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Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I'd love to get outdoors today, more than just running from the car to the house. I think we can all make life beautiful by counting our blessings. We don't have a crowded nest, it's just the two of us and Sochi, and has been for many years. Well after yesterday's day-long rain, it finally stopped some time during the night and this morning we have fog. Most unusual for this area, but understandable after all the rain. It will be interesting to see if in 3 months from today we have more rain (old wives tale). Like @puppycanducruise, it's cool here (8C, 46F), so going out this morning will require a jacket - it's supposed to get up to 24 (75) which should be a nice respite from the chilly cold we've been experiencing. @Vict0riannsending prayers for you and your medical team today. @Haljo1935wishing your DS a very Happy Birthday! @Mr. Bostonhow exciting, going ahead with the sale and move into your new home! @kazuI'm sorry to hear about your dear friend; prayers that everything will turn out alright for him. Yesterday didn't turn out as we'd thought - in the middle of the afternoon the doorbell rang and there was our dear friend, Ollie, in tears. She said she just felt so alone and needed to be with people, so she came over. We sat around a while just talking through things, and I knew she'd have to stay for dinner with us, as she wasn't in any frame of mind to make anything for herself. I asked if she was at a restaurant what she'd want to order and she said "shrimp scampi", so instead of DH and I eating leftover stew, I put together a reasonable facsimile, my lemon garlic shrimp pasta dish and the 3 of us enjoyed it at the kitchen table. During dinner we had a phone call from our Ukrainian family who asked if they could drop in for a visit, so about an hour later all 6 of us were together in the living room, enjoying tea and a delicious cake they'd brought from a specialty store that they said reminded them so much of home. It makes us feel good knowing that people are comfortable just showing up at the door or inviting themselves over, and they know they'll be welcome. I guess we're doing something right. This morning we'll do a run over to the Salvation Army store to drop off a bunch of things (cleared out a cupboard downstairs. . . who needs 3 toasters???). Last night after our guests departed, we had a call from our friend Wayne who wants to take us out to dinner as a thank you for the concert tickets (which DH still doesn't know I gave them), so instead of dinner at home, we'll be enjoying the company of Wayne & Fran and good Greek food at a restaurant across town. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, and in turmoil. Cheers to all with celebrations happening today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I love ball point pens - varying between medium and fine points. I don't know that I can be a miracle in someone's life, but I do like to help in small ways. If it was warmer, today would be a good day for iced tea, but it'll have to wait. Our sun made a brief appearance yesterday and today it's gone again, replaced by clouds and wind. Everyone is tiring of the wind, especially that it brings pollen from all the trees onto every surface - I'm tired of dusting and washing everything on the deck, sometimes multiple times a day. I shouldn't complain about the rain though,as it's good for the farmers and we all depend on them. We were docked in Valetta, Malta on our first Mediterranean cruise; we took the shore excursion to the beautiful fishing village of Marsaxlokk. @marshhawksorry your washer and dryer didn't get installed as hoped; you'd think the installers would have had extra supplies in their vehicles just in case. I've seen ads on TV recently for the newest washer/dryer combination and they're touting you can do a full load in 2 hours. Nope. Don't like them - we used them when we were in Japan and they take too long. Using our old w&d I can do 2 loads in that time, both washing and drying. I guess they're good if you don't have a lot of space, but I wouldn't be specifically ordering one as a replacement for my current set. @Denise THappy Birthday, although I'm not sure it's today! @aliaschiefwelcome home - glad everything was alright on your return. Although you had a wonderful time, I'll bet it felt good to sleep in your own bed again. I have to share this - yesterday was our lovely DIL's birthday and she was treated like a queen by the men in her house. Our oldest DGS made her scrambled eggs & toast for breakfast, they went out for a lovely lunch, and later in the afternoon, our youngest DGS called his mom outside to see that "I made you spaghetti!" Today DH is having a telephone assessment for the cardiac rehab program - it's an exercise program where he'll be monitored for a few weeks, and after that we can continue on our own. He's been through it before when he had his first heart attacks, and after his sextuple bypass, so he knows what will be going on. It'll be good to get out and do some serious walking again, for both of us. I'd like to try the drink of the day (not sure if the bourbon would overpower it), would definitely like the wine, but $$$$$! I like the menu suggestion today, but would definitely add in some cooked chicken breasts to make it a meal in a bowl. I found a container of beef stew in the freezer that will be heated and served with some crusty buns for us at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! A dear departed friend of mine was able to talk like Donald Duck - whenever I'd phone him in a down mood, he'd switch to his