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Trip Reports: Sue's 3d 1st trip
Bonaire Talk: Trip Reports: Archives: Archives 2006-2008: Archives - 2006-08-31 to 2006-12-31: Sue's 3d 1st trip
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sue Steiner (BonaireTalker - Post #78) on Friday, December 22, 2006 - 10:38 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

My boyfriend John (there must be a better word than boyfriend for two middle aged people who have been living together for 25 yrs!)spent 2 beautiful weeks on Bonaire in the house we rent every year- no pool but we're just steps away from the water. I snorkel and John dives but with advance planning I found him several buddies - Steve, who he dove with last year, Babs, and Ian, a Brit. John did only shore diving including Something Special 3 times with his various buddies - the dive is easy to assess from our dock. I snorkeled. Went out with Renee and she found an octopus lying in the sand in shallow water. Beautiful!! Also went on the Woodwind twice. Words can't describe the joy I feel when I'm with Dee. We saw lots of turtles. Dee's xray vision is amazing - I could never find the fish and turtles she sees by myself. In contrast I also went on a 2 turtle snorkel which consisted of trip to Klein in a dinghy - I was expecting a boat - where I was dropped off, followed by a drop off near a resort where the visibility was 0. No turtles plus the "captain" charged the same price as Dee! Amazing. Was dropped off at the Plaza Bonaire one day, I paid a $5 fee for use of the facilities. The snorkeling was excellent and I enjoyed the pool.
We visited the animal shelter twice. I had brought a suitcase full of toys for the cats and dogs. Yuri and his volunteers are doing a wonderful job there. Played with the puppies and cats - FUN!.
Pleasant dinners with various buddies, takeout from Bobby Jeans and Pasa Bon Pasta, an amazing meal at Gibis - filet mignon, a steak dinner at our place with our Brit guests, rounded up the week. I love the pastry and breads at Cultimara especially a sweet I bought that was made of meringue rounds layered with butter cream and hazelnuts - sooo delicious.
I'm glad we had a good time because it was the calm before the storm. Received a phone call half way through the trip informing me that my mom was in the hospital and very sick. Thanks to the generosity of Mike from Chat and Browse I was able to make calls to talk with the doctor and my mom. I am so grateful to Mike. Came home and was able to spend a lot of time with her for 21/2 days. She died Tuesday with my cousin and me at her bedside and was buried today - she was 93 but I guess I thought she'd live forever. It's very, very difficult I have my beautiful memories of Bonaire to think about - maybe that will help ease the sadness. John will put some pictures on this link when he has time - so many pictures, so few really good pictures. He did take some nice underwater video with his hi def recorder which he has edited and sent to a few buddies.
We'll be back next year, hopefully, in happier circumstances.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Gail Thomas (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1721) on Saturday, December 23, 2006 - 12:15 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sue, I send my sincere condolences at the passing of your Mom. I wish for you another trip to Bonaire with only happy occurences.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Babs aka beckybarb, Barb, etc. (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #11426) on Saturday, December 23, 2006 - 2:55 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sue, I'm so sorry to hear about your Mom. I'm glad you got to finish your trip and still have time to spend with her.
bh.gif
I really enjoyed meeting you and John.
Barbara

(Message edited by babsoleary on December 23, 2006)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Becky Hauser (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #970) on Saturday, December 23, 2006 - 2:58 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sue, I'm so sorry to hear about your mother's passing. I'm glad you enjoyed Bonaire and are planning on next year.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynde Loo Hoo Who Was No More Than Two (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #501) on Saturday, December 23, 2006 - 4:34 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sue, I'm so sorry about you mom...sending gentle hugs to you, John, and your family. It is so hard losing our parents. Your right we think they will live forever:-(

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Frank (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #543) on Sunday, December 24, 2006 - 11:11 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sue,

So sorry to hear of your loss. I'm glad Michael was able to help you keep in touch- he's a gem of a human being- and that your Mom made it long enough for you to see her.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andy & Dave Bartlett (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #662) on Sunday, December 24, 2006 - 12:41 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sue, sorry to hear about your mother, I lost both of my parents last year just before Christmas. My parents died 3 weeks apart so can understand that Christmas may not be as joyful this year, but keep the memories of all the other years and it will help you through this time. Hugs to you and your family.

Andy

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Denise Kacavas (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1388) on Monday, December 25, 2006 - 9:09 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sue, I am glad you have good memories of Bonaire, and so sorry for your loss. I wish for you that you can soon sit and enjoy your many happy memories of your Mom's life.
Hugs,
Denise
PS... I agree, that Dee is just wonderful !

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tribs - on Bon tomorrow! (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3777) on Monday, December 25, 2006 - 9:28 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sue...how amazing that your mother lived till 93! Just imagine all that woman got to see in her life. How fortunate for her to have such a wonderfully long life. Keep her memory near your heart and she will never truly be gone.

Side note: I have a boyfriend of 16 years. We use SONAS (significant other, not a spouse).

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Frank (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #548) on Tuesday, December 26, 2006 - 1:21 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Somewhat less euphonious (love that word) is POSSLQ (pronounced possuhlkew) for "persons of opposite sex sharing living quarters", from, I believe, the 1980 or 1990 census. Definitely a hole in the language when it comes to this...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mercy Baron (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #384) on Tuesday, December 26, 2006 - 11:06 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sue, so sorry to hear about your Mom..93, wow!

You're right, at least you have the wonderful recent memories of Bon to occupy your mind at this time.

I'm on Bon right now..I wonder if I missed you here. I've been here since Dec 9.

I did the Woodwind as I always do, but Dee wasn't onboard when I went. I know the lunch is not what the Woodwind is about because the snorkeling is so wonderful, but the left over, dried out chinese food they served was such a turn off and was embarassing since I invited two newbies onboard with me! They also complained to me about it and said for $45 they really should serve something else. The sandwiches they used to serve were great in comparison. Go back to that please Ulf and Dee!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sue Steiner (BonaireTalker - Post #86) on Saturday, December 30, 2006 - 9:19 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Dear Bters,
Thank you so much for your kind words of sympathy. Knowing people care about how I feel has helped me a lot in dealing with my mother's death. I feel I have gotten to know the personalities of many of you through reading Bonaire Talk. This forum is so unusual - I initially signed on to get info about
Bonaire but I've also seen so many examples of love and friendship and support to others.

- Barbara - thanks for the colorful hugs! And thanks for diving with John. I hope to see you again.
- Becky - we sure will be returning to Bonaire next year whenever the house we rent is available
- I can feel your gentle hugs Cynde
- David, I agree with you about Michael. I was lucky to be in her presence when she died.
- Andy and Dave - what a horror loosing both parents in such quick succesion
- Denise - my mom raised two children who are well education, successful in their jobs, and financially independent - thanks to her.
- Tribs - thank you for your thoughts. I will use SONAS from now on although I may get quizical looks!
- David - Posslq? yikes, that would be even harder to explain!
- Mercy, I did miss you - I spoke to some people at the rum punch party at Lion'sden and they told me you were on the island. I remember the sandwiches too which I much preferred.
Sorry this is so long but I wanted to acknowledge each of you.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jorgensen (BonaireTalker - Post #51) on Tuesday, January 2, 2007 - 4:25 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Sue and John --

Will communicate here rather than through our usual e-mail route. It was great to be with you two once again this year, and I will be eager to schedule my return trip for next year -- first week of December. Appreciated the trip report, and was proud to be a small part of it. If someone out there can tell me how to go about posting a photo, I will do so as I have a couple underwater shots of John with his new video camera at Bari's Reef in front of the Sand Dollar. Thanks in advance!

Steve

 


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