Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Perfect Day

I felt inspired by this topic and let my mind wander - so this would be my perfect day. And I'll have it one day.

I’d wake up to the sound of water lapping at the hull of the boat. Yawning, I’d stretch and reach over to kiss my husband awake. With the sun’s rays just a glimmer on the horizon, we’d wrap ourselves up in a blanket and curl up on the deck and watch the sun rise. The boat is moored somewhere in the Great Barrier Reef. The water around us is a crystal clear blue but at that early time in the morning it takes on a golden glow as the sun starts it descent into the sky.

The boat is large enough that we have a skipper and a cook/cleaner, but they don’t impinge on our time alone. As soon as the sun is high enough we race into our swimmers and dive off the boat into the warm waters. On the ledge at the rear of the boat are our snorkels and flippers, and after playing in the water for a while we grab them, slip them on and begin to swim around the coral, hunting for fish we haven’t seen before, and brightly coloured corals.

Tired, we would emerge form the sea for brunch. Bacon and eggs, tropical fruits, freshly squeezed juice, pancakes and maple syrup – whatever our hearts, or stomachs, desire. It’s time to rest after eating, so we stretch out on the deck and read or snooze or just talk about whatever takes our fancy. The engine starts and the skipper begins to maneouvre the boat towards our next destination. We don’t know where we are going and don’t care as long as it is warm, and we can swim the days away.

Lunch is a snack while we are underway, usually taken sitting on the bow of the boat, the sea breeze in our faces as the boat ploughs through the waves. By mid afternoon, after another nap, we are at our new mooring: a secluded cove nestled in an island, no one around but us.

The skipper loads up the dinghy with supplies and we head for shore, leaving the crew behind. On the beach, just above the water line, we set up our camp for the night. A tent, a fire and some blankets along with food to cook over the flames. Firewood has been provided so we set to lighting the fire as the evenings cool down, even in the tropics. I wander the island gathering twigs and find several mango trees with ripe fruit, picking a couple for our supper.

Potatoes, fillets of barramundi, tomatoes, onions, capsicum and more are lodged in the coals of the fire and we leave them to cook, and wander to the other side of the island to watch the sun set. We follow the beach back around to our camp whilst still enough light to see our way and settle down next to the fire. With tongs, we delve into the fire and retrieve our dinner. Steaming hot we have to fan the food or blow on it before we can put it in our mouths, but it tastes divine. We wash it all down with a fine red wine – Australian, of course!

I slice open the mangoes and we eat them whilst we put marshmallows on the ends of twigs and cook them in the flames, their burnt sweetness melting on our tongues.

As the fire settles and the midnight comes near, we talk quietly of our lives, our day or anything that comes to mind. With a last stirring of the fire, we settle down for the night.

And in the morning we are woken by bird calls, sunlight and the fresh smell of coffee as the skipper and cook join us on the beach to start the new day.

Now that would be a perfect day!
Elaine

Good question Johnny, didn't even need to think about this one. It would be hiking up a mountain, with my kids and husband. Taking a picnic lunch and just spending time talking, while we sit atop a mountain looking down on paradise!!!!

PERFECT DAY,

So eloquent Kat, mine was boring and cut and dry, yours sounded awesome!!!

Simone

You are a sweetheart Bob, your wife is very lucky and I am sure she feels blessed to have you also!!!

Simone

Eric, you make my heart hurt with your sweetness! I am sure that Johnny's perfect day will be seeing you too.

I have made a new friend recenty who talks about hang gliding. He has done it for years over in Europe and here in the states. Sunday after church I asked him what he was going to do that afternoon, and he said he was maybe going to drive up to the mountains with his kyte and spend the afternoon hang gliding. Well right then I could only imagine the peace you would feel up there all alone with God and the wind. I can't even think of how quiet it must me floating up there, hanging in the sky. I think doing that for a day would refresh my soul!

But since it would be a perfect day, I would be able to stay up for hours and not have to pee or eat or drink. Thay would make things diffucult!

Thanks for this post Johnny. Sounds like we all needed a dose of positive thoughts.
Bridge

Johnny

You started a very Good post here. Thanks for that. Now my Perfect day would have to be. Going for a long walk in Gatineau Park Hand in Hand with the Love of my life and then come home. Cook my Great and Loving wife the Best meal I could with candles and all. Then I would Lie down beside Joanne and hold her in my arms and make Love to her like we did before all this AS took that away from us. As far as the end of our perfect day well there would be no end because just being with Joanne is always a Perfect Day for me.

John

What a good question to get people posting!!

I had a perfect day (weekend) not long ago. To have seen John with such a genuine smile and hardy laughs at the KickAS Party with all of his "Family" was a joy to see after all he's been through but my really perfect day would have to be seeing John pain free and doing all the things he used to do. We could just cuddle (which has been an impossibility since all this nightmare started) and hold each other tight (afraid to hurt him now if I do)! To take a simple walk in the woods and look at all GOD's creations. Come back home and have a candlelight dinner and just enjoy each other with no thought of AS. To finish off the day to be able to make love like we used to without being afraid of him hurting or paying for it for weeks. Now that would be a simple but perfect day.


Joanne

Hi Johnny,

Excellent post you started.

Well.... I could go in several directions with this reply.... but I think a very good day might be one spent at a large party of Kickers somewhere very nice. You can not find a better group of people if you tried.

Looking back on my life.... some of the most restful and peaceful days were 3 day canoe trips I used to take on the long Memorial Day weekend in secluded Southwestern Wisconsin. We would canoe upstream the first two days and downstream the last. Camp out on the sand bars over night and best of all.... no one else was near by our group it was that secluded.... talk about relaxing!!!

Take care,

Tim

Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional

Well Painindaas, I have just had my perfect day a few weeks ago, I GOT HITCHED!!!!! I married Anja in her home town of Sint-Niklaas in Belgium.

She looked fantastic! We were wed by a monk, Because he was such a nice bloke, (But also he spoke English) In a massive church. I was in a kilt she was well words cannot describe how beautiful she was. The wedding was just over 1 1/2 hrs then we left in a vintage renault from 1928 and all our guests piled into classic London buses that we found in Belgium. All went to a Belgium castle for the festivities and caused traffic to stop just to wonder what was happening because of a scottish piper men in skirts and a London bus in Belgium and a stunning now wife.


Nothing can ever beat that. When she walked into that church I had tears in my eyes.

Brilliant really brilliant!

Lee

What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail? Dr Robert Schuller

That is very sweet, Eric. Mother and I are both looking forward to your visit. I'm sure it will be a perfect week!

Johnny