ottahand7

Good morning everyone! I have to be brief as we are heading to John's eye appointment at Costco at 11 but we will leave a lot earlier as all the schools are closed. We probably got 8" of snow because it packs down due to the weight. I don't think they predicted this much. Thanks for the daily and fleet reports @richwmn. We are back on diets so no chicken and rice for us or the sweet cocktail but would give the wine a shot. Thanks for the cares and celebrations lists @JazzyV. Prayers for Roy's healing, thanks for keeping up updated @kazu and Roy. Prayers for everyone on our list needing them, the people in war zones, Ukraine, Israel and the innocents in Gaza. I will check in after we get back from our trip to Costco. Have a nice day! Nancy

@aliaschief that is great news about your diagnosis and you are healing, better yet no intervention required. A big relief for you and your DW. @rafinmd thanks for keeping us updated yourself and through @kazu. @StLouisCruisers your daughter is so creative.

Thanks for your wonderful review and photos of Salvador de Bahia. We were there on the GSA on the Volendam and every problem with the theft you mentioned we had on our ship. Of all the ports in Brazil it was the only one where we heard about widespread crime. Cell phones grabbed and necklaces torn off. We were in the weird sculpture garden near the terminal and two women tried to shake us down because they thought they were in photos we were taking. I hope that you are able to go down the Amazon. If you make it to Parintins make sure to go to the Boi Bumba show. Between that and the kiddos in Boca da Valaria they were the highlights of a fantastic trip up the Amazon.

Good morning everyone. The snow has stopped but inches of lake effect snow are due tomorrow. Thankfully the two days I have to work at our garden council's greens sale it will be warmer (40) and fairly dry. Thanks for the Daily and Fleet Reports @richwmn. No pie in the face here, no Bavarian Cream pie. Thanks for clarifying adopt a turtle for us @grapau27, so I think virtual adoptions are fine. A very true quote by Bronte. I love butternut squash soup but I made turkey and chili soups yesterday and a meatloaf for tonight. Pass on the melon drink and I think I will pass on today's wine too. Thanks for keeping our lists for us @JazzyV. I have to note we depart for FLL on December 27 for our long Eurodam cruise. @kazu thanks for giving us a complete update on Roy. His hour by hour report shows why hospitalization is so frustrating for patients. @quilty964 I hope you recover from Covid quickly and @Heartgrove healing thoughts for your DW who now has it. Prayers for everyone needing them. @RMLincoln I hope that you get get settled in quickly in your new home and get caught up on some rest. Prayers for all in war zones for no fault of their own, Ukraine, Israel, the remaining hostages and the innocents in Gaza. I am going to wrap a gift for John and a few nominal gifts for my family while he is at his annual doctor's appointment. Since we had snow on the deck there were numerous possum tracks that were visible. Maybe they have been here all along but no tripping the bright motion light. Another late night but well worth it as the Ravens won last night. Now they have a long rest as they have a very late bye. Have a lovely day today! Nancy

Don't ever be afraid to go to the ER with a severe headache. Brain tumor, stroke and meningitis are the things that could be mixed by waiting. So happy to know it was a migraine.

We were on Volendam in January. Due to no beverage package on a long voyage and no happy hours at outset it was the only way to enjoy the bars. Our Ocean bar bartenders were happy to pour our package wine. No problem all the way through March.

Prayers for you Roy. 🙏 I have been thinking of you since you mentioned it this morning. Glad you went to the ER and grateful you were back in "civilization".

@Jake Martin were you on the Volendam Grand South America. I think I remember you from our Deck 6 hall party and for the rest of the voyage.

Bon Voyage @Haljo1935! 🍾

Good morning everyone. Thanks for the Daily Reports. We are still working our way through pie here so no cake. The law is very important. I will celebrate small wineries today, we are not beer drinkers. A wonderful quote by Helen Keller. Let's celebrate the first Thanksgiving while we still wade through our Thanksgiving leftovers. Ours are going today. Captain Cook really saw a lot of the world before his life ended there on his third visit to the islands. I will pass on the chicken dish, we are having ground chuck burgers, pass on the cocktail and wine looks pretty good. Thanks for researching these for us each day. Prayers for all on our care list and especially Roy, I hope you gets a good diagnosis when you visit the Urgent Care. Thanks for the update on Baby Murphy @cruising sister. Thanks for keeping these extensive lists for each day @JazzyV. Prayers for all in war zones, especially Ukraine, the innocents in Gaza and the hostages waiting to come home. We were thrilled the competitive Michigan game with a Michigan win in the end. It was a day full of good football and I think I watched three of them. They kind of run in together with a lot of channel flipping. I am going to finish the turkey soup I started Friday and also make chili to go in the freezer. Have a lovely Sunday! Go Ravens! Nancy

