Bright blooms coming out of the shadows.
Have you ever heard of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole? If so, then you will know about his music and how transforming it can be. Israel (known as Iz) was an Hawaiian singer who passed in 1997. Even so, the number of his followers is growing and they devoted to him and his music. He was most famous for his version of "Somewhere over the Rainbow." I won't bore you with information that you can get on Wikipedia, but I do urge you to listen to his music. He was quite the message of peace, healing and love.
Susan Patterson, enjoying a formal evening aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA.
The Queen Mary is an extrordinary cruise ship that was launched in 1936 from Scotland. She was named for the wife of King George V and she set the benchmark for transatlantic travel. Royalty, Hollywood stars and world statesmen enjoyed her exquisite passages.
However at the start of WWII, the Queen Mary became a transport ship taking Americans overseas to fight in the War. In fact, James' father, Cecil Patterson, sailed on the ship when he went to war. We still have the ticket with the room number. Even though the ship's elegance is timeless, when boarding the Queen Mary, you can still feel the sadness for the men who lost their lives ensuring freedom world from Nazi Germany.
Since 1967, the Queen Mary has been docked at Long Beach, CA. She is now a floating hotel and even center. California is proud to have her grace its shores.
Queen Mary docked at Long Beach, California.
Grand... Enjoying the civility of it all!