Sharon in AZ

Good afternoon from Waco!  I wanted my friends to know that I arrived safely yesterday and we had a wonderful day eating and touring and shopping at Magnolia. Tonight we are going to the 1928 Hotel for dinner. I hope everyone is doing well. 
 

Good evening. Been busy getting ready for my trip and leave tomorrow. Hopefully the storms will wait until I arrive. I probably won’t be able to post while I’m gone. 
 

We have been to Juneau many times. This is from September 2021, one of the first cruises after the restart , on the Nieuw Amsterdam. I really love that ship. 

Bon Voyage!! ⛴⛴⛴

Good morning and Happy Monday. Wow on those tornadoes and so sad for the loss of lives. I’m anxious about flying on Thursday because of this. I’m not usually an anxious flyer. 
 

All good days to celebrate today. The salad recipes look good and thank you Tina @0106, I think I would prefer your recipe too. 
 

Roy @rafinmd, thank you for your timeline. I was an early member of CC and the HAL board, May 12, 2000. It’s a long story but the DD host Walt posted a lot on an AOL travel board for HAL that I hosted. AOL was shutting down their boards and Walt suggested that I join CC which I did. I didn’t post much but did join some M&G’s and even did one myself in 2001. I don’t remember anything like the Fleet Report back then.  I didn’t check CC very often, just mostly when I was planning and going on a cruise. I became more active in February 2020 when the rumors started about covid and a possible shutdown. I was interested in what was going to happen and I had a cruise planned for May 2020. That is why I started reading the FR daily and I sure am happy that I did. I not only have met some delightful people who have become friends but also enjoyed the community we have become. There is nothing like it anywhere else. 
 

Have a great day everyone!
 

Good afternoon and Happy Sunday. The weather is nice but a bit breezy. I went for an early pedicure and then errands and got home about an hour ago. I’m really not ready for my trip so need to step it up. I spoke with DM when I got home and she sounds so much better and is actually going to the dining room to pick up her meals. She is still weak but not as much as a few days ago. I think she got her fight back. 
 

I would like the second recipe but today we are having an antipasti platter. I decided something easy needed to happen. I went to a different grocery store than I usually do just to get Boar’s Head mortadella and prosciutto. I hate their parking lot and since our vehicle is only 2 weeks old have been parking out in the boondocks. 
 

I will pass on the drink and wine. And I have never been to Japan but those pictures are sure drawing my interest. 
 

Have a great day everyone!

I have ordered these several different times for different cruises, mostly for get togethers with cruise friends. Done very well. I preorder from home to arrive on embarkation and I refrigerate them when we get to the room. If I get several trays I put them all on one so they fit. The pate mousse is good and there is a shrimp one and cheese, usually Brie, too. Here’s an example:

1 hour ago, ger_77 said:

Introducing Kevin. 

OMG so adorable!  Whenever I hear the name Kevin for a pet I always think of the movie “Up”. 

Thank you Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiser     What a bummer. I’m just hoping that it doesn’t cause any flight delays. I’m meeting one of the ladies in our group in Dallas for the flight to Waco so at least I’ll be with someone. The others are driving from Austin and Houston and the birthday girl lives in Waco. Everyone but me are leaving on Sunday. I wanted to stay a few extra days plus it was cheaper than flying on a Sunday or Monday. I’ll just keep checking the weather and also reading what you and Elizabeth @Haljo1935 write. 

Jacqui @kazu, just catching up with your Live From. Sounds like the Merry Widows are having fun!  
 

I use hiking poles as walking sticks. They collapse into themselves which is nice when traveling. I bought them on Amazon. 
 

Ann @Vict0riann, I’ve never taken my hiking poles on a plane. I collapse them and they fit in my largest suitcase. However, I have had problems with them sliding and falling on tours and buses and also worry about forgetting them so now I use a carabiner and hook it to my bag. 
 

Good morning and Happy Saturday from a chilly, for me at least, Tucson. I’m with Pennie @Nickelpenny, I think I need a sweater. 

I have not had any problems with CC either on my iPhone or iPad. But both are old if that makes any difference.  Like I said yesterday I really need a new phone but don’t want to buy one after buying the new vehicle. But I’ll probably buy one soon so I can utilize the vehicle app. 

Little Blue is 9 pounds and very spoiled but that’s okay, he’s worth it. 