DD voice and I'd always end up laughing. I miss him. Archives are so important; you don't know how important they are until you need some information. Celtic art is beautiful; the designs are so intricate. Some of the clouds from yesterday have departed, but we still don't have clear skies. Looking at the forecast, it says "Temps to rise"; I sure hope so, as it's only 8C (46) and the high is 17 (62), so it's not going to be terribly warm. For most of yesterday we had a very cold rainy day, not making it enjoyable to be outdoors at all. @Mtn2Sea and @cruzn single Bon Voyage!! @kazuI'm sorry to hear you're not getting better; it's wise though, to start looking at alternate living arrangements, something we should probably start doing as well. Friends of ours live in Red Deer and they started putting their names in different places, most of which have waiting lists of 6 or 7 years! @smitty34877it's tough not worrying about the teenager, but you have to trust, and try to occupy your mind with other things in his absence. I know you'll look forward to conversations with him on his return. @Cruzin TerriI'm glad things have finally settled down - now it's time for the two of you to relax; that's why you went there! Our friend Wayne had a heart ablation on Friday and last night called us to see if we wanted to go for brunch today! Amazing what they can do, isn't it? Anyway, that's all we have on our agenda, meeting him and Fran for brunch and enjoying their friendship. I'd like the drink of the day made with decaf (love the flavour, heart can't handle the caffeine), have never heard of a sparkling shiraz, and oh yes to the menu suggestion! I think on the way home from brunch I'll stop in for green onions and will make today's menu suggestion for a light meal that we can enjoy on the deck (with all the windows closed) 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

Bon Voyage to you!

Time for a quick afternoon check-in. The rain has been off and on all day - making it a cold, dreary day out there. First thing this morning I received a text message that our favourite greenhouse had marked down the price of their large (read: overflowing) baskets from $49 to $29, so DH and I tossed on some clothes and headed over there first thing. I ended up getting two beautiful baskets that will replace the not-doing-so-well begonias on either side of the fountain in the back yard. I'll wait till it's warmer to transplant them, but for now they're fine in the pots on the patio. @bennybeardo you live in Chestermere, or are you in Calgary proper? I asked our DS how they were coping with the water situation and he said most things are not changed, except for the length of their showers. Now they don't have any outdoor plants (other than the lawn), so it's just for personal consumption, etc., so I guess they're alright. I know I'd be doing dishes by hand and using the dishwater to water the outdoor pots - the same would go for us when it came to showering; we'd shower in the bathtub and use that water for flushing toilets and watering plants. I'm glad you've got your trailer and can get away from the situation into a place where you can simply sit back and relax. @Cruzin Terrifor goodness sakes, if it wasn't for bad luck, you wouldn't have any! I'm beside myself every time I read your posts, as there's just nothing positive happening for the two of you. I'm sure the manager will be getting an earful on Monday, and I certainly don't blame you for demanding compensation when you've paid for something and don't get it. It's funny, but I was thinking almost the same thing as @RMLincoln - nobody's in jail, nobody's in the hospital; it's not earth shattering or life changing, so you just have to breathe deeply and get on with the next moment in life. Kind thoughts coming your way. @Seasick Sailorsorry DH isn't doing well; I hope he can start putting some weight on with your good cooking! Also, so sorry to hear about your friend passing suddenly - how tragic. @grapau27I'm sorry to hear of the passing of your friend's DW. Take care till tomorrow, folks!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Everyone should have a best friend - someone they can call on day or night for support. Brain tumor awareness and HIV in Caribbean people are both issues that should be observed and hopefully treated till they're cured. I truly believe today's quote should end with another sentence: Or not. Well our sunshine was short lived - the clouds have moved back in and I see raindrops on the window as I look into the back yard. So much for getting our back steps done today. I really want to get them fixed up before Summerfest, as folks will be using them to get into the house to use the bathroom. Speaking of the back yard, late yesterday afternoon I went out to the deck to wind yarn into balls (I attach the yarn winder to the table), and when I looked into the yard, I realized a large branch(about 25 feet long) from our neighbour's poplar tree had broken off and was lying precariously between two of our large ceramic plant pots, supported by our fence. I didn't hear a crash or anything, so I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but I know it was not there at lunch, as I sat on the deck at noon time with a sandwich and all was fine. I called the neighbours who will come over today with a chain saw to cut it in pieces and have it hauled away. Bon Voyage @Suslor and @swin26 - enjoy your cruise! @aliaschiefthe last day onboard is always a sad one, as usually you make some great new friends on the voyage. I hope your flights home are uneventful and quick. @smitty34877I hope there aren't too many issues to have to deal with while