My sister Marge is writing the story of her life. So every few days, I receive a chapter she has written. It is so much fun, I can hardly wait for the next one. She worked for a credit company in Portland, Ore., and got to travel a lot. Besides that, she was a housewife and raised three rambunctious boys. She had many funny experiences.

One time she and her first husband organized a Caribbean cruise. Another sister and her husband and I joined them. We stopped at many islands where we saw how the natives lived and heard their music and watched their dances. On those cruise ships they serve meals all day and even have a midnight meal. One afternoon they had a singles dance. My family pushed me to attend. I knew there would be a room full of women and about three men. In fact, they had the deckhands help. I didn’t stay very long. I gave my family fits for making me go. Now, it wouldn’t bother me. I would join in and have fun.

So many people nowadays take a whole family on a cruise. I guess it is sort of a last family get-together before the children scatter after their schooling. At least they would all be together and not going in all directions.

Times have changed. When my husband’s grandparents brought their eight children over from England in a sailboat back in the 1800s, the boat was supposed to be a top style at that time. It got lost in a storm and it took them five weeks to come across. They had to bring their own food. When water got into the lower part, rats came running up to the upper decks. So, quite different than the ships are now. I’m sure they never dreamed that travel could be like it is now.

— NORMA HANNAFORD