The News-Star from Monroe, Louisiana • Page 29

News-Star www.thenewsstar.com TravelBooks Sunday, October 9, 2005 3D Couple falls to temptations in Milan, almost miss boat Dianne Newcomer "Why. Mrs. Kadair. fancv meetincr you in a place like this," I said with a wry strong emphasis on the title Mrs." "When Katrina hit, I caught the first flight out We may live in I'noenix, but for Roy and me, Louisiana is home," answered new-lywed Ashley Nolan Kadair. "Roy couldn't come, but I have been working here every night until about 2 a.m.

for the past week but I have to leave Friday. LSU needs me in Phoenix." As I watched Ashley work amidst the piles of supplies at the Red Cross stockroom in the Monroe Civic Center shelter, I had to smile. Hands down no doubt about it this was the same young lady who had returned only a few months ago from one of the most incredible honeymoons I have ever arranged as a travel agent Yet, here she was at 11 p.m. working away at a Red Cross Shelter as if the well being of Louisiana's residents depended on her efforts. I had always liked Ashley, but at this moment, I liked her even better.

"So, let's talk about your honeymoon, I said with a smile. "I hear you encountered a few problems. Even after an absolutely gorgeous wedding and totally-to-die-for the neat little town of Gargnano. At the Bulgari in Milan, we had contemporary beauty with the old world charm, but at the Villa, it was totally Old World elegance. It was just what we wanted.

"The afternoon yacht cruise you had arranged was a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon since weekend traffic in this area is so bad. And I suppose, the only thing that could have made our private tour of the nearby Ferrari plant any better the next day would have been if they had given us one of those magnificent cars to drive the winding roads of the Lake District "Everything was going well except as you know from the frantic calls from me to Mom to you, we were running out of money. The wedding cash we had taken was just disappearing," laughed Ashley, who quickly added that spending a week prior to their wedding in New Orleans with all her friends and family had probably not helped their credit cards. "We had been so busy with everything, we just forgot to pay them off before we left "Getting aboard the Grand Princess did not come too soon for us. On the ship, all our meals, entertainment and most of our sightseeing shore excursions had already "While the passengers bung over the railing and cheered us on, Roy and I eventually succeeded.

After our rather dramatic boarding, we received a call from the ship's customer relations director who ever so politely reminded us the ship only waits for passengers booked on shore excursions purchased from the ship." We giggled at the visual image not to mention the possible danger of their Tarzan-like misadventure, and how their cost-saving trip to the beach could been even more disastrous. "We instantly became shipboard celebrities. Everyone loved us, but then I did the unthinkable!" smiled Mrs. Roy Kadair. "I won the ship's Jackpot Bingo Game I felt sure everyone in the room was intensely jealous, but I didn't care.

As I jumped around wildly celebrating my prize, all 1 could think about was what a great time Roy and I were going to have in Rome." Don't you just love trips that have happy endings? DIANNE NEWCOMER is a travel consultant at Monroe Travel Service, 1908 Glenmar. You may contact her at 323-3465 or (800) 365-3465. "It went downhill from there. When we finally reached the pier, it was 5:02 pjrt and the Grand Princess was inching away, heading for Turkey. The ship's security officer, knowing we were not onboard, had left our passports with the Greek port authority, but with only the very little cash we had taken for a day at the beach, we were frantic "A quick decision was made to pay a gasoline boat sitting at the pier to take us out to the ship.

The captain of the Grand Princess had refused our plea to return to port, but did agree to reverse thrusters, idle the ship and allow us to climb aboard if we were willing to try it "It seemed like the only thing to da It was not until we got next to that huge 100,000 ton ship in a little boat that was bobbing up and down like crazy in that ocean liner's waves that we wondered if we had lost our minds. "The crew acted as if they did this all the time and quickly began barking out our instructions. They opened the loading hole, tossed down life vests and lowered a rope harness. The plan was to jump from the safety of our little boat as high as we could into the air and then let them swing each of us into the belly of the ship." It's never too soon to think about holiday gifts Travel photos To share your recent trip with us, send us a picture of you at your favorite vacation spot, and we'll include it. (It also helps if you happen to be holding a copy of The News-Star at the time of the photo.) Mail photos to: Accent on Travel, The News-Star, P.O.

Box 1502, Monroe, LA 71210 or drop them off at our office at 411 N. Fourth St Be sure to identify all the people in the photo and include the location. XV 1 The holiday season is rapidly approaching, and it's not too early to start thinking about what you can give to the people you love, especially if you would like to make your gifts this year. There are many terrific resources at the library that will give you ideas and instructions. Here are a few to get you started.

