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Good morning everyone!  Thanks for the Daily and maps Jacqui, Roy and Rich.    Three important days with stopping animal cruelty and having a plan for one's animals in a disaster.   Thanks for the definition of Thalassemia Graham, a disease I had heard of but didn't know exactly what it was.   Thanks for the photos of Da Nang @Quartzsite Cruiser.  It looks like an interesting place.   A good quote especially as spendy as chocolate is getting.   VE Day was cause for huge celebrations and continuing to this day, unfortunately many people are unaware of the war and what is accomplished in world order.  

Thanks for the cares and celebrations reports Vanessa,  I hope that your BFF is feeling better.   @luvteaching Thinking of you on your late husband's birthday memory.  @marshhawk Wow, what a scare.  I hope you got your Blood Sugar back down shortly thereafter.   Prayers for Maurice, Tana, Terry, Richard and Jacqui and everyone else in our group needing prayers.   Prayers for all in war zones through no fault of their own, Ukraine, the Israel hostages, the Russian hostages and the innocents in Gaza.   

@aliaschief What a lovely place you will be visiting on your safari.  I now know why HA doesn't have any crackers, they are all at your safari resort.  🙂

The tornadoes missed us by about 20 miles.  They hit very close to my Dermatologist's office and the Senior Center where we hold our annual Greens sale.    They looked very large and scary on the news but it was mainly a lot of downed trees and property damage.   The side of the Fedex warehouse was sheared off but only about 15 injured people.   I was much closer to the 1980 tornado that hit Kalamazoo when 5 people were killed, it knocked down trees and snapped telephone poles 100 yards away.   A lot of plant sale work today.  Have a good Wednesday, Nancy 

@cruising sister So much sadness in your BFF's family.   I hope the child with Crohn's can recover.   

@Haljo1935 thinking of you today.   

Good morning everyone, thanks for the Daily and Maps Jacqui, Roy and Rich.   I think I will celebrate Cosmo day with a good SB blanc.  Thanks for the enlightenment on Cystosis Graham, a serious disease with little to help the patients suffering from it.   Looking forward to today's port photos.  I will pass on the chicken with broccoli but today's wine sounds lovely and the cocktail would be good with a splash of diet sprite.    Great quote by Lennon.  

Thanks for the cares and celebrations reports Vanessa.    Prayers for your BFF who broke his leg big time.   I hope he has someone that can help him with outside work.   I am happy to read that Richard is healing better @RMLincoln.  Debbie @dfish I hope you can get some answers and alternatives when you see your spine specialist today.  I was also happy to read that Maurice has a date set for his valve replacement @ger_77.   @Cruzin Terri So happy to read that you and your husband have come up with a plan for a future cruise.   Prayers for Tana, Chuck, Annie and everyone else in our group who need prayers.  Prayers for the people in war zones through no fault of their own, Ukraine, the hostages and the innocents in Gaza and of course the poor souls held unjustly by the Russian Government.   

We have a day of strong storms ahead of us.   I am heading out with some ladies from GC to do a site inspection for our upcoming 2025 Environmental School at the local bird sanctuary conference center.  I think a lot of the largesse for the founding of the Sanctuary was the Kellogg Company in Battle Creek.  If you want to watch some mindless silliness watch Unfrosted on Netflix about the battle between Kellogg and Post to launch the first breakfast toaster pastries.  Have a lovely Tuesday.  Nancy 

Good Monday morning.  Welcome back Jacqui and thanks to you, Roy and Rich for our Daily reports and maps each day.   Thanks for the information on Joseph Brackett today Graham.   Unfortunately every day is a diet day for me, it is just a way of life though I guess I blow it once in a while.   A great quote by Plato.   I will pass on the Kale and the Melon but the German Pinot Noir would be great.  It is very hard to find but we had a couple of lovely ones when we visited Germany wine country.  Thanks for researching these for us Debbie, Dixie and Anne.  I have been to Bar Harbor twice and one time we camped and the other was a day trip drive up from southern Maine.  Camping the weather was perfect but it was extremely foggy when we drove up.  There still is a restaurant in Seal Harbor I want to go back and visit.  

Thanks for the Cares and Celebrations Jacqui.  I pray you continue to heal and move around better.  Jacqui I hope that they can get to the bottom of your poot pain issue and so happy you made it all the say through your cruise without too much pain.  My sister broke her foot moving a safe and her doctors kept saying her pain was from bone spurs and poo pooed it.   Finally after a year after crying to her doctor they did a MRI and her foot was broken.  The year of damage put holes in a large bone in her foot and she had to wear a cast for a long time.  I am glad that your nurse took it seriously.  Prayers for Richard, Chuck, Tana, Terry and Maurice and everyone on our group that is ailing of grieving.  Safe travels home today Sandi.    Prayer for Ukraine, the hostages and the innocents in Gaza.  

