Well if you have been reading my blogs, you know that I am an Ole Miss Rebel fan and supporter.  Ole Miss was playing Dayton in the NIT Semi-Finals in New York City tonight and we lost, I am disappointed but I am a loyal Ole Miss fan and win or lose, I still love my Rebels. I am proud to say that I love the University of Mississippi---nickname--Ole Miss Rebels.  It is a wonderful university and the Ole Miss community is a very close knit family....when I think of Ole Miss, I do think of family.  The University of Mississippi is a public university and only has about 14,000 students on campus, so most consider it small, but we are large in what the university has to offer both its students and alumni.  Ole Miss as we call it, is located in Oxford, Mississippi and it is  a wonderful place to live and visit.  It is a traditional small southern town and is built around the town square, very quaint and unique.  The university offers so much to the town in the way of campus sports and cultural activities.  Ole Miss is unique in that it has "The Grove"  and it is the place to be on a Saturday during the SEC football season, it is one of 2 very unique places to tailgate for football games---with the other university being University of Tennessee--where they tailgate on the TN river!   Ole Miss means tradition and tradition is Ole Miss!   Oxford was picked one of the top 10 places in the U.S. for people to retire in--due to all the amenities that the University of Mississippi has to offer.  The Grove offers all the old southern traditions---big tents with Silver candlesticks, linen tablecloths, hugh fresh flower arrangements, professional chefs catering the food, satellite dishes with large screen tv's, bands playing on the grandstand, great food and children of all ages playing ball.  When the football game starts, there are probably 20,000 people still partying in the grove.  It is a tradition that familes have enjoyed for generations.  Is it any wonder that I love my Ole Miss!  Hotty Toddy to my Ole Miss Rebels...

I wanted to tell you about something else that I love passionately, and that is Alaska.  Alaska is a destination that has something for every individual...it is absolutely beautiful.  One of the best ways to see Alaska is to do a cruise or if you have the time and the money, do the cruise/tour combination, that way you get to go into the interior of Alaska and really experience the best that Alaska has to offer.  You can cruise to Alaska from one of 4 cities---Seattle, Anchorage, Fairbanks or Vancouver, Canada.  You will need a PASSPORT, so make sure that you get one now.  The Alaska season is very short, due to the weather, so you can only cruise from mid-May to mid-September and becuase the season is so short the demand is great!  Alaska offers great scenery, spectacular glaciers, wildlife and just about every outdoor activity that you could want.  If you are an active and outdoorsy person, then this is your destination!   You can see the glaciers by helicopter, snow ski at Alyeska, pan for gold in Fairbanks, go fly fishing in Kenai, try to hook a salmon, see pods of whales and great wildlife, go kayaking in Denali, see the Alaska Pipeline, go dog sledding, ride the White Horse railway, see totem poles, study Russian Orthodox history in Sitka, and hopefully be able to see Mt. McKinley from Talkeenta or Denali----weather premitting.   This is a great destination and one that I highly recommend!  I would not say that I am a outdoorsy person, but I loved Alasksa and I would go back again and again!  Each time that you go you will see something different.  I have to say "Thank You" to Sarah Palin--she has brought attention to Alaska and has been able to showcase her great state.  It is a state that you must see, so jump off the couch and start planning your Alaska vacation now....you won't be sorry.  This is a very special destination and you will always remember it....I took over 1400 pictures, so that must tell you just how great my trip was!  If you want to cruise to Alaska, my two favorite cruise lines are Holland America and Princess Cruise Lines.....I consider them the foremost authorities since they have been cruising to Alaska the longest.   If you have questions on cruising or Alaska, you can reach me by email:   Debbie@gullivers travel.com

Don't forget to stay tuned for my next blog!