Christmas Presents Kids Can Make, by Kathv Ross. The Millbrook Press, 2001 Great Gifts, by Gillian Soutcr. Gareth Stevens, 2001 Hey, Kids Let's Make 50 Easy Ideas to Make Keepsake Treasures, by Leila PcltosaarL Tikka Bocks, 1994. Making Gift Boxes, by Linda Hendry. Kids Can Press, 1999.

101 Great Gifts from Kids: Fabulous Gifts Every Child Can Make, by Stephanie R. Mueller and Ann Wheeler. Gryphon House, in-' been paid for in full plus, we discovered mom and dad, Freddy and Reba Nolan, had given us a shipboard credit as a surprise wedding gift Of course, we tried to cash it in, but the ship would not let us, so we resolved to just watch our budget "Roy loves history, and that is why the cruise itinerary was so perfect We became real students again, but by the time we reached the island of Mykonos, it was time to take a break from the antiquities and just relax. "The cruise director had suggested taking one of the buses to a wonderful beach area, only about 10 minutes from where we had docked He mentioned the buses ran every 20 minutes to the beach area, but the thing he failed to tell us was that at the end of the day, everyone else on Mykonos would also be trying to take those same buses home," continued the newlywed. "Leaving was like rush hour traffic in a big city.

People were fighting for spaces on the bus. Roy and I got separated as we pushed our way on, but since it was 330 p.m. and such a short ride to the pier, it did not matter or so we thought It was not until I saw the look of panic on Roy's face when our bus driver decided to stop and eat his lunch while we all waited, that I began to worry. ters, flyers and more. There's also a section on making 3-D letters out of a modeling compound, baking them and attaching earring holders, pin backs or necklace fasteners to them to create unique jewelry pieces.

Make Your Own Fun Frames, by Matt Phillips. Williamson Publishing, 2001 Frames are always a popular gift, but these you can't buy anywhere. Some examples of the unique frames found in this book are polymer-clay frames, personalized punchecl-tin frames, 3-D collage frames, quilted frames, flower-print frames and more. There are also sections on cropping photos, matting and assembling. WRITE MARTHA JORDAN of the Ouachita Parish Library System's Children's Division, at 1800 Stubbs Ave.

Monroe, La, 7120L Best sellers USA Today calculates a list of approximately 300 best-selling books. The first 10 are listed below. 1. (1) A Million Little Pieces by James Frey. (NF) Anchor, $14.95.

2. (New) A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon. (F) Delacorte Press, $28. 3. (New) Northern Lights by Nora Roberts.

(F) Jove, $7.99. 4. (204) London Bridges by James Patterson. (F) Warner Vision, $7.99. 5.

(3) Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About by Kevin Trudeau. (NF) Alliance Publishing Group, $29.95. 6. (New) The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt. (NF) Penguin, $25.95.

7. (2) Eldest: Inheritance, Book II by Christopher Paolini. (F) Knopf Books for Young Readers, $21. 8. (New) Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire.

(F) ReganBooks, $26.95. 9. (New) Echoes by Danielle Steel. (F) Dell, $7.99. 10.

(17) The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren. (NF) Zondervan, $19.99. ply above being bothered by the little stuff, and maybe it's true. CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan. 19).

The stars focus on vanity or at least feeling more attractive. You can save yourself a bundle by realizing one important fact. Your appeal is more about attitude than it is about styling yourself any certain way. AQUARIUS Can. 20-Feb.

18). When you're in the sunlight, a close friend walks with you. But you want someone who would walk you through the dark times, too. Make sure the people around you now are not the fair weather types. PISCES (Feb.

19-March 20). When you want to be, you're a master at manipulating others into sharing your beliefs. But don't use this superpower just because you can! It's far more interesting to hang out with people who challenge you. University of Louisiana at Monroe student Andrew Perry recently enjoyed a trip to St. Louis to visit his girlfriend.

Pratchett series gets second spin Travel reception at the Ritz Carlton in New Orleans, the honeymoon was going to be the best part Ashley and I had worked out every detail In short, the plan was simple: fly to Milan, spend a couple of nights at the Bulgari Hotel, go to a villa in the Lake District, catch a two-week Mediterranean cruise from Venice and end up in Rome for a few days. The "problem" really started in Milan our newlyweds discovered the fabulous outlet stores. "For sure, we will go back to Milan," Ashley declared right off the bat as she started telling me about her honeymoon adventure. "The ride from Milan to the Villa Feltrinelli was almost as spectacular as the place itself. The villa, which overlooks Lake Garda, is absolutely stunning and only a short walk to Martha Jordarr- Columnist 2002.

All of these books are designed specifically for helpingyou create gifts to give to others. They offer a wide variety of projects in varying degrees of difficulty. Some have sections on card-making andor gift wrapping. Instructions are clear and accompanied by pictures. The Girls' Spa Book 20 Dreamy Ways to Relax and Feel Great, by are turning on the game to empty screens where there should be attacking aliens.

