MJSailors

UNo matter the prices - fact is , cost of living has gone up and salaries ( at least mostly in the NYC metro area ) have gone up too. As to the car- it was loaded,plus dealer prep, NY license and registration fees and ,of course, NYS sales tax Also interest on the auto loan. Anyway, I loved driving that car! Good luck to your daughter. Smart to go to a community college taking core courses,then go to college/university for the remaining years. If that is the plan.

@Sunshine3601That is a pretty garden and crepe myrtles. Our tree doesn’t bloom until late August. The blossoms are the same color as yours. @LionesssI wouldn’t argue with those pups! Dinner ? Yes, coming right up ! Mimi- Thinking of your friend Ginny today. Have you heard how she is doing ? Wishing all here a peaceful day. MJ🙋🏻

Mochi s so cute! ❤️ Has she taken modeling lessons from Bella? MJ🙋🏻

@Sunshine3601 Those teenage boys are like locusts clearing a field ! @HBE4 You reminded me that one of my college boyfriends drove his Dad’s Ford Galaxy sedan when he was home from college in Potsdam,NY. I remember that it was red and was a very big car. The gas tank must have been something to fill. Funny, that wasn’t something I considered back in those days ! MJ🙋🏻

Reporting on eggs and gas prices..... I just bought a dozen local brand of eggs at our small market in town for $3.99. There were some in the case- maybe free range- that cost $7.89 !! Gas prices are ranging from $4.25 to $4.77. There is a different price for cash and credit. I happened to check what the minimum wage was in 1972 the other day. It was $2.00. I’m not sure what it is now. Maybe $15.00.Seems that it is all relative. We have been tightening our belts a bit with groceries,clothing and other “extras” we may not need right now. I feel for families with teenage sons that can eat up a storm. Makes a person wonder how high prices can go. Maybe we should take out those hydrangeas and plant tomatoes and other veggies. Just a thought !🙄 MJ🙋🏻

Lioness- We have many of the same critters in our yard. In thirty eight years of living here, I have only seen one snake- a garden snake- and that one was one too many !😳 We have possum,deer (lots of deer) ,cardinals,finches,blue jays and crows. The bane of my hubby’s existence are the voles that took up residence about three years ago. We could blame it on Covid (?!) or the fact that the neighbor’s outdoor cat went to his reward about the same time as the voles appearance. He was a mouser or should I say voler? My hubby tried putting mint gum in the voles’ holes as well as the stakes that vibrate and scare them away. That is a lot of gum and stakes for a half acre property ! Finally, we hired an exterminator. There are bait boxes all around the perimeter of our yard which the tech checks every month.They must be working as we haven't seen any voles or evidence thereof. Stay cool everyone. It was 82 degrees at 10 AM,predicted to go over 90 here on the North Fork of Long Island. Too hot to even go to the beach- at least that is my opinion. We will stay in the AC,sip cool drinks and have deli for dinner. Sounds like a good day to me ! MJ🙋🏻

Juneau - you can do the Mt Robert’s tram and the bus to the Mendenhall Glacier is a good idea. Ketchican- I recall a bus to the Totem Park. Various totem poles are on display and I think there are guides there to explain the stories that are told by the totem pole carvings. The lumber jack show may be interesting for your child. Victoria- I would pass that up and think of it as a sea day. Icy StraitPoint- I think there is a few paths to walk and a sort of tram ride there as well. You could Google each port and check the highlights of each that you may want to experience.

Thank you for the lovely review. I am thinking about a British Isles Cruise in 2023 to celebrate our 40 wedding anniversary. Although you cruised the Med,you have given me inspiration to undertake a port intensive cruise in another part of Europe. Your mother has also inspired me to travel with a youthful spirit. Please thank her for me. On another note, wishing you good luck on the cottage redo. After many house projects over the past thirty nine years,including a kitchen renovation and renovating a Florida condo, I do have some advice for you. Make sure you carry with you patience,a sense of humor and a lot of your favorite beverage ! Cheers! MJ🙋🏻

