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Good morning, everyone! We have sunny skies and warming temperatures this morning in mid-Michigan. It should be a nice day. DS Mary Jo is coming over for coffee this afternoon. I lured her with the promise of whipped cream to put in her coffee. So, I guess I had better go get some! We are going to the gardens tonight for the winter walk. They are all decorated for the holidays and have roving carolers performing and hot chocolate shacks along the way. We tried to go last night but half of Midland was there. We decided we'd go tonight with the other half. DB and his wife tested negative. We're thankful for that, but we decided to cancel Farkel this weekend and wait until they are completely well. They understand that I have to be careful with surgery coming up. Today's meal is one that is part of a healthy eating plan. Turmeric has some very important health benefits. The active ingredient in turmeric is a natural compound (polyphenol) called curcumin, which has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Anyone who’s trying to manage inflammation could benefit from adding some turmeric to their foods. Inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and other joint disorders, colitis, allergies and infections can be helped. You can read more about turmeric and health benefits here: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/turmeric-benefits The recipe for this meal comes from Bon Appetit, a pay site, but I did find it elsewhere. Yay! The kitchen is not closed! Those who don't like coconut can just leave that part out. If you don't like the greens selected, choose different ones. https://www.andybaraghani.com/recipes/turmeric-salmon-with-coconut-crisp I'd eat that! This next one has some honey in it. https://blythesblog.com/recipe/turmeric-honey-salmon-with-coconut-crisp/ And there is this one with kale. https://www.chefsplate.com/recipes/turmeric-salmon-61924fd91406be0f881c134d @Ichiban Nekko's DH Dave: Wishing you all a wonderful day.

Thanks so much! Hi to Marge! I hope all is well with the two of you. So glad things went well, Sharon! Sue and I were lucky to meet Mary and Marge on board the Zaandam. It was a great cruise with some great people!

Good evening, everyone! @JazzyV I'm glad the PC is up and running. I sure hope you get some sleep tonight. I thought about you last night. I woke up at 4 with pain in my right hip. I got up, walked around, put some Aspercreme on it, and went back to bed. My nose immediately clogged up. So, I got up and took care of that. And then laid there trying to get back to sleep. Around 6 am I did doze off. Haven't felt too bad today. Sue and I did more leaves this morning. I think I am done with them. We did the front yard and I'll check the back yard tomorrow and see if that needs attention. I got an upsell offer from HAL for our Hawaii cruise. It was a decent price to go from our very tiny inside cabin to a family ocean view. We each get our own bathroom now! I think we'll really appreciate the extra space. @Nickelpenny Thanks for posting the menu. We had that last summer on Zaandam and it is much improved over what we used to have.

Good morning, everyone! It is going to be warmer today and right now the sky is on the brighter side of things, so we'll be thankful. We're going to get the last of the leaves up and then I plan to sew all afternoon. I didn't get to my sewing yesterday because I got caught up in fixing the lights under the built in cabinets in the dining room. I ordered new transformers for them and then had to replace all the light bulbs. But, we now have light. Last night we went out to a Christmas gathering and had a great time. DB Bill and his wife are ill, so Farkel Friday is up in the air. He reports a cold that has knocked them out. I asked if they had tested for Covid, but got no response. He believes Covid is no worse than a regular cold and they never completed their vaccination. He got vaccinated because he had to for work, but his wife only got one shot instead of the original two. Neither of them ever got a booster. With my surgery scheduled in the next few weeks, I do not want to take any chances of catching anything from them. The meal today is more of a side dish to me, but I supposed you could make it a main course with some additions to it. It is way too starchy and high in carbs for me. We'll be having fish and brussels sprouts tonight. https://www.graceandgoodeats.com/creamy-parmesan-risotto/ I didn't pay attention to the no wine stipulation and this recipe calls for wine. I knew my audience. https://www.spendwithpennies.com/parmesan-risotto/ Here's a recipe for the slow cooker: https://www.kleinworthco.com/garlic-parmesan-risotto/ Wishing you all a wonderful day.

Tried to go to Manage My Cruise and got Access Denied.

Technically, you should get invited as a 1*. As long as you've cruised HAL before.

Sometimes people overcompensate when a child has had a raw deal. My DBIL's brother had a son that was raised by his grandparents. Mom and Dad had split up when Mom killed the baby girl and went to prison. Grandparents really overcompensated there and the kid turned out to be a bum. River will live with her other grandparents. They have twin daughters that are six months younger than River, so built in playmates. The girls all get along well and are in a lot of the same activities and already go to the same school. It is a stable environment with minimal disruption. We can have River come visit often. I'm sure River will be a good nurse. She is really a very caring little girl. I'm thrilled that the under cabinet lights are now working. @kazu I think it is wonderful that you and Ivan have found each other. He's enriched your life as much as you have his.

