Merry Christmas! (a little late ;-) December 2013

Happy Holidays to One and All from Greater Downtown Delcambre, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana. We are still aboard DREAM AWAY, and loving it, and still in Delcambre, and loving that, too, except for the colder weather now. Next year, back in the Rio
Jim and were very involved in Christmas and Santa Claus for about two weeks. We have finally hung up (as in returned) our outfits, but had so much fun with it all, we are determined to buy outfits ourselves so that we can make this something of a holiday tradition. These last few 'gigs' held some 'firsts' for us in that for one we were picked up by the Mayor in his police car, and delivered amid sirens and flashing lights, to a float on which we rode, and from which we threw candy, to the children (large and small ;-), in the local Christmas parade. Following that (though not on the same day, thank goodness) we were delivered to the Creole Market in New Iberia, LA, aboard a fire truck, again amid sirens and flashing lights. This time we had candy canes to give the children while they sat on Santa's lap and got their photos taken while whispering their heart's desires into Santa's ear. It was absolutely amazing how many, and how young, the ones that wanted iPads, iPhones, and computers ... even pre-kindergarteners. We had already contracted lovely colds ... at least I did, then I passed mine on to Jim, of course ... from the three days at Santa's Workshop at the local school, so we tired more easily than usual. Still, we had a wonderful time. All of which was culminated with being The Santas at a private party at some lovely new friend's home where they had great gifts for their grandchildren, and The Santas were quite a success. We changed clothes and stayed on for gumbo, turkey, ham ... all the feasting, and also left for home with bags of beautiful oranges, satsumas, and kumquats from their orchard. We are now regrouping, though neither of us is entirely 'cold' free yet. Still we feel much better, and a bit of sunshine will be great for the spirits.


We stopped in Delcambre for a few weeks visit in May, 2011, and we are still here. This is such a delightful town, and the people are so very friendly, we just haven’t been able to leave yet. If ever you want the wholesome, community spirit of old town America, this is a place you should visit. We love and encourage visitors, and are quite keen on sharing the fabulous Acadiana culture and foods with everyone who shows an interest. We feel quite fortunate to have this opportunity to be in such a special place, and to feel so welcome here.




Jim and I are both working part-time for the Port of Delcambre – Twin Parish District. I work with the fishermen on the Delcambre Direct Seafood program, helping fishermen bring their catches directly to the docks to sell from their boat directly to the customers. This has been great fun, and really has made a difference in the income for a lot of the fishermen. I also introduce our little jewel of a marina to the Texas-New Orleans and beyond cruiser market, welcoming cruisers who do stop by, and showing them around the Acadiana we have come to love.




Jim is also working part-time for the Port as the marina Maintenance Supervisor, and he is the main go-to guy for much of the volunteer work for the Port. He helps set up the vendors at the Delcambre Seafood and Farmers’ Markets, and does a lot of extra work around the marina, including getting and setting up our fine new shower facilities, installing and maintaining the WiFi network, and handling the gardening … a task he had hoped he would never do again once we moved aboard a boat, but one that has creped up on him after all. The Port has come to rely heavily on him, as do we all.




As you may know from Jim’s updates, we now have two darling Birman cats. Jillian’s Dream and Jordan by the Sea are delightful. They are siblings, so have grown up together, and play and sleep together giving us many a photo op. We are enjoying them immensely. I don’t suppose anything will ever replace our darling Puss, but these two are cute, and sweet, and very, very entertaining.




Stacy and Tina, in Atlanta, are working hard with their various companies and Stacy’s ever growing involvement in the Global xxx forums. He now sits on their panels regularly in China, India, Russia, and beyond. They make a terrific team, and have accomplished wonders. We are constantly intrigued with their new ventures, and are delighted with their successes. They are spending the Christmas holiday on Isla Mujeres, in Mexico, on a well-deserved break from the constant pressures of global businesses.





Judy is also living in Atlanta where she is a ‘Mashgichah’ at the Good Friends Restaurant in the Jewish Community Center. She is the person who makes sure that all the food coming into the restaurant is kosher, and that it is prepared in a kosher manner. It’s hard work and long hours, but she’s great at it and has become a critical member of the management team although she declines an actual management position at this time. She is also teaching Religious School, and is very active in her Community. She has a cozy little apartment complete with small library corner which I adore and enjoy for and with her.




We had a wonderful visit with the kids at Thanksgiving. We drove over to Atlanta in time for Judy’s birthday, the first few days of Hanukkah, and a lovely Thanksgiving dinner at Stacy and Tina’s. It was wonderful to have time with all of them. Jim did a lot of reorganizing at our storage unit up in Roswell, in preparation for moving all the stuff in his beloved shop here in Delcambre to Atlanta when we do get under way cruising again.

And here it is almost the New Year … for which we wish you many blessings, good health, and prosperity. As our favorite Spanish saying goes, “Salud, Pesetas, y Amor, y el Tiempo para Gustarlo” .
We hope to make that toast back in the Rio next year … unless we are captivated yet again by Puerto Rico. Stacy has encouraged us to establish residency in Puerto Rico, and to that effect we plan to fly there in February to inquire into the pre-requisite driving license and post office box, and to look at property. Partly Stacy plans to move some of his corporations down there, and also he hopes to establish a ‘home base’ where all of us can be together for living and holidays, once Jim and I settle down a bit. We are looking forward to the possibilities as we loved living there years ago, and have very fond memories.

Have a wonderful New Year. Do please stay in touch, and come see us if ever you can.

Best wishes,

Jim and Kitty (Katherine)