This month, the newsletter is published late because I was on a month-long cruise from October 12 to November 9, with little Internet access. Although it was fun entertaining hundreds of guest on the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas, the largest cruise ship on the high seas, the downside is that little got done for WIJSF, except that I was able to introduce many of the cruise guests to our organization by giving them our business card with our website and a few of the catalogs. I even met a couple that publish a magazine “Treasures of the Heart” in Pembroke Pines, Florida, that may be interested in publishing some of the stories about our musical members. So, all was not lost. My experience on the high seas was enhanced by visiting several countries, including St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Jamaica, and Mexico. It’s always wonderful to experience other cultures and made me happy to be an American, when I realized how many amenities we enjoy in the USA. Each Sunday, our band had to evacuate the ship and go through customs, a feat I can do without for the remainder of this year. The long lines were tedious as some weeks there were up to 6,000 guests disembarking. Since we were not regular crew members, this was an unfortunate part of our requirements. By the Sunday that we left the ship, I had truly had enough of this exercise. As usual, the music was our saving grace. We had lots of fun, entertaining hundreds of Jazz and Blues lovers, and I’m sure we left a lasting impression on many of them. As you all know, I’m ever conscious of the need to give women musicians working opportunities. I called three women to do this gig with me – Bertha Hope, Linda Presgrave, and Sally Smith – all pianists, but none were available with such short notice (I only had about a week to pull a band together). So, I wound up engaging three men to do the gig – Walter Bland (p), Anthony Chatman (b), and Art Weiss (d). With the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, I’m sure the ladies are grateful they were unable to accompany me.