Old Time Remedy for Upset Stomach

Things were simpler when I was growing up. Whenever a member of our family had a stomach ache, we depended on a remedy out of our medicine cabinet.

Back then there were fewer choices for medical remedies. If we had an upset stomach or diarrhea, Mom would treat us with an over-the-counter product from the general store. 

There are countless products now, claiming to relieve minor indigestion with catchy jingles about heartburn, stomach ache, and diarrhea. But I still turn to the old family favorite when it's needed. Whether it's the carbonation or the actual formula, this product still works for me when I'm feeling queasy.

Our family medicine cabinet held only a few items like aspirin, Vick's VapoRub, Noxema, Mercurochrome and Merthiolate, a child's worst nightmare. For minor burns and insect bites, we had Unguentine or Bactine. But the most frequently used product for minor stomach aches was a brown elixir purchased from the local pharmacist. We would head to the corner store to fetch a refill if our supply ran low.

Mom would send my brother and I to the corner store on our bicycles where we'd park in the bike racks and head to the pharmacy at the back. 

We'd waiting patiently at the glass wall while the druggist clanked out a prescription label on an old manual typewriter. The pharmacy was raised above the rest of the store which allowed a glimpse of his white coat when he moved around. Racks of glass bottles and blank labels littered his work counter.

The store had a variety of household items from bread and canned goods to toys and fishing gear. There was also a rack of comic books like Super Man, Donald Duck, Tom and Jerry or Tweedy and Sylvester that sold for ten cents.

The store was the neighborhood hangout with its soda fountain where they served the best hamburgers around. That was where we ate before fast food places made their way to Key West.

We'd sit on the vinyl stools and sip our five-cent Cokes from a real glass while our fifty-cent hamburgers sizzled on a flat grill. Many summer days were spent sitting near orange and grape drink dispensers, basking in the aroma of hot dogs grilling on the rotisserie.

From our place on the stools, we listened for the pharmacist to call our names to fetch the white bag with the precious remedy; a concentrated solution of Coke syrup in a small bottle.

We’d pay the cashier while eyeballing the nickel candy bars and penny bubble gum, then, hop back on our bikes clutching the package like a bag of gold.

Postal services were available and we mailed parcels wrapped in brown paper cut from grocery store bags. Packages had to be tied securely with cotton string. Regular postage stamps were four cents, with air mail stamps costing seven cents. Letters could be dropped off at the mail slot next to the pharmacy.

We kept our antics in the store to a minimum, knowing better than to cause trouble. If our parents got a call from the druggist that would mean big trouble when we got home.

Once we got home with the remedy, Mom would send us to fetch a tablespoon from the silverware drawer. Armed with the bottle of coke syrup, she would climb the stairs to the bedroom of the ailing family member.

If Dad was the one with the stomach ache, we would sneak up the stairs behind her and wait quietly on the landing while she gave him a dose. If one of the children was ill, the rest of us would march boldly behind her into the bedroom of the afflicted. We'd surround the bed and watch as she opened the glass bottle and poured out a measure of the sticky syrup. The patient, sitting in bed, lips puckered, would swallow the brown liquid, leaving us to lick our lips vicariously at the sickeningly sweet taste.

Coca-Cola was originally intended as a patent medicine. Invented by John Pemberton in the late nineteenth century, it became a popular carbonated soft drink. Two of its original ingredients were kola nuts and coca leaves. The Coca-Cola Company, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, produces concentrate of the revised formula, which is sold to licensed bottlers and distributors in over 200 countries throughout the world.

The current formula still remains a trade secret.

A Generous Slice of Navy Life in the 1940s, 50s and 60s

On December 7, 1941, the United States suffered a devastating attack on U.S. Military forces in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war on Japan. A wave of patriotism swelled enlistment in the armed forces as young people sought to do their patriotic duty.

The Greatest Generation

February 8, 1942, Byron Moore and two high school classmates, E.C. Powell and Bobby Futch took the bus from Valdosta, Georgia to a military recruiting station in Macon where they enlisted.