I had never heard of devil dogs, both the Marines and the cakes. I’ll pass on the meal suggestion, not a cauliflower although the last recipe with the cauliflower mash looks good. 
 

The Brunello sounds good even though I don’t drink very much red wine. Very interesting history on that winery Ann @cat shepard. 
 

After all the weather talk about Texas I’m beginning to get worried about my Waco flight on Thursday. It looks like rain all week. 
 

Have a great day everyone!

7 hours ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

Sharon, I'm glad your DM is doing better, and I hope she recovers fully soon.  I like the sounds of your salmon power bowls.

Thank you Lenda. I spoke with her about a half hour ago and she sounds so much better and said her salmon dinner tasted good. She had hardly been eating so that was good news. I should have posted the recipe I use for the salmon power bowl. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/salmon-and-veggie-grain-bowl-3409067

Good morning and Happy Friday from sunny Tucson. However it is supposed to be windy. 
 

I like salmon power bowls and have a recipe I follow but really you can add whatever you like and have on hand and any grain you like. I use faro and add things like avocado, hard boiled eggs, radishes. I like the bowl concept because it is like a salad with lots of goodies. I’ve gotten tired of just salmon so a bowl sounds really good. 
 

I would try drink version 2 because I would never buy watermelon liquor that is in version 1. 
 

Vanessa @JazzyV, thank you for adding my DM to the care list, she really needs all the prayers and thoughts right now. She is better but still weak. We took her to the doctor yesterday for a follow up and her oxygen and BP was much better. She seemed more talkative too but still needed to use a wheelchair. I think she is finally on the mend. Thank you all for thinking of her. 
 

Happy Birthday Debbie @dfish!!  🎈🎈🎈 Safe travels today. Enjoy your special day!
 

I need to get a new phone. I’ve been putting it off but in just the past two weeks I have been unable to download new apps. One for our new vehicle and then today I couldn’t download Joy’s @Seasick Sailorbird app. Frustrating. 
 

Have a great day everyone!

I realized that I forgot to wish @marshhawk & @cunnorl Happy Birthday yesterday. I hope your special day was great!

18 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

@Sharon in AZ hugs and prayers for you and your DM.

Thank you Elizabeth. And I’m sorry about your cruise. I hope you are better so you can take your next one. 
 

12 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

@Sharon in AZ Our dr showed us where the sites were for the shots. She said the best places are stomach and thigh and we do alternate. Thanks!!

Yes that’s right. I only use my thighs because it’s hard to see the yellow sliding down so I can count to 5. I hope Allen does well on it!

Good afternoon and Happy Wednesday. Great collection of days today. I’ll happily celebrate SB wine. Thanks to all the explanations too, very informative. I prefer NZ SB also but California and French are second. Chile would be my least favorite. 
 

Nebbiolo is really good, especially if you are in Italy. 
 

I like mimosas and prefer the amount of sparkling wine to be more than the amount of OJ. I bought some small bottles of LaMarca at Target on sale so have that on hand. 
 

I hate to say it but I’ve gotten tired of salmon. Craig eats so much of it so I just make a few pieces for him to enjoy when he wants. My DM made salmon cakes a lot when I was young. 
 

Speaking of DM…..  she’s not any better. I took her to her doctor on Monday and he started her on antibiotics and ordered a second chest X-ray which ended up being clear. She has a follow up appointment tomorrow. I’m not sure what else can be done. She is very weak. 
 

Joy @Seasick Sailor, I’m so glad that the Dupixent had arrived. I don’t pay anything for mine, it’s one of those programs that help with the outrageous cost of prescriptions. I recommend alternating the area of injection to reduce injection site reactions. 
 

Vanessa @JazzyV, I’m so happy to read that your surgery went well and you are sleeping good. I hope you can manage the stairs tonight for bed. 
 

Have a great day everyone!
 

2 hours ago, 0106 said:

Thank you to everyone who has posted the wonderful pictures of Kona.  We’ll be there next January.

 

@bennybearWhat is the one thing we shouldn’t miss in Kona? I’ve booked a whale watching tour with HAL but only to use up a HIA credit.  Would happily cancel.  I was also looking for a private snorkeling tour to Kealakekua Bay that provides wet suits.  
 

Happy to receive advice from anyone about private tours at all the Hawaiian ports.