We were on the January GSA. Our weather was cool and cloudy for the most part once we got south of Peru. Our sun returned when we had our first stop in Puerto Madryn in Argentina. We missed the Falklands but that is mostly a given. We had extremely high winds leaving Antarctica. I am waiting for HA to offer it again in January to visit some places we didn't get to and maybe see the sun. I am not saying our weather was horrible it just was cloudy for Chile, Ushuia and the Antarctic.

Agreed. Booked on advance for NYE on the Volendam last year. It was a very special menu and very celebratory.

Thanks for that information. I have part F but never knew the up to amount. Part F is no longer offered to new retirees.

Good morning everyone. Thanks for the Daily Rich! Our small business in the family ended this year when my late DH's small business, a janitor supply house, was sold by his son. Now the big building in downtown Baltimore is on the market. No parfaits here but we have some maize here with leftover dipper Fritos. No need for shopping reminders, all are wrapped and under the Christmas tree which has been up for 2 weeks because we have to tear it down on December 26 to head to Fort Lauderdale. A good quote today. Pass on the dish and the cocktail though todays Viognier sounds wonderful. Thanks for researching these for us each day! @JazzyV I hope you had a good night and getting some relief from your leg pain. @StLouisCruisers I hope your tummy woes get better soon. Prayers for everyone on our list needing them, the people in war zones through no fault of their own Ukraine, Israel and the innocents in Gaza. I am going to patronize a small business shortly when I go to our small town pharmacy and then another local grocery for their ground chuck and Walmart for their low carb bread and buns. It is 22 degrees and we have a raccoon patronizing our bird feeding areas again late at night. I will have to start bringing my suet cakes in again. This afternoon I will write Christmas cards while we enjoy (hopefully) a Michigan win. I was up until midnight last night watching the enjoyable Oregon/Oregon State football game, so many good games today. Have a lovely Saturday! Nancy

@AV8rix Bon Voyage! 🍾

@Vict0riann Happy Anniversary!

Good morning everyone. Thanks for the Daily Reports @richwmn. Family health history is a good one for the day after Thanksgiving after all of us at dinner yesterday were over 40 and of course talk about our ailments. I guess my unique talent would be nurturing plants from seedlings. I can tell in this group everyone has some unique talents that we celebrate each day. DB Cooper can have his day too I guess. A quote that basically describes every day for every person. Pass on the salmon, the bitter cocktail but today's wine from Chile looks like a winner. @summer slope, @cat shepardand @dfish thanks for researching this for us each day. @JazzyV thanks so much for keeping the cares and celebrations reports each day, especially after I day where I really couldn't check in yesterday we can see how everyone is doing. I hope that you had a good day yesterday. So happy to see many more celebrations today! Prayers for everyone on our care list, the hostages and the people in war zones, Ukraine, Israel and the innocents in Gaza. Bon Voyage to @Himself @Seasick Sailor and @Niagarawine! We had a lovely Thanksgiving and the turkey turned out great. Two of my three throwback appetizers turned out great with the Kettle potato chips with topped with cream cheese mixture and a slice of smoked salmon were a real hit. No shopping for me today, I may go to the pharmacy to pick up some prescriptions that have been there for a little too long. John signed us up for luggage forward for a bag each though all I can think of was when @lindaler spent Grand South America with no shipped baggage arriving. Linda, I remember running in to you in Manta and again in the Caribbean heading back to the ship with a newly purchased suitcase. I hope your Hawaii South Pacific cruise was wonderful. @rafinmd I hope that you had a great Sunfarer cruise. @kazuthinking of you today in remembrance of Jose's birthday. Gary's was February 28th and I remember that one much more than the bad ones April 1 and April 26. Have a lovely day! Nancy

Nancy

@richwmn that is great news. It also might get me looking at my drinking looking at the total for 120+ day voyages, ouch! The wine packages would then become a good value again, a nice bottle of wine for $20 with the Mariner discount might work for me, plus all the mooching I could figure out.