Gamers aren't happy, and neither are some of the aliens aboard the ScreeWee mother ship. On the surface, Pratchett's tale is a fun story of a boy living a video game adventure. It's not exactly a new premise. It's been Holiday Mathis Astrology plete an entire list of tasks. As for the overall feeling of this day, it's completely up to you.

Choose to put on a happy face, and you'll genuinely laugh your way through. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). All the character development you've been doing lately, the self-help reading, nurturing your talent, wUl pay off. Your work is performed in an instant the instant you walk into a room and make an impression.

itm. 4 wrmW Mary Wallace and Jessica Wallace. Maple Tree Press, 2004. The Girls' World Book of Bath 8c Beauty: Fresh Ideas Fun Recipes for Hair, Skin, Nails More, by Allison Chandler Smith. Lark Books, 2004.

Both of these books have many recipes for various bath, skin care, hand and foot care, aromatherapy and other products. Both have clear instructions and pictures to guide you. The first book also has a chapter on making attractive gift boxes and baskets in which to present your creations to others. Lettering: Make Your Own Cards, Signs, Gifts and More, by Amanda Lewis. Kids Can Press, 1996.

All of the projects in this book use lettering calligraphy, computer-generated letters, versal letters, drawn letters to create place cards, invitations, awards, newslet around since video games first started popping up in the early 1980s, but how many of those stories have you read where the aliens surrender, changing the boy's world view? And that's what sets this apart from the average children's science fiction novel. Anyone who has ever read Pratchett knows that he's an excellent satirist. While the satire here is a little more obvious than in his usual work, it's just as effective. The constant backdrop to the story is the 1991 Gulf War, which with the smart bombs and other technology was a lot like a video game itself. Pratchett uses the story to illustrate the dangers of that kind of war and how easy it is to forget that we're shooting at other people.

In video games, no one gets hurt. Right? "Only You Can Save Mankind" is enjoyable for younger readers, but there are plenty of jokes for those of us that remember Atari 2600s, too. I particularly enjoyed a thread on the burned out hulls of Space Invaders that Johnny and the fleet pass. If you missed this one the first time around, now's a good time to check it out. VIRGO (Aug.

23-Sept 22). So even if you're doing nothing but cleaning your home now, you're still using your creativity to do it Fill your eyes with fresh imagery, your ears with music and your heart with poetry. LIBRA (Sept 23-Oct 23). Your sign is know for having a quick eye, and you'll use it to decide what you want. You know the moment it crosses your path.

Move just as quickly to secure your prize. SCORPIO (Oct 24-Nov. 21). You successfully reconcile your personality with that of your most difficult family member what a feat For this, you will be commended probably not now, but when the holidays come wowl SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec 21).

You're not tired, and you're not bored. But you may be profoundly listless. This quality makes others assume you're sim Descendants of the late Gen. Claire Chenault were honored at ceremonies in China celebrating the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. By Fred Phillips fphilllpsthenewsstar.com Best known for his massive Discworld series, Terry Pratchett has also occasionally ventured outside that milieu for a book or two.

One of those was the Johnny Maxwell Trilogy in the early 1990s. The first book, "Only You Can Save Mankind," ($15.99, HarperCollins) has just been re-released with a few, very minor updates. Life hasn't been good to 12-year-old Johnny Maxwell lately. His parents are going through Trying Times, and the Gulf War is plastered on his television screen every night. One of his favorite escapes is a game, pirated by his hacker friend Wobbler, called "Only You Can Save Mankind." Unfortunately, this time when he logs on to blow away the invading ScreeWees, the aliens want to make peace with him.

They surrender and ask for his protection. When he falls asleep that night, Johnny finds himself at the helm of the fighter ship leading the ScreeWee fleet back to its home-world and protecting it from other gamers. Soon thousands of computer users around the world Horoscopes ARIES (March 21-April 19). A bit of social sawy goes a long way toward promoting personal interests. What appears casual is the result of careful calculation.

Realizing this, you're inspired to put more effort into your own "casual" response. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Your impulse for excess is always straining against the boundaries of financial wisdom. Luckily, today you are interested in items that will, if you hold on to them long enough, eventually be quite valuable. GEMINI (May 21-June 21).

You're introspective, as though you're psyching yourself up for a big game. Next week will throw challenges into your professional path. Today's rest will allow you to be in fine form to handle those challenges. CANCER (June 22-July 22). The stars are rooting for you to corn- Company Monroe, Louisiana 318.388.8747 Book Now For Next Year and Save! USE OUR LAY-AWAY PLAN Mexico, Caribbean, Hawaii, Italy, Cruises and More! Plan Your Get Away by Plane, Boat, or Train.

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