RMLincoln

Temps in the 50s overnight, high 70s today in north New Jersey… nice! Granddaughter made progress yesterday with cleanup after storms downed a tree in their yard damaging vehicles. Her DH and others chainsawed to get much of it cleared up and make access to the vehicles. Insurance claims are begun. The neighbor’s car was taken to the body shop, might be totaled-it doesn’t take much for insurance companies to total a car! I hope the kids can manage their homeowner’s insurance deductible. 🤦🏼‍♀️ I’m excited about getting with my Maryland church ladies today by phone, I sent them my materials by email yesterday, one of them made copies. Leading it from afar should work! I hope Jacqui has the perfect treats to help Ivan through his vet visit! Blessings to all our Care List -thank you Vanessa! And for all the special needs and hopes of the day. And blessings for our country, your country and for peace in the war zones. Cheers for those celebrating, Life is Good🌈. Smooth travels to all away and our lucky cruisers! Thanks all for being here! Thanks for the caring thoughts and beautiful photos to brighten us! Don’t let the day go by without enjoying something! Maureen

Thanks for letting us know Ann that you’re home. Get some rest and behave!

For the garden club and all to enjoy, Flower beds from around our complex

Good Thursday morning from north Jersey… todays mid- 80s is better than the mid-90s we’ve had. I’ve been busy with life here, trying to catch up a bit, read yesterday’s posts. Praying for Amazing for Ann @Vict0riann today and her care team. Keeping you close to heart! And for Jacqui, Terry and Tana, Terri and Jim, Sandi and family, Karen on Phil’s anniversary day…. Annie, I’m sorry for your loss, it’s so hard seeing it coming, but when it happens it’s a whole new blow to your world. Be gentle with yourself. Good on your success, bad on your boss! Pennie, healing thoughts to seal your incision! We had DH’s son and his wife here a week. Wonderful they came! It’s a long drive… Loved having them. These opportunities are cherished! Glad they had lots of folks to visit in the region, glad they home-based with us! We had very high winds Monday night which caused power problems… lost one phase of our complex’s 3-phase power supply. This caused many parts of our community to be on partial power; our apartment had some receptacles dead, others at 66 volts. We powered down everything that could be damaged by low voltage including HVAC and fridge, all electronics. Slept with open windows. Elevators were spotty. Some back-up generators didn’t auto-start because the sporadic arcing up the line confused the sequence that starts the generators. But it all calmed down eventually during the night … I attended 3 community meetings Tuesday and Wednesday, saw the kids off yesterday way too early for their 13 hr drive back to NC… then had news of damage last night at bedtime from older granddaughter in Poughkeepsie NY that they had problems from last night’s storms… trees down… minor damage to their vehicles, severe damage to a rental trailer they have as temporary storage while they poured a new garage slab, and that their tree totaled a neighbor’s car. A mess. Power out, lines down on vehicles, police and rescue…. Today clean-up and insurance! We offered to drive up there to help them but I think what they needed most was moral support. We’ll see how the day unfolds… or unravels. Yesterday the annual window washers came, great but we had to move our furniture and still some unpacked boxes for their access… they move it all back. Extra chores at a busy time! Today I must compile and send out materials for my Maryland spiritual companioning group that I’m leading tomorrow, first attempt at doing that from afar. And I’m excited!! I may have found a women’s sacred circle here in my new community! I’ll join their July 22 gathering and see what it’s like. 🤞 Next week is eye doctor- have had no improvement in left eye pressures… DH will have a visual field test done and we’ll see what the damage status is. Probably will need eye drops again, hoping they can offer a new kind that he’s not allergic to? I have a blood draw Monday and 6mo followup with pcp Friday; a holiday and a meeting scheduled with financial advisor to clean up accounts…. it’ll be a busy week ahead so I need to recover this weekend. We decided not to buy 4th of July tickets for the harbor boat that views the NY presentation which sounded like the grandest way to see it! But the boats go out about 7pm and one has to be in the parking garage by 2-3pm before the city officials cordon off the shore areas to traffic. So with no idea of how to cope with the time gap, we punted. Oh well. Blessings for all the Dailyites go out every morning whether I’m posting or not! Cheers for all celebrating 🥳 Smooth travels for all away! Vanessa, many thanks for keeping us up! Hope you’re feeling better. ugh, no blue bubbles today .. Condolences to my Canadian friends - we were pulling for Edmonton to bring the Stanley Cup back! They made a valiant rebound! We had to watch the final game on a cell phone during the power outage! Thanks to all for being here! Hoping your day has some smiles! Maureen For the garden club, flower beds in our complex hmmmm, not loading, maybe later….

@bdrcole Thanks for the great pix of Bodo! LOVE the whimsical mural! We were in Bodo (pronounced more like Budda…) briefly on our Hurtigruten cruise (part cruise ship, part ferry so it makes several stops each day for deliveries plus a few for visits up to a few hours). @LambKnuckles Thanks for sharing your love story with us! @smitty34877 I know you’re worried, and tired. Savor what you can, and especially enjoy that special meal with DB. Thanks for checking in with us! Hot here again today in north Jersey, but not as horrible as it might be, just low-mid 99s. Our visiting family has a very busy schedule that has me trying to keep up the calendar, glad I’m not trying to keep up with the doings! But it’s great to be closer to family! Update on the New Mexico fires: There are 2 fires threatening Ruidoso NM; moisture from the Gulf of Mexico has taken the inertia out of the fire! Part of the fire received rain/hail which caused a messy flash flood run. There are 1000 firefighters working during this lull to get firebreaks established that will hold during wind shifts but there’s a lot of rugged terrain thus a lot of perimeter to address. It’s gonna take awhile but overall things are more better than worse! Hoping for good news from @kazu! Thinking of you all! Blessings for all in need of healing, comfort or hope! For our country, your country and the world. 🌎 Cheers for those celebrating. 🎉 Smooth travels to Nancy and John and all who are away. Maureen

Just a quick moment to check in… The Ruidoso New Mexico fires have had a good dose of some humidity and moisture coming up from the Gulf of Mexico… Tropical Storm Alberto flinging some their way, so thank you Texas for sharing! It wasn’t all good, done debris flows made a mess, but in general the reports are that this respite gave the 1000 firefighters time to make some progress with getting fire lines in. Hoping their progress continues! Terry, tough days, not your first! Ten minutes at a time! Glad your brother can help! Hugs!!! Terri, glad you slept! The best medicine. Annie, I remember Endless Summer, so beautiful! Elizabeth, good luck with the scan. Nancy, hoping John enjoyed his special day! Hope I sleep tonight, woke up way too early with DH fishing around for meds…. visiting family in, complex days here. Good memories with the Oslo pix! Thanks all for bring here! m—

Elizabeth, Debbie said it right I think. Hugs from here too. Having lived in Ruidoso you know how much this hurts! Lenda, Mayhill shouldn’t have any direct fire impacts from these 2 fires, your friends should be safe there. The fire won’t be heading that way, the fuel doesn’t go that way but smoke could impact a broader range. Evacuees might go to Mayhill as well as Roswell, Las Cruces and other places so the RV park might get busy! Let us know if you hear from them. Family arrived safely, 11 hr drive! Should be cooler tomorrow. m—

Forecast today is slightly better than feared, only 92! Family is en route so it’s last of the prepping today. I’m excited they’re coming, DH’s son and his wife! It’s great living closer to family! I am just sickened reading about the South Fork Fire in the charming mountain town of Ruidoso NM. Over 1,400 structures reported lost yesterday, and that’s not the village yet, unclear if they can save it! I’d often get to their annual EMS (Emergency Medical Services) conference, a very big to-do with 1,000 attendees, presenters from all over the country… EMTs from our fire department would often go together, rent a condo, attend pre-conference classes for our licensing credits. It was such a friendly town to host it, we loved their conference! My heart goes out to them! Prayers they and the firefighters pouring in from all directions can stay safe (one death reported yesterday). It’ll be a very long, dangerous and heartbreaking fight! My BBF who just bought a house in Maryland but hasn’t moved yet will be working in one of the evacuation centers. I guess Fire vulnerability is one reason I don’t live where we lived anymore…. which was in the northern N.M. mountains but also very vulnerable to a disaster such as this. (Our worst fire we worked there consumed 41,000 acres the first night, over an acre a second. Horrible. Friends lost homes but they worked the fire!) I know many of you deal with disasters … hurricanes, floods, tornados… so I think you understand. That’s where my heart is right now! 😓 pictures from yesterday viewed from the evacuation route. Been there done that. SO glad I’m safe but still overwhelmed.

Heat wave starting today…. hoping the power holds! I’m with Terry, grew up without AC, glad we had fans! I could sleep if it was under 90, now I need it under 75! I’m not keeping up with much of anything these days…. trying to be ready for a week of house guests arriving tomorrow. Grocery shopped yesterday, done! If they need more stuff they can go get it. I only eat sushi on HAL lido, a rare treat for me with the pickled ginger! DH’s right eye has been very itchy again, and not taking eye drops so I don’t understand and I can’t fix it. He’s tapering steroid in left but pressure still a bit high. I’m taking it day by day…. grateful every day! We had a lovely day Sunday with a pleasant drive to PA Poconos, great rendition of My Fair Lady at a little community theater, then a simple supper at home. After groceries yesterday my hip was bothersome so I went to the pool to do exercises… need to do that more, it helped! Talked to old friends who just returned from a B2B TA+ British Isles…. began COVID upon return. Flights? Hotel? Ship? 🤷🏼‍♀️ Our granddaughter and husband are on a Bahamas cruise now…. our house guests will see them after their cruise, then back to our house… 🤞. I’ll ask the grandkids to test before our visitors see them… COVID would interfere with the eye doctor… a fight we’ve been fighting for 3 years! Prayers for all the Care list, and more for the country! Thanks all for being here. Maureen