DH Craig did the Whale Watching tour through HAL on Kona and said that it stayed near the ship area and they didn't see much.  We had dining companions who did the Whale Watching tour in Maui and saw so much.  Next time we will pick that instead.

Good morning and Happy Sunday from sunny Tucson. It looks like a lovely day. 
 

I went to an all day kindergarten in Kansas City and especially remember nap time. I think that was the beginning of my love of naps. I like cashews and chocolate but not a big fan of chocolate covered nuts. Funny that hemp day is right after 420 day. Yes on the wine, no on the drink. 
 

I never made the beef with broccoli stir fry yesterday so am making it today. It’s similar to the last recipe and also a Ree Drummond recipe. 
 

I have been to Trinidad but not Tobago. It was 2001 on the Zaandam with DM. That was a fantastic cruise. 
 

Bon Voyage Jacqui @kazu and Colin & Ellen @VMax1700!!

Happy Anniversary Brenda @bennybear!

Happy Birthday Tony @sailingdutchy!

Have a great day everyone!

Good morning and Happy Saturday. It’s going to be warm again today. 
 

The meal suggestion sounds good and I like the idea of the shaved Brussel sprouts that Debbie @dfish posted. I’ve made scallops with pasta before with shrimp. It’s yummy. Today I’m making a batch of no knead bread for the DGD and making her a grilled cheese sandwich from the bread. One of her favorites. Not sure what we are having but probably beef and broccoli stir fry. 
 

I used to know a few Chinese words, my good high school friend is Chinese. Her mother made the best Lo Mein. The family owned several restaurants, one in Tucson and one in San Francisco. I ate at both but they are long gone.  
 

Joy @Seasick Sailor, I hope the Dupixent approval comes in soon. Mine took a month. I’ve been on it since January and so far so good but I do have a few breakouts. The dermatologist said that Dupixent isn’t 100% effective but it helps to control the severity. So far I haven’t had any side effects. The company is really good at refills too. Let me know if you have any questions. 
 

Pennie @Nickelpenny, so great that you are on the Oosterdam TA November 2026. We have a great group!

Have a great day everyone!

Bon Voyage!!  ⛴⛴⛴

Good afternoon!  It’s been warm the last few days. Yesterday was spent in the ER with DM. She’s been sick for a week with a bad cold and hasn’t been drinking enough fluids or eating so is weak and faint. Her BP was low upon standing so the caregiver thought it was best to have her checked out. After tests and fluids she was better and I took her home. Today she says she feels weak but better. I think she just needs a few more days and will be feeling better. 
 

I love couscous so today’s meal suggestion sounds great. Also, I agree with those who prefer more garlic and onions!

Have a great day!

6 hours ago, JazzyV said:

Good afternoon. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily.

I had to look up Jenkins Ear Day. I remember Jumbo the elephant. I like antiques and have many in my home. I like the quote. I like the meal (didn't we have this recently?). Pass on the drink and wine. I have been to Denali NP. A good day in history.

 

It's a lovely day here, 75F and partly sunny. Then rain for the next few days. I got about 4 hours of sleep last night, despite being exhausted. I stayed in bed a while, then had to go get a haircut and then PT. My pain level is 10/10 today, when it hits. Sitting in a car for long periods yesterday didn't help. Ugh. Tomorrow I have my pre-op exam with my PCP. Thursday I will be taking BFF for Mohs surgery, with a repeat next Thursday for a different spot.

 

Yesterday BFF and I drove to a friend's house near Cleveland. They had a very nice patio from which we watched the eclipse. It was spectacular. The temp dropped about 10 degrees, and it looked like night. BFF surprised me with a T-shirt that said "Twice in a Lifetime" and had the dates of the 2017 eclipse and yesterday's. Sadly the drive home was somewhat horrendous, with all the traffic. We tried a detour off the highway, and got lost, LOL. But we eventually made it home. 2 hours, 20 minutes going, 5 hours coming home. So being gone from home from 9A to 11P, I didn't get a chance to post yesterday, other than the Cares List.

 

@luvteaching Happy Birthday! And gentle hugs. So sweet of DS to make you a cake, and from scratch! I'm sorry to hear of the passing of your DSIL. Condolences to the family.

@ger_77 Happy Anniversary to you and Maurice! Thanks for the lovely photo.

@grapau27 Nice videos, and thanks for the explanation. Good news from the skin cancer specialist.

@MISTER 67 I'm glad you're feeling better.