you don't have an aide to help. I'm sure the teenager will enjoy the parade with his girlfriend. In speaking with our friend Ollie the other day, she brought up something that I hadn't thought of. For one of the government forms, she needed an official gov't issued death certificate - the one from the funeral home wasn't sufficient. To complete the form to obtain an "official" one, she needed to know her husband's mother's maiden name, date and place of birth, and also the information for his father. Who has that at hand? Got me to thinking, so I made up a computer file for DH and I with both of our parent's information on it - he had no idea where my mom was born, nor what her maiden name was. Something for everyone to think about! I'd like to try the drink of the day, and it's something I'm sure I'll make during the summer. The wine sounds good, as does the menu suggestion. DH wouldn't appreciate the sauce, as it contains hard boiled eggs. He has this thing about eggs where he envisions the chick embryos in them every time, so eggs are off his list of things he'd want to eat. With the family here working on the steps, I was going to make a barbecued rib dinner, which I'll still do, but just scaled down somewhat. I've got mangoes for a mango salsa, and will have baked mini potatoes, a crisp green salad and barbecued ribs that we can enjoy on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, and in turmoil. Cheers to all who have celebrations happening today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Our VCR is long gone, but I know we have some family videos lurking in a box in the basement. Every day should be world caring and food safety day, no questions asked. Jackie Kennedy was a quiet, but very bright woman. The sun is shining brightly, and the trees are swaying, but at least we've got blue skies again. It's only going up to 19C (66), but it will be nice enough to not have to wear a jacket. Of course our deck will be much warmer, so I'm sure Sochi will spend most of the day out there on her little bench, keeping watch over her domain - the back yard. @Haljo1935I'm sorry to hear about the kidney stones; a friend had them and said the pain was worse than childbirth. @marshhawkit's hard to say what to do about Chuck; I hope his thoughts are more clear this morning and you can talk about what's happening to him. I guess it's time to get in touch with all of his doctors and tell them to let you know what they require of him as well, so you know what's going on. @aliaschiefthanks so much for taking us along on your Azamazing cruise; I've enjoyed your travelogue and accompanying photos so much! I've got the day to myself today, as DH and his son are going out of town about 1.5 hours to visit an old friend of DH's. He was moved into a senior care home because he was unable to manage his meds and personal needs by himself; initially he was very reluctant and miserable there, but has since made friends with a number of the other residents and appears quite happy. I'm sure he'll enjoy the visit today, and DH will be reassured that his old buddy is well. I'd enjoy the drink of the day if someone made it for me, will pass on the wine, and think the menu suggestion would be quite tasty. Of course it's Friday night pizza night here, so when DH returns from his out of town excursion, we'll check the online menus to see what cheesy goodness will show up on our kitchen table 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

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Honouring all who took part in D Day 80 years ago; I watched some of the ceremonies and they were very touching. My DH was a creative educator, creating new curriculums for the province in both social studies and science. After seeing @0106's description of creative educators, it wasn't what I thought it was. LOL Anyone who gardens knows it certainly is exercise, and sadly we don't have any drive-in theatres around here any longer. The clouds have cleared, the wind has calmed somewhat, but I still see the trees in the back swaying back and forth, so it's still windy. We didn't have near the bad winds that were prevalent in the south part of the province yesterday - they had gusts up to 96km/h (60mph) that ripped out trees and tore shingles off roofs. We have a huge number of pine cones strewn across the lawns again, so I'll be out there with a rake and shovel picking them up and putting them into the green bin. @Seasick Sailorget thee to a doctor, girl !!!!!!!! @ottahand7I hope the tens unit helps you - our neighbour has one for her back and says she really likes it. Hearing pings on the fish finder is a good sign! @Cruzin Terriyou don't seem to have any luck at all, with flights, buses, and hotels. Hope your DH is feeling somewhat better today. Several things happening today - first thing is getting some groceries, then DH has a chiropractor appointment at 12:15. At 1:30 a couple of fellows from the astronomical society are coming over to pick up the telescopes we have from our friend Gord's estate. Ollie (his wife) wants to be here when they get them, as she would like to speak with them and tell them a bit about Gord's passion for the stars. After that we have to head over to the hardware store to pick up long screws, as this weekend DH's son and our son-in-law will be coming over to repair/replace the steps leading off the deck to the patio. I'd like to try the drink of the day, would enjoy the wine, and like today's menu suggestion, although I've never cooked with leeks. After all that running around, I think we're going to have something simple like grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, and in that paths of destructive storms and wars. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Bon Voyage; what a great itinerary!!!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Being born in the mid 50's, I'm definitely a Baby Boomer, so will celebrate that. Thanks for the explanation of Popular Delusions - I had no idea what that was about. Thank goodness for the development of medications that help extend and improve the lives of those with HIV. I'd only heard of Vanuatu from Survivor - thanks @richwmn for the photos. Another grey, windy day out there for us this morning. We had some good rain yesterday, but it was patchy in the city. We took a walk to the park a few houses away and looked toward downtown where we could see it was raining hard - we were under clouds, but totally dry. We had rain later in the afternoon, but not the amount that fell in the city centre. Today you might want to hold small children by the hand, as some of the gusts are up to 75k (45mph), otherwise they may take flight! Speaking of flight - @swin26 welcome to the Daily and I hope your flight to Rotterdam is uneventful. @Cruzin Terriwhat a horrible day for the two of you! I'd definitely contact both the airline and airports to tell them of the lack of service. I do hope getting your DH to the medical office will help restore some calm to both of your lives. You deserve a break!!! @marshhawksending prayers and good vibes for you and DH today as you venture off to another medical appointment. Surely someone can offer some relief, other than just increasing the medication!!! @ottahand7I hope you can get some relief from your pain - you've gone to your summer place to relax, not be uncomfortable. Not much happening for us today - DH is going out for coffee with his bandmates, one of which will come by and pick him up. I'll use his away time to do some house cleaning without him hovering around wanting to help. I was thinking of doing some of the outside windows, but with the wind and pollen blowing about, it would be an exercise in futility. I'm going to pass on the drink (bourbon), and the wine, but would like to try some of the devilled eggs. I haven't made them in ages, as DH doesn't care for eggs, but when I see them on a tray at a barbecue, I always grab a couple. Because it's a cool day out, I think I'll make DH's favourite lemon garlic pasta with a tossed salad that we can enjoy in the comfort of our kitchen tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, and in turmoil. Cheers to all who have celebrations happening today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good afternoon, time for a quick check-in. The forecast rain has arrived along with wind and a weather warning for possible funnel clouds - hopefully they won't materialize, as they rarely do around here. I'm quite aghast at the temperatures in Texas - is that normal for this time of year? In re-reading my post from this morning, I realize today is my 22nd CC Anniversary; who knew it was 2002 when I first joined? Might need an extra glass of wine to celebrate the occasion. Hope all who are traveling stay safe!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Every day is hug your cat day around here. Children shouldn't be the victims of aggression; I feel terrible every time I think of children in war zones. I thought Old Maids Day was for card playing - a game we always play with the grandsons when we're in Calgary. To those older women who never married, you're not an Old Maid, you're a Single Lady. That quote is SO me! Another sunny start to the morning and already the clouds have rolled in from the west and according to the radio, we can expect some thundershowers later in the afternoon. We had a good rain overnight, as I see there are puddles at the end of the driveway - a good thing, as we put some fertilizer on the lawns yesterday and needed the moisture. @Seasick Sailorhow is the ankle, and your shoulder? @Cruzin TerriI'm happy to hear you're on your way to Barbados, and that you've been able to arrange wheelchairs for the two of you to transit the airport. This morning I have my monthly breakfast with retired colleagues, which is always a fun time. Then late this afternoon we've been invited to dinner with one of DH's cousins who is in town for a medical appointment. The family isn't close, but it will be nice to catch up with him and his wife, as we haven't seen them for a few years. DH figures the cousin must have some serious medical issues, as he doesn't just call out of the blue - time will tell. Here's Sochi, who will get an extra hug today I'm going to pass on the drink and the wine, but I think the menu suggestion would make a great brunch meal, or even a light evening meal. For us though, we're not going to be worrying about what to cook, as we'll be joining DH's cousin and his wife for dinner 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