At 17 years,10 months old, Byron was underweight according to Navy regulations. At the recruiting station, he filled his pockets with rocks to add a couple of pounds.₂

Shortly after returning home, the trio received their official letters to report for duty. They boarded the Southern Railroad to Portsmouth VA and took the ferry to Norfolk the world's largest Naval Base operating out of the original Jamestown Exposition site.

During the first two weeks of training, the new recruits of Platoon Unit 842 were administered shots, given dental and physical exams had their clothes stenciled and began a rigorous calisthenics program to prepare them for battle.

After Boot Camp, the enlisted men received a three-day leave. Byron traveled to Washington, D.C. to visit his sister, Leila Moore Cartwright, who worked at the Anchor Room in The Annapolis Hotel, a favorite service man's hangout.

As an active duty Apprentice Seaman, he earned $21.00 per month.

He received new orders for Tampa, Florida to serve aboard the Auxiliary Mine Sweeper, the USS Augury when the ship was put into commission after sea trials, making him a plank owner.₁ His next assignment as Temporary Prison Chaser Guard included orders for New Orleans with 22 other Military Guards to escort prisoners to Portsmouth NH.

When his new orders assigned him to a ship that had already left port, he hitched a ride on board another ship, a WWI Destroyer heading toward Russia. They traveled to New Jersey to pick up ammunition, then, headed toward Key West and his duty station as “Sound Man.” He completed a five-week course with the last ten days of class practicing their new skills at sea.

As an SoM3c, Sonar Man 3rd class, he earned $78.00 per month. Reenlistment in 1945 for 4 years in the Regular Navy earned him a raise to $119.70 per month.

Family traditions -

Byron's older brother, Harold, enlisted in the Army during World War I. His other older brother, Ervin, also served in the Navy. After a tour of duty overseas, Ervin developed tuberculosis and was not expected to live. After losing a lung to the disease, his brother went on to become a lawyer and later, a judge in Marianna, Florida.

USS Augury AM-149 Minesweeper

Admirable Class Minesweeper, one of the largest and most successful classes of minesweepers ordered by the US Navy during World War II.

They were designed to locate and remove naval mines before the rest of the fleet arrived, thereby ensuring safe passage.

• Built: at the Tampa Shipbuilding Company Inc. December 1942
• Launched: February 23, 1943 and commissioned March 17 1943.
• Displacement: 650 tons
• Length: 184' 6"
• Beam: 33'
• Draft: 9' 9"
• Speed: 14.8 knots
• Complement: 104 (officers, non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel)
• Armament: one 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount, two twin 40 mm gun mounts, one depth charge thrower (hedgehogs), two depth charge tracks
• Propulsion: two 1,710 shp ALCO 539 diesel engines, Farrel-Birmingham single reduction gear, two shafts.

The Augury’s shake-down cruise took them from Tampa to Norfolk VA, afterward, to the Panama Canal, then San Francisco, then to Hawaii. Nearing the Philippines, a new set of orders changed their destination to Kodiak Alaska for convoy duty. Their job was to escort Merchant ships back and forth from Alaska to Attu in the Aleutian Islands. Between escorts they sailed Picket Duty or steaming in a Picket Square traveling north, east, south, then west, patrolling in each direction for an hour.

He was also on the USS Augury for his 21st birthday, and served aboard until its decommissioning in July of 1945.

After two years on the USS Augury, he served on the USS Sierra (AD18), the USS Rich (DD820), NROTC Unit, Duke University (as an instructor), NTS Norfolk, Virginia, Sound School, Key West, Florida, Naval Pre-Flight Training, Natchitoches, Louisiana, Minecraft Training Center, Little Creek, Virginia before reenlisting in the Regular Navy.

Crew of the USS Augury AM 149

Moore is on the 2nd row from the bottom, 4th from the left of the photo.

Wartime Romance

Mid 1945, Moore received orders for Okinawa. Taking a troop transport from Seattle WA to Denver, the young Moore boarded a commercial flight to Dallas on a Braniff PBO Hudson with one pilot and one stewardess.