A  lot of plant sale work to do today.  Making tags and going to get the price tags and beginning to price the massive amount of plants I have on my back patio.  Sale is on Saturday with a 30% chance of rain.   Have a nice Monday, Nancy 

@Seasick Sailor thanks for the photo of you and dear hubby.  Your partly looked like a lot of fun!  Few people around here enjoy horse racing.   

Good Sunday morning and Happy Cinco de Mayo, we will use this day as a day to celebrate.   Thanks for the Daily and maps Sandi, Roy and Rich.  Cartoonists bring us so much joy especially with the fun ones that are shard here every day.   Will pass on Chanel #5,  my favorite is YSL Paris which I can happily find in duty free shops in our ports.   We don't think of children having strokes but it is the same serious problem as with adults, thankfully their brains are more malleable than adults and they can recover more completely.   Another quote that makes me think of philosophy class.    I look forward to photos of today's Aussie port.  

Thanks for the care and celebrations report Vanessa.  I hope that your sleep in your bed is improving each day.   Prayers for Tana, Chuck, Maurice, @Cruzin Terri DH, and healing for @RMLincolns DH.   Prayers for all in our group needing them and for those in war zones through no fault of their own, Ukraine, the hostages, and the innocents in Gaza. 

Well I won with my Derby bet, John lost $3.  We both looked at the odds for the near favorites and they were high enough to have profitable win, place show bets.   I bet $5 across the board in Sierra Leone and John bet $5 ATB on Forever Young.   It made it exciting and I am always happy to see the race won by the "little guy" owners and for the trainer Kenny McPeek who has never in my memory been tainted by drug positives in his horses.  He trained the KY Oaks winner too and the jockey had a big payday this weekend, 10% of the winner's share of the $1.5 million Oaks and 10% of the winner's share of the $5 million KY Derby purse.   

We are celebrating Cinco de Mayo by going to our favorite good food tavern 20 miles away who has great Mexican food.  No way are we going to a Mexican restaurant today.   Have a lovely day!   

@StLouisCruisers  Happy Grad Day to DGD Morgan.  Have fun today!   

Bon Voyage @Heartgrove! 🍾

Bon Voyage @YourWorldWithBill!  🍾

Good morning everyone.   I have been to the grocery store first thing this morning.   The first race for Oaks day is at 10:30.   Thanks for the Daily and the maps Sandi, Rich and Roy.  I have some lumpy rugs, I bought some Ruggables which are a great concept, two part rug, the top part is machine washable but the corners like to turn up.  A great quote by Rowling.   I love carrot cake, I have a recipe with pineapple and coconut that is a sheet cake.  It is a hit at parties and pot lucks.  I would happily enjoy a rum runner and would love the wine if someone gave me a bottle.  Thanks for the lovely photos of Marseille, what a beautiful city.

Thanks for the cares and celebrations reports Vanessa.   So nice to see several of us are boarding ships in the next couple of days.   @Haljo1935 happy birthday wishes for your family!  Prayers for Chuck, Tana, Terrie and Maurice.   Prayers for all in war zones through no fault of their own Ukraine, the hostages and the innocents in Gaza.    

Another day of working on housekeeping and preparing for cabin trip throughout the day between watching the races.   Have a lovely Friday!  Nancy 

Montevideo, we did a Holland America wine tour to the beautiful Bouza winery with a fabulous dinner and a tango show.  We were there February 13 on the Volendam.  Uruguay was beautiful and we were lucky to visit both Montevideo and Punta del Este.  

Good morning everyone.  Thanks for the Daily and maps Sandi, Roy and Rich!   Today the cocktail should be Cuba Libre in honor of Scurvy Day.    Switzer's quote sounds a lot like something Mark Twain would have said.   I will pass on the sorrel and pumpkin but the Spanish wine sounds wonderful.  We were in Montivideo in February 2023 and would love to go back.    Hopefully another GSA will be offered in 2026.  

Thanks for the cares and celebrations reports Vanessa.   Prayers for Chuck, Maurice, Jim and Tana and everyone else in our group who needs prayers.  Thanks for letting us know that another of the lost souls on the Key Bridge has been located.   Prayers for all in war zones through no fault of their own, Ukraine, the hostages and the innocents in Gaza.   

I am staying home and cleaning house and then moving outside to do yard work.   Last night I printed off the Daily Racing Form for tomorrow for the Kentucky Oaks day of horse racing.   I will try to start on the Kentucky Derby slate of races this evening if I can stay awake.  It is not a good project when sleepy.   Have a lovely Thursday!  Nancy 

@ger_77 Happy to read that Maurice's surgery is on the horizon.

