful as I should have been and he took a really good chunk out of my ring finger. It bled for over an hour, but is fine now. We had a picnic lunch, played on the Hilton playground, and then headed to Aguada. The trip was quite an adventure. The surfboard that we brought with us for Justin was in a huge inflatable bag that we had inside the van. We knew we could not ride all the way to Aguada with me in the floor of the van hunched down underneath the inflatable bag, so we had to first stop at a Walmart to get clothesline to tie the surfboard to the top of the van. Then we drove to a Costco to buy food. It was a two-hour drive in heavy traffic from Costco to here, so we didn’t arrive until after dark. We are all a little tired, but I’m sure a good night’s sleep will solve that problem. So it is time to sign off and get to bed.

151120 Day 29 Puerto Rico–Fun at the Caribe Hilton in San Jaun

Day 28, Year 11: Boston to San Juan
Date: Thursday, November 19, 2015
Weather: Hot and Humid with Rain Showers
Location: Caribe Hilton Hotel, San Juan, Puerto Rico

We made it! We arrived in San Juan after a painless five hour flight, picked up a rental mini-van at the airport, met Jed at the hotel, changed into our bathing suits, had a quick, informal dinner, and jumped in the pools and played in the ocean. The boys were so excited to be in the water, especially the pools, and I am sure they will be up early in the morning ready to go again.

Sam, Jonah, and Ollie were so good on the way here. We had three big bags to check, including a bag of snorkel gear and a surfboard, six backpacks, and Heather’s carry-on. She packed for herself and all three boys in that carry-on while Mark and I required a 50-pound checked bag. We don’t travel light! Jonah could handle Heather’s carry-on, Sam could handle our 50-pound duffle with wheels, I carried the snorkel gear, and Heather dealt with Ollie and carried kid backpacks and a carry-on with kid snorkel gear. That left Granddad toting Justin’s surfboard that was packed in a special inflatable (and hopefully indestructible) bag. It is about seven feet long and weighs 40 pounds. When we arrived in San Juan we must have looked quite a sight with all the bags, but we transported them all without paying a porter. Our problem now is to figure out how to transport the surfboard from here to Aguada. It virtually fills the middle of the van, so tomorrow we will come up with a way to carry it on the rooftop without racks. But one way or another we will leave here tomorrow afternoon and travel the two hours to Aguada on the west coast. Then the real fun begins.

Day 27, Year 11: Good Scan Results
Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Weather: Mostly Sunny and Cool, Frost Last Night
Location: At Home with the Goldstones (-Jed), East Falmouth, MA

We met with Mark’s oncologists today and received news that the results of his recent scan were good. Hurray! The radiation therapy did its job. The cancer is at bay for now and the hope is that Mark can have a break from any kind of treatment until we return here in the late spring. We will have to come back for another scan in mid-January and if things are still under control, we will continue with our plan to go to the Bahamas. So obviously, we are delighted with the news.

We were able to return the wrong computer and get the right one at Best Buy this morning, but we have had no luck getting it set up for use. Trying to download Microsoft Office was very frustrating and after a long call to someone in India and then another call to tech support in this country, we found out the problem was that Microsoft’s website was down. For two people who once thought they were at least a little tech savvy, this week has been a real challenge. Evidently we are not as savvy as we thought. But with or without technology, tomorrow morning we all leave here and head for Logan Airport in Boston. By 6 pm tomorrow night we will be in San Juan.