Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Four

Jill, so glad your DH is recovering well from his surgery. Your plan seems to be the best anniversary celebration. We are not out of winter weather yet in Central New York State. Today was cold and wet and I decided not to venture out. DH prepared a chick pea Chana Masala curry and it was delicious!! Vegetarian dish for Semana Santa...our tradition. Good Friday will be Bacalao (Cod) a la Valenciana...left over from last year's Good Friday...let's hope it's edible...

Jilly, best wishes for husbands recuperation.

We also don't buy any presents ... but I'm grilling some ribeye for her with some caramelised red onions and fries with something red to drink. Enjoy the cod Cams!

Happy Anniversary Jeff and Mrs! And all of you others with impressive numbers are inspiring. Only 22 here but we are still working on it.

We have had gorgeous weather here in Tassie the past few days. Heading back to Launceston today before leaving tomorrow. It sure was a great birthday trip, and Chris did a great job planning all sorts of fun and varied things.

Now the pressure is on me, to plan her birthday trip next year. She wants to do Patagonia. Landscapes, wildlife, and wine. Sounds excellent - any coolers with experience there?

Jillyf, best of luck with the husband's recuperation.

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JP, I’m glad the weather has improved. I fear your stay in Melbourne didn’t see the lovely autumn weather we can have.

Are you going to blog about the trip? I have always enjoyed your trip reports.

We had a trip in 2009 ( where has the time gone) to South America. After a few days on Easter Island, a few days in Santiago and a week in the Galapagos we flew to Patagonia. We stayed at Explora Lodge in Torres del Paine National Park. At the time it was the only luxury hotel, but friends have been there recently and stayed in a luxury eco lodge and liked it.

I would stay at Explora again very happily. We went on the "easier" walks knowing that most people there were younger and fitter and we didn’t want to hold them back. They were enough for us, but there were much harder walks for a challenge. It was lovely to walk then be taken back to the luxury of the lodge. Good food and wine too.

Here is our blog of that time, plus the continuing trip to Argentina.

We went by boat from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia ( I saw there is a new ship), then flew to El Calafate and on to Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls.

http://thefletchers.com.au/The_Fletchers/South_America_2009/Entries/2009/2/16_A_DAY_TRIP!!.html

I hope the link works. It would be a wonderful Birthday trip for Chris.

Good morning, Jeff, Happy Anniversary to you and your lovely Bride from me too.:).....it is pretty cool that it is 44 years:)....you sound like the kind of person who keeps things interesting and I know you love to cook:D

Funny how life is so different for all of us.........I have been divorced for 33 years.......to be honest, it feels like I was never married it was so long ago.........:eek:

Anyway, hope you both had a great one:) and Jill, send my best to your hubby too.

Have a good day everyone.

Greetings Coolers! Lovely holiday weekend ahead although the weather won't be spring-like. Myster once again stretched his culinary muscles with a jambalaya yesterday. It was delicious!

Safe travels home JP and Chris! Happy to hear the birthday extravaganza went swimmingly!

With chocolate bunnies on the horizon here is today's funny.....

Have a great day all and a wonderful weekend!

Good afternoon all .... and thanks Lois for the lovely comments. Wifey has found life “interesting” on many fronts. Meeting someone and committing yourself to a lifetime together is initially always going to be a lottery where both people have to then commit themselves to do all they can to improve the odds of success. She enabled me to take paths and directions and take risks that many rational females would never have done, and then threw herself into things to become an equal partner to ensure we were successful. I wouldn’t have married me so I am enormously gratified that she did. To me she has been and is better than perfect.

Fun piccies M!

We had a great lunch today looking back on stuff, the challenges and on how we battled through.

...... and yesterday’s lunch .....

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The nicest love letter I've ever read.

Totally agree! You both will continue to embrace life together for many years to come.

Thanks Carolyn and Cams ....

:)

aw.....sniff! Lovely!

Off to a vintage/antique jewelry auction later this afternoon. Have my eye on some Native American pieces....great Southwest ring and fabulous silver and turquoise cuff......we'll see how this goes!

Mudhen, I wish I could join you for antique jewelry shopping. I collect heirloom pieces from family members, since new generations are hardly interested. I wear and enjoy my jewelry... even in Birkenstock country!