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I had to look up Chimborazo Day and learned something this morning. Wow, National Stuffed Shrimp Scholars sounds like a pretty exclusive group! There are many Wonder Women here on this site - so many women taking exceptional care of family, friends, critters, all while going about their daily routines. Once again the sun was up when I first got up, but the skies have clouded over already. I heard the weather fellow on the radio saying to keep the rain jackets handy, as its starting to sprinkle at the airport and we can expect it to rain throughout most of the day. This morning we're heading out for breakfast with friends we haven't seen for most of the winter, as they spent a good portion of it in Victoria, BC. It'll be good to catch up with them and their family's activities. Yesterday I emailed the invitations for our annual Summerfest barbecue and have already received a half dozen replies. @Seasick Sailoroh my gosh, your shoulder, then gouging your ankle? How is everything this morning? I hope you didn't hurt yourself too badly! Dang rock!! @smitty34877I'm glad you got home safely, and chuckled to hear that Tana was the calming voice to the group while you were away. She's quite a woman. @kazuI'm happy to hear you got your dahlia's planted; I know how much you love the plants in your yard, just take it slow so you don't injure yourself further. @marshhawkyay on the new washer & dryer. I prefer an old fashioned top loading washer - when we were at our DS's in Calgary, they have a front load and I almost had to stand on my head to reach far into the back to retrieve the clothing. Love the descriptions of the kittens - especially the one where it feels threatened. I'm going to pass on the drink, would like the wine, but it seems pretty elusive and a bit pricey, but would like to try the menu suggestion. I love sheet pan dinners because they're easy and a breeze to clean up. When we get back from breakfast I'm going to put a chicken breast in the air fryer (panko/parmesan crusted), will chill and slice it up to put into tortillas along with cucumbers, grated carrots, parmesan flakes, lettuce, and dressing for wraps to enjoy on the deck this evening. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil, and in the paths of destructive storms and fires. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Almost every day we see stories on the news about gun violence; it's so sad. We do enjoy rotisserie chickens once in a while - they make meal prep so easy. I'll honour St. Erasmus, as I didn't know he was the patron saint of cruisers. When I first got up the sun was shining brightly, but now the clouds have moved in and it's only 11C(51F); looking at the forecast, it seems we won't see the sun any more today, but the temp should go up to around 20(68), so it'll still be pleasant. With all the wind we've had the past number of days, the spruce trees around the property have shed tons of pine cones, so I'm going to head out later in the morning and rake them up off the lawns. I have to remember to wear gloves when picking them up, as the pine sap is so hard to wash off. @luvteachingBon Voyage; I hope you have a wonderful cruise! @Horizon chaser 1957wishing your friend a happy, healthy retirement! @kazuI'm glad you finally have an appointment with the vascular surgeon; can you call the office and ask to be placed on a cancellation list? I'm going to pass on both the drink and the wine, but the chocolate raspberry tart really looks appealing. I don't think I'd make one, but would likely try a slice of the first recipe if someone offered it to me. I made enough pork chops yesterday that we can have them for leftovers along with corn on the cob and a tossed salad on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil, and especially those dealing with health issues. Cheers to all with celebrations today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Bon Voyage everyone; have a fabulous time!!!

Rabbit, Rabbit, White Rabbit. Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I'll remind my son about Children's Day, although he's working away from home this week and will have to celebrate it with his boys when he returns late tomorrow. Not sure what we'll do to celebrate Global Parents Day, but I'm sure I can come up with something! I performed the Heimlich Maneuver on a BHB passenger as we were sailing out of Venice a few years ago. A clear sky with sunshine and the ever-present wind is what I see when I look out the computer room window. I think we've got a current temp of 10C (50) and an expected high of 21 (69) which will be nice. I wish the wind would gust a little more so it shakes all the pollen off the spruce trees around our place - yesterday I dusted everything on the deck twice because there was so much pollen. Today I'm going to use the vacuum to do the cushions on the furniture, rather than pushing it into the fibres by dusting. @Vict0riannI'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis; hopefully the lumpectomy will take care of the issue for you. @Mr. BostonBon Voyage; I hope you have a wonderful cruise and can really relax before your move out and move in. Yesterday was interesting; in the afternoon our friend Ollie dropped over just after I'd finished baking a brownie (coincidence? I'm not sure!), so we sat on the deck enjoying brownies and ice cream and coffee. She said she had found another few boxes that she wanted to get rid of, but said she'd like us to go through them to see if there was anything there that Gord had collected that we might want. We went over and of course, DH was in his glory, going through "stuff". LOL I wasn't terribly interested, because lots of it was technical gear, walkie-talkies, old calculators, etc. There was an old wooden cigar box that Ollie said just had junk and some old coins in it that she was going to put in the donation pile. I told her I wanted to just go through it in case there were some foreign coins I could give to our grandsons. Oh my. There was an envelope in there containing an appraisal for a man's gold and diamond ring, and as I dug into the collection of coins, found a little box. Inside was a beautiful gold ring with a large centre diamond that in 1982, according to the appraisal, was worth well over $5,000. And she was going to put it in the donation pile . . . . . It makes us wonder what he had in the storage unit that she stopped paying for