SHOPPING IN BAHAMAS POST COVID

It’s so difficult these days (post Covid) to find many of the products we’ve been used to buying locally. I’d been searching everywhere for moisturizing face cream. Both Lowes Pharmacy branches that I tried were out of the one I usually buy. I could have gone down town to try and find something, but parking there is difficult and expensive.

As we passed the MAC cosmetic store in Baha Mar today, I said to Erskine, let me check there. And sure enough, they had a choice of two face creams. I bought one for $36.30. Not too bad for hotel prices. 

However, roll on our summer vacation to Florida. I have started my shopping list!

* * * * *

(If you wish to comment on this post, please click the title and a comments box will pop up. Also, you can follow this blog by clicking on the Tab “Follow” below in the left hand column. Thanks!)

A MOTHER'S DAY TRIBUTE

My mother when I took her by car from Devon to Buckingham for her 80th birthday

My dear mum, the late Mrs. Josephine (“Jo”) Johanson, was born in Scotland, but lived for thirty-seven years in Devon. I would visit her every year in the summer and she visited us in the winter. She died in March, 2007 at the ripe old age of 88, after a short illness.

Every year, while she was alive, I would call her to wish her Happy Mother’s Day in March, as that was when they celebrate Mother’s Day in the U.K.! Of course, there were few Mother’s Day cards in our shops at that time, because we celebrate Mother’s Day here in May!

Trained as a Comptometer Operator (the comptometer was the forerunner of the modern day computer), she served in the Women’s Royal Air Force during World War II as a Radio Telephony Operator, giving pilots on active duty bearings for home. During the war she met and married my father, Australian Royal Air Force instrument repairman, the late William Johanson. She and Dad, a watchmaker jeweller, once owned a jewellery business in Buckingham.

Mum worked as Head Receptionist at the Royal Clarence Hotel, Exeter, for several years, and as her hotel career progressed, she became Manager of the White Sands Hotel, Bermuda. During her lifetime, she also lived in Australia and Canada.

Mum enjoyed painting watercolours and had written two delightful, but unfortunately not published, children’s picture books. I still hope one day to try and get them published in her memory.

(If you wish to comment on this post, please click on the title and a comments box will pop up. Thanks!)

A VIEW TO DIE FOR!

 

Co-conspirators in my novel “Dangerous Devotion” had a similar view as this as they plotted during a lunchtime break to work against Violet and steal what they could:

“The restaurant overlooked private yachts and commercial boats in the marina. Two nearby bridges permitted traffic and pedestrians to go back and forwards between the mainland and Paradise Island, where the Atlantis resort loomed like a large pink castle.”

"DANGEROUS DEVOTION"

(If you wish to comment on this post, please click the title and a comments box will appear. Thanks!)

THE EDUCULTURE JUNKANOO MUSEUM IN NASSAU, BAHAMAS

The Educulture Junkanoo Museum is a fun place in Nassau for tourists or Bahamian residents to visit! We only caught a glimpse of it on West Street as we were driving by, but it looks very appealing.

I feature a Junkanoo character in my short story collection “Moonbeams from The Soul: A Collection of Fourteen Provocative Short Stories”, and also touch on Junkanoo in my novel “Dangerous Devotion” (The Buchanan Mystery Romance Series Book 1). 

EDUCULTURE JUNKANOO MUSEUM

(If you wish to comment on this post, please click the title and a comments box will pop up. Thanks!)

PANDEMIC AND WRITER'S BLOCK!

Original Manuscript for novel "Dangerous Devotion"

(Book One in the Buchanan Mystery Romance Series)

In the past I’ve completed a novel in record time, but for some reason the past couple of years have been difficult for me with my writing. Perhaps the pandemic had something to do with it, although many writers say they’ve been very productive during lockdowns!

Writing is not all about writing though! There’s the time-consuming marketing that has to be done to keep my books “out there”. Also, I’ve been busy with a huge family project.

Of course, nothing has ever stopped me from writing before. When I was a fulltime secretary, I always squeezed my writing in before work, on lunch hours, in the evenings between household chores and on the weekends. And all while bringing our sons up.

Anyway, I’ve finished a final intense edit of Book 3 in my Buchanan Mystery Romance Series, and am just reading the novel again, to make sure I haven’t missed anything. Then a good author friend will read it for me and give me his comments.

So, look out! It won’t be too long now before Book 3 will be released! Follow this blog to be notified of the release date (click “Follow” beneath my profile on the left-hand side of the blog)!

* * * * * 

(If you wish to comment on this post, please click the title and a comments box will pop up. Also, you can follow this blog by clicking on the Tab “Follow” below in the left hand column. Thanks!)

BAHA MAR FUN IN THE SUN!

 

There’s always something fun happening at Baha Mar, Cable Beach, when we go there for a walk and to have coffee at Starbucks! Yesterday, the resort was bustling with several events going on.

(If you wish to comment on this post, please click on the title and a Comments Box will pop up. Thanks!)

SAILING NOW BAHAMAS NATIONAL SPORT!

 

SALT POND, LONG ISLAND, BAHAMAS

SAILING is now the National Sport of The Bahamas! Previously, Cricket was the National Sport of The Bahamas, having existed in this country since the nineteenth century.

My husband Erskine comes from the quaint boat building community of Mangrove Bush, Long Island, where the boat builders there are known world wide for their sailing successes at National Sailing Regattas.

Here’s an article in The Nassau Guardian about it:

Article Sailing named the national sport of The Bahamas

 

 

(If you wish to comment on this post, please click on the title and a comments box will pop up. Thanks!)

NEED A LITTLE SUNSHINE?

Bring some sunshine into your life today with “Sunbeams from The Heart: A Collection of Twelve Romantic Short Stories”!

 “What charming stories I enjoyed them all....away from war politics bad television, just lovely stories, they calmed my mind and lifted my soul.” - Amazon Customer.

 Available as an e-book and in paperback (regular and large print).

SUNBEAMS ON AMAZON U.S.

SUNBEAMS ON AMAZON WORLDWIDE

ART IN THE BAHAMAS

 Daisha Douglas (left) & Akira Smith (right)

Erskine and I had a lovely time this afternoon at Baha Mar, Cable Beach. It was packed with people attending international conventions or Tailgate Super Bowl Parties there, as well as residents out for a family Valentine’s lunch. 

After a bite to eat and coffee at Starbucks, we decided to check out The Current Gallery and Art Center. We had never been there before. It was quiet and peaceful and the large collection of art work by local artists spectacular. We were glad to see that our artists are deservedly commanding top prices for their work and we highly recommend a visit. There is no charge for entry.

The two ladies on The Gallery’s front desk, Daisha Douglas and Akira Smith, who are students at the University of The Bahamas, told us it’s usually quiet when there are a lot of events going on. Daisha is an Art student at UB and Akira is training in the medical field.

After we left Baha Mar it lashed down with rain and we got soaked. Then we had quite a job getting home with all the roadworks under way on West Bay Street, but it was a very worthwhile afternoon!

(If you wish to comment on this post, please click the title and a comments box will pop up. Thanks!)

A SPECIAL VALENTINE'S TREAT!

♥ ♥ ♥ LOVE IS IN THE AIR! – AS A SPECIAL VALENTINE'S TREAT, the e-book edition of my popular book SUNBEAMS FROM THE HEART: A COLLECTION OF TWELVE ROMANTIC SHORT STORIES is currently DISCOUNTED to $0.90! 

♥ ♥ ♥ Love themes in “Sunbeams from the Heart” tell of nostalgia, bright new beginnings, homecoming, second chances, and the unexpected. The stories propel the reader on a journey through Scotland, England, The Bahamas and rural America.

♥ ♥ ♥ Sunbeams from The Heart is also available in paperback (regular and large print) and Kindle Unlimited.

TO DOWNLOAD SUNBEAMS FROM THE HEART CLICK ONE OF THE LINKS BELOW:-

AMAZON U.S.

AMAZON U.K.

AMAZON CANADA

AMAZON WORLDWIDE

If required, the free Kindle app can be downloaded from Amazon for most major smart phones, tablets and computers.

(If you wish to comment on this post, please click the title and a comments box will pop up. Thanks!)

 

 

WHY THE BAHAMAS?

 

Miami, Florida, on my way to The Bahamas

In the summer of 1965, I had been working for a few months as an Editorial Assistant in Toronto, Canada, after emigrating there, but I didn’t want to endure a Canadian winter. I told my uncle’s secretary Irene that I wanted to go somewhere warm. She said “why not The Bahamas?”

“The Bahamas?” I asked with excitement. “Where is that?” She pointed on a map to some little “dots” offshore at the bottom of the United States! She had once been to Freeport, Grand Bahama, and loved it.

The next day I found a travel agent in Toronto. I wanted to stay in major cities of the countries I planned on visiting as I made my way “around the world”, so I chose Nassau, the capital of The Bahamas. The cheapest way to get to Nassau was a four nights’ Greyhound bus trip from Toronto to Miami and a short flight from there to Nassau. I bought a package from the travel agent, which covered getting all the way to Nassau and three night’s hotel accommodation.

I had only planned on staying in Nassau for three months, then I was going to see if I could find a friend in England to travel east with me as far as Japan. But I fell in love with The Bahamas and my husband to be Erskine, who I met a month after getting there. I managed to get a job and accommodation right away and never did travel the world!

(If you wish to comment on this post, please click the title and a comments box should pop up. Thank you.)

LOCAL AUTHOR PAUL BETHEL FEATURED IN THE TRIBUNE

Great article this weekend about local author Paul Bethel in The Tribune "Weekend". Paul is published by JOFFE BOOKS of the UK:

CLICK HERE FOR TRIBUNE ARTICLE FEATURING AUTHOR PAUL BETHEL

(If you wish to comment on this post, please click the title and a comments box should pop up. Thanks!)