During his thirty-day leave in Texas, he met the woman who would later become my mother. They were married 9 days later in a private ceremony at the bride's family home in Fort Worth, July 15, 1945. Shortly after the marriage, he was deployed overseas.

Mr. Moore set out on a determined program of schooling and enrolled in every class he could get. After completing a five-week Sound Course, he was selected to take a ten-week Sound Maintenance Course detailing how to repair, tune and maintain sonar equipment.

Later he enrolled in Flight School in Dallas, Texas. While he was learning to fly Piper Cubs and N3N Navy Peril craft at this sixteen-week course, the war was raging overseas. When a surprise navigation test caught the student pilots off guard, he washed out of flight school along with 49 of 60 classmates. Soon afterward, he headed back to the danger zone.

USS Rich DDE-820 Gearing Class Destroyer 

https://www.hullnumber.com/DD-820

U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photo 19-NN - DD-820 Rich - 137766, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

"The second Rich (DD-820) was laid down on 16 May 1944 by the Consolidated Steel Corp. Orange Tex. launched 5 October 1945 and commissioned on 3 July 1946 Comdr. R. C. Houston in command.

After shakedown in the Caribbean, Rich departed Norfolk in late October for a Mediterranean tour most of which December 1946 to March 1947 was spent on patrol in the Atlantic. Returning to the United States in March she was converted to a specialized antisubmarine ship at the New York Naval Shipyard; and in the fall she resumed operations with the 2d Fleet."

• Launched: October 5, 1945
• Commissioned: July 3, 1946
• Length: 391 feet
• Beam: 41 feet
• Draft: 18.7 feet
• Speed: 34 knots
• Moore, Byron O SO1 1946-1947 Plank Owner USS Rich

Officer Candidate School 1954

Byron Moore is at the far right side of the photo.

Commissioned Ensign USN August 1954

Next duty station.

USS John S. McCain (DL-3)

Reclassified in 1951 as a Destroyer Leader, it was the second Mitscher Class Destroyer in the U S Navy.

Photo: USN; Original uploader, ScottyBoy900Q at English Wikipedia.; 2005-10-09 Public Domain

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USS_John_S._McCain_(DL-3)_underway_in_the_early_1960s.jpg

• Class: Mitscher Class Destroyer
• Named for: John S. McCain
• Complement: 403 Officers and Enlisted
• Displacement: 3,675 tons
• Length: 493 feet
• Beam: 50 feet
• Flank Speed: 30 plus knots
• Final Disposition: Sold for scrap January 1980

"John S. McCain spent the first year of her commissioned service undergoing sea trials and shakedown training in the Atlantic and Caribbean. One of the new Mitscher class of large and fast destroyer leaders she carried the latest in armament and embodied new ideas in hull design and construction. The ship arrived Norfolk 19 May 1955 to begin service with the Operational Development Force in testing new equipment and tactics. She operated out of Norfolk until 5 November 1956 when she steamed from Hampton Roads bound for the Panama Canal and San Diego. After her arrival 4 December 1956 she spent 5 months on maneuvers in California waters."₃

USS Thrush MSC-204 

Redwing Class Motor Minesweeper

• Laid down: May 7, 1954 as AMS-204 by the Tampa Marine Co., Tampa, FL
• Launched: Jan 5, 1955
• Reclassified: as a Coastal Minesweeper MSC-204, Feb 7,1955
• Commissioned: USS Thrush (MSC 204), November 8, 1955
• Displacement: 320 tons
• Length: 144 feet
• Beam: 28 feet
• Draft: 9 feet
• Speed: 13 knots
• Complement: 39 Officers and Enlisted
• Armament: Two 20 mm Mounts

_{USS Allegheny ATA-179}

_{US Navy photo (http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/38/38179.htm) [Public domain], via Wikimedia}

Specifications (As Built)

Displacement 835 t.(lt) 1360 t (fl)

Length 143'

Beam 33' 10"

Draft 13' 2" (limiting)

Speed 12 kts.

Armament

    one single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount

    two single 20mm AA gun mounts

Largest Boom Capacity 5 t.