I would LOVE to have company, any time! I was lucky enough to get a wonderful lot of Native American sterling rings at a "give away" price several months ago. Now I'm addicted! One of my family treasures is a Zuni turquoise and spiny oyster shell thunderbird pin that my mom got on her honeymoon in Arizona (think 1948!). I do love antique jewelry of all kinds, but I'm working on Native American and vintage Mexican sterling at the moment! Such fun!

I will be going Xalapa, Mexico, in mid-May and will let you know if I'm lucky with good finds.

Hi friends........well, I got some really sucky news today.......the cancer medicine I take has been removed from the list of meds that our insurance covers........got a letter in mail about it and giving me alternative medications......so tomorrow I need to call my Dr and see what is going to happen........he needs to put me on something else and then I need to find out if there is a co-pay plan (which I have now).........wish me luck please.

This medication has been working and doing its job of keeping my white cell number where it is supposed to be.

It is like starting all over again:eek:

Let us hope we can find a new medicine that works as good as the one I am taking now AND that coverage will be just as good..........will let you know what happens.

How awful Lois. Let’s hope there is something new that is as good for you.

How awful Lois. Let’s hope there is something new that is as good for you.

Hi Jill, thanks.........I will call the Dr's office in the morning and see what he says......I have been on the same

pills for 2 years so having them removed from the list was a TOTAL SHOCK:eek:......thankfully I just got my

recent refill today so since it is still March they are covered...........the new plan begins Monday April 1st.........

they only gave 3 days notice of the change:mad: (for the medicine). I knew the April date was for re-enrollment, etc...but did not

know my meds were being taken off the plan!

Lois: incomprehensible. I’ll echo jilly in hoping you get something that works as well.

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Good luck Lois, hope there is some sort of "work around" for you or that your doc can give you some reassurance on an alternative.

Thank you all so much:)..........I will keep you posted.

Good luck Lois, hope there is some sort of "work around" for you or that your doc can give you some reassurance on an alternative.

YES!! Hope there is some sort of a "work around" and/or alternative that your doctor can suggest. What does the insurance company say or offer as another option? Which insurance company? If pushed in a skillful and/or aggressive manner, maybe the insurance company can be "creative" and more flexible. Am I correct that this mostly a challenge created by some changes in policy coverage by your insurance folks? Good luck!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting, dramatic pictures can be seen from this live/blog at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 37,962 views for this visual sharing including Cape Town, along South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.

YES!! Hope there is some sort of a "work around" and/or alternative that your doctor can suggest. What does the insurance company say or offer as another option? Which insurance company? If pushed in a skillful and/or aggressive manner, maybe the insurance company can be "creative" and more flexible. Am I correct that this mostly a challenge created by some changes in policy coverage by your insurance folks? Good luck!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting, dramatic pictures can be seen from this live/blog at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 37,962 views for this visual sharing including Cape Town, along South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.

Good morning........Terry, the insurance company offers 3 alternative drugs.......I have to call my Dr and he what he says about them and what he wants to start me on........yes, it is the insurance company who decided to do this:mad:........of course they have no idea that a person is doing well from taking the meds they are removing from the list:(........and they probably don't give a damn either.........

I just got the letter in the mail yesterday so I have not done anything yet except go out last night for dinner and

have a cold one to let this process.........

Lois, good luck with your medicine search and cost!! Hopefully all will turn out good and affordable. Keep us posted.

Lois...I echo all of the above! Will be keeping fingers, toes, (hair?!) braided for you that some sort of meds will work out for you.

Cam....please keep me posted on any good silver finds on your May trip! Was lucky at the antique jewelry sale....small crowd..maybe because of the holidays....

BTW, Have a lovely Easter everyone....hope your bunny leaves many colored eggs and maybe some chocolate too!!

Sorry to hear of your problems Lois...what an awful situation...hope it works out well for you.

Jeff...so lovely to read your thoughts and I’m sure Mrs J feels the same as you look after her so well.

Loved that steak....my kind of meal!

Hope the antique hunting goes well.....I’ve decided to send some ‘old’ bits to auction over the next few weeks as my loft needs clearing...trouble is that if l go to the sale rooms I’ll end up buying more!!

Safe travels to all that are either coming or going and wishing everyone a

Very Happy Easter 😊