dani negreanu

+ 3 😘 But peel it first 😉

@DaniDanielle, Marietta. Wishing you a wonderful Birthday. @BonTexasNY, Bonnie, wishing your daughter also a wonderful Birthday. @Luckynana, Maryann, thank you. Our actual anniversary, as well as DH's birthday, is January 17th (shared with the late Betty White). It will also be a bitter sweet b'day for DH, since his sister (7 years older than him), with whom he shares the b'day, went into irreversible coma. She was 73, and now DH is "catching up" with her....

Ravello is breathtaking, and that's the tour I always recommend.

Thank you, Deb. Now, that I've finished with the "gift", we're looking both at a dinner out with friends with whom we're together from the very beginning, also a short getaway to either Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. The boys and our DIL, have already booked a nice and affordable restaurant, not far from our in-laws, who have been "volunteered" to baby-sit on the Friday night, after our "real" anniversary, which falls on the middle of the week. Jerusalem is more special, with some historic and very expensive hotels, but it's also much colder than Tel Aviv, weather wise.

Of course is a double rainbow at the flow rider... Allie is keeping an "eye" on both of you 😘

For the last few days, I've been "busy"... With our golden wedding anniversary "looming" in less than 2 weeks, as a "preventive" measure, we decided to tell the boys what we'd like as a gift.... First, it was decided that DH will get to choose, since he does all the cooking ("accidentally" it's his birthday too....). He wanted a new food processor, since our Magimix is more than 40 years old. He researched and researched, and, in the end, we actually went to a shop to see the "candidate"... Good idea, since he decided he doesn't need one so big, with so many "functions". So the "ball" was thrown to me, even if I'm "responsible" only for the desserts -- my Kenwood mixer is even more older than the Magimix... My head started to spin ... so many choices, so many power watts, prices, weight [very important, since I have to take it from the cupboard] ,motor at the bottom/head, etc. First the choice was between same old, Kenwood, and the not so new "kid in town" -- KitchenAid. Then, on reading the "best stand mixers for 2023", a new contender caught my eye - Cuisinart.... On and on I read and researched, with the boys urging me to decide, in order that the gift will arrive on time ... Yesterday night, finally, the die has been cast... The same old, with the new design. Heavy, but they all are.... Wish me luck in the new endeavor ☹️

Neither did I.... 😉 "Kasa Ramen" -- https://www.grupokasa.es/index.html

I can highly recommend Jiffy Jeff, and an earlier flight too... https://www.gojiffyjeff.com/

No, at this "ungodly" hour you'll be OK.... I assume the transfer provider knows what time you'll need to allow, in order to be at the airport at least at 4.30am.

Much depends when is your flight out? The traffic is horrendous, staying in Haifa will add at least an hour to your travel time to Ben Gurion airport, unless you'll take the train. If your flight is around 1PM, you might consider staying in Haifa, to visit the Baha'i Gardens when you finish your cruise and spend the late afternoon in Wadi Nisnas. https://ganbahai.org.il/ https://www.jpost.com/j-spot/wadi-nisnas-haifas-hidden-gem-629775

Doesn't smell at all... that's why he is mystified.

He is indeed very mystified by the flies' "quick response"... He even asked on FB for advice, and, lately, on an very popular AI chat... No satisfying replies so far ☹️

@Ozark_Kid, So, John, when I've replied to you, DH was already asleep.... This morning I've "interviewed" him about the "alien", since it's a regular staple in "his" cooking/roasting/eating. 1. He's peeling it and eating it raw. 2. Using it in vegetable soup. 3. Mixing it in salads. 4. Our eldest son is cooking it whole in the oven, and likes it very much. His complaint -- the smell attracts all the flies from a wide radius to his flat... 5. We only have the green "version" here -- To me it resembles an alien space ship .....

Of course... "Kasa Ramen" -- https://www.grupokasa.es/index.html

Yes, it is a very popular vegetable here. DH is baking it in slashes as an "anti-pasti" with a bit of olive oil.

Enjoy! There is a very good Asian restaurant right and right around the corner, where we ate a nice Ramen when it was too hot to go far...

That was Debbie ( @Sunshine3601), and it was ... epic 😉 So glad your daughter and her cat have settled in. I'm sure she'll make friends from work and neighborhood during her stay there. The young are resilient.

Thanks to @IgKh for reviewing this cruise. And thanks @Biker19 😉 I'm attaching a link to his review, along with relevant citations to the OP. I agree with the OP -- more than 90% of the passengers will be Israeli, either Jewish or Arabs. I can't find much sense travelling all the way from "America" in order to board an old ship in Haifa, unless you have family/friends here, or want to combine a visit to the Holy Land with a cruise of the neighboring islands. OTOH, when Odyssey was due to sail from Haifa, I recommended every one to take the cruise... .... " I think that the vast majority of passengers were Israeli, but there were also a sizable number of Cypriots and British expats who boarded the ship in Limassol, and the odd Americans or other nationalities. There were of course a lot of children, since it is the summer vacation. While definitely busy, the ship didn’t feel overcrowded to me, especially after the first day once people found their flow. I didn’t have any problem finding a seat in a lounge or a deck chair in the Solarium anytime I wanted to. The main pool deck was very busy though, and the hot tubs in Solarium were busy too but usually not the Solarium pool (children were not allowed to use the pool in the Solarium, but they were allowed into the hot tubs and to eat at the Park Cafe). Thankfully chair hogging didn’t seem like something that was happening. Royal Caribbean really made a big effort to adapt to this crowd. All signage and written material was in English and Hebrew. Announcements were made in English and Hebrew, and important announcements also in Greek. Israeli music was playing in the Centrum, and movies on the outdoor screen had Hebrew subtitles. The guest services staff was bolstered by Hebrew-speaking representatives from Sun-O-Rama, including an assistant cruise director. The dining staff was assisted by representatives from the Kosher supervision company (more on that later). ..."

+ 1 👍

+ 1 Jim @Jimbo

+ 2 👍, agree too with Maryann @Luckynana

Bliss....

👍 😉

@Sunshine3601, Debbie.... same here, I thought Donna is expecting 😉... and, of course, Petey is a handsome guy Thank you so much, G & P. We had 😀 My BFF decided Tuesday to do "something" tonight (8PM) for the New Year, hoping that all of us old guys will stick around until midnight...😧 Mind you, this is just a "regular" day for us, and people are going to work tomorrow morning... She asked that everyone bring a dish. Of course, she had the most work though, hosting 4 other couples. Since in our household both parties are "able" to bring a dish, DH volunteered to do a tuna mousse (great success) and I -- my famous brownies with nice chunks of walnuts (moderate success -- we were so full). In the end, some who still work departed at 11PM, and we followed 15 mins after that.... I took a pic of the very nice setting by Israeli "standards 😉" in comparison to the amazing settings some of you displayed for Christmas Eve....

🎄Wishing you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year 🎄 And some happy anniversaries to boot --- @A&L_Ont Andrew -- Happy Birthday @Luckynana Maryann - Happy Birthday to your granddaughter @Arzeena - Happy Birthday to your daughter @NHProud - Judy & Steve, Best wishes on your 56th wedding anniversary