Complement

    Officers 5

    Enlisted 40

Propulsion

    two GM 12-278A Diesel-electric engines

    single Fairbanks Morse Main Reduction Gear

    Ship's Service Generators

    two 60Kw 120V. D.C.

    single propeller, 1,200shp

https://www.hullnumber.com/ATA-179

USS Suribachi, AE 21 Ammunition Carrier 

Photo By USN (U.S. Defense imagery photo DN-ST-87-09067 [1]) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Suribachi Class Ammunition Carrier deployed in the Mediterranean where Lt. Cmdr. Moore served as Chief Executive Officer 1961 - 1963. The ship traveled from Bayonne NJ to Norfolk VA, to Key West to patrol the Atlantic during the Cuban Missile Crisis. 

• Launched: November 1955
• Commissioned: November 1956
• Displacement: 9,758 tons
• Length: 512 feet
• Beam: 72 feet
• Complement: 20 Officers, 324 Enlisted
• Cargo booms to load fully equipped trucks, carried a full war load to outfit an Aircraft Carrier or 3 - 4 Destroyers.
• Armament: 4 twin 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts

Set in the center of the 6th Fleet in a 50-mile square, it was surrounded by 3 Carriers, 21 Destroyers, 3 Cruisers, 3 Oilers and a second Ammunition Ship, the Yosemite AD-19.

Lt. Commander Byron Moore's life was a collection of roles played out over eighty-one years: brother; student; instructor; fisherman; mariner; beloved father; husband; carpenter; and devoted Christian. He could at times be stern, rigid, disciplined and aloof, yet, there were times his tender side came through.

He lived the motto, "a place for everything and everything in its place." He drew a penciled outline around each tool on the pegboard at his workbench. We learned not to borrow tools without asking and to return them clean and to their designated place.

He was an avid reader and shared the value of books and the importance of good reading skills. He impressed on his children and others the value of discipline and hard work. He stressed the importance of honesty and loyalty and was an example of kindness and compassion to all living creatures.

Duty Stations and Ships

• 1942-Mar 1945, USS Augury AM-149, Plank Owner
• 1945 USS Sierra AD-18 as a Senior Sonarman
• 1946, USS Rich DD-820, Gearing Class Destroyer, Plank Owner
• 1949 NROTC at Duke University, Sonar Instructor
• 1949 Sound School, Key West FL
• 1949 March - Nav Pre Flight Training, Natchitoches, LA
• 1949 March - Minecraft Training Center, Little Creek, VA
• 1950 May - Jan 1951, Fleet Sonar School, Key West, FL, Chief Sonarman
• 1953 Mar 17,  Assigned Secondary NJC 3423 "Qualified Instructor"
• 1953 June 27 - Mar 1954, USS Wilkinson DL-5 1947, Ensign, Plank Owner
• 1954 Mar 17- Aug, to Naval Schools Command, Officer Candidate School, Newport, RI
• 1954 Aug - Graduated and Commissioned ENSIGN, USN 4-Jun-1954
• 1954, Aug to Aug 1956, USS John S. McCain DL-3
• 1956, Aug to Mar 1958, USS Thrush MSC-204
• 1958 Apr to Oct 1959, USS Allegheny ATA-179, as Commanding Officer
• 1959 Nov to Jun 1961, Fleet Sonar School Instructor
• 1961 Oct - July 1963 USS Suribachi AE-21 as Chief Executive Officer
• 1963 July to Aug 1964, Fleet Sonar School, Director of Training
• He served separate assignments at the Fleet Sonar School in Key West, FL as Instructor, Assistant Director of Enlisted Training, where he reviewed the training plans of officers who were instructors and later was promoted to Director of Enlisted Training. He worked there until his retirement in 1964.

Commander Moore served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Korea and the beginning of the Vietnam era. He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal (3*), American Theater, European Theater, Pacific Theater (2*), Victory Medal, European Occupation, China Service and United Nations medals. He worked his way up the ranks from Apprentice Seaman to retire as a Lieutenant Commander. He was awarded a post-retirement commission to Commander.

_{Notes/Sources:}

The bulk of research came from the information packet from the National Personnel Records Center along with notes taken during Mr. Moore's lifetime. 