A luxurious cool day today before the heat wave breaks over us next week. Prepping for DH’s son and DIL arriving Wednesday for a week. They’ll use our guest room for a base camp and have many people to visit in the region so lots of day- trips for them. And not much entertaining for us! Got a Costco run done yesterday, grocery run coming Monday. Tomorrow we’ll drive west about an hour to a poconos playhouse for My Fair Lady and maybe a special Father’s Day dinner at the Pompton Queen Diner if the timing is right. Otherwise it’ll be leftover pizza from the freezer! We’ll miss the community dinner in our dining room but it’s nice to do something different too. I haven’t been sleeping well so that has disrupted the days. Just a nuisance. Keeping up with the eye regime for DH. Pressures in that eye are still higher than desired. We’ll find out more July 1. Happy for Terri and Jim back home! And to read that Nancy’s brother is getting care… what a mess! He’s not the first person I’ve heard of going through this after dental work caused a deep infection in a knee replacement. I’m grateful I’m still able to walk even with my hip issue- better some days than others but managing. Roy, I’m sorry your tests left you needing to recover. I know you’ll be extra careful. Bon Voyage @Himself 🛳️🎉. Maybe you can fill us in on HAL’s new policy of priests on their cruises. Blessings to all especially thinking of our Care list and those in urgent need. Happy Father’s Day weekend to all. It’s a good time for reflecting. I had a difficult relationship with my father; then a very special relationship with my first father-in-law, both gone decades ago. Tomorrow I will celebrate DH’s fatherhood and the unexpected caring family it brought me! ✨ Stay safe in the heat wave! Smooth travels to all away! Maureen

Blessings for Ann @Vict0riann and her care team. Also for Elizabeth @Haljo1935 on permissions and procedure. Also for Tana and Terry @smitty34877 Bryce and Pennie fir smooth dental visits; Jacqui for a smooth injection fid Ivan And Susan, great you have a handyman! And Roy’s appointment. And for all the Care list needs! Cheers for @Mr. Boston on the transition successes! And for all celebrating, Life is Good🌈. Today I’ll take a stab at the Social Security website. The recent phone call get me a phone appt in late July so if I can manage to apply for benefits successfully that phone appt will evaporate… otherwise it will stay as my fallback. 🤞 Have a day to enjoy living! Thank you all for being here. m—

Malta is #1 on places we hope to see again! SO much history! Stunning too. @smitty34877Terry, glad the kiddos had a great time land home safe! @StLouisCruisersSandi, proud of you for breaking the ice! 👏 @Cruzin TerriTerri, nice to see things calmer! @ottahand7Nancy, you too! @ger_77Gerry, we’ve seen you be a miracle to many! Ollie, the Ukrainian family, DH, Wayne… just to name a few. Love you Gerry! @dfish Debbie, we have those nights! Take extra care of you today. Busy here today but that’s all good. Most of it is fun, or at least interesting. Had a nice dinner with grandkids last night. Today is their 7th anniversary and they’re excited, they booked a last minute cruise leaving NY this coming Sunday! Cheap! Very happy for them! Their first without family since the honeymoon cruise we gave them. They are so excited! Blessings to all in need near and far. Cheers to those celebrating especially @Denise T… you’re always with family here😉 Happy Birthday week 🎈 @aliaschief Bruce, making good progress! No place like home! I’m enjoying a quiet morning before the afternoon activities. Life is Good🌈. Maureen

Perfect day here, for me, partly cloudy, breezy and not hot! Nancy, very glad your back is better! Terri, hoping you and Jim have a pleasant day! Jacqui, you’ll know if and when to make a change. I’m sad that pain is the motivator. It was a very, very tough change for me. Suddenly due to health limitations (most of which have resolved but the handwriting was showing…) DH said he was ready! We chose a new path. Different can also be good. It’s easier doing it with two, but harder making the timing work for two 🤨! Our future where we were was not going to look like the past any more than I was going to be 40 again! Yes, I miss it, I’m very grateful I had that phase of life with DH. Change is difficult…. I made two list: things I would not miss! Things to look forward to in a new environment. It was surprising to notice how much energy went into surviving that now is available for other parts of life. But the transition is not easy, I’m so glad we did it while we could! Both our senior environments (here in New Jersey and previously in Maryland) have ground floor homes with gardening in the yard! Lovin’ your beautiful flowers! Blessings all, and thanks for being here! m—

Yaaayyy! 👏👏👏 That’ll help! Now rest, tomorrow is another day, the sun will come up! 💗

We all do! We’re here for you, especially on the tough days! Blessings tomorrow feels better 🌅. Hope you both can get some sleep🌹. PS Raising teenaged boys, it was important to remember nobody’s in the hospital or jail! It was a low bar but a lesson! DH reminded me of just that when we found ourselves on the wrong train out of Zurich! We were supposed to be heading to Milano but we weren’t…. I started to panic, he got me back to reality. We got off (at the airport) went back to Zurich, got to Milano late… stuff happens. It was awhile before we could laugh! 😉