Sunday - Mothers Day

Poppa has a standard rule - No matter where you are in the world, you must call your Momma on Sunday.  Every Sunday daddy always calls YaYa, but now when he calls we use “FaceTime” and YaYa can see me too!  This Sunday is the holiday for all Mothers and is extra special because we are in paradise together.  We called and wished Oma a happy Mother’s Day in Ohio, and then Momma got me all dressed up.  Where do you go early on a Sunday morning in St John? 

One thing for sure Poppa says, if you are in St John on a Sunday my YaYa is going to take you to church. She says, Father Anthony always seems to be talking right to you, and with the Caribbean sounds and voices filling the building with joy we spent 90 minutes singing and praying. Our Lady of Mount Carmel is one of YaYa’s favorite happy places!  BTW - It is also conveniently located across the street from the Beach Bar.  Hmmm… Good boy in church…

Maybe there will be a mango smoothie in my future???

Mass was exactly the way YaYa had described it with steel drums and Caribbean tempo songs.  For the most part, I was excellent.  I did get a little excited about one song and tore the page in the hymnal.  Poppa rescued me quick from Momma’s stare and all was good.  Then right in the middle of Father’s homily, somebody in the front row passed out.  Momma and Daddy jumped up to help.  Both have lots of medical background and Momma soon had the man sitting back up while he waited for the St John Rescue folks to help him.  I am proud of my Momma and Daddy for knowing how to help people.

After church we went out for a Sunday Brunch at Cruz Bay Landing.  Aunt Bridget and I posed for a couple picture next some pretty flower bushes as we walked.  I was so surprised when we arrived at the restaurant.  Right in the middle of the park, this restaurant which is tucked away in the corner serves some serious food.  We ate and ate!  Pancakes, omelets, hash browns, and fruit filled the table.  The big people grossed me out...again!  They had a couple rounds of blood of some lady named Mary – yuck! She was the same lady I was singing for at Charlotte Airport.  My Momma drank fancy coffee with ice, and that sounds a lot better to me.  We were all waddling when we walked out of Cruz Bay Landing.  Poppa loves breakfast there and I am sure when it comes to catch the ferry home, we will be there again.

YaYa and Momma decided they wanted to snorkel on their special afternoon. We loaded up the blue beast and headed over to the East End.  My oh my, what a ride.  By the time we got to Haulover Beach, I was sound asleep.  Once again, the snorkel raft became my bed. 

Haulover South has a small beach that is mostly rock and shade is not a plentiful as the North Shore beaches, but the snorkeling is really good.  Momma saw her first ray and there were some beautiful sights on both sides of the bay.  The sun hid behind the clouds so the sights were not as vibrant as usual, but still beautiful.  By the time I woke up, they were loading up the car to head back to Hummingbird Hill.
Now wide-awake, I saw everything I missed on the way over.  My favorite was when Poppa stopped the car and this big animal stuck his head in my window to say hello.  I call all animals puppies, even the iguanas, but this was one big damn puppy.  I have to learn some more words because I am positive that was not a puppy in the window. 

We stopped briefly at the new grocery store in Coral Bay to pick up a few items and finally headed home.

Since it was Mother’s Day, Daddy cooked some awesome Mahi on the grill.  Uncle Brandon took some time and gave me a lesson on the little guitar, but he holds it backwards for me.  The kitchen was a happening place as I strummed away on the strings.  Rice and beans, sweet potatoes chunked and cooked outside, with a salad of greens, mango, pistachios, raisins, and other good stuff finished off this feast.  Anyone who has not had Josephine’s Greens while on St John has missed some of the best.  Not sure how she does it on a volcanic island, but they are YaYa and Poppa’s favorite.

 

Another busy day ends and I am beat – Good Night All.