To begin your own research, see this article, How to Find Military Service Records for your relative who served in the Military.

1. Plank owner, also called a plank holder, is an individual who was a member of a crew of a US Navy ship or US Coast Guard Cutter when it was put into commission
2. NCBI, WWII Height-Weight Standards at 67 inches was 140 pounds with a minimum weight of 125.
3. www.Hullnumber.com
4. National WWI Museum
5. USS Rich DDE-820, Plank Owner
6. NavSource online

Look What I Found At The Thrift Store

Finding reusable items in second-hand stores is like going on a treasure hunt. Here are some of the things I've found over the years.

Digging through dusty bins can really pay off if you're looking for chairs, side tables, mirrors, kitchen gadgets, pots and pans, dishes, glassware, picture frames, art, tools, books and even clothes for a fraction of the original price. It's an economical way to decorate.

One of my favorite things to collect is American-made dinnerware. If you question buying used dishes, remember that when you eat at a restaurant, you're eating on dishes that have been used hundreds of times. With the right scrubbing, disinfectant and sanitation methods, they're good to go.

Cast iron skillets make great finds for cooking steaks, fried chicken, pork chops and more. Their durable construction makes the pan safe to use on the outdoor grill, over campfires or in the oven.

Look for the manufacturer's mark on the bottom for names like Wagner or Griswold.

The skillet I found was covered in years of baked-on grease. SOS pads, elbow grease and a light coating of oil made it look like new.

Second-hand stores are great place to find vintage items as people who are downsizing donate their excess household items. Goodwill, Salvation Army, Donation Station, Friends of Strays, and Junior League stores can yield treasures from dusty attics, barns, storage units and leftovers from estate sales.

Antique stores usually have a bargain area where slow-moving items are marked down. Pawn shops and flea markets have jewelry, guitars, clocks, kitchenware, appliances, tools patio furniture and more.

This Rookwood vase from 1904 is signed by its designer, KVH, for Katherine Van Horne. It's marked with the manufacturer's stamp and a Roman numeral on the bottom for the year. Vases like this can sell for hundreds to collectors. I found this one at a garage sale.

Keep an eye out for multiple-family garage sales where people are trying to get rid of grandma's "dusty old things." You never know what you might find.

Vintage Oak Washstand from the late 1800s

If you want to learn more about the history of vintage items, auctions are good places to start. An experienced auctioneer tells a story about the items to build interest from the crowd.

Auctions

1. Arrive early and check out the items for sale. 
2. Bring a magnifying glass and a flashlight to inspect hard-to-see areas. 
3. Items are sold as is and where is. 
4. Any defects are the buyer's responsibility.
5. Find out how much the auction charges for a buyer's premium. Sometimes it's ten-percent added to the winning bid amount.

Bidders are assigned a buyer's number to be used when bidding. When the bidding gets intense over an item, the price tends to go up.

Don't worry that you'll end up buying something accidentally. If there's a question of intent, the auctioneer usually asks, "Are you waving at someone or bidding?" You'll know if you've bought something when they yell, "SOLD!"

How Much Is It Worth?

Finding values is easy with an internet search. For years, collector series books were the only source for values. They're still a great source of manufacturer's history of where certain patterns originated. Remember, an item is only worth what the market will bear.

When you check eBay for an item's worth, sign in and look at the "sold" listings. Just because someone sets a sale price doesn't mean people will buy it for that much.

Hull coffee mug in tangerine (rare) color with a matching coffee server.

Knowing what to buy is as important as knowing what not to buy. Here are some things best left at the store.

