GINA MORTIMER STORR

Archive for the ‘Family’ Category

Although she is more than 70 years of age, my mother, the incredible Gloria Mortimer, is more active than many 40 – 60 year olds I know, me included! She is recently back from a trip to China and has also traveled to the Mediterranean, Europe and off course North America, including the US,  in recent years. Never missing a beat, she is always present early to many social events at home and abroad. Her energy and go- gettedness (is that a word) never ceases to amaze me. She is truly a “Super Hero” in my book!

My daughter shared with me how, not very long ago, she agreed to accompany my mother to an event and was making arrangements to drive her there, only to be told “I’ll drive my own car because you young people don’t know how to party, and go home too early for me!!” Read the rest of this entry »

I have so many wonderful memories and fun traditions of Christmas. This was always such a magical time for my entire family and I have continued to keep that magic alive!

I especially remember how special Christmas was to my father. While we were off attending colleges abroad (a total of five of us at one time!) my father was adamant about one thing: we all had to be home for Christmas. Because my mother worked for an airline at the time, we got to travel the world fairly unrestricted so most holidays, we found ourselves all over, visiting families of room mates and college friends. However, inevitably a few days before Christmas, most of us could be found sleeping in some airport, on the way to Nassau for Christmas!

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As the United States celebrates Thanksgiving Day tomorrow, you will continue to hear the greeting “Happy Thanksgiving.”

The question is: what are you thankful for? And, how do you show gratitude?

As for me,

• I am thankful first for just being alive and healthy! I have more than one friend or relative who had health related challenges recently and although I am not 100 percent at the point of healthiness that I should be, my recent physical examination indicates that my health continues to improve over where I was at my last physical two years ago. I am showing my gratitude for the blessing of good health by being more committed to eating healthy and exercising – that does not include while I am in the Bahamas for the Christmas holiday

• I am also thankful for my family, beginning first with my wonderful husband Jim, who continues to be supportive and committed. His unconditional devotion makes every day worth getting out of bed for (except on Saturday’s of course when he gives me breakfast in bed and I curl up and watch movies all day I hope that Jim knows through my actions that I am equally committed and love him unconditionally as well. Read the rest of this entry »

I have always known about the power of praying and have yet another story to share, that confirms that God answers prayers!

In-flight tracking - over Asia

You may already know that I traveled to Australia recently, along with my sister-in -law, to meet up with my sister, who was there on business. My sister-in-law lives in the Washington DC area and I live in Central Florida, so we planned to connect in Los Angeles, for the 14 hours flight to Sydney Australia.

Excited and exhausted, I sat in the lounge area, waiting to board my flight to LA. My phone rang and the almost inaudible voice on the other end, was my sister-in-law’s, telling me she had missed her flight from DC and, that the airline personnel with whom she was in touch, indicated that there was no way she could get to LA that night and therefore, would not make the flight from LA to Sydney.

“Attention passengers, FLIGHT 837 to LA are now ready for boarding……….”

I called my hubby who had dropped me off at the airport a few hours before, and relayed the news. He and I agreed that I should go ahead and my sister-in-law would catch up with me the following day.

I boarded my flight and was uneasy about the prospect of a 14 hour flight to Sydney solo and was beginning to gather my things since I decided that I would wait until the next day as well. Then it happened: I remembered something I had read during my morning meditations that morning. Read the rest of this entry »

Ragged Ann and Andy aka Raeh & Ryan

Although as an adult I have always struggled somewhat with this question, I must confess, I have been a willing participant first as a child, then as a parent (much to the dismay of my victims ( I mean children!!!) and now as a friendly neighbor!   Here are my adorable Raggedy Ann and Andy in their hand made costumes which resulted in many prizes as we made the rounds of Halloween parades and contests throughout the island of Nassau in the Bahamas, where we lived at the time!!!  How could I resist the opportunity to make such sweet memories and have something to make them cringe later in life

There are several versions of the origins of Halloween. One of the more popular ones claims that it dates back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in).

According to an article by History.com, “The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.”

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Bahamian Stewed Fish

My wonderful hubby Jim, is an excellent cook and he knows how to make most of my favorite Bahamian dishes.  Even more endearing, he knows when I need to have one of  the mouth watering dishes!  You see, I still get home sick and on a day when several members of my family are headed on a cruise which I am missing this year, I think he could tell I was feeling quite sad and missing them more than usual.

Well, when Jim plopped the stew  fish and grits (in Bahamianese we do not need the ed at the end of stew….)  in front of me with a cold Kalik Beer (the beer of the Bahamas), my sadness quickly turned to joy and I absolutely felt as if I was back in the Bahamas at one of the many island restaurants we frequent.

So, although I am a little sad not to be cruising with my family, (I will take a different adventure soon), my hubby once again used his fine culinary skills to lift my spirits and satisfy my constant desire for great Bahamian food.

I wish my family a safe and fun voyage and look forward to my next great creation from “Jim’s Kitchen”!

With my mother and daughter boarding for last year's East Med cruise: Italy, Turkey and Greece.

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Full Harvest Moon - Oct 1, 2009

As I was driving along the highway  this evening, a bright light above seem to be leading the way and once I was back at my house, I took this great shot of the Harvest Moon!  According to the Farmer’s Almanac, “this  is the full Moon that occurs closest to the autumn equinox. In two years out of three, the Harvest Moon comes in September, but in some years it occurs in October. “  How kewl that it occurred on the first day of the month!  Like all natural occurrences, (even when there is devastation) there is something significant  associated with it and the Harvest Moon is no exception.    The Almanac continues its description: “At the peak of harvest, farmers can work late into the night by the light of this Moon. Usually the full Moon rises an average of 50 minutes later each night, but for the few nights around the Harvest Moon, it seems to rise at nearly the same time each night: just 25 to 30 minutes later across the U.S., and only 10 to 20 minutes later for much of Canada Read the rest of this entry »

How will 2010 find your personal life?

If you don’t know, then now is the time to begin thinking about it and taking steps to ensure it finds it the way you want it to. Will you have met your goals for 2009? If not, why not? What are you goals for 2010?

Do not let another year end find you overwhelmed and unprepared for what the new y ear will bring. Especially if you hope to be ready for new opportunities!

Here are a few things you should be paying attention to now if you want to greet 2010 with a smile or, you can Read the rest of this entry »

After being out of town on business for a week, I came home on Saturday past to an excited husband who had prepared my favorite “Bahamian Style” meal of fried snapper, pigeon peas-n-rice, cole slaw and fried plaintains. We had a quiet but memorable “reunion”. Imagine my surprise when the next morning, Jim informed me that he was taking me out on a date around 1:00pm. Now, for any of you that are “football widows” you will appreciate how special it is when your hubby wants to do anything other than attend church and watch football on a Sunday, much less actually go out with you!!! So, this was huge.

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While Ryan and I were sitting, enjoying our meal before he boarded his flight this past Saturday, we witnessed a very anxious moment for a family at OIA.

A family of four, two parents and two small children, had just settled into an area not far from us in the food court. While the parents were scouring the menu boards, their toddler son wondered off!  The parents, realizing the situation, became panicked and completely oblivious to their toddler daughter who was now left sitting on a stool on her own, Read the rest of this entry »