Folks, do you remember that song entitled Shake Rattle and Roll? Well I certainly do and on the recent cruise our Texas family took, I encountered a new version. I named it Sneeze Snuffle and Blow.

I am telling you this because I spent a good bit of time doing just that. Early on I got a tickle in my throat and this caused me to cough, gag, spit and I don’t remember what all; but it was no fun. My great granddaughters tried, along with others, tried to help me by offering me drinks, food, etc.

Thank goodness Betty packed a lot of handkerchiefs, but they soon ran out. However, being an improvising person, I confiscated some of the ships cloth napkins as replacements.

Having a coughing, sneezing and spitting fit is no pleasure. This is especially true when you are surrounded by hundreds of strange people who look at you like, "What in the devil is that old man doing on a cruise with a cold like that?"

I couldn’t get close enough to anyone to tell them that I caught this after I boarded the ship.

Oh well, so much for that. I did have a great time being with my understanding Texas family plus my daughter who flew over from Florida to be with us.

I do have a few suggestions in case any of you folks are contemplating going on a cruise. Take plenty of hankies, cough drops, etc. and most important of all—do not, I repeat, do not wait until you are in your middle eighties to embark on your first cruise!

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