Things To Avoid When Shopping at Second Hand Stores

1. Intimate clothing, like socks, panties, bras or swimsuits, unless tagged with original manufacturer's tags and in "new" unworn condition. Always launder before using.
2. Cloth covered furniture with odors or stains are best left behind. (Crime TV makes me suspicious of red stains.) 
3. If it smells funny or has mold or water damage, think twice before buying it.
4. Avoid books or paintings that smell of mold or mildew unless they have historical value or are family heirlooms. In that case professional restoration may be required.
5. Pass on porous items like wooden spoons, wooden bowls, non-washable fabrics or other items that can't be immersed in a cleaning solution and disinfected thoroughly.
6. Consumables like make-up, body lotion, perfume, edibles and other vintage food items are likely beyond their best-use date and aren't safe to eat or use. Perfume bottles can be cleaned but the contents will likely smell strong.
7. Kitchen appliances need to be tested. Some items like mixers, toasters and lamps are safer if they're rewired.
8. Shoes are questionable unless they show little or no wear. They can be of value as theater props or decorations.
9. Some baby car seats and cribs have been recalled due to dangerous or unsafe outcomes. Check for any recalls.
10. Some old items were made with paints that contained lead or radioactive materials, like illuminated clock faces painted with radium. Avoid these.
11. If an item just doesn't feel right when you pick it up or holding it makes the hair on your neck stand up, leave it behind.

Use your good judgement on used items.

Good luck in your search for vintage items. I hope you find the treasure of a lifetime!

Burgundy Lace Dishes from the 40s

Solomon Lithograph from the 40s

Marigold Carnival Tumblers from the 60s

Hull Mirror Brown Oven Proof Dishes USA

Saving Memories for My Sister

Where Are You Little Girl?

The summer I turned 16, my mother and I drove from Miami, Florida to Tallahassee to see my sister. The 500 mile journey took us to the campus of Florida State University where Janet was a Freshman.

She was living in a scholarship house off campus with a dozen or so other students. Their house mother served as a chaperone and substitute mother to these young ladies during their pursuit of a college degree. They shared meals at a giant dining room table with living quarters in an historic house just a couple of blocks from school.

Janet took me with her to her classes and to the campus library, and nearby coffee shops where I played "Little Red Riding Hood" on the jukebox.

As we stood outside the student union, a friend of hers drove up in his shiny new Chevy Corvair and stopped right next to where we were standing.

He rolled down the window and I'll never forget what he did next.

Be My Love - Mario Lanza

This dangerously handsome guy, dressed to the teeth in a light blue button-down shirt with a skinny tie, the hottest styles during the 60s, reached out and took my sister's hand. Then, without any further provocation, he belted out the song in the video above with as much gusto and volume as he could produce.

Afterward, he simply drove off just as smug and confident as he'd driven up.

I asked my sister if that was her boyfriend. She said, "No, he's just a drama student who is deeply into his craft."

I never forgot that few minutes where I thought it was the most romantic thing I'd ever seen.

Janet found her first true love on that campus, but it wasn't the Mario Lanza impersonator. She and Jim got married in April of 1967 in a church wedding with flowers, a long, flowing white dress, a best man, a flower girl (my little 5 year-old cousin) and two bridesmaids including yours truly.

She probably doesn't remember either of these events now. She's suffering from early onset dementia. It's up to the rest of the family to keep her memories safe. 

That responsibility falls mostly on my niece, Janet's daughter who lives in the same town in South Carolina.

Those of us who have served as caregivers know the heavy burden that this entails. It's a complex blend of guilt and exhaustion from trying to do it all, caring for your mother while carrying a full-time job, caring for a retired spouse, a household and the daily grind of life's activities.

I admire her perseverance and fortitude. You know who your are.

My Take on the Sun Princess US Inaugural Voyage

 

We're seasoned cruisers with nearly a dozen trips behind us. At this point, we know what we like and don't like about the different size ships.

In October 2024, we took an inaugural cruise on the Sun Princess which had just completed its European tour. This was the first time the ship was heading out from the United States.

We flew in the night before and enjoyed a wonderful room at The Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort.

The hotel was directly across from the Atlantic Ocean with a beautiful view. The hotel staff was friendly, the room was clean and quiet and we were pleased with our short stay. Walking distance from the hotel, we found the Casa Blanca Restaurant where we shared a burger and glasses of delicious sangria.

Casa Blanca in Ft. Lauderdale

The next morning we took an Uber to the port.

Embarkation day is a big challenge for many of the cruise lines. There are hundreds of people showing up at the same time, all needing to go through processing to get badges, check their luggage, go through security and then walk through the maize of jetways to board the ship.