Dr Sea- This will be my final response to you. As you continue your profession and your life, I hope that you continue to think deep and do meaningful self reflection so that you have an understanding of people that you meet and those in the world in general. Empathy is a very good quality for a person to have on their life’s journey. A little background of my life which is nearing seventy years. Teaching is my profession. I retired from Elementary Education after thirty- five years in the profession. My first teaching assignment was in a working class neighborhood whose residents were immigrants from China, South Korea, the Philippines, many South American and Central American countries, Ireland, Poland, Cuba ,Haiti, and Italy. It was a true United Nations. Everyone got along. There were few discipline problems. The kids in my second grade classes were terrific and the parents were my support team. Those kids were so appreciative of any treats or fun activities that I could think of for them to do in my classroom. A few months ago, I received a note from a former student who is probably in her late forties. She reminisced about her school days and mentioned that I had made the class Rice Krispie treats. She had never had them and she was so delighted to have the treat in my class. She said that day was so special to her,she never forgot it. I learned so much from those students. Now,go forward to my last teaching assignment ten years after my first teaching job. It was a Title1 school. Funds were allotted that school from the Federal Government to improve reading and math skills. Many of the students lived in Section 8 housing. I was a Reading Specialist for the school and I taught students from Kindergarten to Sixth Grade. They were great kids. They struggled,not only acedemically but in dealing with their lives. The teachers in my department made sure they had a safe and comfortable place to be when they came into our classrooms. We had empathy and understanding of them. Some blossomed and some succumbed to the harsh realities of their lives. We tried for each of those kids. They were great kids. They had heart,some had great senses of humor and some were so hurt, the best they could do was come to class.I learned so much from those students. I agree that travel gives us experiences beyond our small lives. We should approach visiting another state or country as to what we can learn from the experience and not be constantly comparing the way of life in a foreign place to what we are used to at home. My husband and I have traveled to Europe,Canada,Mexico,The Caribbean,Bermuda and extensively in the US. We do not conduct ourselves as “Ugly Americans”. We try to let others know that there are Americans who are intelligent, kind and appreciative . We have been able to travel out of our small world and we are grateful for the opportunities we have been given. However, all my life experiences,so far, have given me understanding of others and a sense of gratitude,not entitlement. Something else that I will share with you being that you are in the medical field,you may understand the love and commitment I had for my parents. My father was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease when I was twenty. I helped my mother care for him at their home for seven years. We lost him when I was twenty-seven. My husband and I cared for my mother in our home for fifteen years. She left us at age ninety- three. I was forty-seven My parents were wonderful to me. I couldn’t do enough for them. That is probably why I have little patience with grown children who do not show respect,appreciation and care for their parents who seem to bend over backwards to please their children. I wish you a long and blessed life. I hope you will always have the time for self reflection and deep thinking. I also hope you have empathy and kindness to those in your life especially those you meet in the clinical setting, Finally,I will say that I hope the OP’s son was joking with his Mom about the door decorations.😉

Bonnie- Good news about your ankle !👍 Lioness- Those are some enormous mosquito bites! You must be very sweet,the mosquitos like you so much. I hope the preparations allow you and your hubby to enjoy the fire pit and backyard. Do you see any lightening bugs? @DaniDanielle- Congratulations on the new job! I am posting updated photos of our front garden. I was not aware that the garden grew so much since Spring 2021. We live on a half acre . My hubby and I used to do all the gardening. Now,we have a landscape company taking care of all of it. My hubby’s knees,my asthma and an over population of deer ticks have caused us to hire the landscapers. Now, I get to look at the beautiful flowers and take photos! To all those dealing with the extreme heat,please take it easy these next few days. 😎 MJ🙋🏻

DDr Sea- I have given your response to my post some thought. Let me share my python response to you. All generations face challenges and, hopefully ,rewards of some kind. The rewards can be material-salaries,health benefits generous gifts from loved ones and they can also be spiritual in away- kindness,respect,friendship, support. I know many Millenials and some a bit older- Generation XY or Z. I find the nomenclature a bit confusing.They are hard working,generous and thoughtful people. My daughter and son in law are both forty- eight. They hold responsible jobs,own their home,and are raising two children -ages 15 and 12 to be thoughtful, kind and appreciative people. While they generously provide for their children, they do not overly indulge them. We ,as grandparents,respect how they have created a loving home for the children,and do not go overboard in showering gifts to them. We are generous ,of course. I Ido slip them some spending money, but that is what Nanas are for,yes? To address the Baby Boomer generation being entitled. Are you thinking of Social Security and Medicare benefits? Older Americans appreciate these benefits. We contributed a good number of years for those benefits. No one that I know thinks they are an entitlement. Rather, they are an appreciated addition to some quality of life for older Americans. In 1974,the minimum wage was $2.00. If I worked 30 hours at a part time job, that would be a $60 paycheck before withholdings. The average tuition for a public college or university was about $2500 per year. My father bought a 1972 Chevelle Malibu for close to $4,000. He took a bank loan to purchase the car. Expenses may have been less 50 years ago,but so was the average income. It is all relative. Every generation would like a better life for the next generation. We have come to a certain level though where the twenty somethings and thirty somethings are faced with some hard challenges to meet or surpass what their parents were able to attain.Buying a home in the recent real estate market is close to impossible, the job market is difficult also.College loans can be burdensome. I do not envy the place of these young people who are starting out are facing. It is not easy,especially for those that may have been overly indulged by their families. But, I digress. To answer the OP- I am hoping your son was joking bout the decorations.

