Meanwhile, Back on the Cruise

After our day at Skagway, we had another sea day. We slept in until 10 in the morning. Mom commented, "It's sad because we're leaving Alaska. It's almost over."

We went for a wonderful brunch buffet in the formal dining room. The serving tables were decorated with ice sculptures, cheese sculptures and fruit sculptures. Mom found her long-desired crab legs. We had shrimp, salad nicoise, little quiches, fresh fruit, sushi, salmon, smoked herring, crepes suzette, our favorite breadsticks, and really, really good hot coffee. We each filled two plates and then shared a plate of dessert fondue.



We stayed until the buffet closed down at 1:00, then Mom and I had a nap. I took claritin and advil and meclazine to deal with allergies and headache and a little seasickiness. Mom took only her regular meds. Everyday she would slip some rolls and bananas into her ever-present tote to have with her afternoon meds.




Before dinner, we went to hear On Tap's (the boys) last concert. They sang a lovely version of Billy Joel's Lullaby. The day before, I read this John Muir quote in a book in Skagway: Death is a kind nurse saying, "Come, children, to bed and get up in the morning", a gracious mother calling her children home. Listening to this beautiful, tender song brought me to tears as I thought about Mom's approaching night. Incredibly, that was the only time during our cruise that I felt the shadow of death.

Mom and I went to bed right after dinner. Gayle and Cathy went bar hopping. :)

Note: The boys are a little off key in the youtube clip. (It's from 2008.) They were spot on in concert. You can youtube the Billy Joel version if you can't get past the pitchiness.


Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes,
And save these questions for another day.
I think I know what you've been asking me,
I think you know what I've been trying to say.
I promised I would never leave you,
And you should always know
Wherever you may go, no matter where you are
I never will be far away.

Goodnight my angel, now it's time to sleep,
And still so many things I want to say.
Remember all the songs you sang for me,
When we went sailing on an emerald bay.
And like a boat out on the ocean,
I'm rocking you to sleep
The water's dark and deep, inside this ancient heart
You'll always be a part of me.

Goodnight my angel, now it's time to dream,
And dream how wonderful your life will be.
Someday your child may cry, and if you sing this lullaby,
Then in your heart there will always be a part of me.
Someday we'll all be gone
But lullabys go on and on
They never die
That's how you and I will be.