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!. Thanks for the Daily reports @richwmn. Freckles have made my make up routine twice as long covering up the masses of them that have run in together as my aging skin has thinned. Cranberry relish is all prepared here and waiting for tomorrow. I use bagged cranberries, orange marmalade, cinnamon and cloves. No going for a ride today, final cooking today. A wonderful quote by Elie Wiesel and so true now as hate and intolerance are rearing their ugly heads. Thanks for the photos of today's port @StLouisCruisers. I think when we are on the Eurodam I will start some long term planning on getting to Oceana. I probably will have to break my rule of no long cruises before Christmas. The photos were so beautiful and started me dreaming. Pass on the drink, chili but I love Merlot, hope it isn't Naked. Vanessa continued prayers for some relief from your pain, Thank you for continuing to keep our cares and celebrations lists. Lenda and dear hubby, welcome to your winter home in your new motorhome, wishes for a winter of perfect weather. Prayers for everyone in our group who are facing illness and trials, Special thought to @smitty34877as your family celebrates Thanksgiving with an empty chair and memories of your DD DH. Prayers that the hostage release goes according to plan and more work can continue to get them all released. Prayers for those in war zones for no fault of their own, Ukraine, Israel and the innocents in Gaza. Another beautiful sunrise here this morning but I stayed in bed with the news but now it has clouded up. I will make most of the green bean casserole made with steamed haricot verts, finish the raspberry pie and do the prework on my appetizers to watch during the Lions game. Thankfully all but one guest are football nuts, mostly Green Bay Packers fans. I am making a new mashed sweet potato recipe with maple syrup and canned chipotle pepper adobo sauce. To all who are traveling - safe travels with good weather all the way. Nancy

Bon voyage @Nickelpenny 🍾 You will love the Volendam. We had a wonderful time on her and reading Bill & Mary Ann's blog things are perfect on her right now. Have fun!

@1ANGELCAT Happy 70th birthday!!

You should get the credit when you rebook at the BF rate. I upgraded my Signature to a Neptune and when I got my change pdf paperwork it included a $100 on board credit just for me that wasn't there previously. Travel partner is not AARP. I had the AARP benefit appliesd for 2025 cruises so maybe it came up in my account. Please ask your TA to look into getting your benefit if rebooking.

Since @Calypso54 is on a Grand cruise there will probably be no beverage package so reasonably priced wine can come from buying wine by the package and have it delivered to your chosen bar. On the Volendam GSA happy hours were limited in the beginning so we ordered wine by the bottle at several bars and they would take it off our package. If the bartenders are with it they can handle it just as the waitiers in the MDR do or just do as @taxmantoo suggested and have them sent to a bar. Finally on the GSA they offered three happy hours per afternoon so there was another way to get reasonable wine. Just watch your daily programs for when your happy hours are and where as they moved for us depending on the hour.

Good morning everyone and thanks for the daily reports. I love ginger cookies and make a tasty one for my cookie trays with crystallized ginger. TV is always on here, most of the time with CNBC in the background as when news happens they report that too. Fewer people in the house the lower the chance for odd socks. Thanks @0106 for the definition of the day. Good quote by Confucius. Thanks Sandi and Lenda for the photos of Asdod and nearby. I will pass on today's meal, we are having oven air fried crumb crusted pork chops. I like Suntory whisky so would give today's cocktail a shot. Wine sounds good too. Thanks for the cares and celebrations reports @JazzyV. I hope that you are getting some relief from your leg pain and sleep disturbances. @aliaschief positive thoughts on your knee MRI today. @Quartzsite Cruiser I hope that your head injury isn't too serious. Prayers for everyone on our care list and those in war zones through no fault of their own, Ukraine, Israel and the innocents in Gaza. Prayers that the hostage release is very soon. It is a dark, rainy day but people to the north are getting snow so no complaints. So dark I turned on our front Christmas lights to brighten up the day. I succeeded at getting a quick haircut another trip to Walmart in. John wanted Wondra for his gravy but Meijer was out when he went so I went in to try to find him some. I found a lone container and I was in and out quickly. Parking wasn't bad either. Today I will work on setting out all the plates and silverware so that when dinner is done tomorrow night I can set the table for Thanksgiving dinner, with one less thing to do on the holiday. Have a lovely day and safe travels to everyone on the road today and coming up for cruises and Thanksgiving. Nancy