Just finished watching my Ole Miss Rebels win in double overtime over Texas Tech, so now they go onto the semi finals of the NIT Tournament ....Hotty Toddy to all my Ole Miss Rebel fans and don't forget to support our Rebels next Tuesday! I would be remiss to continue without first commenting that our nation and all Americans are going to be facing momumental changes now that the Healthcare bill has been passed. It is going to impact all Americans and businesses in a way that I fear will be detrimental to the very foundation of our nation and every American, so I ask that you pray for our country!
In my last blog I talked about cruising so I thought I would pick up where I left off. One of the things that I love most about cruising is that YOU alone decide how active you want to be on your cruise. You set your own pace, and if you just want to relax and rest---then you can do so. You don't have to participate in the activities if you don't want to....you can just do your own thing! It is one of the most relaxing vacations that I can think of and I love that you only have to unpack once!! Another thing that I like is that it gives me an opportunity to dress up and I really enjoy that. I don't care what everyone else is wearing, I just dress up, do my own thing and enjoy the dining experience each night. I like to recommend that you diet before your cruise, because it seems like every time you turn around you seem to be eating and eating!! My favorite areas to cruise are the Eastern Caribbean and the Southern Caribbean itineraries because of the ports. I must admit that I am a shopper and St. Maarten and St. Thomas are great shopping ports for jewerly, watches and cameras, linens, etc. The cruise lines offer a Professional Shopper on board that can direct you to the best merchant for the best value if you are looking for a particular item. They know all the merchants in each port and they also have a list of merchants that have been approved by the cruise lines because they know that they will stand behind your purchase. I'll talk more about cruises in my next blog, so don't forget to stay tuned!

I mentioned in my opening blog that I was new to blogging...well, I wanted to mention that in this day and age--we are now living in a very high tech world. Over the last 3 to 4 weeks, I have learned to use FACEBOOK....and now have my own Facebook page, so be sure to check it out! I must admit that I have reservations regarding the use of Facebook as a social networking site, as I tend to be a fairly private person and quite conservative in my ways. I'm not sure how and why this is going to benefit me, but I am going to give it a try. Who said that "An old dog can't learn new tricks"----and don't even think that I am old..I am still a very young 50 year old---remember that you are only as old as you feel, so I plan to be young forever, and don't you forget it!!! Still it is daunting to try and learn when I am not sure that I even understand the concept!
Now, on to something that I love talking about--and that is CRUISING. One of my favorite vacations is to take a cruise with someone I love and just be lazy. One of the things that I love most is being on the water and enjoying all the amenities that the cruise ships have to offer to their passengers. The newer ships today are floating resorts...and there is something for everyone on the ship. All of the cruise ships have Casinos on board if you like to gamble --Except --the Disney Cruise ships, and there is nightly entertainment --everything from disco, jazz, country western music, piano bars to ballroom dancing--plus broadway shows and Las Vegas type entertainment. They also have demonstrations onboard, wine tastings, art auctions, and daily activities plus your stops at the different ports, not to mention all those great Spa treatments. I'll tell you more about cruising and some of my favorite cruise lines on my next blog post, so stay tuned!
Debbie

This is my first venture into the world of blogging, and I will be learning as I go, so please bear with me as I journey along. I am going to be blogging about my views of the world and life as I travel, work and play. I never know what I will be blogging about until I sit down to write, so I hope you will come along for the ride. I have learned over the last couple of years as I grow older that I seem to be much more opinionated in my views on politics, sports and life in general. You will find if you follow my blog that I am very passionate about the things that I care a lot about---everything from the love of my life, to my beautiful grandchildren, food, shopping, SEC football and sports, traveling and U.S. politics! As my husband tells me, when I care about something passionately, I tend to give a 150% and give it my all. You may or may not always agree with my views or comments, but I have learned that I must be true to myself and not compromise my beliefs on what I feel is important. When I am traveling, I hope to share with you some highlights of my travels and hopefully provide you with a desire to travel as well. Traveling these days is not always easy, but it is an education and a wonderful opportunity to learn about other countries and cultures. It is a true adventure and a great way to expand our horizons.
Debbie Jarvis

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