@kazu thinking of you today.  

@StLouisCruisers beautiful progress on the stocking. 

@marshhawk prayers for Chuck and it was interesting we were both struck by that beautiful black dahlia. 

All went well with the computer returns at the tribe's government offices.  It was supposed to open at 11 but we were through at 10:15.  They probably were happy to see a tub of computers versus all around us were the giant tube TVs being recycled.  

We, my sis and I,  visited Juneau in September 2016 and we were on the Noordam.  I went with friends who introduced me to HA.  We did a HA tour to the Fish Hatchery, Glacial Gardens and to the Mendenhall Glacier.  

Good morning everyone!   Thanks for the Daily and maps, Sandi, Roy and Rich!    Thanks for apprising us with the meanings of today's days Graham.   Not an inspiring quote.   I will pass on the pesto meal but would love the bordeaux wine and a Cuba Libre with dark rum like Pusser's.  I have been to Juneau once on my first HA cruise. 

Thanks for the cares and celebrations reports Vanessa,  I hope you feel better each day.  Prayers for your DHs @marshhawk, @ger_77 and @RMLincoln.   @smitty34877prayers for you with all you go through each day and of course for Tana.    Prayers for everyone needing them and those in war zones, Ukraine, the hostages and the innocents in Gaza.   

We are heading out soon to go to our local tribe's E-Waste recycling event.  It will allow us to get rid of a stack of old laptops and my late DHs desktop computer.   Then we will have a late lunch to celebrate Couples Appreciation Day.   I have attached a mini video of the baby swans which all left the nest yesterday.  So cute and the light was perfect.  Two cream and three gray.  They all end up white in the end.   Nancy 

Good morning from sunny SW Michigan.   Thanks for the Daily and maps, Sandi, Roy and Rich!    Animal advocacy is extremely important, most of the time humans are their only advocates and they fail them.   Hurray for Bugs Bunny.   Thanks for enlightening me about Beltane @grapau27, I will pass.   Good quote from Andersen.   I have not been to Kahului, I will look forward to photos as we are going three times in 2025.   Coming soon..   I will pass on Cauliflower, but would love a Paloma and today's value, highly related Grenache.  I would like to find some,

Thanks for the Cares and Celebrations reports Vanessa.  I pray that you continue to heal and improve,   Prayers for Chuck, Tana and Terrie, I hope your shoulder feels better today.   Prayers for all in war zones through no fault of their own, the people of Ukraine, the hostages and the innocents in Gaza.  Prayers for all of the police officers and their families who were killed or wounded in Charlotte.  Prayers for all cleaning up from the deadly tornadoes.  

I am heading to my sister's house shortly to dig a bunch of plants that she will be donating to the plant sale,   I have two ladies from GC meeting met and then two more coming to the house at noon to pot them up.  Have a lovely Tuesday!  Nancy 

On 4/22/2024 at 9:42 PM, seeriteR said:

Hey, we'll be on that cruise... and the next one and the one after that! 71 days at sea - but no driving to the port this time! In case anyone is interested, final mileage Michigan-Miami-San Diego-Michigan was 7,491 miles. We sure saw a lot along the way! And thanks to all of you for helping to make it a fun adventure! Keep on cruisin'!

 

Jim and Pam

Sounds like we are on the same back to backs to create our get out of Michigan winter.  Usually we drive to Fort Lauderdale for our getaways  but we had to break down and book flights to San Diego.   Nancy and John

@marshhawk Annie,  prayers for Chuck.  I am so glad that they could get him in tomorrow although he sounds to have a terrible situation.   ❤️‍🩹

Prayers for all the families involved in the tornadoes in the midwest.   I was watching all the scary videos coming through on Facebook all evening.  

All went well with my doctor appointment.  My Enbrel refills sent to Walgreen's in Iron Mountain for summer.  My sharp back pain on turning is sacro-ilieac and not sciatica.   I can get a shot in the area if it continues.  I know from past injections that the cortisone injections can last a long time with good pain relief.  Blood chemistry all normal, CBC continues to be wacky but one number is low,  RBC, but CV and one other are high which I think compensates for low red blood cells.   Never seems to bother him.   

We really didn't get any rain to speak of which is fine with me, we have had quite a bit already.  Nancy 

Quick hello this morning.  I am heading over to Battle Creek for my Rheumatologist appointment.  We are supposed to have rain soon.   Have a lovely morning.  Nancy 

@smitty34877 I am sad to read your shoulder is acting up but grateful you were able to get your aide in.   I hope it isn't an RA flare.   My sister has RA and always has breakthrough flares with her RA and they changed her Enbrel to Actemra and she got worse so she is back on Enbrel.   I have been on Enbrel since 1999 and really haven't had a flare unless I forgot a few weekly doses.  Praying for some relief for you.   