We will snake the drain on a regular basis. It beats paying $100+ every other month to have the sewer people come do it. They can't find any major defect. We had them go down with the camera the last time. No idea why this is happening, but I'll put on my work clothes and gloves and snake the drain on the 1st of every month. We'll have the auger paid for in no time. I think we've got a handle on things. River will be very good with me when I come home, I know. She loves to come here and I think it is because of the calmness and security we offer her. I asked her once who her best friend was and she said me and her grandmother. How scary on a ship. My heart is with the ill passenger. @Sharon in AZ You'll be all new for Hawaii. Perfect timing! Debbie, the home repairwoman, did a bang up job on the under cabinet lights and they are now all working! Two new transformers and new light bulbs and we're in business.

Good morning, everyone! We have that Christmas movie kind of snow falling right now. It isn't supposed to accumulate to much, so that is a good thing. Absolutely nothing on the agenda today except a Christmas party tonight. I made cookies to take to that yesterday. We bought a motorized auger to snake out the drain the in the laundry room. It backs up every three to four months and I figured we would save money by getting the auger and doing it ourselves. It worked pretty well yesterday. I can get a lot further down the drain with this than I could with the hand operated one, so we'll see how long this clean out lasts. We've had the drain specialists out several times since we moved in. I figure I can do at least half as good as they do. We'll just do a snake job once a month to keep things clear. It is a nasty job. We're trying to figure out how to work things for my surgery. We will have River then. Unfortunately, her mother violated her probation and is looking at a lengthy time in jail. River is with her other grandma for now. I am actually kind of glad as River will be in a more stable environment while her mother is up the river. I wouldn't mind if she's there for a good, long time. I think it would be better for River. I love gazpacho, but it is a summer time soup. It is way too cold to have it now, but I can eat off it daily in the summer. Today's soup sounds good for the weather and I may just have to make up a batch. https://natashaskitchen.com/chicken-tortilla-soup-recipe/ Here's one for the slow cooker. https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/slow-cooker-chicken-tortilla-soup/ And here's a creamy version. https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/creamy-chicken-tortilla-soup/ @Cat in my lap Wishing you all a wonderful day.

Had to turn the squeaky wheel again today by calling the scheduler for the surgery department. They finally called back an hour ago. The Dr. said that the open schedule on the 29th would likely fill by the end of the day and I was worried I would be pushed back into January, but they did keep my slot for me. So, December 29th it is! Outpatient surgery so I should be home that night.

I've never had a list on my booking confirmation. I get the message that a restaurant is eligible for the HIA when I go to book it. If it isn't eligible, you won't get that option. On my upcoming cruise one Tamarind meal and one Pinnacle Grill meal was eligible. I couldn't book two Tamarind or two Pinnacle Grill dinners. The IT team got that part worked out. Now, if they would concentrate on the rest of the website?

Good morning, everyone! It is a chilly gray morning here in mid-Michigan. I have a zoom meeting at 11 and then need to make cookies for a Christmas party tomorrow night. Then, a zoom meeting tonight at 7. All in a day's work. @cunnorl Welcome to the world, Maeve Grace. @cruising sister I'm sorry to hear Murphy took a step backwards, but hopefully our little fighter will lick this quickly. Deep breaths on getting ready for your cruise. I always figure as long as I have my passport, meds, and credit card, I can buy anything I forgot to pack. @seagarsmoker I'm glad the interview went well. @aliaschief I hope the back issues resolve quickly. @rafinmd Sounds like you are progressing nicely. Don't push too hard before you see your doctors. @kazu Black jeans count. Lentils should be in every diet in some amount. They are an important ingredient for good health as they boost immunity and have strong anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. They also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, promote good gut health, and are a great source of folate and iron. https://www.aheadofthyme.com/easy-20-minute-one-pot-lentils/ While these are meant as a meal, I would agree that perhaps they are better as a side dish. While this next dish says spiced lentils, the spices are warm spices and flavorful, not hot. Adjust amounts to your taste. https://iheartvegetables.com/simple-spiced-lentils/ This one adds veggies to the lentils. I think that would help to cut the starch just a bit and provide flavor to the dish. https://ohsweetbasil.com/one-pot-vegetables-and-lentil-recipe/ This one is a lentil stew or soup. I think the additional ingredients help provide some interest to the dish. https://www.aberdeenskitchen.com/2020/01/one-pot-vegetable-lentil-stew/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Thank you both! Maybe a rest of PT is needed. Thank you about the quilt. I'm happy about a date for surgery as well. The scheduler was supposed to call today, but didn't. So, I may need to turn that squeaky wheel again. I'm glad you like the quilt top. I added more fabric to what I had for this quilt. He said it would only take an hour to 90 minutes and I'd go home 2 hours later. I'm all for that. Thank you!

@JazzyV What is PT treating you for? I'm wondering if the program needs to be revamped considering that you are not getting any relief with it. I'm surprised you don't knock out from sheer exhaustion. I feel so badly for you. I spent my afternoon working on the next quilt. Here is a sample. This picture shows 4 pieces of 4 blocks each. I have to sew those pieces together, but wanted to see how it would look coming together. 16 blocks done out of 90.

I turned the squeaky wheel this morning and talked to the surgeon. I'm scheduled for December 29th. He said I should be fine to fly to San Diego at the end of January and sit around the pool on the way to Hawaii. The estimator for the electrical company came and went. He seems to think what we want done is pretty straightforward and should be quick and easy. I'm sure the bill is not. He also gave me a tip on how to avoid paying big $$$ for something stupid like our electrical outlets were. The problem there was that the outside outlet was GFI and had been tripped. Pushing the button reset it and all the outlets worked. An expensive lesson. He said in the future to call for an estimate for repairs. Estimates are free and if he can find it easily, no charge.

Good morning, everyone! It is a cold morning here in mid-Michigan, but temps are supposed to rise a bit and no rain or snow in the forecast. Good enough for me! We have the electrician coming to give us an estimate for some additional work we want done. I know how to do it, but it involves high ladders and I don't do them. @seagarsmoker I hope your interview is a great one and leads to a job offer. @StLouisCruisers So sorry about the leak in the house. I hope it doesn't require too much damage to the house to fix it. Today's meal is another great one for soup and stew season. I like the sounds of this first one and the carbs are in bounds, so maybe we'll give it a try. No google docs today, @JazzyV Vanessa! https://themodernproper.com/coconut-curry-lentil-soup This next recipe takes out the sweet potato and adds in tomatoes. https://vegangela.com/2014/01/09/coconut-curry-lentil-soup/ Here's one for the instant pot and it has carrots for Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiser. Carolyn, @Cruising-along, I know you won't like the coconut. https://vegancocotte.com/instant-pot-curry-lentil-soup/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!

We need a WOW!! button. Just drizzle here.

We didn't save our IOU cards. Figured the next cruise wouldn't have any tiles either.

We had the lunch on the Zaandam last summer, but no tiles. They said to save the card and ask for them on our next cruise. We were on a b2b and on the second cruise they gave us the same card about no tiles that we got on the first one. Amazing that some ships have tiles and others don't.

@JazzyV I have no idea how that link got in there. Here is the correct one: https://www.aheadofthyme.com/vegetarian-mushroom-barley-soup/ @Nickelpenny I am really enjoying your pictures and travel report. It is getting us so excited for our Hawaii cruise in February.

Good morning, everyone! I'm in the Lone Ranger group as well. We used to recreate the overture when we played wagon train as kids. Sue always played the part of the horse or the eagle. Today is a cold messy day here in mid-Michigan. We plan to grab some groceries, make popcorn, and watch Netflix. Bon Voyage to @RedneckBob Bob. Have a great cruise. Today's meal is a repeat from last February. It is a good repeat since today is really a good soup day. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AmDJpy4nnAgTnReh95PGNRjt1_2wRnYEyixHRnKj-k4/edit This one has a Mediterranean twist to it. https://www.themediterraneandish.com/simple-mushroom-barley-soup/ Using several varieties of mushrooms gives the soup a more complex flavor. https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/mushroom_barley_soup/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!

I'm with you 100%. We looked at the menu and there was very little that appealed to us. The Fruits de Mer appetizer was wonderful!

I plan to turn the squeaky wheel on Monday and get something set with the surgeon. I will let them know that we are beyond the wait and see period. I'm sure your teenager will learn very well how to combine proteins under your tutelage. IT is good that he is enthusiastic about preparing foods. Maybe he can be the substitute chef in the family. Thinking of you often and sending hugs. Thanks for the feedback on the arctic char. It is always a big lift to get reports back like yours!