It was clear this was the first time the port employees had seen such a volume of passengers and they were ill prepared to process so many people at once.

Hopefully, with some experience, they will have ironed out the embarkation issues and have a better method of crowd handling.

The walk back to the hotel.

We entered the queue of waiting people, after making our way all the way to the end of the line which had doubled back on itself. Standing in the tropical 90 degree heat with no cross breeze or fans in the outdoor warehouse-type space was stifling. A couple of times I thought my hubby was going to pass out.

We had checked our roller bags at the entrance, so we were carrying our heavy backpacks as the line crept slowly towards the door.

There's supposed to be a priority boarding for seasoned cruisers who've achieved "Elite" or "Platinum" status due to loyalty or number of cruises taken, but there was no such thing in place.

Once inside, the line crept slowly through a security checkpoint where, everything must be placed on the conveyor belt - hats, purses, phones, luggage, all had to go through the scanner.

It was not the highlight of our trip.

The send-off when the ship first left the port was spectacular. We watched a pair of tugboats gracefully dancing in a performance with water sprays that created a rainbow effect. It was amazing!

The Tugboat Show

We couldn't help but make comparisons to other cruises we've taken. We've been on the Ruby Princess a few times. It's a smaller ship built in 2008, that holds around 3,080 guests plus a crew of  1,200. We love the quaint feel of the cozy restaurants and public places that are welcoming and warm. The Piazza has an ambiance that brings back times gone by.

In contrast, the Sun Princess, the newest ship in the fleet, holds up to 4,300 guests with a crew of 1,600. You'd be surprised at the difference 1,600 extra people make on a ship, even of this size. The shops were crowded, the restaurants had wait lists and even the bars had long wait times for service.

In port at Amber Cove

We found ourselves engulfed in a sea of passengers no matter what the venue, whether in ship stores, dining rooms, bars or at the Piazza. 

The Piazza

Speaking of which, the multi-level seating in the Piazza on the Sun, although convenient and comfortable, lacks personality.

While the super large screen makes it easier to see performances, games or magic shows on the Sun, the comforting ambiance is lacking.

We bought the drink package because we like specialty coffee, premium desserts, and the reserve dining experience where you can dine at anytime without waiting in line. With the new Sanctuary collection, the reserve collection option is removed and passenger's are assigned a restaurant of their own.

This was my dinner the first night in the Sanctuary restaurant. The steak was tough, the baked potato was hard as were the veggies. The hubby sent his Alfredo back as it was hard and cold. The Maître de wasn't too accommodating and we left with food uneaten.

As mini-suite Sanctuary guests, we were allowed to have breakfast each morning in the Sanctuary dining room but mostly skipped the restaurant and went to the buffet where they had prepare-to-order omelets and assorted breakfast food and pastries. 

For specialty restaurants, we had difficulty getting a reservation at our favorite, Catch by Rudi, so we chose the Crown Grill. It was our first time to be disappointed with the service and "quality" of the meal. We ate less than half of the lobster dinner and left before dessert.

We had much better luck with a new specialty dining place called Umai, Teppanyaki which is a hibachi grill-type venue where you sit with other people and the chef puts on a show of cooking, singing and telling jokes. 

The shrimp flipped into the chef's hat trick was different when he tossed in an egg and caught it expertly.

The food was fantastic, the whole meal was fabulous. We couldn't have asked for anything better.

Returning from a tiring day in port, we tried another new place called American Diner. That was far and away from anything resembling a diner that we could imagine. Service was slow - we must have been between shifts because we gave our order to three different people before they finally got it.

Milkshakes were watery and tasteless. The hot dogs were served on a Brioche roll (where's the beef?) with a smearing of "bacon onion jam" which we had asked them to leave off. We left most of our meal on the table.

For us, it's an easy choice to book on the smaller ships. They're more personable, friendly, and less crowded. 

Despite my complaints about this voyage, we remain steadfast cruisers who will continue to sail on the Princess line of ships. Just, for now, not the mega sized ones. See you on the sea.