@Overhead Fred It looks like you had a good time yesterday. Thanks for the photo of those at your meal and the cake. 

@aliaschief Interesting photos. I would have been fasting with you.

@smitty34877 That's a great photo! I hope Tana is doing ok today.

@P&PNH Great photo! Most don't get to see Denali because of clouds.

@Cruising-along Nice photos.

@kochleffel Taughannock Falls looks like a great place to visit.

@rafinmd I hope all the Cardiology tests and appointments go well.

 

Prayers for the Care List and Cheers for those Celebrating. 

 

2 photos from yesterday. I have a couple hundred to sort through.

 

 

A few pictures from Denali. 

In Denali Park

 

Bears

 

Caribou

 

Denali Flight Seeing tour

 

Rainbow in the sky

 

Breaking through the clouds. Denali's 2 peaks, which are 2 miles apart!

 

Circling around Denali

 

 

Wow Vanessa!  Amazing pictures of both the eclipse and Denali. Thank you. 
 

7 minutes ago, kochleffel said:

 

https://www.arcanobarcelona.com/en

 

For a group, they offer two or three set menus, but each menu allows choices within courses, and they require a deposit.

Thank you, I’ll check them out. 

Good evening everyone. I was under the weather yesterday so watched the eclipse on TV. I didn’t care for most of the coverage but did enjoy the Science channel coverage. It was only for 30 minutes and no one talked during the actual eclipse. It was broadcast from Baylor in Waco and spectacular. Some scientists talked at the beginning but that was all. I didn’t go outside but it did get dim. 
 

Thank you for the recipes Debbie @dfish, I made something similar for Christmas and made them ahead which made it so much easier. I love sundried tomatoes too!

9 hours ago, durangoscots said:

I now know exactly what time the kennel where my dogs boarded during the Grand Australia feeds their clients in the morning and I am not happy. Hopefully I can get them back on my schedule. That early morning walk in the dark was not appreciated by me. But all 8 paws hitting me as I slept certainly got me going. They were cooperative when I got them out.

 

Luggage forward says my 2 bags should arrive on Thursday. We will see. Unpacking is not one of my favorite things but will manage. A few things I took with me and never wore are going straight to the thrift store.

 

Today's main focus will be getting my tax info together. I went to the bank early this morning after that early wake up from the dogs so all deposits are in order. I am having trouble adjusting to the seasons also.... and I am amazed at how little traffic there is in Durango. Of course we are between tourist seasons but still. The one real bummer is that they are going to be working all summer on a road near me and my street will be heavily used by detouring traffic. I am sure I will survive it all.

 

Off to sort, toss and start on the tax stuff. And maybe sneak in a nap if the dogs will let me.

 

 

When we board our dog Blue he is always tired and sleeps for two days. And they feed him earlier than I do too. It takes a while but I finally get him back on my schedule. I just do it about 15 minutes later each day. 

8 hours ago, kochleffel said:

The meal would be OK. Once for a lunch at the synagogue, I made something similar and tried to trick everyone by using smoked cheese, so that they would taste as if they might contain bacon. Yet another pseudotini. For the wine, the Dry Riesling by J.R. Dill that I mentioned on March 28 and still have some of in the refrigerator.

 

I awoke to sunshine. Weather.com said that today would be the last day this week with any sun and that it would cloud over in the afternoon, so right after breakfast I headed out to Experience the Beauty of Nature. This is Taughannock Falls, the highest single-drop waterfall east of the Rockies.

 

 

This is from an overlook with road access. I hope to have enough mobility by next week to take the path to the pool at the bottom of the falls, just out of view in the foreground. This was #6 of the required 10.

 

I also awoke to two complaining cats, but I have no idea what about. It is very rare for DaVinci to say anything; Mona Lisa is the spokescat.

 

 

Paul, I’m enjoying your Beauty of Nature experiences. Thank you for the lovely pictures. 
 

Also, if I remember you organized a dinner in Barcelona last year for your roll call. What restaurant did you go to?

10 hours ago, luvteaching said:

Good morning,

 

At the risk of not missing someone THANK YOU everyone for all the good wishes! I'm doing ok today, so far, and hopefully it will continue. Yesterday DS surprised me by baking a birthday cake for me from scratch - his first ever! It's German Chocolate and looks totally decadent. When a friend comes for tea later we'll have a bite or two. The top says "Happy Someteen" which goes back to last year when DD DH was in the hospital on this day. I went in and he greeted me with Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary. I asked how many years we'd been married and he could tell me 46 but when I asked how old I was her got a bewildered look and said "umpteen". It's become a favorite memory for me. 