Graham- Your gardens are lovely- the white hydrangea is beautiful ! I thought that I would share some of our front garden photos. Enjoy the day everyone! Stay cool!😎 MJ🙋🏻

I my view, the Baby Boomer generation of parents and ,now,grandparents have caused a level of entitlement of their children/grandchildren. As one of my friend’s husband said of his three daughters - “ We created a nightmare !”. It is part of the reason that some children continue to live in their parents’ house, accept that their mothers do their laundry and cook dinner for them nightly without sharing in household chores or helping their parents very much. I am not sure where this phenomenon developed. Everyone that I knew in college,class of 1974, worked during that time We paid for our cars or agreed to use the family car and paid for some tuition, fees and /or textbooks and other expenses. It was confidence building to have savings in a bank account. Life lessons learned while working a part time job may have been more beneficial than some classes that I took. But, I digress. I have thought of another spin to the OP’s “dilemma”. Perhaps her son was feigning disappointment that the cabin door would be decorated for his sister’s birthday and not for him.Maybe he was joking with his mother? In a way, I am hoping that was the case !

@lomanNow, that’s a great idea, given the ages of the “children”!

MCazer - Good idea!

I am sure you will do something special for your son’s birthday too. He may not be on a cruise with you then, but he will celebrate when his day comes around.

@h20skibum That was an unfortunate experience your family had at the Breakers. Had you stayed there before and then saw the quality go down on this recent stay? Maybe they were negatively affected by Covid. Before you booked your stay,did you read any reviews of the Breakers ? We usually look up places that are new to us on Trip Advisor.,so we have a good idea if a place is suitable for us. Theses days, vacations are expensive and we don’t appreciate wasting money where we cannot relax. We have stayed at a few Homeward Suites and found them to be clean and comfortable. Give those suitcases a good long time in quarantine as roaches can hide in small spaces. I hope you didn't bring home any unwanted souvenirs!🙄 MJ🙋🏻

@ReneeFLL This is a good question for @Ocean Boywith his medical expertise. I took skin off a blister one of my heels once. I had so much pain as a result that I had to see the family doctor. He said never to peel skin from a blister and treated it with a powder salve product and gauze bandages. I am not sure about popping the blister. Do you have other shoes beside the sandals. Maybe wear socks and sneakers to get off the ship ? How about calling the medical center onboard for some advice? Hope you get relief. MJ🙋🏻

@bobmacliberty That chocolate chip ice cream ( my favorite) sounds delicious. The company ships ice cream in dry ice ? Very tempting...😉 @Bailey & Sophie You have had a string of difficulties. Hoping things settle down for you. As one of my Mom’s health aides would tell me, “ Don’t say what’s next ! That is jinxing yourself.” MJ🙋🏻

@Keksie I also spent many Summers at my Grandmother’s farm. I have fond memories of that time spent with her,my aunts and uncle and cousins. We did simple things,going to the nearby beach,going to the movies and fire department bazaars,visiting with family and family friends over great home cooked dinners. Sometimes, I just liked to play with my dolls or read a book under the grape arbor at an aunt’s house or the willow tree in my Grandma’s front yard. My cousins and I would play croquet or softball in her front yard too. Simple activities, but great memories! Thank you,.Kekski. MJ🙋🏻 .

Lenny- You have brought up one of my favorite subjects- ice cream! Unfortunately, the Jahn’s in Richmond Hill closed a number of years ago. The only remaining Jahn’s is in Jackson Heights. It is more of a diner than an ice cream parlor though. Jahn’s in RH was a favorite place to go in my childhood. I went to a number of birthday parties there where the Kitchen Sink was the highlight. I also went to a baby shower at Jahn’s - of course ,at a later date. There is an ice cream parlor in Forest Hills,Eddie’s,used to be Witt’s. It has been in operation for at least a hundred years. The decor remains the same. Marble counter,wooden stools, tile floor and delicious home-made ice cream. The parlor has been used for many photo shoots,TV locations and movie locations. I remember watching a Woody Allen movie about eight years ago,and Eddie’s was turned into an Italian restaurant for the movie. I don’t recall the title of the movie though. Yesterday,after playing golf, my friends and I were in the mood for an ice cream lunch. It was a hot day ! We went to a place not far from the course,but it was changed to a bagel place. We drove an additional fifteen minutes to get to a luncheonette that serves Hershey’s ice cream. We were lamenting that there used to be ice cream places in every small town here in the North Fork. Now, they are few and far between. Hoping you enjoy some ice cream today ! 🍨🍧🍦 Wishing all here a good day ! MJ🙋🏻

A few thoughts- If your child has not had shelf stable milk ,I would introduce it to him /her before the cruise. Taste and consistency may differ from the milk the child has been drinking. Consider powdered milk to avoid a problem with a liquid in a carry on. I would put the child’s bottle or sippy cup full of milk in an ice bucket so it would be chilled to drink. You could order milk room service breakfast very early in the day ,or has been suggested, get milk from the buffet or other place onboard that serves coffee.

Wishing all here a good day. Sending out extra wishes to those coping with health issues or loss.💐 MJ🙋🏻

You have a better chance of a beach massage at the Nassau stop. I have been to Bermuda over a dozen times. Have not seen a massage set up at their public beaches. You might be able to arrange a massage at a resort spa,but then again,it could be pricey. MJ🙋🏻

Wow! I guess people know that this is Michelle's and Joe’s cabin.😉