Bain Honaker House in Farmersville Texas - Historic Houses

Nestled into a quiet rural street east of the Farmersville square, the Bain Honaker house is a reminder of the struggles of daily living in the 1800s. Constructed just after the Civil War, its builder and first owner, Anna Melissa Bain, was the widow of John Alexander Bain, 1823 - 1862. She was a woman of vision who with keen foresight, bought nearly seven acres in a small town fifty miles northeast of Dallas.

Inside the house there's a collection of items from workers, gun owners, revolutionaries, widows, orphans, musical instruments and lasting architectural design. Visitors can browse through antique books, old photos, vintage clothing, parlor-style furniture, and the remnants of lives well-lived.

Decorated in period-correct wallpaper, the interior is warmed by a shared fireplace in the wall between the parlor and the sitting room. 

"Mid-nineteenth-century homes included a formal parlor, sometimes described by social historians as a sacred space, where weddings, funerals, and other public events were held."

At times, it might hold the body of the deceased on display for visitation by friends and relatives prior to the funeral. The parlor was likely the most expensively furnished and elegant room in the entire house.

"The parlor furniture was made of richer materials and included the piano for entertaining guests. The cozier sitting room was used by the family for reading and sewing."₂

A ceramic and enamel container held excess ashes from the hearth. As the fire was the primary source of heat, it would need to be emptied on a regular basis. 

"A family would gather in the sitting room in the evening, drawing close together to share the light of an oil or kerosene lamp.

Reading was a popular activity during which the family was likely to listen to someone reading aloud. Typically, the man of the house would read aloud, while women engaged in some form of sewing or handwork."

A writing desk and a comfortable chair were highly valued items in a sitting room.

Anna Hicks Bain, born in 1834, was eleven years younger than her husband, John Alexander Bain, who passed away in November 1862. A widow at twenty-eight years old, she raised five daughters in the house following his death. She smartly supplemented her income by dividing the 6.7 acres into smaller plots which became commercial properties and by taking in boarders in the spare rooms upstairs.

This room offered entry to the house through the back doors, possibly used as the servant's entrance, or to allow boarders a private access to the stairs. It served as a mud room in inclement weather to store wet boots and outer garments or in summer as a place to cool off. Off the screened porch is a brick path leading to the outhouse and the fresh-water well.

The porch allowed access to the informal dining area, possibly an eat-in kitchen where food was prepared. Cold food was stored in the wooden ice box in the corner. A sign would be put in the window to let the ice man know what size block to bring in from his truck.

Many of the daily chores revolved around cooking, baking, cleaning, washing, mending, raising chickens, planting a garden, gathering the harvest. In the absence of modern appliances, most work was done by hand. Sundays were a day of rest and worship.

When the Bain-Honaker house was built in 1865, it was a time of national unrest with the war between the states just winding down. Supplies were scarce, tensions were high and many wounded men were returning home after battling neighbors and brothers over issues of States' Rights versus Federal Authority, Westward expansion and slavery. The years 1860 - 1864 marked some of our nation's most difficult times, certainly a difficult time to lose a husband and raise five children alone.

Music played a large role in daily life in the absence of telephones, television or radio. Books and reading, singing, sewing and hand crafts kept idle hands busy.

Anna Bain's daughters, Mary and Catherine (Cassia) married brothers Henry Honaker and Andrew Honaker. Cassia lived in the house until her death in 1928. Five generations lived in the house.₃

The bathroom was upgraded over the years. There's an upstairs bathroom with the old cast iron bathtub and another remodeled bathroom downstairs.

The house was donated to the Farmersville Historical Society by a descendant in 1989.

Farmersville, Texas is the place to visit if you enjoy quaint, old-fashioned towns with antiques and curiosities. Located near Highway 380 and Highway 78, the town has friendly merchants, good food, a quiet laid-back environment and the largest yarn store in Texas.

Sources:

1. John Alexander Bain, March 15, 1823 - November 1862. Facts from Ancestry dot com
2. Anna Hicks Bain, 1834 - 1906
3. Collin County Texas dot Gov, Bain Honaker House