 

Yesterday our sister-in-law passed away after a mighty struggle with brain and breast cancer. She went peacefully in her sleep which is good. She was at home and went downhill quickly this weekend. She was married to my DD DH's brother. She did beautiful quilting and we all have quilts to remember her by. 

 

Have a wonderful day! I'm heading out to lunch with DS and DDIL at Olive Garden this afternoon and looking forward to that. 

 

Karen

 

 

Happy Birthday!  What a beautiful cake your son made!  Wow, just wow. I’ve made a German Chocolate cake but it never looks like that. 

15 hours ago, Overhead Fred said:

We had a lovely anniversary in the Canaletto last night. I finally tried the Osso Bucco -

 

 

Pat, Ann, Tony, and Martha helped us celebrate -

 

And we got a nice cake - we shared, of course!

 

Lovely pictures of a lovely couple!

15 hours ago, aliaschief said:

Sabang, Indonesia was very hot as forecasted. Toured through the market place. After going through the meat market I decided to join the local and fast. Tomorrow is the last day of Ramadan so the families were stocking up for a big feast.

Two sea days and our next port will be Sri Lanka.

@St Louis CruiserSande a a belated Happy Birthday. Thanks for the post. Bruce

 

 

 

Bruce, I love taking pictures of markets also. Yours are wonderful and thank you for sharing. 

13 hours ago, ger_77 said:

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily!  I had to look up Jenkins Ear Day ... ouch!!  I love elephants, and feel sorry for poor Jumbo being paraded around like that.  I'll cherish the antique I'm married to.

 

Thank you for the anniversary wishes, it's hard to believe it's been 47 years that we've been together.  As I said on my FB post this morning, things have been better, they've been worse; we've been richer and we've been poorer, but through it all we've loved and laughed, and we are truly blessed.  Here we are in all our finery at our tiny wedding in my in-law's living room (only 18 in attendance).

 

@luvteaching I know today is a bittersweet day for you as you celebrate your birthday and also it should have been your 47th wedding anniversary.  I hope the memories of the years and times you shared will bring you some comfort.  Sending you hugs across the miles.

@grapau27good luck at your skin cancer check-up today.

@rafinmdI hope the cardiologist appointment meant things were on an even keel for you.

@Quartzsite Cruiserhoping all goes well for DH's CT scan today.

 

This morning we are heading out to a lovely restaurant by the river called Scarlet where we've gone - with the exception of the 2 Covid years, and the 2 when we were in Japan - every year on our anniversary.  When we were working, we'd both take the day off, go for breakfast and enjoy watching all the people going by as they were headed off to work while we were relaxing with a nicely served breakfast and coffee.   Looking at the memories section of FB, on this day in 2012 and 2016 we were in Tokyo - the first time so I could officiate our son's wedding, and the second so that the Japanese grandparents could meet their first grandchild.  Great memories of both experiences.

 

I'd love to try the drink, but bet that bartenders wouldn't enjoy making it - they want to do it quick and easy, while this takes "less than 5 minutes" which in bartending minutes is a long time!  I'll pass on the wine, but do enjoy broccoli and cheese egg muffins.  The kitchen is closed in our house today, so we'll be enjoying something delicious that is prepared and served by others at a lovely Greek restaurant tonight.  And wine.

 

Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, and in turmoil.  Cheers to all with celebrations.

 

Smooth Sailing!  ☺️☺️☺️

Gerry

Happy Anniversary!  What a beautiful couple you are on your wedding day 47 years ago!

Happy Birthday @Norseh2o!  I saw that you were in Tucson and saw the SpaceX launch!  I hope you enjoyed your special day!

Happy Anniversary to @erewhon and @Overhead Fred!  🥂🍾🎊

Happy Birthday Sandi @StLouisCruisers!!  🎈🎈🎈

Good morning and Happy Sunday!

We watched the rocket launch last night. Amazing!  
 

This first picture is 6 minutes after takeoff. 
 

This is a short video, make sure to watch it once Craig zooms in:

I find it amazing that we can see it so well almost 700 miles away. The trajectory was toward Cabo San Lucas. I wonder if those on the Volendam saw it.