when he died! We were expecting DH's son and another fellow to come over today to work on our back steps, but he called last night saying he decided to postpone it till next weekend. I guess so. There's nothing we can do about it, but wait; either that or pay the high price for a professional to do it. The drink of the day sounds good, but heavy, like it would be a dessert. I'll pass on the wine, and haven't had a good egg salad sandwich in ages, as DH doesn't care for eggs. I've got some pork chops thawing that will be breaded and cooked in the air fryer and served along with asparagus and potato salad on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, and in the path of devastating storms and fires. Cheers to all who have celebrations happening today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Saving your hearing is so important - I wonder how many young people today are going to need hearing aids in their adult life? What you think upon grows - interesting concept. I'm totally in favour of no tobacco; while I realize it's a cash crop for farmers, it has caused so much death and destruction among the population, it just isn't worth it. A bright sunny, albeit windy day out there for us this morning. I see we must have had a good rain overnight, as there are puddles at the end of the driveway. Hopefully it rained hard enough to wash all the yellow pollen off my black SUV. It was looking pretty sad yesterday, but I didn't have the time to take it through a car wash. Yesterday after lunch with our friend Ollie, we went back to her place where she had more things boxed up for us to take. Gord was a "collector" (a gentle way of saying hoarder) of many things. She said we were to keep whatever we wanted and to donate everything else. There was also a special box for our son containing a digital 35mm Nikon camera and a couple of large lenses (our son made a good living as a part time photographer when he lived in Japan), a brand new in the box portable DVD player (great for camping!), and at least 6 point and shoot digital cameras (Pentax, Canon, etc). DH was thrilled with the other stuff, as it's all things he can take apart with gears, springs, etc., that he can use to make steampunk art. @Vict0riannwishing Pat a very Happy Birthday as he celebrates another trip around the sun! @Denise Tsorry to hear Fancy has lyme disease - hope she's better soon! @Heartgrovemakes my heart hurt to hear about Sam's struggles. Sure wish there was something we could do to fix him up. Not too much happening here today - DH's chiropractor appointment this morning at 9, then will stop at the grocery store on the way home for International Delight creamers for our iced coffee. I think we might have to go to Home Depot because tomorrow DH's son and another fellow are coming over to work on the back steps coming down to the patio from our deck. The steps are very uneven and are becoming harder to navigate, so it's time to do something about it. I think we'll have to get some bolts, etc., as the risers were already purchased before DH's surgery. He will be acting in a supervisory capacity, which suits me fine. The drink of the day sounds good, but not sure where I'd find the ingredients for it, will pass on the wine, and have copied and printed the 3rd recipe for the breakfast cake - that's going to be right up DH's alley. It's Friday night pizza night at our house, so later this afternoon we'll check the online menus to see what ooey gooey cheesy delight can be delivered for us to enjoy on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil, and in the paths of devastating storms and fires. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I'm not particularly creative, will water the indoor plants, and hope a cure for MS will soon be discovered. I just heard on the radio it is also National Milk Day - drink up! Another cloudy, cool morning (12C or 53F) and its only supposed to go up another 4 degrees all day. We had some rain yesterday afternoon that lasted a couple of hours, so that meant we didn't have to water any of the outdoor pots. The bad thing is that the rain basically glued all the fallen apple blossoms onto the patio, so I'll have to wait until they dry to scrape them off. I usually sweep them up or use the leaf blower to blow them away, but that's not going to happen this time. @kazuI hope you have an enjoyable birthday today and that you get some better results about your foot pain. Enjoy the day, the cake, and most of all, the wine. @GTVCRUISERHappy Birthday to you, too! Not a lot happening on our agenda today; I think we're going to pick up our friend Ollie and take her out for lunch. She's been getting out on her own, but I'm sure she'd appreciate having company to talk to over lunch. After that we may head back to her place and go through more of Gord's things that we can help her donate and distribute. I'd like the drink of the day (have saved it for research purposes), will let others enjoy the wine, and I guess the menu suggestion could be a meal if you added in either cooked, seasoned ground beef or chicken. DH has asked for hot dogs - how easy is that? While we're out, I'll pick up a package of small sized tortillas to wrap them in, will cook the dogs in the air fryer and we can enjoy them along with potato salad (also bought) on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, and in the paths of storms and fires. Cheers to all with celebrations! Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! UN Peacekeepers certainly have tough jobs today. We don't have a compost pile, but do have a little pail with compostable liners that we keep in our kitchen which goes into the large green bin and is picked up and taken to the city compost station every 2 weeks. Every year on our eldest DGS's birthday, we make an annual contribution to both boy's education funds. We didn't have one for our own son, so when he finally decided to go to university, he took out a student loan - which we helped pay off. We've got a rather raggedy bunch of grey clouds and wind out there this morning. It looks like it's snowing, but it's not. The wind is blowing off all the white blossoms from our neighbour's ornamental apple tree and the back lawn is covered in white - they'll soon turn brown and very ugly, so hopefully the lawn cutting this week will cover up all the ugliness. @cat shepardwishing you a very Happy Birthday with many happy and healthy returns of the day! @Horizon chaser 1957Happy Anniversary; let the love and laughter continue! A couple of things on the agenda today - DH needs a haircut; he's starting to look like one of the Beatles already. After that we'll come home so I can finish repotting the last of the papyrus - this one is a dwarf papyrus which I'm going to try to keep in a pot of water to see what happens. After lunch DH has coffee with his bandmates, so I'll drive him over there and spend the next hour or so shopping at a strip mall nearby. I'm going to pass on the drink of the day (no idea where I'd get some of the ingredients), would probably like the wine, and will take a look at the menu suggestion, as it sounds good. DH said he's "cooking dinner" tonight which means he'll pick up roast beef sandwiches from Tim Horton's that we can enjoy with fresh veggies and dip on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, and in the path of devastating storms and fires. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Amnesty International is such an important group and they do so much to help people. I've never made brisket, but a couple of times when we were in Miami pre-cruise, we stopped at this fabulous little place called Sparkly's Roadside Barbecue where I had the most amazing brisket sandwich. Sadly, post-Covid it closed and is no more. We do love burgers - in the summer on the BBQ and in the winter on the George Foreman. @cat shepardI've been doing salmon in the air fryer for some time, and as @Quartzsite Cruiser said, it comes out nice and moist. I top mine with a thin coat of Dijon mustard, topping it with panko crumbs and a drizzle of melted butter. 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet. @grapau27I hope you and Pauline are soon on the road to recovery from whatever's been ailing you! @kazuthat's what I thought the "gadget" might be - a neighbour had one and loved it. @Mr. Bostonsafe travels to you today! It's a sunny, windy morning out there today, but the weather app is telling me we could reach a high of 25C (77) which will be quite nice. I didn't accomplish everything I needed to outside yesterday, as I had to take DH back to the chiropractor, then we had a couple of errands to run. Today might see the last of the repotting of plants, but only time will tell, as there's still laundry and vacuuming to do. I'm going to pass on the drink, the wine, and being a carnivore, prefer my tacos to have beef in them. I've got a couple of chicken breasts thawing that will be tossed in plain yogurt, rolled in panko & parmesan and cooked in the air fryer. I'll serve it along with corn on the cob and fresh veggies at the table on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, and generally in turmoil. Extra for all who are in the paths of storms and fires. Cheers to all who have celebrations happening today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Wishing all my American friends a safe and happy Memorial Day - I watched the Memorial Day Concert on PBS last night; it was beautiful and brought me to tears a number of times. I'm a stickler for sunscreen, although DH has to be reminded constantly to put it on. Player pianos certainly took the work out of it, and I'd like to have a grape popsicle, as I haven't had one in years. Another mostly cloudy day out there today, but again the temperature should sneak up to about 20C (68), which is fine by me. The trees are almost fully leafed out so we can no longer see the neighbours behind us, giving us total privacy in our back yard. Yesterday was productive; first thing in the morning I went out and purchased 4 big bags of soil and came home and started repotting. I did the 6 papyrus, 6 triple begonias, and made 4 succulent bowls. Today I have 4 large curly figs that need to be potted into larger containers and the smaller ones will go in the ones vacated by the big guys. DH did a good job instructing me where to put the plants - move them over an inch or two, turn them around, etc. LOL I know he wanted to do most of the work himself, and it really irked him that he couldn't, but I told him he was doing what was best for both of us. @dfishthank you for the pictures of River; she's so lucky to have Sue and you in her life. @Cruzin Terrisafe travels for you and DH today. Good idea to get an early start. @rafinmdI hope your friend will be okay. @kazuwhat is the special gadget Jose had? Is it one of those gardening stools/kneelers? I would love to try the drink of the day - in fact, I may make it once the temperatures get a little higher later in the season. Pretty sure I'd like the wine, but $$$ is stopping me from trying it. We've about Chinese food'd ourselves out, so the rest has been put into containers and is sitting in the freezer for another time. I like today's menu suggestion, and know we have lots of salmon, so will thaw out a couple of fillets and try a version of the first recipe which sounds quite good (just minus the kale). It's looking like salmon with chickpeas and asparagus is what we'll be able to enjoy on the deck this evening. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in turmoil, in grief, and in the paths of devastating storms and fires. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I often make paper airplanes for the DGS's and we fly them off their deck into the back yard. The Lindy Hop was a dance before my time, but I'm not sure many of us could manage it any more! Where would we be without cellophane tape (Scotch tape)? Erma Bombeck stated the obvious and in such a humorous manner; she's been missed all these years. Yesterday morning DH was complaining about his back - the day spent on the hospital bed didn't do it well at all, so by 10:30 we were at the chiropractor's office where he had an adjustment and felt better. By late evening however, the pain had returned (not quite as bad), and when I got up this morning I discovered he'd moved to a sitting position in his recliner. I guess I'll be calling the chiro's office tomorrow for another appointment. It's cloudy and breezy outside this morning, but the forecast is calling for a high of 18(64F), so maybe, just maybe I might be able to get some of the plants put into the outdoor pots. First I have to make a run to pick up some extra bags of soil, as I always like to refresh the pots before putting new plants into them. DH's job is to sit on the deck, watch me, and tell me if I'm doing it right or not. LOL @cruising sisterthank you for the beautiful photo of our sweet Murphy; she's absolutely adorable and almost 1 - how amazing is that? And your lovely DGD and the pampering; I'm sure she loved every minute of it! @Cruising-alongWhat a great time for your DGS's - you're creating forever memories for them! @Cruzin TerriHappy Angel Birthday to your mom. I'm going to pass on the drink of the day, the white wine, but the quinoa chicken bowl looks like it would be quite flavourful. As I suspected, yesterday DH forgot about my alternate birthday, and I didn't want to make him feel bad, so I didn't mention it. Early in the afternoon he said we hadn't had Chinese food in a long time, so instead of heading to my favourite Greek restaurant, I went off in the other direction and took us to a cute little hole in the wall Chinese restaurant where they have some amazing food, and only take cash. We ordered beef & greens, special fried rice, lemon chicken, S&S chicken balls and shrimp; we ate until we could barely move and had them pack the rest to take home. We now have enough leftovers that we could easily invite another couple over for dinner and all of us would be stuffed. That gives me an idea - I think I'll call Wayne and Fran to see if they would like to join us for leftovers on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil, and in the paths of devastating storms and fires. Cheers to all who have celebrations happening. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I wish we could go plastic free, but take a look around you and see how much of our world is made of it! I brown bagged it for most of my career; when I first joined the court, there wasn't a designated staff/lunch room, so people ate at their desks. One day a kindly caretaker came by and told me he'd made some chili in their store room and would I like to have some? He said he'd bring it to me, but I insisted on going back there with him - that began a life long friendship with the caretakers of our building. I'd often bake things and leave them in there for the group to enjoy, and there were many invitations to join them for treats or lunches others had made. I think I was the only person from the bench who was actually afforded this privilege, and it's a memory I'll take with me always. A little 5 year old girl (Tamara Keepness) went missing from a city nearby in 2004 and to this day has not been found; I can't imagine the anguish the family has been through. Sadly, her mother passed away last year, never knowing what happened to her daughter. Thank you @JazzyV for remembering my Alternate Birthday today! And thank you to all my Daily friends for your good wishes; it really makes my heart smile to read them. I'm not sure DH is even going to remember unless he actually looks at the calendar, but I'll think of a reason for us to go somewhere for dinner tonight and will leave it at that. He'll pay for it later. Ha ha ha ha. @dfishcongratulations on the addition of Addi to your extended family; she's a beauty! And THAT note! Oh my gosh, it touched my heart, as I'm sure it did yours. @MrSnuffleupagusBon Voyage; enjoy your cruise!! @RMLincolnmy goodness, ministrations 8x daily - that takes up pretty much your entire day! Is DH able to do some of them by himself, or do they all involve you? You need a break, girl! @kazuI hope you're able to get some of your pots filled; I know how much they mean to you. @1ANGELCATI'm glad Shirl is doing well so far; the cat will be a cat and make sure everyone knows it's annoyed at the change. LOL @ottahand7wow, you had a very busy day yesterday! @marshhawk I love the t-shirt!! I'm going to pass on the drink (whiskey), will let others enjoy the wine and take a wide berth on anything with olives in it. I'm not sure just what's on the menu for tonight, but I'm thinking we'll take a drive across the city to our favourite Greek restaurant where I can enjoy time with DH and a traditional Greek meal. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in turmoil, and in the paths of destructive storms and fires. Cheers to all with celebrations today. Wishing everyone a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry