Cruising-along

Oh, there will be some first cousins very close in age 🙂 We have several sets in our family like that, it always makes for fun! Sandi @StLouisCruisersThank you for the great job on multi-quoting, 11 in one post! 😄

Sharon @Sharon in AZI'm so glad to hear that your DM is doing well and had a mild case! Debbie @dfishoh NO about Sue's lost suitcase. I sure hope it turns up real soon and was only misplaced, not lost. Geesh! Safe travels home. Maxine @AncientWandererwe're all excited for you as you are on "baby watch" 🙂

Good morning all! I'll pass on the avocado and watermelon, sometimes mutts can be better pets than purebreds. I take the quote with a bit of humor, would love to try the wine and the drink sounds very good. Will pass on the meal. I think tonight will be take-out, maybe a big salad. It will be another hot day. Tonight our tall and strong DSIL is coming with DD and the DGSs to help move a mattress downstairs and a new mattress upstairs. It's for the guest room, we're replacing that mattress. Sandi @StLouisCruisersI checked the school calendar for the grandsons here, and they will start school on August 31 this year. This is the earliest ever, it's always been after or closer to Labor Day. I couldn't find out when school ends, but usually it's been around the middle of June. Summers here don't really start until we're into July, so it has worked out well. Terry @smitty34877more prayers for your family as you deal with Covid. Especially Tana and your DH. Jacqui @kazusending hugs to you on the 3-month anniversary of losing Jose. I'm confident you will have Shadow at ease sooner than later, it's no surprise she is so leery with her past. Kay @kb4683I'm so sorry to hear of the passing of your good friend's DH. My photos from Skagway are all from the White Pass Railroad tour we took. Coming up to a bridge we crossed. This bridge is over 120 years old. Thankfully they stopped using it in 1969. Another train seen from our train.

Thank you Sandi! Appreciate the offer, but here in Western WA we got so much rain this spring, I'm actually enjoying this respite. And once the rains start in the fall it will go on and on until next July. Eastern WA is another story, they could use some though.

Good morning all! I never got to know my Father-in-Law very well, I met DH when he was stationed in CA where I was living and his family all lived in Savannah. His Dad passed from Pancreatic cancer in the early 80's. He was a sweet and caring man, I would have liked to know him better. Friendship is very important to me, especially the one I have with my BFF since 1960. Cheesecake isn't high on my list of desserts, but sometimes a small piece is nice. I'll pass on the meal and drink, but this white wine sounds nice. Have never been to the port, thank you Sandi @StLouisCruisersand Rich @richwmnfor the photos. Speaking of photos, @ottahand7your cabin seems so peaceful and idyllic, thank you for sharing! Oh no Terry @smitty34877I'm SO sorry to hear that you all have Covid. I was so hoping it would miss the rest of you. Prayers for mild cases. Today will be a quiet day, just keeping cool because it's supposed to be our warmest day yet before a cooling trend next week. Have a great day everyone!

Good morning all! Another sunny, toasty day in the PNW. We got a lot done yesterday, DH got all the windows and screens cleaned outside (I guess now I should do the insides) 😉 The Windex Outside does a great job reaching the 2nd story windows. Not so much the Spray and Forget (has anyone tried that)? We got it so he could reach some upper story mildew on the north side of the house. It does not reach the 2nd story! Today will be a few more outside chores and groceries. I love tigers, like lasagna, but will pass on the chicken wings. I think lasagna for tonight's dinner sounds delicious, especially if we pick it up from our favorite Italian restaurant. @lcand1923I love your story about the Italian woman and lasagna! Could you possibly share that recipe here for us? Like the quote and drink, but will pass on the red wine and the fish soup. Have never been to Hong Kong, DH was there in the Navy. I think of it as crowded and very smoggy... Jacqui @kazuI'm loving the photos of Shadow. She just looks so happy, like she can't believe her good luck to have you.

IF we can get it in September, it would actually be our 3rd booster (!) But since it's especially for this variant, I'm hoping we'll be able to get it before cruising. Fingers crossed for you too!

Good morning all! I like all the days (I prefer dark chocolate but will take any offered!). Will pass on the meal and drink, but I love white blends so would like to try this one. Have never been to the port, thank you Sandi @StLouisCruisers and Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiserfor the photos! Love or hate Stephen King, the quote is true. @1ANGELCATprayers for Fluff. Good news that the vet believes surgery will take care of the problem. Jack @Heartgrovegreat photos from the wedding! Terry @smitty34877oh no about Tana's son getting Covid. Prayers that none of the rest of the family gets it. Debbie @dfishthanks for checking in! You must be doing well to take that hike up to the lake. Great photos! "Hi" to Sue 🙂 Jacqui @kazuShadow looks so sweet! She's very lucky to have you! Last night I read that they hope to have the booster against this variant available in September. Fingers crossed because we'd love to get it before our early October cruise. They said early-mid Sept...which would be perfect if true. Today DH and I have a lot of outside "stuff" to get done, so I'll hurry along....have a great day everyone!

I'm so sorry this happened! Hopefully nothing more than bruises (that's bad enough!) My sister fell onto something hard and got bruised ribs and a broken arm recently. It does seem to be the month of falls. 😞 @cruzn singlethat's amazing that your sister fell down 15 steps and didn't break any bones! I'm sure it hurts though!

We will be on the NS this fall Oct. 8-Nov. 5. Our last experience on that ship (and the Koningsdam) was 3 years ago and at that time, we had no problem with the sound after mentioning the problem once. I agree that the close captioning helps -- also it helps if there aren't loud splashers in the pool. I hope the sound quality hasn't gotten worse for recent sailings.

I have not sailed Princess but have sailed the Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam. Other than one time, the experience was a good one. That one time was on the Koningsdam and the sound wasn't turned up enough to cover the splashing in the pool going on right behind us. We mentioned it and never had a problem again. We like to pick up snacks or pizza and a beer, lay back on the loungers and watch a movie outdoors. One memorable time was on Halloween, the movie was Hocus Pocus and there was a terrific thunderstorm that night in the Med. 🙂 As I recall, there were movies nearly every night. I don't know about day-time, as we weren't interested then.

Good morning all! We're into our 2nd day of a string of mid-high 80's F. Will this be our summer? We never know 😉 Although I expect we'll get more in August. Nevertheless, we're enjoying the sunshine. I love the sound of bagpipes, but won't be walking on stilts and have no more houseplants. All my energy is put into the outdoor gardens. Will pass on the drink and meal, but the wine sounds good. We were in St. Petersburg for 2 days in 2014 on the Eurodam. We toured for 25 hours over 2 days with SPB Tours, an excellent company. It was exhausting because they were having a heatwave. Every day was at least 90F and humid. Like others have said, there will be no more visits to Russia in our future. I'm glad we saw it, but not going back. @superomaHappy Birthday! And thank you for sharing the photo of your beautiful vegetable garden, it looks great! Jacqui @kazuI'm excited for you that Shadow will arrive today! Jack @HeartgroveI'm happy that your visit with your brother went well and the wedding party sounded like so much fun. Linda @lindalerYikes about your fall! I can see myself doing the same thing. I hope your injuries heal quickly. Here are some photos of our 2 days in St. Petersburg. Among other things, we saw the Hermitage, Catherine's Palace, Church of Spilt Blood, and Peterhof Palace. Church of Spilt Blood The Hermitage Van Gogh Rembrandt Monet Michaelangelo DaVinci Catherine Palace Peterhof Palce

Yes I was thinking of you! I'm almost positive that there has been a lot of discussion on CC about how HAL uses only balcony cabins for quarantine (of course we hope that will continue!).

There is a better way, at least for anyone at low-average risk of colon cancer. I've talked to my doctors about doing Cologuard next time and they said I'm a good candidate. DH, unfortunately isn't a good candidate. 😞 Yay that you have remained Covid-free!! Very sorry your kitty isn't doing well 😞 sending hugs. Kidney problems are sadly common in cats. I love the name, Mykonos!!

Not saying it wouldn't be a nightmare, but HAL moves people into a verandah cabin, not an ocean view cabin. Some other cruise lines do use ocean views for quarantine though.

Good morning all! Not sure about all or nothing, I'm more of a moderate kind of person. I had 4 uncles and 4 aunts, RIP. Will pass on the tofu, red wine, and cake. Looking forward to any photos of the port, it's on the Grand Australia '24 itinerary. It's going to be a warm one today and the 5 days after, then down into the low 70's. Have a great day everyone!

Good morning all! We'll have low 80's F today, heading up to high 80's for a couple days. Summer has finally arrived in the PNW! I'm very glad we got our A/C unit installed this spring. This house holds the heat. My favorite culinarian is Alberto from Milan, who owned our favorite Italian restaurant for 20 years. He became a fixture in Skagit Valley. During Covid he sold the restaurant and went into semi-retirement, cooking his wonderful meals from a food truck 4 days/week! BFF and I had lunch from his food truck last week -- it was so good to see him again. Not a fan of chili dogs, and I've threaded many a needle in my life. Love the quote, will pass on the meal unless beef is substituted for the mushrooms. Will pass on the drink and wine, I don't care for stainless chardonnay, prefer a tiny bit of oak. @marshhawkAnn you've gotten some good advice about packing for Alaska. You asked what we wear on Gala nights -- for me, my Gala wear is all very light-weight and wrinkle-free, so very easy to pack. A cocktail dress, or dressy slacks or skirt with a sparkly top does it for me. I add a bit more jewelry than on other nights. It's been a long time since men have been required to wear jackets (much to DH's delight), so DH usually wears dress slacks and dress shirts and ties with dress shoes. @aliaschiefBruce I hope you're feeling better now! @kazuJacqui thank you for the photos of your beautiful flowers. I hope everyone has a great day!

Good morning all! Our area is heading into higher temperatures. The news says we haven't had a 4-5 day streak of 90 degrees since 1945. Then it will cool off again. I do love living here, especially when I read about the heat in the rest of the country! At least when it gets hot here we know it won't last a long time. I often wonder what happened to Amelia Earhart. I have 14 first cousins, 12 still living. One is very close to me. We don't live near each other but get together whenever we can. I miss my parents very much. Mom passed in 2010 (within 3 days of losing my dear sister) and Dad passed 4 years ago at the ripe old age of 101! I'll pass on the red wine, but the drink sounds refreshing. I must be the only person who doesn't think a runny egg plopped on top of my food (especially greens) looks appetizing. 😂 I like all the ingredients, and I like my eggs a little runny, but no thanks to having runny eggs with greens. Taiohae will be our last port on the 2024 Grand Australia so I love the photos Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiserand Sandi @StLouisCruisers posted today! Thank you! Vanessa @JazzyVoh my, I'm SO sorry you still don't have power 😞 Have you thought of spending maybe one night at a hotel (if there is one with power) just to get a break? It sounds miserable. Sandi @StLouisCruiserswhat an exciting game!! A big congratulations to Ren and the rest of his team. Debbie @dfishthank you for "checking in". Looks like you're having a ball!!

Oh Sandi, no problem! In fact I didn't catch it earlier anyway! 😉 Adorable photos of Sadie. ❤️

I'm so sorry, Gerry, my deepest condolences. We lost a cruising friend a few years ago who was just like that to us so I get it. 😞 LOL -- I don't know why I thought I'd seen somewhere that it's your birthday 😉

Good morning all! I'm a little late this morning -- Jacquie @kazuyour meme about tossing and turning could have been me last night! 😉 My neighbor is somewhat of a cowboy, his relatives live in Idaho and have a cattle ranch where he visits often. He also sings Country/Western locally. I like vanilla ice cream but only as a means to put hot fudge on or as a side to a piece of pie or cake. Drowning prevention is so important. I remember being horrified when I heard that a grade school classmate had drowned in the local lake when he was in his late teens. 😞 I like tortillas but won't be making them myself, will pass on the drink but the wine sounds like it would be good. I only like Chardonnay if it has a little bit of oakiness. We were in Haifa for 2 days on a Celebrity cruise in 2011. We had 4 days in Israel because our 2 days in Egypt had to be cancelled. I was thankful and still am, that I had been to Egypt in 2006. Our other two days were in Ashdod, I'll save those photos for a day that Ashdod is the port of the day. @RowsbySue I'm sorry you had to cancel your plans for Waikiki, but better safe than sorry. @kazuJacqui and @ottahand7thank you for the photos of your beautiful flowers. @StLouisCruisersSandi a big congratulations to the Tigers and to Ren! @summer slopeDixie Happy Birthday! and did someone say that it's also Robin's @Live4cruises' birthday also? If so, happy birthday Robin! Over our two days in Haifa we toured to Megiddo, Nazareth, The Sea of Galilee, and The River Jordan (where my sister and I went wading with a group). I have so many photos, but will limit them to just a few. Our ship, the Silhouette, docked in Haifa. Megiddo, going up to the Northern Palace Part of the palace A view of the Sea of Galilee Two more views Entering the baptismal site at the River Jordan I love this scene, so peaceful. My sister and I dipped our feet for a few minutes with a group. Nazareth Church of Annunciation Dome of the Basilica Early Christians' homes in Nazareth Baha'i Gardens And an early evening view of the gardens from our ship.

Wow! Not this part of the county, we're still getting it 6 days/week.

Thank you -- we had Caesar salad with it and I was stuffed! I think DH is enjoying the variety too. 😉

Good morning all! Today and tomorrow will be cooler, low 70's, then heating up to mid-high 80's for a few days. On the warmer days we've been using our new A/C and love it! I would love to have a hammock, but not sure it would be a pretty sight when I try to get in and out of it! Most days are days of leisure for me, but not today. I'll be driving a lot today, to meet my BFF for her birthday lunch. I enjoy spoonerisms, we all got a kick out of my Dad's unintentional spoonerisms. The wine and drink both sound very good, but will pass on the meal. Last night I made the Pesto Chicken Meatballs and DH and I both loved it. Since we both like pesto a lot, I made the recipe with more rather than less of the pesto, but added the marinara sauce. So mix and matched two recipes. Yum! There's enough for leftovers tonight. We weren't able to get to Kauai on our 2010 Hawaii cruise because of high winds, I appreciate all the photos from Sandi @StLouisCruisers, Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiser, Fred @Overhead Fred, and Graham @grapau27. I'd love to get there some day. Thank you Jacqui @kazuand @ottahand7for the photos of your beautiful flowers. Sandi @StLouisCruiserscongratulations to the Tigers!!! And I saw the cat's face in the clouds immediately after you mentioned it.

Thank you @kb4683, @summer slope, @durangoscots, @JazzyV, @4966and556, @smitty34877, @Vict0riann, @Quartzsite Cruiser, @StLouisCruisers, @cat shepard, @SusieKIslandGirl, @57redbird, @Btimmer, and @srdancerfor your responses to my informal poll. I have passed on the results to my cousin-in-law. 😉 😂