@bennybear thank you for the photos of Kobe.  When you mentioned their strange toilets I was thinking those squat type John told me they had there.  One time while tasting wine road trip in Alsace I had to go so we pulled off to a rest area.  I walked right back out as they have those things in France too.   

@aliaschief beautiful sunset dinner.

@JazzyV great to read you have gotten 8 hours of sleep!   Yay!   

All the wine is pulled and boxed for our May 19 trip to the cabin.  All we have to do is load it in the cart and bring it up the hill to the garage.   All my sale plants are fertilized and the weather was perfect to let the little vegetable plants stay outside with humidity and sunny haze.  They can stay out all the time in a day or two.   

How about some food porn and flowers?  Cioppino and lots of tulips. 

Good morning everyone!   @rafinmd thank you for starting the day with the wonderful history of the Daily and thank you @richwmn for getting us rolling five years ago.   Sandi, Rich and Roy thanks for today's reports.     A great group of days recognizing those who make our life safer.  Thanks @grapau27 for all the clarity of the days for us.   A good quote from Lou Holtz. John spent a great deal of time in Kobe as that is where the HQ of his division of Kawasaki is located.  No photos though. 

Thanks for today's comestibles,   I will pass on the creamy pasta, maybe some bacon and peas instead, pass on the melon cocktail but I would love to get my hands on some of the Riesling.   

Vanessa, thank you for the cares and celebrations reports.  I hope each day you feel better day and find it easier to move around.   Prayers for Tana, Jim and Maurice.   Prayers for all in war zones through no fault of their own, Ukraine, the hostages and the innocents in Gaza.    

It got up to 84 yesterday but I got all the plants done from my sister's house pick up.  Many more coming on Tuesday.  I hope our publicity will be sufficient to sell all of them.   

3 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

Good morning all,

It’s looking like we get sunshine today- the past 3 have been drizzly and cloudy all day.

 

Aren’t those Whoppy Pies?

 

@Gail & Marty sailing away  Pete shared a video about the Project Linus blankets. You have all done such a great job. It’s really nice to see the pictures and video and hear the back story. I’ve heard references to it from world cruiser’s blogs over the years and it’s inspiring to see. (The references to that project inspired me to crochet for our veterans in hospice here, now in year #2)

 

Have a great day everyone!

 

When I tried to figure out what Devil Dogs were I went to Google Images and this was for the home made ones.  Drakes made the store bought ones.   I think the shape and perhaps the filling distinguishes them from Whoopie Pies.  

@Seasick Sailor thanks for the photos of cute Oliver.  Thank you for rescuing him.  

Good morning from warm SW Michigan.  The rain has cleared out early.   Thanks for the Daily and the maps each day, Sandi, Rich and Roy.   A good group of days, no small pets and no kiddos here and thank you for explaining Devil Dogs @grapau27.   I thought they were these:

A good quote from Helen Keller.  Thanks for the photos of today's port Sandi.  I will pass on the shrimp with cauliflower and we are having Cioppino that I did all the work on a week or so ago.  John couldn't find seafood for it at Meijer but Wallies had clams and scallops.  They will work just fine,  I have had that lovely brunello before and it is a beauty.   Today's cocktail looks tasty too.  Thanks for researching these for us each day.  Welcome back Dixie, I hope you had a lovely Disney cruise.

Vanessa, so happy to read that you have had 7 hours of sleep yesterday.   Thanks for keeping abreast of all the celebrations and illnesses and bereavements.   Prayers for Tana and Maurice.  Prayers for all in war zones, the hostages and the people of Ukraine.  

@Mr. Boston Lucky you to be in Ogunquit.  My sister used to live in Wells and worked at Hurricanes in the cove, I visited her frequently.   So much good seafood there.   

A day of fiddling with the plants for the sale today.  I thought the rain would linger into the day today but the sun is out so I will go to my sister's and pick up some stuff she dug up for me and then pot them up.   That will just about be the end of the plant sale digging and potting, we will dig at my sister's house on Tuesday because she has decided she wants to get rid of more plants.  I have arranged for help.  That means I can focus on spreading Preen and my mulch and small jobs in the yard as we prepare to leave on May 19.   Have a lovely Saturday/  Nancy 

@ger_77  we feed grape jelly in a traditional Oriole feeder.  The finches that eat the jelly are the red house finches.  When we have many visitors to the jelly I will take a small plastic dish and use duck tape to secure it to the balcony railing top.  Then we have had Red-Bellied Woodpeckers eating it too.  

I agree with the consensus,

drink #2 is the winner.

Stay safe @Haljo1935 and @Quartzsite Cruiser.  We have storms heading our way but nothing major.  @Cruising-along thanks for the lovely photos of Hobart.